Marshmallow update coming to the carrier Moto X (2nd gen) after all?
We last told you about the Motorola Moto X (2nd gen) and how it wasn’t going to be updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. However, that may not be the case anymore.
The Moto X (2nd gen) has received a bunch of new WiFi certifications all under “Operating System: Android, version:6″. Model numbers XT1097 (AT&T), XT1096 (Verizon), and XT1095 (Pure Edition) all have been certified. Since it’s listed under Android 6.0, it makes me think it might be getting the Marshmallow update after all.
Motorola hasn’t said anything about it, but this should give some hope to all the Moto X (2nd gen) owners out there. Android 6.0 might be coming your way in the future.
Source: WiFi
Come comment on this article: Marshmallow update coming to the carrier Moto X (2nd gen) after all?
Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – October 10, 2015
Unboxings, reviews, app roundups and much more – this week we managed to bring you a variety of video coverage from the world of Android.
Some of the most anticipated smartphones of the year went head to head this week, as we pitted the Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6s against each other. We also published an in-depth comparison of the Motorola Moto X Style (or Pure Edition) and the Nexus 6, and you don’t want to miss it. We also managed to bring you a full tour of what’s new in Android 6.0 Marshmallow, an unboxing and first look at the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch, and multiple different smartphone and accessory reviews.
Our video team has been working pretty hard lately, and here’s what they’ve brought us this week.
When flagships go head to head
Samsung Galaxy S6 vs iPhone 6s
The Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6s are two of the best smartphones you can buy today. Which one should you get? We aim to help you make that decision, in our full comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Apple iPhone 6s.
Moto X Style/Pure Edition in video
Moto X Style/Pure Edition vs Nexus 6
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The new Moto X Style/Pure Edition is quite the smartphone, but how does it compare to Motorola’s Nexus 6? We find out in our full comparison of the Moto X Style vs the Nexus 6.
Moto X Style/Pure Edition tips and tricks
Want to get the most out of your new Moto X? Lanh is here to give us some helpful tips and ticks.
Unboxing and first impressions
Samsung Gear S2 unboxing and first impressions
Samsung’s Gear S2 smartwatch just recently landed on our doorstep, and we wasted no time unboxing it. Let’s find out what the Gear S2 has to offer in our unboxing and first impressions video.
A quick tour of Marshmallow
Android 6.0 Marshmallow just started rolling out to current Nexus devices. Want to see what’s new in the latest version of Android? Joe walks us through what’s new.
Reviews
Chromecast 2015 and Chromecast Audio review
Alongside the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, Google unveiled two new media streaming devices – the new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio. Wondering what they have to offer? Don’t miss our full review.
BLU Pure XL review
Can BLU’s latest budget-friendly flagship stand out amongst the competition? Be sure to check out Bailey’s full review of the BLU Pure XL.
ZUK Z1 review
Backed by Lenovo and running Cyanogen, can the ZUK Z1 make an impact in the crowded smartphone space? Gary gives his thoughts on this new device.
Android Apps Weekly
New Adobe apps, Humble Bundle, and Russia vs Google: Round 2 – you don’t want to miss Joe’s newest episode of Android Apps Weekly!
What’s next for OnePlus?
Now that the company has released two flagship devices, what’s next for OnePlus? Do they have a bright future, or are they done? Nirave takes a look at the future of OnePlus.
Moto 360 review (2015): More than just good looks this time around
The Moto 360 made a huge splash when it was introduced alongside Android Wear some 18 months ago. It was by far the most attractive smartwatch the world had seen, and it held its spot near the top of the heap for many months after — mostly because it looked like an actual watch. Unfortunately, the promise of the device didn’t quite live up to the reality, at least at launch. Battery life was terrible; performance was occasionally sluggish; and the device itself was far too large for those with svelte wrists.
Fortunately, Motorola improved what it could throughout the year: Android Wear as a platform continued to gain useful new features; software updates helped fix the poor battery life; and Motorola started offering Moto X-style personal customization. But now, an all-new Moto 360 is in the wild, with two case sizes, totally new guts and a host of ways to make it fit your own style. But there are also far more Android Wear watches to choose from now than last year. Is the now-iconic circular Moto 360 still the smartwatch to covet? And, more importantly, does it improve in the areas where last year’s model failed?
Slideshow-326764
Design
The 2015 Moto 360 looks nearly identical to its predecessor. The device is still dominated by its circular display that still has a tiny slice removed from the bottom where sensors are housed — a move that keeps its bezel nice and slim. There’s still a side button, but Motorola moved it up from the center of the case. Considering where my finger naturally rests when I touch the side of the watch, this feels like a smart change. The other major (and arguably more important) tweak is that the watchband lugs are on the outside of the case, something that makes the watch look even more like a traditional timepiece. This is also a major functional improvement, as it’s now quite easy to change the watch strap yourself.
Perhaps the smartest design change Motorola made was to offer the new Moto 360 in two different sizes: There’s a smaller 42mm option as well as the same 46mm case that last year’s model was based on. The 360 uses 20mm and 22mm watch bands, respectively; they’re both common sizes, which means you should be able to find plenty of third-party options. In addition to those two variants, there’s also a second 42mm option, built specifically with women in mind. Other than the fact that it’s offered with different color and material choices, the biggest difference there is that the strap lugs are pushed closer together to accommodate thinner 16mm bands.
