Category: Moto

New Update for Moto 360 Fixes its Battery Backup Issue

The Moto 360 was the single most awaited wearable this year. On its launch, the device found a lot of customers willing to get their hands on it. But one of the major issues with the much sought after device was its battery backup. Some users even claimed that the device didn’t even work for an entire day. An iFixit teardown also found that the battery was less than what was claimed by Motorola. Motorola released an update recently to address the issue, and it seems to be working.

The Moto 360 comes with 1.56 inch LCD display along with 4GB of internal storage and 512 MB of RAM. Its power source is a 320 mAh battery and has been the cause of worry for the device owners.

Several owners of the Moto 360 on Reddit have claimed that the battery performance has dramatically increased following the new update. Some have even claimed that the dreaded ambient light which drained most of the juice is also performing well.

The usual complaint was that the battery wouldn’t last a day, but users are now reporting that the issue has also been solved to an extent. But it is still a software based tweak and can be affected by future updates. But as of now it is a necessary update that will give a full day’s worth of functionality of the device.

The Moto 360 will be arriving on Flipkart around the first week of October, and this seems like a good news for potential customers. The folks who were reconsidering their Moto 360 purchase can now stop. But the update is still software based. Motorola needs to find a way to extend the battery life further, otherwise it will add to the menace of chargeable devices one needs to take care of at the end of a work day.

September 29, 2014
Image of Nexus Device ‘Moto Shamu’ Leaked

Earlier today, we got some news about Motorola’s upcoming Nexus device codenamed ‘Shamu’. The reports illustrated that the new Nexus 6 or Nexus X will a super-sized, more powerful version of the Moto X.

The exact name of Google’s next Android flagship isn’t yet clear; some expect it to be called the Nexus 6, others claim it will be known as the Nexus X. The reports also added that it’ll have the same aluminum frame, and the company has apparently relocated the phone’s lock and volume buttons down to make them more reachable. In terms of innards, Motorola has packed a QHD display, a Snapdragon 805 processor, and 3GB of RAM into next Nexus device.

Now, a picture posted on the comment section of Android Police, shows off what is allegedly a massive Motorola handset next to a LG G3. The handset showed in the picture has a Motorola logo and there isn’t any NEXUS labeling on it, unless the logo is super-tiny and under the piece of paper with the words “SHAMU” written on it.

Of course, there’s also the possibility the above photo was somehow faked. Either way, we’d take this whole thing with a grain of salt for now. It is also said that the Android L OS upgrade will debut along with this device. Google is making some major design changes to Android’s look and feel, and introducing significant improvements to multitasking and notifications. The reports added that the device is likely to launch in November, with an unveiling coming next month.

September 26, 2014
Next Nexus Might be a Super-Sized Moto X

It seems like Motorola means business these days. The company recently launched the 2nd gen of their blockbuster smartphones, Moto G and Moto X. Now, according to new reports, the company is rolling up its sleeves for a bigger and better device for Google’s new Nexus device.

Motorola is said to be preparing a device codenamed “Shamu” that will serve as Google’s next Nexus phone. The new device is said to be a super-sized, more powerful version of the Moto X. The exact name of Google’s next Android flagship isn’t yet clear; some expect it to be called the Nexus 6, others claim it will be known as the Nexus X.

While there are a lot photos or videos leaked regarding the new Nexus device, the reports illustrate that the appearance of the device is basically going to be a scaled up 2nd generation Moto X with some minor tweaks to make the larger size easier to use.

It’ll have the same aluminum frame, and the company has apparently relocated the phone’s lock and volume buttons down to make them more reachable. In terms of innards, Motorola has packed a QHD display, a Snapdragon 805 processor, and 3GB of RAM into next Nexus device.

It is also said that the Android L OS upgrade will debut along with this device. Google is making some major design changes to Android’s look and feel, and introducing significant improvements to multitasking and notifications. The reports added that the device is likely to launch in November, with an unveiling coming next month. Along with that, Motorola will also be rolling out the smaller 5.2 inch version as well.

