• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns

2

Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access

3

U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim

1

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns

2

Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access

3

U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
Tech

Motorola’s new Moto 360 a much-needed improvement

By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jason Cipriani
Jason Cipriani
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 30, 2015, 12:50 PM ET
Courtesy Motorola

Motorola’s first-generation Moto 360 was one of the first Android Wear-powered smartwatches to hit the market in 2014. The 360 garnered attention for its circular design, chamfered edges, and high-quality leather bands, but was far from perfect. The super-sized watch suffered from poor battery life, and was a little too big for some critics.

With the second-generation Moto 360, Motorola improved the device’s design, increased battery life, and now offers three different sizes (two for men, one for women).

For the past week, I’ve been wearing a 46 mm Moto 360, customized with a silver housing, “micro knurl” bezel, and a leather watch band. In total, this configuration cost $369, which is $70 more the firm’s 42 mm model.

You can build a customized Moto 360 using Motorola’s Moto Maker website. The site lets you mix and match colors and finishes, along with change watch bands and set the default watchface. As you make changes, a live preview of your creation is shown. If you want a black housing with a gold bezel and a silver watch band, Moto Maker can make that possible.

Some changes, such as color, are included in the base price, whereas adding a metal band or changing the bezel will add to the overall cost. The second-generation Moto 360 starts at $299, with a fully customized gold version maxing out at $450.

The end result is a watch hand selected by consumers; a stark contrast to the one-size-fits-all purchasing options we’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

The new Moto 360 is far more responsive than last year’s model, with apps opening quicker and voice commands registering faster (when paired with an Android device). Battery life has also improved, increasing from a single day (if you were lucky) to nearly one-and-a-half days on a single charge. With light usage I was able to stretch battery life to two full days.

Another notable improvement is the strength of the device’s vibration alert. I would frequently miss alerts on the original Moto 360 due to not feeling the vibration. With the new model, however, the alert is more prominent and harder to miss.

During my time with the device, I used the Moto 360 with the Moto X Pure Edition for half the week, and an iPhone 6 for the other half. Support for the iPhone was recently added to the Android Wear platform.

When connected to my iPhone, alerts would come through without issue, but I found the inability to take action on an alert frustrating. For example, you can reply to a text message with your voice or archive an email without touching your phone.

Furthermore, the watch’s “OK Google” voice command failed to work on multiple occasions, often timing out or prompting me to make sure my watch was connected to my iPhone, which it always was. Another downside is the lack of available Android Wear apps. You’re essentially limited to using only the apps Google includes in Android Wear out of the box.

Despite having the ability to use an Android Wear watch with an iPhone, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Overall, the second-generation Moto 360 is a respectable upgrade over last year’s model. I would have no issue recommending it to an Android user in the market for a smartwatch. It’s faster, looks fantastic, and has enough battery-life to get through the day.

Unlike last year, however, Motorola now faces competition from other Android Wear partners. Huawei offers an Android Wear smartwatch that looks just as good—if not better than—the Moto 360, and the LG Urbane is just as svelte. Heck, the new Pebble Time Round smartwatch is $50 cheaper and works just fine when paired with an Android device.

In a sense, this year’s competition is giving Motorola exactly what it wanted: more choices for customers.

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For more on Motorola, check out the following Fortune video:

About the Author
By Jason Cipriani
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

The hottest debate on Wall Street right now: Does the flood of mega-IPOs and new shares signal a downturn ahead? That depends
InvestingIPOs
The hottest debate on Wall Street right now: Does the flood of mega-IPOs and new shares signal a downturn ahead? That depends
By Jason MaJune 13, 2026
1 hour ago
You can ignore AI giants like SpaceX, but your 401(k) won’t
Investingindex funds
You can ignore AI giants like SpaceX, but your 401(k) won’t
By Stan Choe and The Associated PressJune 13, 2026
3 hours ago
OpenAI hit with multistate probe into possible user harm, days after filing for a highly anticipated IPO
AIOpenAI
OpenAI hit with multistate probe into possible user harm, days after filing for a highly anticipated IPO
By Bernard Condon and The Associated PressJune 13, 2026
4 hours ago
‘It’s not a jailbreak’ — Research leading to U.S. export restrictions on top Anthropic models was for defense, cybersecurity CEO says
AIAnthropic
‘It’s not a jailbreak’ — Research leading to U.S. export restrictions on top Anthropic models was for defense, cybersecurity CEO says
By Jason MaJune 13, 2026
7 hours ago
More and more of Musk’s companies end up under the same roof. Here’s a look at his sprawling empire
C-SuiteElon Musk
More and more of Musk’s companies end up under the same roof. Here’s a look at his sprawling empire
By The Associated PressJune 13, 2026
11 hours ago
herrin
CommentaryInfrastructure
America just committed $1.2 trillion to fix its infrastructure. We’re still flying blind
By Gregg HerrinJune 13, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Sydney LakeJune 13, 2026
15 hours ago
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
AI
Anthropic disables Fable and Mythos AI models after U.S. government bars it from giving foreigners access
By Jeremy KahnJune 13, 2026
20 hours ago
U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
Energy
U.S. energy secretary says 7 million barrels of oil exiting Persian Gulf daily, but Chevron CEO rebuts the claim
By Jordan BlumJune 12, 2026
1 day ago
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
Environment
Corporate America has been draining the world's water. Matt Damon's new campaign calls on Gap, Starbucks, and Amazon to help give it back
By Catherina GioinoJune 9, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 12, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 12, 2026
1 day ago
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
Success
American taxpayers have spent $33 billion on sports stadiums. They got fewer seats—and higher prices
By Catherina GioinoJune 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.