Even if you don’t want to find a third-party band, there are plenty of ways to customize the Moto 360 (although not as many as the Apple Watch). For the men’s line that I tested, you can choose from black-, silver- or gold-colored aluminum bezels that have either a smooth metal finish or a textured “micro knurl” pattern for an additional $20. The watch cases come in the same colors, although gold will run you an extra $30. As for bands, you can choose among black and brown leather or silver, black and gold metal (the metal option commands a $50 premium). The women’s case has the same choices (albeit with a different “micro cut” textured pattern option for the bezel), but Motorola swapped out the black color option for rose gold. The leather straps come in more traditionally feminine colors, and there’s also a double-wrap leather band that calls to mind the Apple Watch Hermes “double tour” band.
So that’s a lot of customization. In fact, it’s one of the best things about the new Moto 360 — chances are much better this year that you’ll find one to suit your style. But these options come at a cost. The base price of the Moto 360 actually saw a significant increase: Last year’s 46mm watch started at $250, but this year’s 42mm sells for $300 and up. If you want a 46mm model, you’re looking at spending $350, a full $100 more than before.
The model I tested had a 46mm silver case, gold bezel and brown leather strap. The strap itself was comfortable and handsome to look at, but it didn’t go well with the rest of the watch. With the brown, silver and gold (not to mention the black screen), there were just a few too many clashing colors for my tastes. I think I would have preferred an all-silver body as well as the 42mm size, though these options would have been readily available if I had the opportunity to customize my own the way regular shoppers will. Lastly, the 360 is still rather thick, although its light weight makes wearing it easy enough. That said, it’s still one of the better-looking smartwatches on the market, by a longshot. It has a simple, classy design that isn’t overwrought like many of the other Android Wear watches on the market. Of course, as with any device, your opinion may differ vastly from mine.
Hardware and display
While the Moto 360 looks largely the same as its predecessor, Motorola gave the internals a significant upgrade. Gone is the aging TI OMAP 3 processor found in the original, replaced by a Snapdragon 400 chip — the same as you’ll find in LG’s Watch Urbane. There’s still the same 4GB of storage for music and 512MB of RAM, and both of those specs still seem to be sufficient. Performance is generally snappy, although dismissing notification cards sometimes took a surprisingly long time, and I noticed occasional lags when tapping certain user interface elements or swiping away notifications.
The display has also been refreshed: The 42mm case has a 1.37-inch screen running at 360 X 325, while the 46mm steps up to 1.56 inches at a 360 x 330 resolution. Both models feature a higher resolution than last year’s Moto 360, and in usage things are noticeably sharper. Despite that, I still wouldn’t rate the display as anything particularly special — it’s a bit easier to read outdoors, and the higher resolution is certainly appreciated, but colors aren’t terribly vibrant. Since you’re only glancing at the watch for a few seconds at a time, it’s passable, although there are other watches with more impressive screens.
The last hardware change here is by far the most important: The 46mm Moto 360 now features a 400mAh battery, up from the 300-320mAh on the last model. (The 42mm watch is rated at 300mAh.) In the real world, this meant I could comfortably use the Moto 360 all day, with plenty of power left when I finally went to bed. That’s with the ambient display feature turned on all the time (that’s the setting which displays your watch face in black and white, with low brightness). Motorola says the 360 is only rated for a day’s usage in this scenario, but I could easily get more than that. I still charged the Moto 360 nightly, but the good news is that I basically never had to worry about the battery running low, which is the best you can expect from a smartwatch.
On your wrist
Since it’s running Android Wear, using the Moto 360 is like using any other Android-based watch. Plenty of new and useful features have come to the platform since its debut, but its core purpose is still showing you smartphone notifications and Google Now suggestions, as well as carrying out voice searches and commands.
The Moto 360’s upgraded hardware typically handled all these features without a problem: Notifications were pushed to my watch quickly and dismissing them helpfully syncs that change back to your phone. Voice search worked well enough, although it failed to recognize the “OK Google” command often enough to be a bit frustrating. Fortunately, you can swipe a few screens over to get a full list of voice commands and just tap the one you want to make your watch listen to your request. Talking to your phones and watches has come a long way in the last few years, but it’s hardly bulletproof at this point — not a knock against Motorola, exactly, but Android Wear is so reliant on your voice that the whole platform feels a bit less useful when the device doesn’t hear me shouting “OK Google” at it.
Motorola also built in some new watch faces that include customizable “complications” (watch parlance for small slices of information). It’s part of a recent update to Android Wear that supports interactive watch faces, and it definitely adds to the experience — being able to glance at my wrist and see the temperature, date and how many steps I’ve taken is pretty great. In fact, it’s something that should have been in the operating system from the beginning, but either way it’s a very useful addition.
Beyond these features, Android Wear now supports full applications; you can access your app list by holding down on the Moto 360’s side button. Most of these apps were focused around quick interactions for things you’ll want to do frequently (as they should be), but sometimes the feature sets felt just a little too limited. For example, Wunderlist only shows items that are in your “Inbox”; any other list you might have will be inaccessible. The Apple Watch Wunderlist app lets you also see everything due on the current day or everything assigned to you — two views that feel especially useful to me.
