The Moto 360 is getting a second major Android Wear update since the wearable was launched in September. While the Android Wear 4.4W.1 update mainly addressed issues on battery life, the latest update, Android Wear 4.4W.2, adds more polish to the previous update.
The two most prominent features brought on by the latest upgrade are Smart Battery Saving and the added frequency of time checks.
Smart Battery Saving is enabled when the battery reaches 15 percent. At this point, the device's ambient mode is automatically turned off.
In the previous update, the battery life, which would go from 10 to 12 hours in the watch's Ambient Mode, was enhanced to reach 13 to 15 hours.
Likewise, the frequent time checks ensure that the Moto 360 delivers time that is consistently accurate.
Some tweaks on the user interface have also been featured in the Android Wear update. There's also the addition of Mood Lighting, which automatically adjusts screen brightness to match the environment; with it, the watch avoids looking too bright or too dark.
The wearable also makes use of a new technique for managing notifications.
"We observed with consumers that there are many times when you want to use your Moto 360 as truly a classic watch -- a beautiful way to see the time," says Motorola in a blog post. "A new gesture now lets you see the full watch face without permanently dismissing a notification."
In order to do this, the wearer simply touches the top of a notification then drags it down. It will be displayed again when a new priority notification comes in.
The Moto 360 also features paired connectivity with Bluetooth headsets. The update brings with it some of those enhancements under the hood in order to pave the way for Bluetooth pairing technology.
Of course, the latest update also addressed bug-related issues to deliver an enhanced user experience.
The OTA is rolling in several phases. There are some users who already received the update on their devices. When the update is ready to be installed, the user must have at least 80 percent battery life on their wearable.
While the recent enhancements in battery life are a refreshing treat, there is still a long way to go for Android Wear smart watches to have batteries that can last more than a day or two in between charges.
