Moto 360 version 2 has been officially announced at IFA. After months of rumours, leaked photos and information, Motorola has announced the new Moto 360 line up for 2015 which will be available in 2 sizes, 3 models and over 300 combinations through customisation via Moto Maker.
The new Moto 360 has a better high resolution display, unlike the pixelated one from last year’s model. The lugs for the watch straps are different as well as the button on the chrome has been moved up to a 45 degree angle. Apart from that, the black bar at the bottom of the screen stays and the watch undoubtedly looks as a second generation model to Moto 360.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSb3ZEzzJSw
The new Moto 360 has 3 models: mens, women’s and sports. Mens and women’s models only differ in the size and customisation availability. Mens models are available in both 42mm and 46mm sizes whereas women’s models are only available in 42mm sizes. The Moto 360 Sport will ship in 42mm only model, however the official website does not confirm if this will be the only size variant available.
In terms of customisations, it is best to check out Moto Maker as the number of possible combinations are too many to list here. The Moto Maker wizard tool can show all the variants and options available along with the impact on cost.
There was not much wrong with the design and looks of the first generation Moto 360 if you can ignore the black bar. Having used one myself, I learnt to ignore the bar and use black watch faces to not even notice it. The internals, including the display, of the first generation Moto 360 were not the best of its time. Competing Android Wear smartwatches had better processors and displays. However, this time around, Motorola has pumped up the hardware with the following:
Moto 360 Mens, Women’s and Sports models specs:
- 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor
- Adreno 305 with 450MHz GPU
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of internal storage
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Vibration/Haptics engine
- Display: Mens 42mm and Women’s: 1.37” (35mm), 263ppi (360 X 325) – Mens 46mm: 1.56” (40mm), 233ppi (360 X 330)
- Wireless charging
- Battery life:
- Mens 42mm and Women’s: 300mAh – Up to 1.5 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on.
- Mens 46mm: 400mAh – Up to 2 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on
The sport model is a bit different from the regular mens and women’s models and has the following features, in addition to the above:
- Display: AnyLight display which adapts to the light, whether indoors or outdoors
- GPS
- Durable silicon construction
All the models ship with some new watchfaces and software features such as complications support, Android Wear + iPhone support. Moto Body app has also gotten a cleaner design and watch face support, as can be seen from the videos and pictures. With the new quad core processor, any lag in the user interface should be gone now and with a number of apps supporting circular displays, you can safely assume that this will one of the most popular Android Wear smartwatches this year.
The price for new Moto 360 starts from $299 and you can pre-order yours from Motorola starting today whereas you can buy one in store later this month.
