It has the heft of a quality watch, but it isn't a quality watch. Daniel Cooper for Engadget RATING : 6.5 / 10

Pros: Great battery life, Affordable, Looks good on the wrist. Cons: Limited, low power software, No automatic activity tracking, No Wear OS, no party.

When I took the Moto Watch out of its box, I was instantly baffled as to how the company could sell it for just $150. After all, it's a good-looking timepiece, with the weight and heft of a watch that costs at least twice the price. When you consider the other devices in this price range, like the Fitbit Charge 6, many of them are just fitness trackers rather than full-blown watches. I was hopeful that Motorola had found a way to produce a stylish and affordable wearable that was easy to recommend in these cash-strapped times.

There's a question as to the provenance of the watch, and I think it helps to further explain some of the issues I have with it. Motorola is releasing the product through its own channels beside its own phones, and there's a Designed by Motorola slogan engraved on the underside. The issue is that Motorola's last few watches were produced by CE Brands/Vitalist, a Canadian white-label manufacturer that licensed the Moto brand in 2023.

The Moto Watch may look and feel the part, but the illusion of quality fades as soon as you start handling it. It has a 47mm aluminum case, a material likely to pick up scratches and dents over time. The 1.43-inch round OLED display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 crystal, and it's IP68 rated. There's a battery with a rated life of up to 13 days, or a full week with the always-on display. But because this isn't a Wear OS device, you don't get third-party apps, no access to Google apps, no mobile payments, and the manufacturer hasn't made any attempt to remedy that omission.