Moto 360 Sport Review as of April 2016

smileman

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With wearables/smartwatches it’s important to read reviews that are written around the time you are thinking about purchasing the device as the software on these devices is frequently updated, which can render prior reviews obsolete/inaccurate. I think this is certainly the case with the Moto 360 Sport.

Here is where I think the Moto 360 Sport stands as of early April 2016.

Let me start with the positives:

-Battery life is much better than I expected. I think there have been some improvements since the early reviews, which largely stated that the watch struggles to get through a day. I have no problems getting through a day even with heavy use, running with GPS, etc. Always have at least 20% by end of day. It also recharges quickly, so this allows me to use it for sleep and recharge quickly in the morning.

-Screen is brilliant. Works really well in bright sunlight, easily viewable in darkness at night. A slightly brighter ambient mode would be nice, but overall Motorolla nailed the display and deserves a lot of credit.

-GPS is pretty darn accurate. I’ve run with both the 360 Sport and my smartphone (Z5 Compact using Strava) and been happy with the comparison. Smartphones have a bit of an unfair advantage because they have both GPS and mobile reception, but the 360 Sport is very close. Surprisingly, the 360 Sport also has much more accurate GPS than a TomTom Spark Cardio + Music I tested and returned.

-Heart rate monitor performs consistently, although I think it measures a little on the high side (eg I’ll see some low 160s when it feels like I’m more in the 150s). It was pretty close to the TomTom Spark Cardio in my tests and I haven’t seen any big dropouts/spikes. As with nearly all wrist HR devices, particularly when you’re cycling, if you need accuracy go for a chest strap, Mio, or Scotsche.

-Moto Running app pretty decent for a first effort. Running App vibrates on laps. Displays good information. I’m not a hardcore runner so it covers what I’m looking for.

-Very comfortable. I’ve used it for sleep tracking with Android Sleep and it works well for that and is comfortable enough to wear during the night. Comfortable to wear at the office, type with. I wear it a bit lose and it heart rate measures still seem to work well enough.

-Good water resistance. Wear it in the shower, bath, wash it off regularly. No issues.

-Good size, I like the design. This is something that works well for me in a variety of settings (eg casual or even with a suit), which is important since I would prefer to have one wrist device. I’ve come to realize I have a strong preference for a round device versus square/rectangular offerings. Flat tire doesn’t bother me either with the dark watch faces I prefer. Overalls, build quality is good.

-Google Fit auto challenges tracking works well. Accurately records my pushups, sit-ups, and squats, which is pretty cool. I love accurate automation. The less I have to do manually the better.

Ok, let’s move onto the not so great:

- Horrific stuttering of music when running outdoors using GPS and streaming via my Bluetooth headset (Plantronics Backbeat Fit). I've had lengthy conversations with Moto tech support and they acknowledged that this is a known issue but that it should be correctable through a future firmware update. We’ll see. This is easily the most disappointing thing about the watch as one of the great use cases for this device is leaving your phone behind for a GPS run with music. I actually tried to switch to the TomTom Spark Cardio + Music, which does play Bluetooth music flawlessly, but that device has a whole host of other problems/compromises that made me return it. The Sony SmartWatch 3 also plays music but I didn’t like the design.

-Moto Running app could use some work. Average pace calculation jumps around a bit more than I would like, which makes it difficult for me to use that measure to gauge my estimated lap time. Switching between screens on Moto Running when jogging is difficult. Touschreens and exercise don’t go well together in general, so would be great if I could use the button to do things when running. I would like to be able to customize what’s on a watch screen so I don’t have to switch screens. Has also crashed on me a couple times, causing a loss of data. Would also like to see more custom 360 Sport apps like Moto Running, but Google Fit, etc. do an ok job of filling in the gaps.

-Underutilization of sensors. The 360 Sport has a barometer, but there is no stair/elevation counting? And not enough is done/presented with the data that is collected. For example, the watch is taking regular heart rate measurements but doesn’t tell me whether my resting heart rate is trending up or down, or what my resting heart rate is for that matter, which is one of the best ways to measure overall health and fitness.

-I think the step counter is a bit generous, but this isn’t a huge issue. With step counting you’re mainly looking to benchmark off your previous days, and the 360 Sport counter seems to me at least to be pretty consistent.

-360 Sport plays sorta nice with other apps. Syncing with Fitbit, Google Fit, etc only exports Moto Running data, but the 360 Sport does not share steps, heart activity, etc. I’ve also had a couple runs not sync with Strava and I don’t believe there is a way to manually export the Moto Running data and then upload it to Strava, so Strava will never know I did that run.