September 26, 2014
Moto X (Gen 2) Goes on Sale Tonight Starting at Rs. 31,999

Motorola recently came up with their latest generation of smartphones, the Moto X (Gen 2) and the Moto G (Gen 2). Moto G (Gen 2) is already available in the market for Rs. 12,999, but we had been waiting to get our hands on the new gen Moto X.

Well the wait is over, the company today has revealed the pricing of the Moto X (Gen 2) through their Motorola India Twitter handle. The new handset will be available exclusively on Flipkart from midnight today starting at the price of Rs. Rs. 31,999.

Pure style. Pure performance. The new #MotoX starts at Rs. 31,999. Available only @Flipkart at midnight tonight. pic.twitter.com/WXB1GSdaP8

— Motorola India (@MotorolaIndia) September 24, 2014

The new Moto X is not much bigger than the previous one, with a 5.2 inch AMOLED display. It is still protected by Gorilla Glass. It is about 0.5 inch wider than last year’s X. However, the refreshed model sports a 1080p full HD display instead of a 720p one.

The screen takes almost all the space on the front, leaving the bare minimum for bezels. It measures 72.4mm wide by 140.8mm tall and weighs 144 grams. To give the device a premium feel, the company has added a smooth piece of aluminium wrapping the entire edge of the phone.

At the back, it has an updated 13-megapixel camera lens with 4x zoom and a ring flash. The camera has the ability to capture 4K video instead of just 1080p and it’s also got a new feature called Best Shot.

As far as the hardware is concerned you won’t be disappointed. The device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 578MHz GPU and 2GB of RAM. It is powered by 2,300 mAh battery which Motorola claims will last a full day. The new Moto X has four microphones to help reduce background noise, and comes in a “splash guard” water repellent coating and will be available in both 16GB and 32GB variants.

One the software side, new Moto X comes with hand full of softwares, same as the older Moto X, including Migration tool and some others like Touchless Control, Active Display and Motorola Assist have been renamed in the new Moto X as Moto Actions, Moto Display and Moto Assist respectively. Another great iteration in the new Moto X is that instead of ‘OK Google’ as a voice prompt, you can customize the voice command prompt to anything you like.

September 24, 2014

Moto G (Gen 2) vs Xiaomi Mi3 Comparison

Moto G (Gen 2) comes with considerable improvement over its trendsetting predecessor. Moto G had essentially set a foot forward in terms of bringing cheap Android devices with good built quality and great hardware. Xiaomi Mi3, also recently launched in India, belongs to the same price bracket.

However, the latter has been facing problems in terms of availability , as it has been made available in limited stock exclusively on Flipkart. One of the main highlight of Mi3 is that it comes with quad core Snapdragon 800 processor which is quite an achievement in its price bracket. We are are comparing the Motorola Moto G (gen 2) and Xiaomi Mi3 head to head. Check out the video below:

SPECS	Motorola Moto G (Gen 2)	XIAOMI MI 3
Display	5 inch, 294 ppi	5 inch, 441 ppi
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2.3 GHz Quad-core
RAM	1 GB	2 GB
Storage	16 GB	16/64 GB
Expandable Upto	32 GB	–
Main Camera	8 MP	13 MP
Front Camera	2 MP	2 MP
Battery	Non-removable 2070 mAh	Non-removable 3050 mAh
Operating System	Android KitKat 4.4.4	Android 4.3 upgradable to 4.4.2 (KitKat)

September 22, 2014

Exclusive : Moto 360 to Arrive in India in the First Week of October

UPDATE: We had previously reported that the Moto X and Moto 360 will be arriving by the beginning of October. It appears that the Moto X as well as the Moto 360 will be coming out in the last week of September.

The Moto 360 has been one of the most-awaited wearables in the market. The Smartwatch was unveiled at the beginning of this month, and it was impressive in many aspects. Now sources close to iGyaan reveal that the Moto 360 will be available in India starting next month.

