Motorola is not going to wait until September 8th to officially unveil its oft-leaked next-generation Moto 360. The company today announced the Moto 360 Collection consisting of three different models, the Moto 360 in 46mm and 42mm sizes and the Moto 360 Sport.
The original Moto 360 was the first smartwatch that actually looked like a watch. With the second generation, we’ve refined the classic and timeless design and created a watch collection specifically designed for men, women and fitness enthusiasts. Taking further inspiration from the traditional watch world, Moto 360’s case design now features lugs specifically tailored for men and women, and polished bezels in new styles. With new quick-release bands, you can easily swap between leather and metal bands in seconds to match your look for the day.
As expected, the new Motorola 360 inherits much of its looks from its predecessor. The two biggest changes externally are the new external lugs with a quick-release mechanism and the crown now positioned at the 2 o’clock mark.
Motorola has once again opted to solve the challenge of embedding the sensors in the bezel by opting for a “flat tire” display design where a black bar sits at the bottom of the display. Motorola claims that this solution, allows it to hit a higher display-to-body ratio than most of its competitors, including the Apple Watch. On a positive note, the resolution has been bumped up to 360 by 330 pixels on the larger model and 360 by 225 on the 42mm model.
Under the hood, the 2015 edition of the Moto 360 benefits from an upgrade to the faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. Battery capacity has been bumped up to 400mAh for the larger model and 300mAh on the smaller one.
On the software side, the Moto 360 (2015) will be powered by Android Wear 1.3. Motorola has added the exclusive Live Dials which uses Google’s new interactive watch feature. The new Moto Body tracks your fitness and health information, including the usual steps taken, calories burned and heart rate. It will also offer coaching tips to help you meet your goals.
The new Moto 360 Sport is geared at fitness enthusiasts. It adds waterproof and GPS capabilities to the mix. It also features a AnyLight hybrid display designed to display information clearly even in bright sunlight. It is encase in silicone with a special UV coating that wicks away moisture and resists fading or staining.
The new Moto 360 models will be available in both Canada and the U.S. as well as other countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia. It will sell for between US$299.99 and US$429.99 in the U.S. In Canada, prices will range from CA$379.99 to CA$499.99.
The Moto 360 Sport will launch later this year. Pricing has yet to be announced.