Do you go square or round?
The trouble with most smartwatch devices to date is that they're ugly. And who wants to wear an ugly watch, no matter how clever it may be?
That accusation certainly couldn't be levelled at the newly announced Apple Watch or the much-lusted-after Motorola Moto 360. They're the two of the most attractive smartwatch designs yet.
All of which means they're likely to be the two best smartwatches yet, once they hit the market. But which is the better of the two?
It's time for a fashion walk-off, Zoolander style. Oh, okay then, we'll just compare them in a sober and considered manner instead.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Design
Apple Watch: Two watch sizes, three models, stainless steel, aluminium and 18-karat gold cases
Moto 360: Circular stainless steel watch face with replaceable leather straps, 49g, 11mm high, IP67 water resistant
Apple and Motorola have taken surprisingly different approaches to smartwatch design. The Apple Watch is relatively small, roughly square in shape (albeit with rounder corners and edges). It's almost jewel-like, particularly when you view the rear of the devices.
The Moto 360, by contrast, is chunky, round, and strikingly plain in a funky machine-honed kind of a way.
Both feature replaceable straps, but the Apple Watch utilises an ingenious connection system that services to integrate whatever strap you choose into the body of the watch.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5S
moto
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Screen
Apple Watch: 1.5-inch or 1.65-inch Retina Display with Sapphire glass
Moto 360: 1.56-inch, 320 x 290, 205 ppi display, backlit and Gorilla Glass 3
While the Motorola Moto 360 appears to be the bigger device, in terms of usable screen space it's roughly equivalent to the smaller of the two Apple Watch models. That's what you give away with a circular design, we guess.
It's unknown what resolution the App Watch display is, other than that it fits the company's description of a Retina Display, meaning you shouldn't be able to discern individual pixels at a natural viewing distance (which is presumably quite near your face for a watch).
The Motorola Moto 360 has a 320 x 290 resolution, for what it's worth.
One point of comparison we can make at this early stage is the toughness of the displays. The Apple Watch has a Sapphire glass screen on two of its models, which is thought to be considerably tougher than the Gorilla Glass 3 used on the Motorola Moto 360.
The Apple Watch Sport collection has strengthened Ion-X glass. It's unknown how this compares.
Apple Watch
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Software and Apps
Apple Watch: Custom operating system
Moto 360: Android Wear and Android Wear Store
Again, at this early stage we know a lot more about how the Moto 360 handles than the Apple Watch. The Moto 360 runs Android Wear, Google's own smartwatch-specific OS.
Unlike regular Android, Android Wear is walled off from manufacturer tinkering. This means that what you get is very much Google's vision.
That vision is comprised of Google Now-like smart notifications that provide contextual information based on time, location, and other factors. It allows for minimal tinkering on the wearer's part.
Apple uses a custom UI for its Watch too, and it's not one that anyone has been able to try out yet. It appears to be far more hands-on than Android Wear, though, with a dedicated button for calling up contacts, which can then be communicated with through the Watch.
The Watch also appears to run stripped-back versions of apps commonly found on iOS, including Maps, Calendar, Passbook, iTunes, and Mail.
\
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Power
Apple Watch: Custom S1 module, Bluetooth
Moto 360: 1GHz TI OMAP 3 processor, 4GB storage, 512MB RAM
Very little is known about the Apple Watch's innards, other than that it runs on a very small, self-contained, and resin-enclosed custom chip known as the S1.
The Moto 360, on the other hand, runs on a TI OMAP 3 processor clocked at 1GHz. This is backed by 512MB of RAM.
All in all, given the tightly curated and lightweight operating systems and app ecosystems that both run on, we'd be very surprised if there was any discernible performance issues with either.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Battery
Apple Watch: TBC (one day rumoured), induction charging
Moto 360: 320mAh battery, one day battery life, wireless charging
Surprise! We don't know what size of battery the Apple Watch runs on. Nor do we know how long it will last on a single charge - one of the key pieces of information for any smartwatch.
Recent reports from Apple sources - both on and off the book - suggest that the Watch has been designed with the idea of a nightly charge in mind, which is disappointing.
Disappointing, but not unusual. No Android Wear watch has managed to exceed this daily charge requirement, and that includes the Motorola Moto 360, despite hopes that its chunky body might signify a chunkier battery.
