Moto 360, iWatch: Rumored Motorola and Apple Smartwatches

Moto 360, iWatch: Rumored Motorola and Apple Smartwatches

The Moto 360 and the iWatch are some of the most anticipated smartwatch options right now, not because they’re the first of their kind, but because they offer a lot more connectivity to your smartphone and are a little more aesthetically pleasing. Today, we’re going to be comparing the two, or what we know about them so far.

The Motorola Moto 360 has been announced, but Apple hasn’t made an official announcement for the iWatch, although it’s expected they will alongside the release of the iPhone 6 on September 9th. There’s a Motorola special event scheduled for September 4th, where they will likely be announcing the Moto 360 and the Moto X+1. We may be seeing this device on shelves as soon as mid-September, if this is the case.

Despite the fact Apple hasn’t made the announcement for the iWatch just yet, it’s rumored that the device will be available anywhere from mid-September to late November. Some are even suggesting we won’t see the device until 2015. Nothing can be made fact until Apple announces the device and release date, which will hopefully happen September 9th.

Motorola’s Moto 360

Design-wise, we already know exactly what the Moto 360 looks like, but we have no idea whatsoever what it will be constructed out of. The smartwatch will be sporting a round display and will have quite a few customization options, including interchangeable bands to give your device a new look, and options for either a black or aluminum face. The customization part may be enough to woo people into picking up one of these devices, as Motorola has gone more towards a fashion statement than just a boring, old smartwatch, which is a smart move on their part.

Rumored Apple iWatch

The iWatch, on the other hand, is still a secret. It’s speculated that the device will be offered in both a square model and a circular model, and may sport a more traditional looking band. We can’t be sure of anything just yet, as Apple seems to be moving towards a more uniform look with their devices, so it may feature sleek aluminum edges and a plain black band. Supposedly, they have consulted with Tag Heur’s Vice President for advice on design, so we will see what comes of that.

With Apple’s release of their new Health app in iOS 8, we may see the iWatch going towards more of a fitness device than a watch. It’s very possible we will see some new sensors that can detect heart rate, or maybe an accurate pedometer built in, and sync that information with the app so you can more easily keep track of your workouts. Display-wise, there’s not much that we know regarding the device. Recently, there have been reports of Kobe Bryant hanging around the Apple Infinite Loop Campus, which may be a sign that he’s beta testing the device. There have also been reports of Dustin Brown beta testing the device.

Moto 360 Features

Motorola’s Moto 360 will have a ton of features that can really help with daily life, from showing notifications from your smartphone, to calendar appointments, to even displaying traffic in the area. There’s also the ability to customize the watchfaces’ UI, which is a neat little addition to the device too. The face itself is circular, just like a classic watch, and features a 1.5in display with a 320 x 290 resolution. The great thing is that there are already many apps meant for smartwatches in the Google Play Store. These apps are called Android Wear apps, and some include the Firefox browser, Audible, Evernote, and a couple of Weather apps.

Rumored Prices

Now for the deal breaker: price. The Moto 360, according to a recent leak on Best Buy, the smartwatch will be available for $250, which isn’t that bad in all reality. Although it’s about $20-$50 more than other Android Wear devices, it’s the same price as the Pebble Steel. The Apple iWatch, on the other hand, has been predicted to be priced at around $300. Keep in mind that it’s just speculation. We’ll see what truly comes of the device when it’s unveiled by Apple in mid-September.

IFA 2014: Sony announces its New Xperia Z3 Flagship Smartphone With 2 Day Battery Stamina and Improved Camera

IFA 2014: Sony announces its New Xperia Z3 Flagship Smartphone With 2 Day Battery Stamina and Improved Camera

The wait is finally over! Sony has finally launched their new flagship smartphone – Xperia Z3. The rumors over the past few months suggested it to be quite a boring device but it is actually a pretty interesting smartphone.

Let’s talk about the hardware specifications first. It comes with the same 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS display with Sony’s Triluminos Display for mobile and X-Reality image enhancement technology. Powering the smartphone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, clocked at 2.5GHz. There is 3GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage, expandable by a microSD, 20.7MP Exmor RS rear camera, 2.2MP front camera, 3100mAh battery, IP65/68 certified dust and water-resistant, LTE Cat.4 support for up to 150 Mbps download speeds, and Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box. The dimensions of the device are 146 x 72 x 7.3mm.

These specs might not sound very different from the Xperia Z2 but actually there are a lot more differences than these specs suggest. The most promising change has to do with the battery life. Sony claims that they have been able to tune all the components of the smartphone to be as efficient as possible to extract the maximum possible battery life. The result of that is said to be a 2 day battery life. That’s right! Sony claims that you can use the Xperia Z3 for two continuous days without having to look for your charger. Even though battery capacity is down by 100mAh over the Xperia Z2, the battery life is said to be quite a lot better. There is also an ultra-stamina mode on board that limits your phone to core functions only like calls and messaging to extract the most out of your battery.

Another area where Sony seems to have concentrated is the camera. You might remember that even though the Xperia Z2 came with a 20.7MP camera, it underperformed as far as the image quality went. Its rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the LG G3 delivered better results even though they have lower resolution cameras. The Xperia Z3 camera sees some major improvements. The maximum ISO has seen a big jump to ISO12800 now, the highest sensitivity in any smartphone to date. The G Lens has also been upgraded and is now 25mm wide lens (27mm on Z2) that allows you to capture wider shots than before. The camcorder also features a new Intelligent Active Mode which analyzes your movements when shooting a video and minimizes blur and shake from videos. The list of camera apps has also been extended, with more to follow soon.

Even though the display packs the same enhancement technologies and resolution as the Z2, the panel itself is said to be brand new and offers the highest brightness of any Xperia yet according to Sony, A contrast enhancement technology has also been adopted to improve sunlight legibility.

Playstation Remote Play is also a big feature on the Xperia Z3. Sony claims the Xperia Z3 (along with other Z3 products) is the only smartphone in the market that allows you to access your PlayStation 4 games from anywhere in your home using a Wi-Fi network. A separate attachment accessory will help connect the PS4 controller to your Xperia Z3 so you can continue playing your game on it and move around the house.

Audio is another area where Sony has achieved some significant improvements. The noise cancellation feature from the Xperia Z2 is retained but you now get DSEE HX (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) from Sony Walkman devices that allows you to enjoy all your music in the highest possible quality. It also comes with Hi-Res Audio supports, letting you enjoy listening to lossless audio files on the go.

Sony has always been the master of good-looking industrial designs, and the Z series line has been testament to that. The Xperia Z3 looks like an evolution of the Xperia Z2 design with much of the same philosophy but with clever new touches being added to make it a more ergonomic smartphone. The bezels have been trimmed and the side bezels are now said to be just 0.2 mm thin. This has allowed the Xperia Z3 to be slightly less wide than its predecessor and at the same time the thickness has reduced from 8.2mm to 7.2mm. Weight has also reduced to 152 grams from 163 grams on the Z2. The materials used are the same though, with double tempered glass and an aluminum frame. The dust and water resistance capabilities have also seen an improvement with the Z3 being IP65/68 certified, it is now water proof up to a depth of 1.5 meters in fresh water.

All Xperia Z3 models appear to be 4G LTE compatible and the handset supports Nano SIM cards. The Xperia Z3 will be available globally this Autumn with pricing details to be revealed at a later stage. Four color options will be offered depending on the market – Black, White, Copper, and Silver Green.