- Yes, it's true, the band collects a lot of lint. And contrary to what another reviewer said below, not all silicon bands are lint magnets. For example, my Garmin Vivosmsart did not collect any lint. It was much smoother and less sticky than the 360 Sport band, so there is a way to make a band that doesn't do this. Further, the coating on the the little holder for the excess band, which is what makes contact with a table when I'm typing, is already starting to come off.

-Moto Body app needs a lot of work. First, there appears to be a step streak bug. My dashboard shows that I have both a 11 day and 12 day step steak going. Which is it? The app also subtracted a day from my steak as yesterday I had a 13 day streak. Dashboard view is not rendering properly on my phone. The bottom calories row on the checkmark dashboard screen is not displaying properly; it's cut off in half on Sony Z5 Compact. I thought my goals would be automatically adjusted based on my activity level after 14 days but this hasn't happened. The Moto Body app should also allow user to set their own goals.

-The following isn’t the Moto 360s’s fault, but it is important to note that Android Wear is still a work in progress. Issuing Google Now voice commands is hit and miss. There is a lag in how quickly Google Maps updates on the wrist. Unable to sync music from the Google Play Music app to the watch. I suspect this is a Google problem though as I can sync music using the Sony Music app over to the watch. When I’m out of Bluetooth range the 360 Sport doesn’t always quickly move over to WiFi to keep the connection. Google Fit doesn’t fully leverage all the sensors of the 360 Sport.

So what’s the bottom line? Should you buy it or not? Personally, I have very mixed feelings about this device and I'm torn over whether to keep it, but I am leaning towards keeping it.

I think it depends on your patience and budget. If Motorolla/Lenovo and Google and continue to improve their software and work out some of the issues mentioned above it could actually become a really good device for someone looking for an activity tracker/sports watch with smartwatch capabilities. Of devices on the market today, I think the 360 Sport is rather unique and has the greatest potential to bridge these two categories. But right now the 360 Sport hardware is let down by by mediocre and unusable/unreliable software.
 

Mattaum

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I bought mine 2 months ago and worked very well besides this mentioned problems.
Unfortunally, the screen stopped work without a reason and Motorola offered me a new one or a refund.
I will change to Gear S2.
 

dov1978

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Was thinking of upgrading my Sony Smartwatch 3 with the Moto 360 Sport but the flat tyre has been holding me back and now you've mentioned the issues with the Backbeat Fit headphones (which I run with everyday) that's pretty much put the nail in the coffin for me. Also been considering the Gear S2 as I had the original GearS which I liked but then got an Apple Watch then the Sony Smartwatch 3 and I've become quite fond of Androidwear as it works best for me overall. Oh well, I'll maybe have to wait for the LG Watch Urbane 2 lte to get a UK release or maybe Sony will finally release a Smartwatch 4 soon...

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effreyj

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With wearables/smartwatches it’s important to read reviews that are written around the time you are thinking about purchasing the device as the software on these devices is frequently updated, which can render prior reviews obsolete/inaccurate. I think this is certainly the case with the Moto 360 Sport.

Here is where I think the Moto 360 Sport stands as of early April 2016.

Let me start with the positives:

-Battery life is much better than I expected. I think there have been some improvements since the early reviews, which largely stated that the watch struggles to get through a day. I have no problems getting through a day even with heavy use, running with GPS, etc. Always have at least 20% by end of day. It also recharges quickly, so this allows me to use it for sleep and recharge quickly in the morning.

-Screen is brilliant. Works really well in bright sunlight, easily viewable in darkness at night. A slightly brighter ambient mode would be nice, but overall Motorolla nailed the display and deserves a lot of credit.

-GPS is pretty darn accurate. I’ve run with both the 360 Sport and my smartphone (Z5 Compact using Strava) and been happy with the comparison. Smartphones have a bit of an unfair advantage because they have both GPS and mobile reception, but the 360 Sport is very close. Surprisingly, the 360 Sport also has much more accurate GPS than a TomTom Spark Cardio + Music I tested and returned.

-Heart rate monitor performs consistently, although I think it measures a little on the high side (eg I’ll see some low 160s when it feels like I’m more in the 150s). It was pretty close to the TomTom Spark Cardio in my tests and I haven’t seen any big dropouts/spikes. As with nearly all wrist HR devices, particularly when you’re cycling, if you need accuracy go for a chest strap, Mio, or Scotsche.

-Moto Running app pretty decent for a first effort. Running App vibrates on laps. Displays good information. I’m not a hardcore runner so it covers what I’m looking for.

-Very comfortable. I’ve used it for sleep tracking with Android Sleep and it works well for that and is comfortable enough to wear during the night. Comfortable to wear at the office, type with. I wear it a bit lose and it heart rate measures still seem to work well enough.

