The Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch has been updated to Android 5.1.1 and along with it comes WiFi support and more gesture controls. For device users, this means that their smartwatch just turned more useful thanks to the set of new features the update has brought.
Features
The Wifi connectivity features allow users to sync the smartwatch with their smartphone over longer distances than Bluetooth normally allowed.
New gesture controls like flicking of wrist enable device users to browse through cards and information as well as notifications. Device users can also draw their own emoji and increase font size on display.
Motorola has started releasing the Moto 360 smartwatch today at a less than $200 when purchased at Amazon. Motorola is expected to bring the update to all users in the next few days.
Moto 360 Successor
Meanwhile, a successor of the Moto 360 was hinted by Lenovo, Motorola's parent company. According to the report, the upcoming smartwatch will be released this summer.
This could be one of the smartwatches bearing the Moto logo that Lenovo has in store for the brand's supporters since it acquired Motorola. To quote Lenovo chairman and chief exec Yang Yuanqing on handsets and smartwatches soon to be released by the company:
"We have many new models in development with the Moto brands so you may see in summer us launching some very exciting products, including phones and watches."
Since not only smartwatches but also smartphones are in development, it can also be assumed that the successor of the Moto X smartphone is coming along. That suggestion makes sense considering that Motorola hasn't released yet the successor for Moto X, which should be announced and released this year.
In the renders of the Moto 360 successor that have leaked online, the new device sports detachable, metal straps with a hockey puck-like design according to Phandroid.
The Moto 360 smartwatch is not the first of its kind to get Android 5.1 update. But that's not a big deal now because it has finally arrived after the rollout delay due to performance issues.
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