Naturally, most Google applications are fairly full-featured and comprehensive. Hangouts lets you scroll back through your conversations and reply with your voice, an emoji or a variety of pre-selected responses, while Google Maps lets you zoom in and out of a full map, tap for local recommendations and navigate anywhere that you drop a pin. Notifications for Google apps are also particularly useful — being able to look down at my wrist and quickly delete emails helped keep my inbox a lot cleaner.
As always, what you get out of Android Wear will depend on how much data you put into Google. If you use the company’s services religiously, you’ll get more useful info out of Google Now pushed to your watch. Unfortunately, I’ve started to personally feel like the reality of Google Now doesn’t quite match its original ambitions, something that hampers the usefulness of Android Wear. Too often, info that I’ve already looked up on Google and digested continues to pop up there; I’ll frequently look up directions to a location, actually go there, and then find Google Now giving me traffic alerts to that place after my trip is already over, for example.
Fitness tracking
The new Moto 360 has a heart rate tracker on board, just like last year’s model, making it a decent option for measuring your workouts. Unfortunately, based on my testing, the 360 lags far behind the Apple Watch for tracking your fitness. At a basic level, the Moto 360 and Moto Body app track your steps and distance, active calorie burn and “heart activity” minutes, which is essentially how many minutes you spend exercising. Similar to the Apple Watch, the Moto Body app wants you to meet all three of those goals each day — but there’s no way to actually track activity specifically for when you’re doing more intense workouts.
That’s not a complete deal breaker, as there are plenty of third-party options like Runkeeper for tracking your more vigorous physical activity. But one of the best things about the Apple Watch is how it combines formal workouts with day-to-day activity to help you always keep an eye on your fitness levels; in my opinion, it’s the most compelling feature of the device. Motorola’s approach is simple but not nearly as comprehensive: The 360 will work fine as a basic activity tracker, but if you want a bit more detail about your workouts, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Fortunately, the 360 appears to do a reasonably accurate job tracking your heart rate and steps. If that’s all you need, it’ll do the trick.
One last note: It’s foolish of Motorola to sell a watch and tout its activity-tracking features without offering a band suited for use during exercise. I sweated all over the 360’s nice leather strap while working out, which is kind of a shame. It definitely absorbs sweat rather than repelling it, and it’s also far less comfortable than a more sport-appropriate band would be. Motorola is working on a special Moto 360 designed for athletes, but that doesn’t change the fact that the company positions fitness tracking as a main feature of this watch. Providing a band to make that feasible is a must.
Using the Moto 360 and Android Wear with an iPhone
The Moto 360 is also notable for being one of the first Android Wear watches to go on sale that works with iOS, a feature announced back in August. As such, it’s worth noting what the Moto 360 can and cannot do when paired with an iPhone. Setup is simple and essentially identical to the process on an Android phone — you download the iOS Android Wear app to your iPhone, pair over Bluetooth and then you’re off and running.
From there, you’ll still get the notifications from your phone mirrored on your Moto 360, and you’ll also receive Google Now info, provided you log in with your Google account. You can do the same OK Google queries to search Google or ask your watch to do things like set a reminder, start a timer or set an alarm — or show you data like your steps or heart rate.
Unfortunately, basically all other deep app integration is gone. The Gmail app supports rich notifications, which means you can archive or reply to emails right from your watch, but that’s it. As far as I can tell, no other notifications are actionable; tapping on a Google Now alert about my commute home showed me the route I should take, but I can’t start any navigation or really do anything with that info. You can’t reply to Hangouts or texts or initiate any conversations with your voice. With an iPhone, you basically get your notifications on your wrist and quick access to Google Now and Google voice search. A year ago, that would have sounded pretty appealing, but at this point there’s basically no reason for an iPhone user to seriously consider the Moto 360, particularly when an Apple Watch isn’t much more expensive.
The competition
The new Moto 360 is entering a much more crowded field than the original did last year. There are too many Android Wear watches to cover here, not to mention the new Pebble Time Round. From a looks and cost perspective, the most direct competitors to the Moto 360 are probably the $349 LG Watch Urbane and the $399 Huawei Watch. They’re both on the higher end of Android Wear devices and feature round faces with premium materials and design. As I’ve noted multiple times before, though, a watch’s style is so important and so subjective that it’s hard to identify exactly which devices the Moto 360 is competing against. It’s probably fair to say it’s up against the entire Android Wear field, which is a lot more competitive now than it was a year ago.
Wrap-up
Thanks to the changes Motorola has made to the Moto 360, as well as the enhancements that have come to the Android Wear platform as a whole, the new 360 is easier to recommend than its predecessor. The design has improved; there are more sizing options; battery life is longer; and Android Wear keeps getting more useful. Much of your mileage will depend on how invested you are in Google services, but if you have your heart set on an Android Wear device, the Moto 360 is one of the better options out there. That said, a $100 price hike means buying a Moto 360 is a bigger investment than it was a year ago, so you’ll want to make sure that Android Wear does exactly what you need it to before taking the plunge.
Moto 360 review (2015): More than just good looks this time around
The Moto 360 made a huge splash when it was introduced alongside Android Wear some 18 months ago. It was by far the most attractive smartwatch the world had seen, and it held its spot near the top of the heap for many months after — mostly because it looked like an actual watch. Unfortunately, the promise of the device didn’t quite live up to the reality, at least at launch. Battery life was terrible; performance was occasionally sluggish; and the device itself was far too large for those with svelte wrists.
