The Apple Watch is OFFICIAL but can it take on the beautiful Moto 360? Michael investigates the major differences
Wearables. Nobody asked for them, and yet
here they are. Analysts reckon they’ll be HUGE in 2015 and everybody,
including Apple, is now looking at the sector for future growth. In the
past couple of year there’s been quite a few notable developments in the
space –– notably Android
Wear –– and a lot of hardware from the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and
Asus. But perhaps the two most well known smartwatches are Apple’s Apple Watch and the Moto 360.
The Moto 360 is now readily available in the UK, runs Android Wear, and is one of the best looking examples of what can be done with Google’s new wearables-centric platform. The Moto 360 looked the part and, as a result, received a huge amount of hype prior to its official release. The Apple Watch is kind of the same deal: it looks like a traditional timepiece, not a pseudo-futuristic plastic strap with a shiny display attached to it.
Basically: Apple and Motorola nailed the design, offering up a taste of the future packed away inside something familiar –– and this is what people seemed to want. But which is the better smartwatch? Lets find out.
I always think the Apple Watch’s display looks beautiful, but then I
remember the Moto 360. It has a jaw-dropping 1.56-inch diameter round
display. It’s the form factor of a round computer screen that makes this
display so technically intriguing--and the fact that it oozes elegance
is just icing on the cake.
The Apple Watch comes in three different makes: the “Apple Watch”
with its polished or space black stainless steel body, the “Apple Watch
Sport” with a space grey or silver anodized aluminium body, and the
“Apple Watch Edition” with its 18-karat rose or yellow gold body. As you
can see, because of the varying finishes on the Apple Watches, there
are technically six different designs.
On top of that the Apple Watch offers six different watchbands, each in multiple colours. You’ve got metal bands and leather buckles and chain link loops. And it’s incredible easy to swap out a band thanks to the grooves built into the top and bottom of the Apple Watch.
As for the Moto 360 is contains a 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of storage.
One thing about this cluster of icons home screen approach is that its non-grid layout leaves room for Watch OS to easily supporting display shapes other than rectangular. Is a round Apple Watch in our future? Let’s hope so.
In addition to tapping your way through the Apple Watch you can also interact with it via Siri and Apple’s unique Digital Crown – the knob on the side of the watch. And though the Apple Watch isn’t packed with all the sensors that were rumoured, it does have a healthy bunch of sensors and connectivity options including: NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, and a barometer.
As for the Moto 360, it doesn’t run a custom OS. It runs Android
Wear, which is available on other Android smartwatches as well. Android
Wear is different than Watch OS as it doesn’t really have a home screen.
Instead the watch faces of Android Wear are the main focus. And while
Android Wear does have an app launcher, it’s hidden in its settings.
The main way you interact with the Moto 360 (or any Android Wear device) is via Google Now; say, “OK Google” and tell it what you need. The OS also leverages Google’s data mining and prediction algorithms to guess what you need before you ask. As for sensors and connectivity the Moto 360 offers Bluetooth 4.0, a pedometer, optical heart rate monitor, and ambient light sensor.
And, yes, both watches support third-party apps.
Unfortunately Apple opted for conductive charging via a MagSafe connector. That’s right, you need to physically attach a power coupling to the back of the Apple Watch to charge it. But at least you don’t need to insert a plug into the Apple Watch. The MagSafe connector connects via a magnetic pull and just clamps on the back of the watch. And while this physical connection does give you peace of mind that its actually being charged, it doesn’t beat the simplicity of Moto’s wireless charging solution.
The Moto 360’s strengths are its beautiful round design and its
wireless charging capabilities. But since both watches require a smartphone
to work – the Apple Watch an iPhone and the Moto 360 and Android phone
– the question of which watch is right for you might be simpler than you
think, as it’ll likely be depend on what smartphone you’re going to be
using for the next 12 months.