The base model of the device is expected to be launched in the first week. It is going to be priced at Rs. 17,999. A steel band variant will follow soon after this launch. It is expected to come with a price tag of Rs. 19,999.

The Base model will arrive first and will be followed by a steel strap variant.

The Moto 360 provides some great watch faces and by being one of the two round devices. The other one being LG’s G watch R which is also expected to come later this year. The G watch R has a more authentic watch like feel, but it comes at an expensive price tag.

The main issue with the device is that even though it is shaped round, the Android Wear OS running on it is designed for rectangle devices. So round screen just end up cutting the corners of the content. Another issue with the 360 is the battery life. Motorola claims it lasts a day, but professional testing shows the Smartwatch losing power by the half day point. The wireless charger that comes with it is really cool, but the thing about wearables is that we don’t want to worry about their batteries. The battery woes might disappoint a lot of folks who have been waiting around for the device for a long while.

The Moto 360 still stands out as a unique device. It also comes from a company which has gained a lot of goodwill amongst the users. The 1st generation of the 360 does have some pretty visible flaws. Motorola had a lot of time on their hands to mend the issues. Hopefully, now that the flaws are apparent in the market, Motorola will fix them in their next versions or provide software tweaks to make the 360 better so that it stands true to the Moto Brand. We just have to wait and watch for this Smartwatch.

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September 17, 2014
Exclusive : Moto X (Gen 2) to Go on Sale in India By End of Next Week

Well, Motorola has already launched the new version of the blockbuster Moto G. At the same event, the company had also announced the next gen Moto X and Moto 360, which the company said will go on sale by late September. Now, a source told iGyaan that the new gen Moto X may go on sale next week.

The smartphone’s Flipkart profile has already been uploaded which says ‘Coming Soon’. You can sign up for the newsletter, if you want to be among the first ones to get your hands on the smartphone.

The new Moto X is bulkier and boasts a number of new features and designs that should definitely increase the X’s demand.

The new Moto X is not much bigger than the previous one, with a 5.2 inch AMOLED display and it is still protected by Gorilla Glass. Moto X 2nd gen is about 0.5 inch wider than last year’s X. However, the refreshed model sports a 1080p full HD display instead of a 720p one. At the back, it has an updated 13-megapixel camera lens with 4x zoom and a ring flash. The camera has the ability to capture 4K video instead of just 1080p and it’s also got a new feature called Best Shot.

The device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 578MHz GPU and 2GB of RAM. It is powered by 2,300 mAh battery which Motorola claims will last a full day. The new Moto X has four microphones to help reduce background noise, and comes in a “splash guard” water repellent coating and will be available in both 16GB and 32GB variants.

The handset will be go on sale at end of the next week as mentioned above. The company at the launch event said that they will have enough stock this time. Pricing details have not yet been revealed by the company.

Check out our Hands on with the Moto X (Gen 2) below:

September 17, 2014
The Smartwatch Battle Begins! Apple Watch vs Moto 360

Apple’s first attempt on the still nascent wearable market was huge, with people eyeing Tim Cook’s wrist the moment he entered the stage. Apple Watch (not iWatch) will be priced at $349 and will be available by early 2015. It will come in three variations – Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and the Apple Watch Edition. The wearable will be compatible with iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 6 and 6 Plus.

There are already quite a few competitors trying to define what should a smartwatch look like on your wrist. However, Google beat Apple in that race by just a few months by releasing Android Wear. One of the crowd’s favourite is Moto 360 which was launched last week, priced a hundred dollars less at 250$.

The smartwatch technology is still in its infant stage. Apple is known for its innovations and setting trends like it did with iPods and iPads; the Apple Watch is anticipated to have the same impact. However, both Moto 360 and Apple Watch both have their strengths and weaknesses. A quick rundown to help you decide which one to buy, once the devices are available.

Interface

Both companies have provided several interestingly themed watch faces which can be changed easily to suit your mood. Agreed that our watches are getting smarter, but the basic function of the watch is to tell time every time we look at the device. Apple Watch display turns off when you aren’t looking at it. When you turn your wrist, it’ll light up again only showing information when you want it.