Fortunately, Motorola improved what it could throughout the year: Android Wear as a platform continued to gain useful new features; software updates helped fix the poor battery life; and Motorola started offering Moto X-style personal customization. But now, an all-new Moto 360 is in the wild, with two case sizes, totally new guts and a host of ways to make it fit your own style. But there are also far more Android Wear watches to choose from now than last year. Is the now-iconic circular Moto 360 still the smartwatch to covet? And, more importantly, does it improve in the areas where last year’s model failed?
Slideshow-326764
Design
The 2015 Moto 360 looks nearly identical to its predecessor. The device is still dominated by its circular display that still has a tiny slice removed from the bottom where sensors are housed — a move that keeps its bezel nice and slim. There’s still a side button, but Motorola moved it up from the center of the case. Considering where my finger naturally rests when I touch the side of the watch, this feels like a smart change. The other major (and arguably more important) tweak is that the watchband lugs are on the outside of the case, something that makes the watch look even more like a traditional timepiece. This is also a major functional improvement, as it’s now quite easy to change the watch strap yourself.
Perhaps the smartest design change Motorola made was to offer the new Moto 360 in two different sizes: There’s a smaller 42mm option as well as the same 46mm case that last year’s model was based on. The 360 uses 20mm and 22mm watch bands, respectively; they’re both common sizes, which means you should be able to find plenty of third-party options. In addition to those two variants, there’s also a second 42mm option, built specifically with women in mind. Other than the fact that it’s offered with different color and material choices, the biggest difference there is that the strap lugs are pushed closer together to accommodate thinner 16mm bands.
Even if you don’t want to find a third-party band, there are plenty of ways to customize the Moto 360 (although not as many as the Apple Watch). For the men’s line that I tested, you can choose from black-, silver- or gold-colored aluminum bezels that have either a smooth metal finish or a textured “micro knurl” pattern for an additional $20. The watch cases come in the same colors, although gold will run you an extra $30. As for bands, you can choose among black and brown leather or silver, black and gold metal (the metal option commands a $50 premium). The women’s case has the same choices (albeit with a different “micro cut” textured pattern option for the bezel), but Motorola swapped out the black color option for rose gold. The leather straps come in more traditionally feminine colors, and there’s also a double-wrap leather band that calls to mind the Apple Watch Hermes “double tour” band.
So that’s a lot of customization. In fact, it’s one of the best things about the new Moto 360 — chances are much better this year that you’ll find one to suit your style. But these options come at a cost. The base price of the Moto 360 actually saw a significant increase: Last year’s 46mm watch started at $250, but this year’s 42mm sells for $300 and up. If you want a 46mm model, you’re looking at spending $350, a full $100 more than before.
The model I tested had a 46mm silver case, gold bezel and brown leather strap. The strap itself was comfortable and handsome to look at, but it didn’t go well with the rest of the watch. With the brown, silver and gold (not to mention the black screen), there were just a few too many clashing colors for my tastes. I think I would have preferred an all-silver body as well as the 42mm size, though these options would have been readily available if I had the opportunity to customize my own the way regular shoppers will. Lastly, the 360 is still rather thick, although its light weight makes wearing it easy enough. That said, it’s still one of the better-looking smartwatches on the market, by a longshot. It has a simple, classy design that isn’t overwrought like many of the other Android Wear watches on the market. Of course, as with any device, your opinion may differ vastly from mine.
Hardware and display
While the Moto 360 looks largely the same as its predecessor, Motorola gave the internals a significant upgrade. Gone is the aging TI OMAP 3 processor found in the original, replaced by a Snapdragon 400 chip — the same as you’ll find in LG’s Watch Urbane. There’s still the same 4GB of storage for music and 512MB of RAM, and both of those specs still seem to be sufficient. Performance is generally snappy, although dismissing notification cards sometimes took a surprisingly long time, and I noticed occasional lags when tapping certain user interface elements or swiping away notifications.
The display has also been refreshed: The 42mm case has a 1.37-inch screen running at 360 X 325, while the 46mm steps up to 1.56 inches at a 360 x 330 resolution. Both models feature a higher resolution than last year’s Moto 360, and in usage things are noticeably sharper. Despite that, I still wouldn’t rate the display as anything particularly special — it’s a bit easier to read outdoors, and the higher resolution is certainly appreciated, but colors aren’t terribly vibrant. Since you’re only glancing at the watch for a few seconds at a time, it’s passable, although there are other watches with more impressive screens.
The last hardware change here is by far the most important: The 46mm Moto 360 now features a 400mAh battery, up from the 300-320mAh on the last model. (The 42mm watch is rated at 300mAh.) In the real world, this meant I could comfortably use the Moto 360 all day, with plenty of power left when I finally went to bed. That’s with the ambient display feature turned on all the time (that’s the setting which displays your watch face in black and white, with low brightness). Motorola says the 360 is only rated for a day’s usage in this scenario, but I could easily get more than that. I still charged the Moto 360 nightly, but the good news is that I basically never had to worry about the battery running low, which is the best you can expect from a smartwatch.
On your wrist
Since it’s running Android Wear, using the Moto 360 is like using any other Android-based watch. Plenty of new and useful features have come to the platform since its debut, but its core purpose is still showing you smartphone notifications and Google Now suggestions, as well as carrying out voice searches and commands.