The Moto 360 is now readily available in the UK, runs Android Wear, and is one of the best looking examples of what can be done with Google’s new wearables-centric platform. The Moto 360 looked the part and, as a result, received a huge amount of hype prior to its official release. The Apple Watch is kind of the same deal: it looks like a traditional timepiece, not a pseudo-futuristic plastic strap with a shiny display attached to it.
Basically: Apple and Motorola nailed the design, offering up a taste of the future packed away inside something familiar –– and this is what people seemed to want. But which is the better smartwatch? Lets find out.
Moto 360 vs. Apple Watch: Display
The Apple Watch comes in two different sized displays: 1.5-inch and 1.65-inch rectangular. The reasoning behind this is to give users more options. The multiple sized displays also make it more appealing to women who, in most cases, have slimmer wrists than their male counterparts. In addition to this, the Apple Watch’s display features a flexible Retina screen with a layer of sapphire over it, so it’s incredibly scratch resistant.
Moto 360 vs. Apple Watch: Design and Bands
The Moto 360’s display is encased in a stainless steel body that looks leagues better than anything else currently on offer from Google’s hardware partners. It also comes with a choice of watchbands so you can have some control over the device’s design as it sits on your wrist.
On top of that the Apple Watch offers six different watchbands, each in multiple colours. You’ve got metal bands and leather buckles and chain link loops. And it’s incredible easy to swap out a band thanks to the grooves built into the top and bottom of the Apple Watch.
Moto 360 vs. Apple Watch: Specs
Right now internal specs are a bit hard to compare because Apple was light on the details of what is inside the Apple Watch. We know is has a custom Apple S1 chip and a Taptic Engine, which is just a haptic device that allows for vibration alerts. But we don’t know the speed of the S1 or how much RAM or storage the Apple Watch has. These specs will eventually be revealed by the company, but probably not until we are much closer to the “early” 2015 launch date.As for the Moto 360 is contains a 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of storage.
Moto 360 vs. Apple Watch: UI, Sensors, and Features
Let’s start with the Apple Watch. It runs a custom OS called Watch OS. Yes, it’s based on iOS but it looks nothing like it. The home screen is made up of a cluster of circles that represent apps. Tap on a cluster to zoom in, and then tap on an individual app icon to open the app.One thing about this cluster of icons home screen approach is that its non-grid layout leaves room for Watch OS to easily supporting display shapes other than rectangular. Is a round Apple Watch in our future? Let’s hope so.
In addition to tapping your way through the Apple Watch you can also interact with it via Siri and Apple’s unique Digital Crown – the knob on the side of the watch. And though the Apple Watch isn’t packed with all the sensors that were rumoured, it does have a healthy bunch of sensors and connectivity options including: NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor, and a barometer.
The main way you interact with the Moto 360 (or any Android Wear device) is via Google Now; say, “OK Google” and tell it what you need. The OS also leverages Google’s data mining and prediction algorithms to guess what you need before you ask. As for sensors and connectivity the Moto 360 offers Bluetooth 4.0, a pedometer, optical heart rate monitor, and ambient light sensor.
And, yes, both watches support third-party apps.
Moto 360 vs. Apple Watch: Battery
Sadly, both watches need to be charged on a nightly basis. But the way you charge them differs greatly. For the Moto 360 you charge it wirelessly via the included wireless Qi charging stand. This takes some of the frustration out of having to charge it every 24 hours or so, as there’s nothing to plug the Moto 360 into. You just plop it on the wireless Qi charging stand and you’re good to go.Unfortunately Apple opted for conductive charging via a MagSafe connector. That’s right, you need to physically attach a power coupling to the back of the Apple Watch to charge it. But at least you don’t need to insert a plug into the Apple Watch. The MagSafe connector connects via a magnetic pull and just clamps on the back of the watch. And while this physical connection does give you peace of mind that its actually being charged, it doesn’t beat the simplicity of Moto’s wireless charging solution.
No comments:
Post a Comment