Motorola’s Moto 360 smartwatch is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pieces of technology ever crafted, and that’s just part of why it’s been getting so much attention. Besides being the poster child for what a smartwatch could really look like when matched up with a standard watch, the Moto 360 sets itself apart by providing more functionality than a regular watch could ever dream of.
First off the Moto 360 is powered by Android Wear, which is nothing new if you’ve been following the watch since Android Wear’s announcement. It’s using the same version of Google’s smartwatch platform as all the other Android Wear devices out there, so there’s no waiting for updates from Google just because your manufacturer of choice added too much extra junk inside. Unlike the other Android Wear smartwatches out there right now, the Moto 360 prominently features a near bezel-less round display on the front as opposed to the square faces of the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch, both of which also feature hefty bezels all around the screen.
This screen is gorgeous, and it needs to be seen to be believed. It sits in the stainless steel body ever so perfectly, which is a big step up from the plastic bodies found on most Android Wear smartwatches out there. It even features a little button on the side that looks like a watch dial, but in reality it’s a power button that doesn’t even need to be used since there’s plenty of gesture support built into the Moto 360.
Flanking the metal body on each side is a gorgeous removable leather strap built by Horween, the famous Chicago-based tannery that’s been in business since 1905. This super high quality strap will last a really long time, but if you don’t care for leather or it starts to wear, you can easily switch it out for any standard sized watch band via push pins.
Rounding out the design of course is the complete lack of ports thanks to the Qi wireless charging built into the Moto 360. The dock itself presents the watch in a very functional way when charging, so even if you need to charge it while sitting as a desk it’s still perfectly useful and handy, and the face presents both the time and battery percentage in an easy-to-see way. This is all done to treat the watch as if it were designed no differently from any other luxury watch out there, as you wouldn’t find any ports or weird buttons on those either.