The Moto 360’s upgraded hardware typically handled all these features without a problem: Notifications were pushed to my watch quickly and dismissing them helpfully syncs that change back to your phone. Voice search worked well enough, although it failed to recognize the “OK Google” command often enough to be a bit frustrating. Fortunately, you can swipe a few screens over to get a full list of voice commands and just tap the one you want to make your watch listen to your request. Talking to your phones and watches has come a long way in the last few years, but it’s hardly bulletproof at this point — not a knock against Motorola, exactly, but Android Wear is so reliant on your voice that the whole platform feels a bit less useful when the device doesn’t hear me shouting “OK Google” at it.
Motorola also built in some new watch faces that include customizable “complications” (watch parlance for small slices of information). It’s part of a recent update to Android Wear that supports interactive watch faces, and it definitely adds to the experience — being able to glance at my wrist and see the temperature, date and how many steps I’ve taken is pretty great. In fact, it’s something that should have been in the operating system from the beginning, but either way it’s a very useful addition.
Beyond these features, Android Wear now supports full applications; you can access your app list by holding down on the Moto 360’s side button. Most of these apps were focused around quick interactions for things you’ll want to do frequently (as they should be), but sometimes the feature sets felt just a little too limited. For example, Wunderlist only shows items that are in your “Inbox”; any other list you might have will be inaccessible. The Apple Watch Wunderlist app lets you also see everything due on the current day or everything assigned to you — two views that feel especially useful to me.
Naturally, most Google applications are fairly full-featured and comprehensive. Hangouts lets you scroll back through your conversations and reply with your voice, an emoji or a variety of pre-selected responses, while Google Maps lets you zoom in and out of a full map, tap for local recommendations and navigate anywhere that you drop a pin. Notifications for Google apps are also particularly useful — being able to look down at my wrist and quickly delete emails helped keep my inbox a lot cleaner.
As always, what you get out of Android Wear will depend on how much data you put into Google. If you use the company’s services religiously, you’ll get more useful info out of Google Now pushed to your watch. Unfortunately, I’ve started to personally feel like the reality of Google Now doesn’t quite match its original ambitions, something that hampers the usefulness of Android Wear. Too often, info that I’ve already looked up on Google and digested continues to pop up there; I’ll frequently look up directions to a location, actually go there, and then find Google Now giving me traffic alerts to that place after my trip is already over, for example.
Fitness tracking
The new Moto 360 has a heart rate tracker on board, just like last year’s model, making it a decent option for measuring your workouts. Unfortunately, based on my testing, the 360 lags far behind the Apple Watch for tracking your fitness. At a basic level, the Moto 360 and Moto Body app track your steps and distance, active calorie burn and “heart activity” minutes, which is essentially how many minutes you spend exercising. Similar to the Apple Watch, the Moto Body app wants you to meet all three of those goals each day — but there’s no way to actually track activity specifically for when you’re doing more intense workouts.
That’s not a complete deal breaker, as there are plenty of third-party options like Runkeeper for tracking your more vigorous physical activity. But one of the best things about the Apple Watch is how it combines formal workouts with day-to-day activity to help you always keep an eye on your fitness levels; in my opinion, it’s the most compelling feature of the device. Motorola’s approach is simple but not nearly as comprehensive: The 360 will work fine as a basic activity tracker, but if you want a bit more detail about your workouts, you’ll need to look elsewhere. Fortunately, the 360 appears to do a reasonably accurate job tracking your heart rate and steps. If that’s all you need, it’ll do the trick.
One last note: It’s foolish of Motorola to sell a watch and tout its activity-tracking features without offering a band suited for use during exercise. I sweated all over the 360’s nice leather strap while working out, which is kind of a shame. It definitely absorbs sweat rather than repelling it, and it’s also far less comfortable than a more sport-appropriate band would be. Motorola is working on a special Moto 360 designed for athletes, but that doesn’t change the fact that the company positions fitness tracking as a main feature of this watch. Providing a band to make that feasible is a must.
Using the Moto 360 and Android Wear with an iPhone
The Moto 360 is also notable for being one of the first Android Wear watches to go on sale that works with iOS, a feature announced back in August. As such, it’s worth noting what the Moto 360 can and cannot do when paired with an iPhone. Setup is simple and essentially identical to the process on an Android phone — you download the iOS Android Wear app to your iPhone, pair over Bluetooth and then you’re off and running.
From there, you’ll still get the notifications from your phone mirrored on your Moto 360, and you’ll also receive Google Now info, provided you log in with your Google account. You can do the same OK Google queries to search Google or ask your watch to do things like set a reminder, start a timer or set an alarm — or show you data like your steps or heart rate.
Unfortunately, basically all other deep app integration is gone. The Gmail app supports rich notifications, which means you can archive or reply to emails right from your watch, but that’s it. As far as I can tell, no other notifications are actionable; tapping on a Google Now alert about my commute home showed me the route I should take, but I can’t start any navigation or really do anything with that info. You can’t reply to Hangouts or texts or initiate any conversations with your voice. With an iPhone, you basically get your notifications on your wrist and quick access to Google Now and Google voice search. A year ago, that would have sounded pretty appealing, but at this point there’s basically no reason for an iPhone user to seriously consider the Moto 360, particularly when an Apple Watch isn’t much more expensive.