In Moto 360, colors pop on the display, and everything is easily viewable, even in direct sunlight. However, when the display is dimmed it darkens after a few seconds of inactivity, but the time is still visible. Though, it is very hard to see outdoors. Waking up the watch is as simple as lifting your wrist; same as on the Apple Watch.

On-The-Go Information and Notifications

Main aim of smartwatches since their earlier days has been to minimize handset use by integrating phone notification with the smartwatch on your wrist for a easy and more convenient experience. In Apple Watch all notifications coming through your phone will pop up on your watch. If the app developer chooses to, they can enrich that notification to let you do a lot more with it — replying to messages or even taking actions, like accepting a Facebook friend request. All together, it sounds fairly decent.

Google’s smartwatch platform is all about notifications, which uses most of its interface. In Moto 360, all of your notifications are routed to it, and you can swipe through the phone to view them all, dismiss them, and even act on some of them. That said, you can’t use them as easily as Apple hopes to allow.

A good smartwatch, in my opinion, is the one gives you what you want, when you want it, without having to do to much. To some extend both Apple and Motorola have achieved that. Apple promises that the person sitting next to you would not be able to tell that you’ve received a notification. The notification buzz will simply give the effect as if someone is tapping you lightly on your wrist. You can customise the apps which you’d like notifications from. It will use the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from the iPhone for all communication purposes. The built-in speaker phone and microphone can be used to receive calls and use the built-in Siri. With a simple tap on the digital crown, Siri can be activated.

The Moto 360 can do a number of things, such as display incoming calls and texts, measure your heart rate, pull up directions from Google Maps, count your steps, and tell you the weather. The idea behind Android Wear is that the watch should display contextual information before you even need to ask for it. Google Now has always been really capable, and its ability to predict and surface information that you’re interested in is built right into Android Wear. So, for example, if your favorite IPL team has a match at 7 p.m. tonight, Android Wear would display that information on your wrist automatically.

Health and Fitness

The Moto 360 has a heart rate monitor on the underside, that’s good for getting a causal fix on your overall health, but it will not be much of use for vigorous workouts sessions. On the Moto 360 are three pre-installed apps for measuring your overall health. Fit shows how many steps you’ve taken during the day, can measure your heart rate, and lets you set a goal for the number of steps you take each day. In a similar vein, Heart Activity displays how many minutes you need to be active during each day (it’s set at 30 minutes), and how close you are to completing that goal.

Apple Watch promises to take over and take it to a whole new level. Instead of simply tracking daily activities, the watch will actually encourage you to be more active. It has two key apps for this; the first will map your fitness activity through the day, while the second and the more important one, will help you set goals and then help you achieve them.

Thirty-Party Apps

For wearables to entice prospective buyers, third party apps were needed and both Motorola and Apple understood that. Apple has already experimented with certain third-party apps. Developers will be able to create custom notifications for the home screen. For example, the City Mapper will remind you to get off at the right station, the BMW app will direct you to where you would’ve parked your car and the Nike app will allow you to challenge your friends to go for a run.

It’s been a few months, and Google says there are already thousands of apps that support Android Wear. Facebook Messenger, for instance, will now send messages to Wear and can accept responses dictated over voice. Though, we’ve seen a handful of good apps that run specifically on Wear, but no one has actually gave us any breakthrough app yet.

Style

Since watches are worn all the time, it’s important that they look good. The design and style should suit you well. The Apple Watch will be available in six designs. The watch comes with a mechanism which would make it super easy to switch between the straps. The straps include a sport band, soft quilted leather and stainless steel options. And since one size does not fit all, Apple has also developed smaller sizes.

The Moto 360’s 1.56-inch-diameter round display is big, bold, and feels a lot larger than a square display. It has a 320×290 resolution, effectively, at 205ppi. Actually, it’s not fully round there’s a bit of a black bar on the bottom. Apple has done great job by giving us variety, but Moto 360’s round dial and sleek look has already garnered many fans.