Rather, the Moto 360's 320mAh unit is pretty much par for the course.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Connectivity
Apple Watch: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, NFC
Moto 360: Bluetooth 4.0
The Apple Watch has a surprisingly generous array of connectivity options. That includes Bluetooth 4.0, which it shares with the Moto 360, and Wi-Fi and NFC on top of that.
It seems as if the Apple Watch will be much more capable as a stand-alone device than the Moto 360, which only has Bluetooth 4.0 to call upon.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Extra features
Apple Watch: Siri, Heart rate sensor, Apple Pay, Taptic Engine, Passbook, Digital Crown, Force Touch
Moto 360: Dual microphones, vibration motor, pedometer, optical heart rate monitor
Apple's smartwatch appears to be packed full of neat little features. It has Siri for voice-activated control, and a heart rate sensor and accelerometer for fitness tracking.
The aforementioned NFC, meanwhile, ties in with Apple Pay to enable mobile payments from your Watch.
Apple's Watch also comes with a couple of interface innovations. Force Touch means that the touchscreen can detect pressure as well as simple contact, while the Digital Crown turns the typical wind-up wheel from a normal watch into a means for zooming and scrolling through options without obscuring the screen with your finger.
Meanwhile, the Taptic Engine might sound like a really naff name - in fact, there's no "might" about it - but it's also a clever way of providing discrete notifications. Rather than bleep and bloop at you, a small motor will effectively tap you on the wrist when you have an incoming notification. It can even vary the type of tap so you can tell what that notification is without looking.
The Moto 360 can't hope to provide anything so clever, but then as stated, Android Wear takes a very streamlined approach to the smartwatch. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
It too has a heart rate monitor, a pedometer and a vibration motor. It also has two microphones to help get the most out of Android Wear's Google Now integration. You'll be able to ask your Moto 360 to do many things without the need to touch it at all.
Early Verdict
There's still too many unknowns about the Apple Watch to make a clear cut conclusion here. It's obvious both smartwatches have strengths and weaknesses. The Moto 360 has already sold out so it's the most popular Android Wear smartwatch so far, but having seen it up close, it might not be as far ahead of the game as any other Google watch. The Apple Watch is promising a whole lot more and if the battery life is right, it should be the one to get on your wrist.
The trouble with most smartwatch devices to date is that they're ugly. And who wants to wear an ugly watch, no matter how clever it may be?That accusation certainly couldn't be levelled at the newly announced Apple Watch or the much-lusted-after Motorola Moto 360. They're the two of the most attractive smartwatch designs yet.
All of which means they're likely to be the two best smartwatches yet, once they hit the market. But which is the better of the two?
It's time for a fashion walk-off, Zoolander style. Oh, okay then, we'll just compare them in a sober and considered manner instead.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Design
Apple Watch: Two watch sizes, three models, stainless steel, aluminium and 18-karat gold cases
Moto 360: Circular stainless steel watch face with replaceable leather straps, 49g, 11mm high, IP67 water resistant
Apple and Motorola have taken surprisingly different approaches to smartwatch design. The Apple Watch is relatively small, roughly square in shape (albeit with rounder corners and edges). It's almost jewel-like, particularly when you view the rear of the devices.
The Moto 360, by contrast, is chunky, round, and strikingly plain in a funky machine-honed kind of a way.
Both feature replaceable straps, but the Apple Watch utilises an ingenious connection system that services to integrate whatever strap you choose into the body of the watch.
SEE ALSO: iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5S
moto
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Screen
Apple Watch: 1.5-inch or 1.65-inch Retina Display with Sapphire glass
Moto 360: 1.56-inch, 320 x 290, 205 ppi display, backlit and Gorilla Glass 3
While the Motorola Moto 360 appears to be the bigger device, in terms of usable screen space it's roughly equivalent to the smaller of the two Apple Watch models. That's what you give away with a circular design, we guess.
It's unknown what resolution the App Watch display is, other than that it fits the company's description of a Retina Display, meaning you shouldn't be able to discern individual pixels at a natural viewing distance (which is presumably quite near your face for a watch).
The Motorola Moto 360 has a 320 x 290 resolution, for what it's worth.
One point of comparison we can make at this early stage is the toughness of the displays. The Apple Watch has a Sapphire glass screen on two of its models, which is thought to be considerably tougher than the Gorilla Glass 3 used on the Motorola Moto 360.
The Apple Watch Sport collection has strengthened Ion-X glass. It's unknown how this compares.