The competition
The new Moto 360 is entering a much more crowded field than the original did last year. There are too many Android Wear watches to cover here, not to mention the new Pebble Time Round. From a looks and cost perspective, the most direct competitors to the Moto 360 are probably the $349 LG Watch Urbane and the $399 Huawei Watch. They’re both on the higher end of Android Wear devices and feature round faces with premium materials and design. As I’ve noted multiple times before, though, a watch’s style is so important and so subjective that it’s hard to identify exactly which devices the Moto 360 is competing against. It’s probably fair to say it’s up against the entire Android Wear field, which is a lot more competitive now than it was a year ago.
Wrap-up
Thanks to the changes Motorola has made to the Moto 360, as well as the enhancements that have come to the Android Wear platform as a whole, the new 360 is easier to recommend than its predecessor. The design has improved; there are more sizing options; battery life is longer; and Android Wear keeps getting more useful. Much of your mileage will depend on how invested you are in Google services, but if you have your heart set on an Android Wear device, the Moto 360 is one of the better options out there. That said, a $100 price hike means buying a Moto 360 is a bigger investment than it was a year ago, so you’ll want to make sure that Android Wear does exactly what you need it to before taking the plunge.
Motorola preparing to send out a soak test to 2015 Moto X Pure Edition
Motorola is sending out emails about a soak test for 2015 Moto X Pure Edition users, so anyone with a non-carrier version of the device should expect to see some new software soon.
Unfortunately, Motorola is being fairly discrete about what the soak test actually is. It could be Android 6.0, or it could be a bunch of bug fixes. It might even be a stability update preparing for Android 6.0. Hard to tell until someone actually receives the update on their phone. Hopefully that won’t take too long.
via: Droid Life
Come comment on this article: Motorola preparing to send out a soak test to 2015 Moto X Pure Edition
Motorola’s Moto X Style finally reaches India, Flipkart starts sales next week
Today, India sees an addition to the choice of phones available throughout the country. Motorola’s flagship Moto X Style (which is known at the Moto X Pure Edition elsewhere) has launched in the country.
The price of the Moto X Style in India is ₹29,999 (or $450) for 16GB and ₹31,999 (or $485) for 32GB. Flipkart will begin selling the handset exclusively on October 15.
Flipkart will be running several promotions celebrating the Moto X Style’s arrival through October 20. Customers can trade-in their current phone for a discount on the Moto X Style while a lucky group of one hundred will receive 100% cashback. Others might receive MakeMyTrip discounts and Flipkart gift vouchers.
Via: NDTV
Come comment on this article: Motorola’s Moto X Style finally reaches India, Flipkart starts sales next week
Moto X Style launches in India for Rs. 29,999
As expected after yesterday’s invites, the Moto X Style has officially made its way to India today and will be available to purchase from next Wednesday, October 14th.
The Moto X Style boasts a 5.7-inch QHD (2560×1440) display, Snapdragon 808 SoC, 3GB of RAM and an impressive 21 megapixel rear camera. The handset also sports a microSD card slot, fingerprint scanner, 3,000mAh battery, 4G LTE support, an IP52 water repellent coating, Turbo Charge technology and Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on board. The 16GB and 32GB storage variants have both made their way to India, with Rs. 29,999 and Rs. 31,999 price tags respectively. Both models will be available to pre-order from FlipKart next Wednesday.
Read more: Motorola Moto X Pure Edition (Moto X Style) review
Motorola in video:
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To sweeten the deal, Motorola has also announced a selection of pre-order launch offers, which are valid until October 20th. There’s a handset exchange offer for up to Rs. 15,000, 100 percent cashback for 100 lucky customers, Rs. 5,000 off international holidays for MakeMyTrip customers, and Flipkart electronic gift vouchers worth Rs. 1,000.
If you’re still undecided about Motorola’s new high-end smartphone, be sure to check out our impressions and full review of the new Moto X Style. The more mid-range Moto X Play also launched in India not long ago and is certainly worth checking out if you’re after a less expensive model.
Who’s planning to pick one up?
Deal: Nexus 6 (32GB) returns to Ebay for just $300
Just ahead of the official announcement of the Nexus 5x and Nexus 6p, we saw the Nexus 6 discounted on Ebay for as low as $300. Since then, the original seller has ran out of stock, but the deal has returned again from another well-known Ebay seller.
Now that the dust has settled, we know exactly how much the Nexus 5x and Nexus 6p costs, as well as what features they offer. So where does the Nexus 6 stand in comparison? For those that like big screens, the Nexus 6 is a whole $200 cheaper than the 6p, and yet isn’t a massive step down in terms of raw specs. Sure, it doesn’t have the latest processor or extras like a fingerprint scanner, but it has an even bigger display (6-inches vs 5.7), OIS for the camera, and wireless charging. You’re also saving a good chunk of change.
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In other words, if having the latest and greatest isn’t a top priority for you, the Nexus 6 is still a solid deal for those looking to save money. It’s also cheaper than the Nexus 5x, though smaller screen fans might find the Nexus 6 to be a bit too large for their tastes.
As a recap, the Nexus 6 is powered by a Snapdragon 805 with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The display is 5.96-inches with a resolution of 2560 x 1440, and other specs include a 13MP camera with OIS, a 2MP front cam, a 3220 mAh battery, and Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box – with Marshmallow already ready to go for manual upgrading and an OTA slowly started to trickle out as we speak.