A biggest setback is that the Apple Watch will be compatible with only with iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 6 and 6 Plus, on the other hand the Moto 360 isn’t as exclusive or biased to its own brand. Apple definitely stands out with its sophisticated and extensive sensors. Unlike Moto 360, Apple Watch seems to do much more than just showing you notifications. It seems both the devices have the right components, they just need to get some developers to come up with more compelling apps.

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September 10, 2014

Moto G (2nd Gen) Unboxed : The Trendsetter Returns

The second generation of the blockbuster Moto G is out now. The device was much awaited and comes with considerable improvement over its trendsetting predecessor. We finally got our Moto G (2nd Gen) box and here’s what we found on the inside.

On the looks front, the box is small and minimalistic just like its predecessor. The box features a side view of the phone, and that’s about the only graphics there. The price mentioned on the box is Rs.13,099; the device is available on Flipkart for 12,999.

Inside the box, on the top is the new generation Moto G with a 5-inch display. Dig deeper, and you’ll find a non-detachable charging adapter with a micro-USB charging pin, which will disappoint folks who don’t already possess a USB to micro-USB data cable. Apart from the adapter you get Motorola’s handsfree and the documentation. Motorola has provided a copy of the guides in Hindi, which is appreciable and shows its seriousness of competing in the Indian market.

Coming back to the device, we already introduced the device earlier. We now got to spend some more time with it. The device is a looker with slimmer bezels. The dual speakers attract your attention immediately as you glance at it.

The stock Android interface is also impressive, and the absence of any bloatware makes the device fast and smooth to use. The only app addition to the device is Moto Migrate, which helps you get contacts from your old phone to the new Moto G, this even works with feature phones. The second add-on is Moto Assist that helps you lets you use the device hands-free while driving, and it lets only important calls through when you don’t want to be disturbed. The last app is Moto Alert that alerts your close ones of your location when you want it to.

Overall it’s an impressive device, but it was about time Motorola added 1080p recording capabilities. We love the dual speaker and increased screen size. The phone comes with Android KitKat 4.4.4 out of the box and will get updated to Android L when it comes out.

Keep checking iGyaan, the full review will be coming out soon.

Quick Specs:

Operating System	Android KitKat 4.4.4
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU
RAM	1 GB
Display	5 inch, 720p screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 294 ppi
Storage	16 GB
External Storage	Upto 32 GB
Battery	2070 mAh
Main Camera	8 MP
Front Camera	2 MP
Miscellaneous	Dual Speakers in the Front, Upgradeable to Android L

September 10, 2014

Moto Hint : It’s Not Just a Bluetooth Headset

Fiction has influenced technology many a time. Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea inspired the invention of Submarines that opened a whole new world to us which was previously hidden in deep waters. Recently Captain Kirk’s handheld communicator from Star Trek inspired the Mobile Phones, which have completely changed the way we communicate.

Now Motorola has something in its kitty that promises to give you the feel of actually interacting with your phone without the need of any physical interface. This seems as if inspired by Spike Jones’ ‘Her’. The device in question is the Moto Hint. It even looks like a more practical version of the device that the protagonist wore to interact with Samantha (the AI assistant.)

The Moto Hint looks like a practical version of the device from the movie Her

The Moto Hint is a peanut-sized Bluetooth headset that lets you do a lot more than what a usual Bluetooth hands-free device does. Perhaps this is the reason folks at Motorola prefer to call it wireless earbud or an “earable,” which doesn’t really sound appealing to the ears. The Hint does, in fact, give a hint of what the future of wearable headsets is going to look like.

Using the Moto Hint you can literally control the most important features of a smartphone using just your voice. You can read and write messages, get navigation assistance, post on social media and much more. Motorola has the distinction of superior voice interaction on its devices starting with the previous generation Moto X. The new Moto X takes that ability further and brings in custom phrasing that lets you make your own custom phrase instead of the usual ‘OK Google’ phrase on Android.

