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Motorola's $150 Moto Watch looks premium but falls short on performance

The Moto Watch, priced at $150, appears stylish but lacks Wear OS and delivers a subpar user experience.

Motorola's new Moto Watch arrives in a sleek package with a 47 mm aluminum case, stainless-steel crown and a 1.43-inch OLED screen protected by Gorilla Glass 3, all for $150. Despite its premium look, the watch runs a Real-Time OS rather than Google's Wear OS, which restricts third-party apps, Google services and mobile payments. Reviewers encountered fragile band hardware, a confusing setup that requires a Motorola account, and sluggish UI animations.

Health tracking is partnered with Polar, offering detailed metrics but lacking automatic activity detection, while dual-frequency GPS often fails to lock signal. Battery life proved impressive, reaching eight days with an always-on display, yet the overall experience feels like a shallow replica of a genuine smartwatch.

Why it matters

Consumers need to know that a low-priced smartwatch may sacrifice essential features and performance.

In this story

Moto WatchWear OSRTOSfitness trackingbattery lifeGPSPolar partnership