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Motorola Moto 360 Sport Watch

Fitness technology and smart watches are constantly evolving to meet the needs of runners. We want access to as much information as possible on performance, heart rate and other stats, but also to be able to enjoy this via a comfortable, intelligent watch that is easy to use and also looks good. This sounds like a lot to expect from one gadget, but the Motorola Moto 360 Sport smartwatch promises to provide it all with some great added bonuses.

The Moto 360 Sport has an eye-catching design and great comfort.

The stand out feature for many buyers with this 2nd gen Motorola smartwatch is the design. There is the choice of a black, white or flame orange body and an interchangeable strap, which means that it can suit many styles and users. The one downside of using this trendy silicone strap, however, is that it does tend to attract dust and lint, which then has a slightly negative impact on the overall look.

Luckily, this use of materials and the shape of this fun watch as is much about the comfort that can be provided as the good looks. I was impressed with the feel of this watch; it has a 46mm that feels just right size without feeling bulky, and silicone strap has a very nice feel to it. You can tell that Motorola took their time to find just the right materials not only to protect the watch from sweat and damage, but they also incorporated side ventilation channels to help wearers stay cool – they were thinking like runners.

A lot of praise for the design of the Moto 360 Sport comes down to the stylish interface and simple screen

The interface of this sports watch is designed so that all the vital information is presented in an attractive, streamlined way. There are coloured arcs on the 360 x 325 pixel display to show the progress made so that users can be informed and motivated at a glance. This data relates to Heart Activity, Steps and Active Calorie Burn. In addition to this, the use of the Motorola AnyLight display means that it is pretty easy to read the screen in bright sunlight and low light.

One of my few issue comes with the touchscreen glass overlaying this fun display. This Gorilla Glass 3 display is tough enough to survive knocks and scratches, but I’ve found that it was hard to use when my hands were sweaty. There are also no buttons to compliment this touchscreen approach and while this is great for those that like clean lines and simplicity, a few buttons could lead to better response times when users are struggling with the sweat issue.

There are are number of additional features that make this Motorola smartwatch more appealing

Like most of the best sports watches, this Moto 360 Sport is enabled with Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. The latter means that you can sync the watch to your phone and there is an additional headset for answering calls. The voice control software is another nice touch, when you choose to implement it, but one of my favorite things about this watch is the charging dock. This easy-to-use unit is well-designed and lets the watch double as a bedside clock at night. Finally, there is the chance to listen to music by streaming collections via your headphones. The inclusion of 4 GBs of storage help a lot here.

Ultimately, the Motorola 360 sport smartwatch is designed with workouts in mind

Most of the software and the apps that can be linked up to Android phones are included with fitness in mind. This mainly revolves around the chance to not only track progress and distance via the GPS software and apps like MapMyRun, but also to check your heart rate and aid with other data. The running app built within  the watch comes with simplicity and a sleek interface that allows you to see the beats per minute, pace, distance, and splits without pressing any buttons. A simple double tap allows you to pause the watch for times in which you need to stop the watch for a short time. For the most part, users are able to enhance their workout and become more motivated by using this watch during a run.

Moto 360 – The watch sports view!

The added bonus of this sports watch is the social element.

Motorola promise that you can “keep up-to-date without having to touch your phone” because the 360 Sport offers alerts and connectivity to emails and social media. The watch vibrates when the phone is ringing, so you don’t have to miss calls or messages, and users can easily catch up on Gmail notifications and Facebook updates with the use of Android Wear. You can also control the music you play by pausing, forwarding, and rewinding songs from the face of the watch.

The design, software and functionality are all pretty good, but there is a problem with the power

My only gripe with the Moto 360 Sport watch, is the battery life and general power of the device. Motorola claim that this model should last up to 4 hours and 20 minutes if wearers are using both the GPS and the heart rate monitor. I found that that the unit lasted about 3 hours, but with the GPS off it lasted longer. I found that that the watch can  survive all day with the notifications, and location turned off.  Thankfully, it only takes a couple of hours to wirelessly charge this device for the following day.

The final verdict on the Motorola Moto 360 Sport watch.

There is a lot for fitness fanatics that will love this 2nd gen smartwatch because it has the right approach to the design and interface to ensure that users are comfortable and find this watch a joy to use. The fitness functions seem to all work to the advantage of the users – and the social features are fun too. The problem is that there is still room for improvement in the connectivity, battery life and a few elements of the interface. With more power and even greater usability, this watch could be the must-have item for sports-mad technophiles.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Motorola. The opinions and text are all mine.