Moto hint offers 3.3 hours of battery back-up that is good for a start. It is compatible with any Bluetooth enabled phone. A sensor on the device detects when it is in the ear and it automatically powers on. Now as it’s powered through Google, it will still just reply to the query. Hopefully, Motorola will bring an anthropomorphized voice assistant like the Cortana and Siri to make it feel like a two-way interaction.

This device will also rekindle the Bluetooth era that had just recently lost steam. If the Moto Hint works as it’s advertised, we will again have people all around us who seem like they’re talking to us but they’re actually posting a twitter update. Hopefully using hashtags vocally will make them realize how stupid they sound, and that will bring them back to the typing interface. The Moto Hint still deserves a chance for its innovation, and we’ll wait for it to come to our shores. The Moto Hint is priced at $149.99 (roughly Rs. 9,000), while its powerbank, the Power Pack Micro is available for $39.99 (roughly Rs. 2,400).

September 8, 2014
Moto X Makes its Comeback With Better Specs and an Aluminium Frame

Along with the Moto G (Gen 2) and Moto 360, Motorola has just introduced the much-awaited 2nd gen Moto X. The new Moto X is bigger, bulkier and it boasts a number of new features and designs that should definitely increase X’s demand.

The new Moto X is not much bigger than the previous one, with a 5.2 inch AMOLED display and it is still protected by Gorilla Glass. Moto X 2nd gen is about 0.5 inch wider than last year’s X. However, the refreshed model sports a 1080p full HD display instead of a 720p one.

The screen takes almost all the space on the front, leaving the bare minimum for bezels. It measures 72.4mm wide by 140.8mm tall and weighs 144 grams. To give the device a premium feel, the company has added a smooth piece of aluminium wrapping the entire edge of the phone.

Motorola has kept the Moto Maker customization option alive with a new leather option for new Moto X. Additionally, Moto Maker also now lets you add metal accents to power and volume buttons, speaker grills and the Motorola logo on the back.

At the back, it has an updated 13-megapixel camera lens with 4x zoom and a ring flash. The camera has the ability to capture 4K video instead of just 1080p and it’s also got a new feature called Best Shot.

It essentially maintains a rolling photo cache in the background, constantly capturing additional shots before and after a photo is taken. An algorithm then analyzes those photos to find what it thinks is the “best shot,” filtering out blurry shots or pics of people blinking. You can choose the picture selected by the feature or the original one. Another new camera feature is the “Highlight Reel,” which essentially compiles all of your day’s photos and videos into a single video collage much like Google+ photo highlights.

As far as the hardware is concerned you won’t be disappointed. The device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 578MHz GPU and 2GB of RAM. It is powered by 2,300 mAh battery which Motorola claims will last a full day. The new Moto X has four microphones to help reduce background noise, and comes in a “splash guard” water repellent coating and will be available in both 16GB and 32GB variants.

One the software side, new Moto X comes with hand full of softwares same as older Moto X including Migration tool and some of the tools like Touchless Control, Active Display and Motorola Assist have been renamed in the new Moto X as Moto Actions, Moto Display and Moto Assist respectively. Another great iteration in the new Moto X is that instead of ‘OK Google’ as a voice prompt, you can customize the voice command prompt to anything you like.

The company said that they have more than 1.6 million devices stocked for Indian market which only means they will have enough stocks this time. Pricing details are not yet revealed by the company. The new Moto X will go on sale in late september along with Moto 360.

September 5, 2014
Moto G (2nd Gen) Goes on Sale Today For Rs. 12,999

Motorola has just announced two of its most anticipated smartphones : Moto X and Moto G. The company decided to stick to the previous names, keeping things simple by calling them 2nd Gen devices. The new Moto G has been launched at the price of Rs. 12,999 for 16 GB and is going on sale later today with special offers on Flipkart. The company said that last time around they sold 1.6 million devices through Flipkart for Indian customers, and this time they’ve made sure they have sufficient stock for prospective buyers.