See also: Nexus 6P vs Nexus 6 quick look
What do you think, is the Motorola-made Nexus 6 worth picking up at $300, or are buyers better off saving a bit extra and going with a newer member of the Nexus family?
[Deal] 32GB Nexus 6 is back on eBay for just $299
If you weren’t a fan of the LG-made Nexus 5X and the Huawei-manufactured Nexus 6P announcements, the Nexus 6 is back on eBay for just $299. It comes in the 32GB variant and is factory unlocked.
This device is guaranteed to work on Verizon and Sprint, according to the seller. However, being the US model, it does have the CDMA radio that is compatible with both carriers. Otherwise, it’ll work great on AT&T or T-Mobile.
Get ’em before they run out!
source: eBay
Come comment on this article: [Deal] 32GB Nexus 6 is back on eBay for just $299
To Fold: Is it time for Google to deep-six the Nexus program?
A Nexus festivus was held this past week, though not all reactions have been positive.
Batting an eye may have missed a revolution, but in the case of Google’s Nexus series the clear-and-present is effervescent. The trouble? It’s not alone. Google’s grand series of Android reference devices have always been held in high regard among the development community, as well as the “purists”. For years, they have been the sole way to get unadulterated stock Android on any random given day. The question is: now that more and more OEMs are making use of stock, or near-stock AOSP builds of the mobile OS, do we even need a Nexus program anymore?
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The case four
While this piece will largely focus on why the Nexus program has run its course, let me first discuss why it’s just as important as ever:
- Google needs to have a reference device by which OEMs and developers alike can use to do what they do best: create stuff.
- Google can indirectly force stubborn OEMs to adopt new APIs and standards since the “base” Android model already use them.
- Google can continue to foster new and stronger partnerships with the OEMs chosen to develop the Nexus hardware.
- Google can keep Android relevant and have a visible platform on which to showcase the newest OS builds.
Without a doubt, these four reasons are almost iron-clad in their support structure for Android itself. Were the mobile operating system purely a software experience, it would exist largely as an “idea”; a series of suggestions about how to do things. The Nexus products provide, in a sense, a fall-back for Google to enforce its guidelines and requirements, such as Material Design.
On a personal level, I very much enjoy the Nexus hardware and to this day still have a Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus. The latter in particular – the white variant – looks more stylish than many phones on the market today as far as I’m concerned. Still, both for the sake of argument and as a result of the mounting criticism of Nexus products on the whole, let us consider just why the platform is not relevant anymore.
On a personal level, I very much enjoy the Nexus hardware…but let’s consider why it may be time to terminate.
Stock Android: still a selling point in 2015?
While in the midst of writing this piece, I stumbled onto a review CNET did years ago, of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The jist was quite simple: the phone was hardly a standout product. Rather, the inclusion of ICS made it relevant. It made me think: people have been criticizing the Nexus 5X and 6P since the first pictures leaked out. The design, the hump. Then the specs hit: only 2GB of RAM on LG’s model? No OIS, on Huawei’s? Neither have wireless charging? The Internet was already de-legitimatizing the devices and it has only intensified since the official announcement.
For some Nexus devices, the prospect of Lollipop was quite a hard swallow.
Even the real benefit of stock Android, getting the updates first, has eroded. Owners of the two Samsung Nexi discovered this years ago, but even last year saw major mishaps. The Nexus 7 cellular variants didn’t receive Lollipop until this February and even the Nexus 9 has been embarrassingly slow on the updates. Meanwhile, LG, HTC, and even Samsung managed to get 5.0 on their major devices in an unprecedentedly fast fashion. Of course there are reasons for these delays, namely irregular hardware and low installed user bases, but the potential promise of being first is a somewhat broken one.
Now that even companies like Samsung are severely trimming the fat off their skins, not to mention offering beautiful devices, Google’s new Nexus devices are “just another” product to consider, a proposition made all the more difficult overseas where even the Nexus 5X is borderline expensive. The problem is magnified by the fact that OEMs with low-cost hardware like Alcatel and Motorola have basically taken to using pure Android.
Flawed by Design
Motorola might as well be given the reins of the Nexus hardware program, but is almost too creative to be so restrained.
Motorola managed to turn quite a lot of heads this year with its trio of new products. Even the budget priced, low-spec Moto G was deemed a major win due to the inclusion of LTE, color customization on Moto Maker, and availability in a 16GB/2GB RAM option. Likewise the fact it offers an almost stock Android experience means that it runs smoothly, yet still has a couple of unique Moto Actions relegated to launching the camera and turning on a makeshift flashlight.
It’s not even a bad looking phone, either. Sure the G is a bit chunky, but given the price that’s to be expected. But with that girth comes water resistance, and the ability to take off the back plate and access the microSD port, or buy a different colored rear panel entirely.
Last year’s Moto G was quite bland as far as design, but the HTC Nexus 9 was almost scandalously so given who made it.