Apple Watch
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Software and Apps
Apple Watch: Custom operating system
Moto 360: Android Wear and Android Wear Store
Again, at this early stage we know a lot more about how the Moto 360 handles than the Apple Watch. The Moto 360 runs Android Wear, Google's own smartwatch-specific OS.
Unlike regular Android, Android Wear is walled off from manufacturer tinkering. This means that what you get is very much Google's vision.
That vision is comprised of Google Now-like smart notifications that provide contextual information based on time, location, and other factors. It allows for minimal tinkering on the wearer's part.
Apple uses a custom UI for its Watch too, and it's not one that anyone has been able to try out yet. It appears to be far more hands-on than Android Wear, though, with a dedicated button for calling up contacts, which can then be communicated with through the Watch.
The Watch also appears to run stripped-back versions of apps commonly found on iOS, including Maps, Calendar, Passbook, iTunes, and Mail.
\
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Power
Apple Watch: Custom S1 module, Bluetooth
Moto 360: 1GHz TI OMAP 3 processor, 4GB storage, 512MB RAM
Very little is known about the Apple Watch's innards, other than that it runs on a very small, self-contained, and resin-enclosed custom chip known as the S1.
The Moto 360, on the other hand, runs on a TI OMAP 3 processor clocked at 1GHz. This is backed by 512MB of RAM.
All in all, given the tightly curated and lightweight operating systems and app ecosystems that both run on, we'd be very surprised if there was any discernible performance issues with either.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Battery
Apple Watch: TBC (one day rumoured), induction charging
Moto 360: 320mAh battery, one day battery life, wireless charging
Surprise! We don't know what size of battery the Apple Watch runs on. Nor do we know how long it will last on a single charge - one of the key pieces of information for any smartwatch.
Recent reports from Apple sources - both on and off the book - suggest that the Watch has been designed with the idea of a nightly charge in mind, which is disappointing.
Disappointing, but not unusual. No Android Wear watch has managed to exceed this daily charge requirement, and that includes the Motorola Moto 360, despite hopes that its chunky body might signify a chunkier battery.
Rather, the Moto 360's 320mAh unit is pretty much par for the course.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Connectivity
Apple Watch: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, NFC
Moto 360: Bluetooth 4.0
The Apple Watch has a surprisingly generous array of connectivity options. That includes Bluetooth 4.0, which it shares with the Moto 360, and Wi-Fi and NFC on top of that.
It seems as if the Apple Watch will be much more capable as a stand-alone device than the Moto 360, which only has Bluetooth 4.0 to call upon.
Apple Watch vs Moto 360: Extra features
Apple Watch: Siri, Heart rate sensor, Apple Pay, Taptic Engine, Passbook, Digital Crown, Force Touch
Moto 360: Dual microphones, vibration motor, pedometer, optical heart rate monitor
Apple's smartwatch appears to be packed full of neat little features. It has Siri for voice-activated control, and a heart rate sensor and accelerometer for fitness tracking.
The aforementioned NFC, meanwhile, ties in with Apple Pay to enable mobile payments from your Watch.
Apple's Watch also comes with a couple of interface innovations. Force Touch means that the touchscreen can detect pressure as well as simple contact, while the Digital Crown turns the typical wind-up wheel from a normal watch into a means for zooming and scrolling through options without obscuring the screen with your finger.
Meanwhile, the Taptic Engine might sound like a really naff name - in fact, there's no "might" about it - but it's also a clever way of providing discrete notifications. Rather than bleep and bloop at you, a small motor will effectively tap you on the wrist when you have an incoming notification. It can even vary the type of tap so you can tell what that notification is without looking.
The Moto 360 can't hope to provide anything so clever, but then as stated, Android Wear takes a very streamlined approach to the smartwatch. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
It too has a heart rate monitor, a pedometer and a vibration motor. It also has two microphones to help get the most out of Android Wear's Google Now integration. You'll be able to ask your Moto 360 to do many things without the need to touch it at all.
Early Verdict
There's still too many unknowns about the Apple Watch to make a clear cut conclusion here. It's obvious both smartwatches have strengths and weaknesses. The Moto 360 has already sold out so it's the most popular Android Wear smartwatch so far, but having seen it up close, it might not be as far ahead of the game as any other Google watch. The Apple Watch is promising a whole lot more and if the battery life is right, it should be the one to get on your wrist.
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