The 2nd Gen Moto G has a 5.0-inch 720p HD IPS display made out of Corning Gorilla Glass. Other improvements to the G include two front stereo speakers and an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing one.

The new G will also now finally come with a microSD card slot, which is located underneath the back cover. It’ll still come with 16GB built-in storage, but an expandable memory slot is always nice to have. However, underneath is the same 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor and 2,070 mAh battery. The new Moto G still shoots in 720p. However, they considered going for 1080p video capability, to compete with the Xiaomi Mi3.

It’ll ship with Android 4.4 KitKat and is upgradeable to Android L as soon as it is released. It does come with a few Motorola apps like Migrate, which helps you transfer old phone contacts to the new one, and Assist, which provides a voice-activated Drive Mode when you’re on the road.

September 5, 2014
The Moto 360 is Finally Here!

We’ve spent months tracking its every move; it is the only smartwatch which promised style as well as utility. And today, amidst all the September Tech madness, Motorola revealed all the details of its most awaited wearable – the Moto 360.

It has stuck to the classic design that it promised months back. The 1.65-inch display is encased in stainless steel, the watch comes in leather straps and has Gorilla Glass protecting the screen from unwanted scratches. We’re extremely pleased with Motorola’s choice of design. Instead of going for bulk, it has stuck to the sleek style of a traditional wrist watch.

The water-proof Moto 360 is going to be a super useful wearable. Powered by Android Wear, it will give timely updates based on location, such as Weather, Time, Reminders, Location and Traffic. It has been enabled with voice control, so even when you’re driving you can easily ask for directions and traffic updates. “Ok Google” can also be used to send text messages. The watch comes with a charging dock, and the battery life is said to last a day.

Like most wearables, Moto 360 has paid attention to our health needs, and provided a heart activity app that tracks daily routine. Priced at $249.99, we’d say it’s a beautiful meddle of leather, glass and technology. Moto 360 comes in two colour variants – silver and black and will be available in India by late September.

September 5, 2014

Xiaomi Redmi 1S Vs Moto E Vs Moto G Specs Comparison

After the achievement of its Mi 3, Xiaomi is rolling out yet another affordable smartphone in India, exclusively through Flipkart. The company is all set to formally uncover the Redmi 1S valued at Rs 5,999. All things considered, as budget-friendly devices to come in this comparative price bracket and expect to contend with the ruling budget Android, the Moto E and Moto G which are sold at the price of 6,999 and Rs. 10,499.

In terms of display, the Redmi 1S comes with a 4.7 inch display which has a 720 x 1280 resolution, giving it a total pixel density of 312 PPI. The Motorola Moto E come with a 4.3 inch which is not a IPS display and has a 960 x 540 resolution giving it 256 ppi, which is much lower than the Redmi 1S. On the other hand Moto has a 4.5 IPS display which has a 720 x 1280 resolution, same as the Redmi. However, the Moto G is at power here with 326 PPI.

Moto G also has a Corning Gorilla glass, so does the Moto E, but Xiaomi Redmi 1S lacks it and has Dragontrail instead. All three devices i.e. Moto E, Moto G and Xiaomi Redmi 1S are Dual Sim GSM devices. So, they will work on 3G and 2G GSM networks.

On the hardware side, Redmi 1S comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 on quad-cores at 1.6 GHz. Which is mighty impressive for the price bracket and compared to Moto E’s Snapdragon 200 at dual-core 1.2GHZ processor. Where as, Moto G packs a snapdragon 400 which is quad-code at 1.2 GHz. Having said that, Redmi 1S is undoubtedly leads the two Motorola handsets as far as the processor is concerned.

All three have 1GB of RAM, and while the Redmi 1S along with Moto G has 8GB of Internal storage, Moto E lacks behind with 4Gb of internal storage. Also, the Redmi 1S does accept a micro-SD cards up to 64GB, while the Moto E accepts upto 32 GB micro-SD cards. The Moto G, despite being the most expensive handset in the lot, does not.

