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Motorola’s latest smartwatch, the Moto 360 Sport, includes built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring, a music player and a new hybrid display that is easier to read in bright sunlight and in normal room light.
The $299 Moto 360 Sport, which will be available online in the United States starting Jan. 7, will also be available through Best Buy stores and Motorola’s Chicago-based Moto Shop on Jan. 10, according to the company.
A key feature of the Moto 360 Sport is that it can be used on a run or walk without the need to also carry a smartphone. Without a phone, users can access built-in GPS, heart-rate monitoring and a music player while running or walking, according to Motorola.
When Moto 360 Sport is paired with a smartphone in a pocket or handbag, users also gain access to Gmail messages and calendar invites, right on the device’s watch face. Users can also employ the smartwatch to reply to friends on WhatsApp, get timely traffic and weather reports, and more.
The watch can also be voice-controlled using the “OK Google” command in Google Search to get answers to inquiries or send a message without having to touch the device.
The Moto 360 Sport, which runs on the Android Wear operating system, features a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with a 450MHz Adreno 305 graphics processor, 512MB of memory, 4GB of built-in storage, and Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connectivity. Also built-in are two digital microphones.
The device is built around a classic round 1.37-inch, 263ppi AnyLight Hybrid Display that is covered with durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for scratch resistance. The smartwatch is 1.77 inches wide, 0.45 inches tall and weighs 1.9 ounces.
The watch, which is IP67 dust and water resistant, is powered by a 300mAh rechargeable battery that promises up to a full day of mixed use, according to Motorola.
Also included is a silicone watchband that doesn’t absorb sweat and which resists fading or staining. The watch comes in black, white or flame orange.
The built-in GPS in the Moto 360 Sport is designed to work with a downloadable Moto Body app that keeps track of distance traveled, pace, lap times and more for users, all without having to carry a smartphone. The device can also be used with popular Android fitness apps, including MapMyRun, Under Armour Record, Strava, Google Fit and Fitbit, according to Motorola. The Moto Body app records a user’s workout data and syncs with the other apps to keep a user’s exercise history up-to-date.
Moto 360 Sport users can monitor their heart rate during a run, as well as track their performance using the Moto Body app to see how they spend time in different heart-rate zones to best achieve their fitness goals.
The Motorola AnyLight display is a hybrid display that works like a quality LCD screen indoors, while reflecting natural sunlight outdoors, making the screen easier to read than on other devices, according to Motorola.
The music player in the Moto 360 Sport lets users sync their favorite playlists and podcasts from Google Play Music, and then listen during their run, at the gym or anywhere without having to have their phone along with them.
The smartwatch also delivers spontaneous notifications to users throughout the day to keep them up-to-date about their fitness targets and performance, according to Motorola.
The timepiece will be available in the UK and France, starting Dec. 18, and in Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico and Spain in 2016.
Motorola’s original round-faced Moto 360 smartwatch debuted in September 2014, starting at $250.