-Good water resistance. Wear it in the shower, bath, wash it off regularly. No issues.

-Good size, I like the design. This is something that works well for me in a variety of settings (eg casual or even with a suit), which is important since I would prefer to have one wrist device. I’ve come to realize I have a strong preference for a round device versus square/rectangular offerings. Flat tire doesn’t bother me either with the dark watch faces I prefer. Overalls, build quality is good.

-Google Fit auto challenges tracking works well. Accurately records my pushups, sit-ups, and squats, which is pretty cool. I love accurate automation. The less I have to do manually the better.

Ok, let’s move onto the not so great:

- Horrific stuttering of music when running outdoors using GPS and streaming via my Bluetooth headset (Plantronics Backbeat Fit). I've had lengthy conversations with Moto tech support and they acknowledged that this is a known issue but that it should be correctable through a future firmware update. We’ll see. This is easily the most disappointing thing about the watch as one of the great use cases for this device is leaving your phone behind for a GPS run with music. I actually tried to switch to the TomTom Spark Cardio + Music, which does play Bluetooth music flawlessly, but that device has a whole host of other problems/compromises that made me return it. The Sony SmartWatch 3 also plays music but I didn’t like the design.

-Moto Running app could use some work. Average pace calculation jumps around a bit more than I would like, which makes it difficult for me to use that measure to gauge my estimated lap time. Switching between screens on Moto Running when jogging is difficult. Touschreens and exercise don’t go well together in general, so would be great if I could use the button to do things when running. I would like to be able to customize what’s on a watch screen so I don’t have to switch screens. Has also crashed on me a couple times, causing a loss of data. Would also like to see more custom 360 Sport apps like Moto Running, but Google Fit, etc. do an ok job of filling in the gaps.

-Underutilization of sensors. The 360 Sport has a barometer, but there is no stair/elevation counting? And not enough is done/presented with the data that is collected. For example, the watch is taking regular heart rate measurements but doesn’t tell me whether my resting heart rate is trending up or down, or what my resting heart rate is for that matter, which is one of the best ways to measure overall health and fitness.

-I think the step counter is a bit generous, but this isn’t a huge issue. With step counting you’re mainly looking to benchmark off your previous days, and the 360 Sport counter seems to me at least to be pretty consistent.

-360 Sport plays sorta nice with other apps. Syncing with Fitbit, Google Fit, etc only exports Moto Running data, but the 360 Sport does not share steps, heart activity, etc. I’ve also had a couple runs not sync with Strava and I don’t believe there is a way to manually export the Moto Running data and then upload it to Strava, so Strava will never know I did that run.

- Yes, it's true, the band collects a lot of lint. And contrary to what another reviewer said below, not all silicon bands are lint magnets. For example, my Garmin Vivosmsart did not collect any lint. It was much smoother and less sticky than the 360 Sport band, so there is a way to make a band that doesn't do this. Further, the coating on the the little holder for the excess band, which is what makes contact with a table when I'm typing, is already starting to come off.

-Moto Body app needs a lot of work. First, there appears to be a step streak bug. My dashboard shows that I have both a 11 day and 12 day step steak going. Which is it? The app also subtracted a day from my steak as yesterday I had a 13 day streak. Dashboard view is not rendering properly on my phone. The bottom calories row on the checkmark dashboard screen is not displaying properly; it's cut off in half on Sony Z5 Compact. I thought my goals would be automatically adjusted based on my activity level after 14 days but this hasn't happened. The Moto Body app should also allow user to set their own goals.

-The following isn’t the Moto 360s’s fault, but it is important to note that Android Wear is still a work in progress. Issuing Google Now voice commands is hit and miss. There is a lag in how quickly Google Maps updates on the wrist. Unable to sync music from the Google Play Music app to the watch. I suspect this is a Google problem though as I can sync music using the Sony Music app over to the watch. When I’m out of Bluetooth range the 360 Sport doesn’t always quickly move over to WiFi to keep the connection. Google Fit doesn’t fully leverage all the sensors of the 360 Sport.

So what’s the bottom line? Should you buy it or not? Personally, I have very mixed feelings about this device and I'm torn over whether to keep it, but I am leaning towards keeping it.

I think it depends on your patience and budget. If Motorolla/Lenovo and Google and continue to improve their software and work out some of the issues mentioned above it could actually become a really good device for someone looking for an activity tracker/sports watch with smartwatch capabilities. Of devices on the market today, I think the 360 Sport is rather unique and has the greatest potential to bridge these two categories. But right now the 360 Sport hardware is let down by by mediocre and unusable/unreliable software.