As far as the battery is concerned, Redmi 1S sports 2050 mAh battery, the Moto E comes with comes with 1980 mAh battery and Moto G comes with 2070 mAh battery. So, there not a considerable difference between the batteries of the three handsets.

The cameras of the devices are varied, the Xiaomi Redmi 1S fashions an 8MP primary camera that supports 1080p video shooting and the secondary camera of 1.6MP which supports 720p video shooting. Moto E disappoints us with no secondary camera and the main camera of 5MP with only 480p video capability. On the other hand Moto G has a similar 5 Mp camera but only does 720p videos along with a 1.3Mp secondary shooter. Moto E also lacks a flash light unlike other two devices. In terms of the camera and video quality Redmi 1S beats both the Motorola devices.

Motorola’s devices take lead in one of the most important specs of any smartphone- OS and updates. Motorola devices comes with Android 4.4 out of the box where as redimi 1s comes with Android 4.3 out of the box with a promised upgrade soon. Moto E as well as Moto G are going to be one of the first devices to get Android LMP update after the Nexus devices.

With respect to the specifications, pricing and overall usability of the device, we feel the Xiaomi Redmi 1S seems to be a value for money package. But with the limited 40,000 units going on sale on 2nd Sept, a lot of buyers and re-sellers are going to be in line to get their hands on the device, so be sure register first and wait for the device.

One major advantage that Motorola devices bring, is that they are now readily available and also the company has an impressive service network along with good customer service support. This can’t be said for the Xiaomi at the moment because they are struggling with their service support which is kept down to low number of service centre and replacements offered by Flipkart.

Key Specs-

Specs/Devices	Motorola Moto G	Motorola Moto E	Xiaomi Redmi 1S
Dimensions (mm)	129.90 x 65.90 x 11.60	124.80 x 64.80 x 12.30	137.00 x 69.00 x 9.90
Weight (g)	143.00	142.00	158.00
Battery capacity (mAh)	2070, Non-removable	1980, Non-removable	2050, removable
Display	4.5 Inch 720x1280px 329PPI	4.3 inch 540x960px 256PPI	4.7 inch 720x1280px 312PPI
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.2GHz quad-core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 1.2GHz dual-core	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.6GHz quad-core
RAM	1GB	1GB	1GB
Internal storage	8GB	4GB expandable upto 32GB	8GB expandable upto 64 GB
Rear camera	5-megapixel	5-megapixel	8-megapixel
Flash	Yes	No	Yes
Front camera	1.3-megapixel	No	1.6-megapixel
Operating System	Android 4.3	Android 4.4	Android 4.3 MIUI version 5

August 30, 2014

Moto ‘Skip’ is a Tiny Accessory That Will Help You Find Your Smartphone

Remember Skip? The petite accessory by Motorola that lets you bypass your phone’s lock screen entirely and “skip” the step of entering a passcode or pattern to use your phone. It was introduced last year alongside Moto X. And now, the word is Motorola is working on the second version of ‘Skip’ which is said to be more useful than its predecessor.

According to new filings at the FCC, the next version of the Skip will use Bluetooth instead of NFC and will become more mature from just being a quick access key to your smartphone. The updated version of Skip will also be capable of helping you locate your misplaced keys if the device is attached to your keychain.

It works the other way round too, double-pressing the power button will make your nearby Android phone ring so it’s easier to locate. This could prove to be of huge help if you’re one of those who always loses their phone. It is pointed out that Motorola is also working on an app which will be available for all Android devices, through which you’ll be able to see where your Skip was last connected.

When you get within the range of finding it, Skip will start beeping to help your search. According to Motorola’s user manual, the small device will last about a year on a single battery, and it relies on Bluetooth to pull off most of its functionality.

No information has been made available in terms of pricing or availability. It is said that the probabilities are high that we will see this device at the September 4th event where we expect Moto X+1 and Moto G2 to launch.

August 27, 2014