There’s another fitness smartwatch on the market, and this one even runs Android Wear. Motorola finally announced availability dates for the athletic Moto 360 Sport, which it unveiled back in September along with the classy second-generation Moto 360.
The smartwatch, which is aimed at fitness enthusiasts, will be available in the U.K. and France on December 18. Sadly, those stateside will have to wait until January 7 for the sporty smartwatch. The wearable will also be available in Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, and Spain in 2016, but Motorola didn’t specify exact dates.
What differentiates the Sport from the Moto 360 2015 is that it uses silicone, instead of metal and leather, to prevent fading, staining, and resist absorbing sweat. Thanks to its IP67 rating, the watch is fairly water- and dust-resistant, which is a new feature for Android Wear watches. It also has side ventilation channels to keep the user’s wrist comfortable during exercise. The smartwatch has a built-in GPS to track speed, distance, and pace; a heart-rate monitor; and Motorola claims the Sport can provide all-day battery life from the 300mAh cell — even in ambient mode.
However, the highlight of the Moto 360 Sport might be its 1.37-inch screen. Motorola is calling the new hybrid display “AnyLight.” It merges a backlit LCD screen with a front-lit reflective one, so that you can easily see the screen and keep track of your workout in broad daylight. Most other smartwatches are illegible in the sun, which is a problem for fitness fanatics.
Unfortunately, even though Motorola devices are known for their customization options with Moto Maker, it seems that the Moto 360 Sport will only be available in black, white, and orange. The watch’s casing measures 45mm, as well, which is comparable to the largest size of the second-generation Moto 360. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip and 512MB RAM, which is standard for Android Wear watches. It’s got 4GB of storage onboard for offline music listening and apps.
The company is also pushing its Moto Body app as a feature, which it says pairs well with the Android Wear device. The Moto Body app syncs data from other fitness apps like Strava and Google Fit. It summarizes and records your workout data, notifying you to keep you up to date.
The Moto 360 Sport will cost $300, and will be available on Motorola.com and other online retailers. It will be available in Best Buy stores and at the Moto Shop in Chicago on January 10. U.S. users can register for updates on the watch on its site, too. We’ll keep you updated on more availability info as time goes on.