Hey, I'm considering getting a 360 Sport now that it's available on Amazon for about $180. I was wondering if you hung onto it, how it's held up over time, and whether the software has gotten better and more stable since you wrote this review. Appreciate it!
 

BerryBlack96

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Any updates on the issue you were having with bluetooth headphones? Currently trying to decide between the 360 sport and SW3. I have a pair of Jaybirds that i'd like to use with the watch.
 

effreyj

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Any updates on the issue you were having with bluetooth headphones? Currently trying to decide between the 360 sport and SW3. I have a pair of Jaybirds that i'd like to use with the watch.

So, I recently got a Moto 360 Sport, and when I went running with it the first time I had a similar issue, but I discovered a workaround. I usually wear my watch on my left hand, but my bluetooth headphones connect through the right side, so I started wearing my watch on my right hand, just for running, and since then it's worked perfectly fine.
 

effreyj

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Here's my take on the 360 Sport:

Hardware

It's not the sexiest watch, but it's supposed to be a fitness watch, so I give it a pass for that reason. The rubber strap is comfortable, but it accumulates lint. The screen is pretty nice, and it's easy to read outside. Interestingly, the ambient display is easier to read outside in direct sunlight than it is indoors. I don't mind the flat-tire, especially since I use a dark watch-face, and I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff for the light sensor.

Using it as a fitness device

It's great being able to run with the watch and not have to take my phone with me. I loaded up about 200 songs for when I'm running, and the standalone GPS locks on within 10 seconds and seems accurate (honestly, I think it's more accurate than my phone). I had an issue with my BT headphones having a lot of static while running, but I started wearing my watch on my right hand instead of my left hand (my BT headphones have the antenna on the right side) and this seems to have resolved the issue. I'm still looking for a good suggestion for a workout app for non-running activities like pushups and sit-ups that will sync to google fit. I prefer the Google Fit app to the Moto Body app, especially since I can display the Google Fit data on the watch face that I've been using. One weird thing I've noticed is that the Google Fit app and Moto Body app, even though I connected them, have different step-counts and calorie counts.

Using it as an Android Wear device

It's great getting notifications on my wrist and not having to pull my phone out. I do wish you could fine-tune which notifications buzz on your wrist, instead of it just mirroring what's on the phone. There is an option that lets you disable notifications on the watch for a given app, but I'd rather have a more fine-tuned option than that. The most fun thing about android wear is making custom watch-faces, and I've enjoyed trying out a bunch of them from the play store.

Other notes
Battery-life seems fine. It lasts the day, even when I go running with it in GPS mode, and I don't mind charging it overnight
It took forever to sync my music playlist to the watch. It seemed to only transfer when my watch wasn't charging and had over 80% battery left. I think it took about 4 days for it to sync.
It doesn't seem to stay connected to WiFi at all. I basically can't use this functionality because of this issue. I usually have my phone with me anyway, so I can live with this, but I don't understand what the issue is.
I wish there was a way to sync the latest episode of podcasts on the watch for when I go running. The podcast apps I use seem to not have this feature yet and only let you control podcasts on your phone, which defeats the purpose of not needing the phone when you go running.


Overall, I like the watch. I'm curious to see how Android Wear 2.0 improves the functionality.
 

wmurch3

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I really thimk the Bluetooth audio stuttering issues are universal to Bluetooth audio in general. It seems like it always needs a line of site to the antennae or else it loses connection. If your body is between the watch/phone the sound audio will stutter.

I had the Sony Sw and it had the same problem. Personally i don't run without my phone because ive needed it in the past when I've gotten injured so I just use wired headphones now.

Also, I'm wondering if there's a way to use my phone's GPS instead of the watches when dokng a moto run? I'd prefer to save battery on the watch but still use it as a display for information. I'm thinking I'll have to use a different app but I like the moto run integration.

So far I like the 360 sport. I have the black version and wear it all the time except sleeping. The battery life is about what I expected. I knew that running the GPS and Bluetooth would totally kill battery life so no surprises really.

I also do a lot of disc golf and having the DiscGolf app on my watch is a huge plus. I don't have to get my phone out at all to keep score. Very convenient!

Oh for me the biggest con is that I need to use the proprietary charging dock to charge the watch. The Sony Sw used a micro USB and it was much better since I have those chargers around everywhere.

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steveinil

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Great reviews everyone my first Gen 360 craped out on me so the sport was on sale at best buy for 199 so picked it up yesterday. My problem is it won't stay connected to my phone (note 4) if I factory reset my watch (unpair with phone) then start the process over it will pair then start updating then unpair if I go to Bluetooth on my phone and scan it won't find my watch it shows it on my phone like as a previous paired device but won't pair lol.. going back to bb tomorrow or Thursday but thought maybe someone may give me some insight

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