Moto 360 mini review
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on 03-11-2014 16:12 - last edited on 03-11-2014 17:52 by BrendonM
3 Days Use - My Mini Review
Obviously from the title above, this is more a 'first impressions' type of review, more time wearing the smartwatch would be required for an in depth review especially where 'wear and tear' comes in to play.
The box it comes in is akin to Apple quality packaging. Hard cardboard, plastic inner trays etc. There is no paper manual included and you're directed to visit the website for the digital copy.
Aesthetics and design, I have really only good things to say. I worried a little it might look large on my skinny wrist but it really doesn't look too bad. It's also extremely light considering. I love the look and feel of it. It feels like a £200 product and you don't feel ripped off in that respect. The stainless steel is top notch. The leather strap is thicker then I would have imagined, but it looks tough and sturdy. My only real complaint is it can be quite tricky moving the arm of the buckle to another hole while on the wrist. It doesn't seem to drop out easily when attempting to adjust. This adds pressure at the extremities where the step connects to the watch body and I could potentially see this is a potential reason for this cracking issue which seems to be plaguing some owners. The screen and glass smooth on the finger and no issues with touch responsiveness or clarity.
Setup was relatively easy, although I did have one or two issues getting it to talk to my HTC ONE M8 but a few restarts later it hooked up and it pairs without hiccups now.
Out of the box, the 360, like most smart watches, is essentially a notification repeater and Google now add on. The ability to perform actions varies depending on the notification. Gmail for example, you can read the email (to an extent) but it's not ideal, but you can also archive, delete or open on phone. You can also reply and although I've not tried it, I believe it uses preset templates. A Facebook notification however is basically just information only. You can open the app on the phone but that is it.
The Google now interface is clean and it's what you expect from Google now. It's what you get on your phone, the information cards popping up when it feels you want them.
The UI basically is geared up for voice activation, which works well as long as you're speaking clearly, close proximity and preferably in a quiet environment. Via touch though, in my opinion it's a little awkward to get to what you want. One tap launches "Speak Now" a further swipe up and then subsequent swipes up is required to access settings and other apps you have installed. Dealing with apps via touch is a small learning curve as you swipe in different directions to interact.
Other then that, there are some useful built in sensors such as pedometer and heart rate monitor. Experience with the hear rate monitor varies. Sometimes it'll detect and give you a result and other times it'll take a few attempts and requires the strap to be quite tight or the watch body held against skin. It's temperamental definitely. The accelerometer works well and lights up the watch face when moving your wrist up to look at it. It's pretty accurate in that it will only light up when my wrist reaches the limit at which I would glance at it, however it can also be over sensitive in lighting up when driving for example. Spinning the steering wheel confuses the watch and it thinks you're looking at it.
Designing watch faces is probably one of the most fun aspects. The built in Motorola designer is quite good for starters and gives you limited design capability. I tried Facer but preferred WatchMaker myself for greater design options.
A quick word on the charger. It's great. I love wireless charging. It just seems to work without fail. It's relatively quick to charge. The display acts as a nightstand which I really like however I have read about screen burn in issues so I've had to use a workaround that someone found to turn the display off while charging.
Final words on battery life. I don't have any issue with it. It'll easily last me a day and I simply charge over night. That fits with my lifestyle so I've no complaints there.
Overall I'm pleased. There are some niggles which are mainly software based and can be addressed in future updates. I'd recommend this smartwatch to anyone looking to buy one which has a little bit of class about it too.
Pros:
- weight and size
- quality
- responsiveness
- price
- design
- packaging
Cons:
- tricky strap adjustment
- slightly awkward UI to navigate
- sometimes sensitive accelerometer
- heart rate monitor is temperamental
- screen burn in a concern
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on 03-11-2014 17:47
on 04-11-2014 01:15
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on 04-11-2014 01:15
One other thing to note about the Moto 360 is it's price. It's very unusual for a product to be released in the UK which isn't the equivalent price in USA. The 360 is $250 in the USA, normal practice for technology products is you can bet the UK price will be £250 or more. But it comes in at £200.
I also made use of the music controls today. While driving (legality questionable) I was able to see what track was playing, album cover in background, and adjust volume or change track from the watch. I use Google Play Music, I'm not sure how it works with third party music apps though.
on 04-11-2014 07:58
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on 04-11-2014 07:58
- 127866 Posts
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04-11-2014 08:06 - edited 04-11-2014 08:08
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04-11-2014 08:06 - edited 04-11-2014 08:08
@Anonymous So pleased you are updating this......(Also glad that it was moved to its own thread)
It does seem a reasonable price for its capabilties....
Now onto that sentence 'tried this whilst driving'.....As a nurse I shall shout in your ear... no no no...
Veritas Numquam Perit
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on 04-11-2014 10:09
Great review @Anonymous!
Thanks for sharing
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on 04-11-2014 11:55
Very nicely done indeed
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