Contrary to popular belief, smartwatches aren’t just a smartphone accessory with some gimmicky features. A smartwatch can make your life easier, healthier, and more fun. However, not all smartwatches offer the same level of functionality.
In this article, we’ve picked two of the most popular smartwatches you can find on the market and put them head-to-head in our Apple Watch versus Moto 360 comparison.
The Short Answer
The Apple Watch Series 3 is a better all-around option than the Moto 360 for several reasons, with the most prominent advantages being the OLED display, the NFC chip, and GPS support.
Specs Comparison
| Feature | Apple Watch Series 3 | Moto 360 (2nd Gen.) |
| Display | OLED | Backlit LCD |
| Battery Life | 18 hours | 1.5-2 days |
| Sizes | 38-42mm | 42-46mm |
| GPS | No | Yes |
| Storage | 8GB-16GB | 4GB |
| NFC | Yes | No |
Apple Watch Versus Moto 360 – Full Comparison
Let’s take a closer look at these smartwatches’ features and what makes each of them stand out from the crowd.
Design & Build Quality
The first notable design difference between the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Moto 360 is the dial shape. The Apple Watch has a square-shaped dial, while the Moto 360 flaunts a circular one. Both gadgets rely on digital crowns for additional control over the watch’s functions.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is available in 38-42mm sizes. You also get to choose between aluminum and stainless steel cases but keep in mind that the stainless steel models are more expensive and a bit heavier.
On the other hand, the Moto 360 comes in 42mm and 46mm variants. Unlike the Apple Watch, there’s no 38mm model, an option that women and kids would’ve definitely considered. The Moto 360 comes in 6 colors, while the Apple Watch Series 3 comes in 2 colors only.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. The Apple Watch has the upper edge over the Moto 360 in the design compartment, thanks to the stainless steel variant and the 38mm model.
Display
The Apple Watch Series 3 flaunts a retina OLED display, ensuring accurate colors, sharp texts, and deep blacks. At 1000 nits, the display is quite bright, providing you with excellent sunlight readability.
In comparison, the Moto 360 has a 320 x 290p backlit LCD. It’s pretty nice, but it doesn’t come close to the Apple Watch’s beautiful OLED display with its vibrant colors.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. The Apple Watch has left us impressed with its crisp, vibrant OLED display.
Customization
The Apple Watch Series 3 supports interchangeable bands, allowing you to match your watch with your outfit. Changing the band on the Moto 360 is possible, but it takes more time than with the Apple Watch.
As for watch faces, both smartwatches have some pre-installed watch faces, but you can download more watch faces from Apple’s Watch Gallery on the Apple Watch or Google Play on the Moto 360.
Winner: Tie. Both watches give the user close levels of customization.
Compatibility
It’s a no brainer that an Apple Watch would work better for iPhone users than Android users. Not to mention, the Apple ecosystem allows for seamless integration between Apple-manufactured devices.
For instance, viewing and responding to notifications right from your Apple Watch can be a pleasant experience when you pair your iMessage chat between your iPhone and the watch. On top of that, you can unlock your iPhone or Mac by simply wearing your Apple Watch.
On the flip side, the Moto 360 runs on Android Wear, giving it the upper edge over the Apple Watch when it comes to Android compatibility. A Moto 360 will still work with Apple devices, but you won’t get the same integration and intuition level that the Apple ecosystem delivers.
Winner: Tie. Platform choice is a matter of personal preference.
Fitness and Health Tracking
Both the Moto 360 and the Apple Watch Series 3 can track steps, heart rate, and calories burned. However, due to the lack of GPS support, the Moto 360 can’t track the distance covered without pairing it with your phone.
It’s also worth noting that the Moto 360 can track your sleep patterns, giving you the chance to improve your sleep.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. The Apple Watch can track everything the Moto 360 can track, plus a few extra things.
Battery Life
A dead smartwatch on your wrist is pretty useless, which is why you need to consider battery life when comparing smartwatches. The Apple Watch’s battery should last you around 18 hours, but the LTE model may drain the battery faster than that.
On the flip side, the Moto 360’s battery life is around 1.5 days. Not to mention, the Moto 360 supports wireless charging, while the Apple Watch doesn’t.
Winner: Moto 360. With wireless charging and a 1.5-2 days battery life, the Moto 360 is the clear winner in the battery compartment.
Read also: Fitbit vs Apple Watch
Connectivity
The Apple Watch Series 3 supports Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GNSS, NFC, and Wi-Fi. There’s also a cellular model for those who want to answer calls directly using the watch.
In contrast, the Moto 360 supports Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the Moto 360 doesn’t support GPS, making it a less ideal choice for runners who don’t want to rely on their phones for GPS tracking.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. With GPS support and the option to buy a cellular variant, the Apple Watch is the obvious winner here.
Storage
The Moto 360 has 4 gigabytes of built-in storage, while the Apple Watch Series 3 comes with 8GB for the GPS model and 16GB for the GPS+Cellular model. Despite the increased popularity of cloud storage, physical storage is still convenient when you need to download apps or save your music for offline use, which is why we’ll give this one to the Apple Watch.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. Both variants of the Apple Watch have more storage than the Moto 360.
Durability
The Moto 360 is IP67 certified as dust and water-resistant. There’s a fine line between water resistance and waterproofness, though. For instance, you can’t dive with this watch and expect it to function normally after that.
On the other side of the coin, the Apple Watch 3 is IPX7 rated, which is a slightly higher water resistance rating that allows you to swim with the watch. You still can’t use it as a dive watch, though.
Both watches’ screens are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, providing extra protection against scratches and dents. It’s safe to say that both watches feel quite durable. However, the Moto 360 aluminum case doesn’t come close to the stainless steel variant of the Series 3.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. With its swimproof capabilities and an optional stainless steel case, the Apple Watch wins the durability battle.
Payment
Paying with your smartwatch is much more convenient than having to carry a wallet with half a dozen cards inside.
The Apple Watch Series 3 supports NFC, allowing you to use Apple Pay to buy things when you go out running. Oppositely, the Moto 360 doesn’t have NFC, meaning you can’t use Android Pay to make your payments with this watch.
Winner: Apple Watch Series 3. If you like to go out without your wallet, the Apple Watch Series 3 would be your best bet with its Apply Pay service.
Final Words
You’ve probably already made your choice after reading our Apple Watch versus Moto 360 comparison, but if you can’t make up your mind yet, we can give you a couple of hints that can make the choice easier for you.
If we had to pick one, it’d be The Apple Watch Series 3 all day, every day. We just love the beautiful OLED display and the remarkable design. It’s also the better choice for kids and women as there’s a 38mm model.
We’re not saying that the Moto 360 is subpar. Actually, it might be a more favorable option for some people, especially those who love smartwatches with circular dials. Not to mention, its battery blows the one inside the Apple Watch out of the water.