Meanwhile, there is a real mystery as to why Google continues to release such uninspired, utilitarian products. The trend began with the LG Nexus 4/Asus Nexus 7 (2013) and – save for the Motorola Nexus 6 – has persisted ever since. Consider for example, HTC’s clear attention to design with respect to its flagships. And yet look at the Nexus 9. It’s almost as if Google tells OEMs to “make it ugly; we don’t want it to hurt your product’s sales”. It’s just hard to believe LG could ever design the Nexus 5X of its own volition considering it just announced the luxurious V10.
Now that even companies like Samsung are trimming the fat off their skins and offering beautiful devices inside and out, the Nexus products don’t seem as striking.
Now that even companies like Samsung are severely trimming the fat off their skins, not to mention offering beautiful devices, Google’s new Nexus devices are “just another” product to consider, a proposition made all the more difficult overseas where even the Nexus 5X is borderline expensive.
The Gapp between the haves and have-nots
Google’s software strategy is another biggest threat to the Nexus program, though it’s an ironic one at that. In recent years, an initiative was started to manage Gapps manually, rather than constrain major updates to OS upgrades.
This was inevitably done as a response to the lethargic manner in which OEMs typically provide firmware updates, which is to say rarely, if at all. Rather than force Android users to be stymied with antiquated core apps, you can now have the latest features and functions (for the most part) regardless of if you’re marching with Marshmallow or still jamming on Jellybean.
Indeed my Galaxy Nexus – of which a large portion of this piece was typed on – can still provide a very modern app experience even though the device never even saw an official Kitkat release. The problem? This intelligent administrative decision makes having a new Nexus (or running the latest OS build) much less significant than it used to be.
What you want: that which others already have
Related to the above consideration is the “flaw” with AOSP itself. Many Nexus 6 reviews made light of Google’s failure to do anything with the larger screen real estate. The same could arguably be said about the full-blown tablet as well. Meanwhile, even a trimmed down TouchWiz still offers countless features beyond those Google ever will.
Consider what were once the largest criticisms of Apple’s most profitable product: the iPhone had no widgets, no quick settings, no changeable keyboards, no large screens. People pined, critics criticized, yet Apple refused to budge. Things have changed. Even the iPad has split-screen support and a custom-made stylus these days.
While Android has provided the structure for OEMs around the world, many “new” features are taken from skinned variants.
Google, for the most part, has been pilfering elements of Samsung’s TouchWiz for years, including the brightness slider on the notification shade. Even the “new” Nexus Imprint is little more than a legitimizing of what Motorola offered years ago and Fujitsu has provided Japanese customers since the feature phone days. Despite the new APIs themselves allowing for so much under the hood, from the end user experience, Nexus devices really just allow the “purist” niche to wade in the mainstream’s tepid bathwater.
For seemingly all but developers, Nexus devices really just allow users to wade in the mainstream’s tepid bathwater.
Dare to be different or remain seated?
Nexus Imprint? Touch ID? News flash: Fujitsu has included biometric readers in handsets for more than 15 years.
If Google truly wanted to make the Nexus program ridiculously relevant, it should never have let Moto Actions transfer hands to Lenovo. The motion sensing and unique elements would have served to make the Nexus devices really something special, and a considerable amount of future progress could have been crafted from the baseline already in Play. Likewise, where are the Themes? HTC has been offering them for ages, Samsung is suddenly smitten with them, and even Android M had them at one point.
It seems paradoxical, but Google in some ways has more to lose than Apple has to gain, simply for the fact that Google has built Android upon a more free, fun sense of purpose whereas Apple has opted for a restricted, look-but-don’t-touch approach. This is exactly why every time a major new iOS build releases, Cupertino magically manages to “create” the unimaginable and the Mountain View onlookers shake their head in disgust over how long it has taken. Case in point:
Time Travel: A new iOS number means some “major” innovations from Apple.
If Google wants to keep not only the Nexus program relevant, but also make sure Android is brimming with the latest ideas, it’s absolutely imperative to take chances and be bold. Are granular permissions (something the iPhone had since the beginning) and a fingerprint sensor (something Japanese feature phones had 15+ years ago) really cutting edge?
Wrap up
To be sure, there will always be a niche audience who wants a Nexus just because it’s the vessel for Android’s new name. Still, stock Android is no longer the Golden Unicorn it once was. There are some very nice devices that offer a near-pure AOSP build and cost far less than a Nexus. At the moment most don’t offer a fingerprint sensor or NFC, but considering their pricing and the fact they will probably offer it next year, the Nexus nomenclature could soon have to return to the Galaxy from which it came. Google’s new tablet has abandoned it and failed projects like this have long been forgotten.
Perhaps it’s time that, instead of making so much fuss about hardware itself, Google work closer with the influential OEMs around the world and – perhaps aggressively so – encourage them to update their products as quickly as possible. Or an even more enticing alternative: ask them to create an obligatory stock device, but forgo any input whatsoever. In short, just bring back the Google Play Experience program and drop the Nexus line.
Good Possible experiment: Maybe Google should forgo a 2016 Nexus and encourage OEMs to make their own.
As a final consideration, some feel simple is best: just drop the Nexus branding entirely and simply call all products by the Pixel name. Pixel could become Google’s own brand of dedicated devices. Even if they would come in at a high price point, that would unquestionably guarantee they have some truly terrific parts.
What do you think? Is it time to put the Nexus products out to pasture, or would you be deeply angered if Google did away with them? Will you be getting a new Nexus device this year or are you planning to pass? Let us know by voting in the survey and then leaving your comments below!
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