Whether you like the style and function of the Moto 360 or not, one thing is clear: Motorola has changed the smartwatch market. Instead of opting for the traditional bulky, square-like designs of past Motorola decided to go with a more aesthetically pleasing round device. As a result, we got the Moto 360; an absolutely stunning, if not downright beautiful smartwatch. Unfortunately, the hardware was a bit lacking especially when it comes to the battery life.
That said, thanks to Motorola other brands eventually expanded upon their initial design. LG recently delivered the G Watch R, which is a significant improvement over their previous smartwatch. By sacrificing some of the sensors – such as the ambient light sensor – LG was able to make full use of the round display, unlike the Moto 360 which has a small unusable sliver of the screen on the bottom. The G Watch R resembles more of a diver’s watch or traditional analog wristwatch, but that’s okay. In due time, we will get even more Moto 360 look-alikes and the market will be all the better for it.
What’s the point? What we’re really getting at here is that Motorola has essentially revolutionized the smartwatch market in a way, jumpstarting a brand new section of devices and designs. Since the launch of the Moto 360 we’ve seen a lot more round style watches and fitness devices. Let’s hope the trend continues.
Changing gears a bit, it looks like Motorola is also about to change another market. Which one, you ask? That would be the Bluetooth headsets and accessories market.
Introducing the Moto Hint Wireless Bluetooth Earbud
Forget bulky Bluetooth headsets – unless you want noise cancelling support. Forget those ugly, totally-geeky Bluetooth headsets that stick out of your ear. It doesn’t make sense why we still have these devices floating around. We’ve had earbuds for a long time, and they’re small, sleek and more stylish than most Bluetooth headsets could ever wish to be. It looks like Motorola finally took note of this and decided to produce a truly wireless Bluetooth enabled earbud.
Cue the Moto Hint, a fashion-forward and functionally enhanced Bluetooth earpiece that also happens to be relatively inexpensive. It looks just like a device stolen from a modern sci-fi flick.
It’s not just futuristic because of the way it looks – or how small it is – either. Aside from operating as a standard Bluetooth headset, the Hint also integrates support for Google Voice. What that essentially means is it’s like wearing a wireless personal assistant right in your ear. The Hint will be compatible with several Google Voice enabled devices including Motorola’s own Moto X.
Moto Hint Personal Assistant Features
Most Hint specific functions are ready to be called upon with just a simple tap. You can do things like check the local weather, set personal alarms and appointments, send text messages and emails or even place a call. All of this can be done without ever picking up your smartphone, of course. You’ll even have the option to program customized voice commands, if you so desire.
As an added bonus, the Hint will work up to 150 feet away from a connected device. Motorola device owners will be able to squeeze a little extra out of their headset because there are also some proprietary features packed in too. Don’t worry, everyone else will have access to the cooler stuff, like the option to post content directly to Facebook (a la publishing a status update).
Unfortunately, stock battery life is only rated around three hours of continuous use. Luckily, Motorola is bundling the Hint with a combination case and portable charger. Thanks to the added accessory, the Hint can push about 10 hours of total talktime. That means you can wear the thing for nearly a full day before you need to juice up the portable charger and headset.
The device itself only weighs about 6 grams, and it’s very small and inconspicuous. While tucked neatly inside the ear, no one will notice you’re even wearing it unless you point it out or interact with it. They might notice if you’re talking to yourself, like most religious Bluetooth wearers seem to do (please don’t do that).
Moto Hint Style
Even though the Moto Hint may be tucked neatly away inside your ear, it still looks pretty slick. There are a wide variety of styles and finishes available, allowing consumers to decide what they want their earpiece to look like. Some of the styles even match the Moto X customization options, if you opted to build your own handset through Motorola’s Moto Maker web interface. More specifically, you can pick up a Hint with premium accents such as leather, wood and more. At launch, some of the Hint variations may or may not be limited, which means if you want one of the more stylish models you may have to wait a while longer.
Styles include: dark fabric, brown leather, walnut, bamboo, light fabric and black leather. It’s worth noting that the portable charger/case accessory that comes along with the Hint matches the design you choose. If you’re wondering what these different styles and variations look like you can head on over to the official Motorola site now to take a peek.
Moto Hint Release Date and Price
The Moto Hint is available for purchase now through the official Motorola site in the United States, with a very reasonable price tag of $149.99. In the UK, Motorola will be offering the Hint for £99.99 which includes VAT and free standard shipping. That said, the Hint is still not up for pre-order in the UK just yet.
Wait, How Is the Moto Hint Going to Change the Headset Market?
Back to our initial discussion which we were so open about further up, the Moto Hint is going to change the headset market by revolutionizing design standards. Motorola’s newest headset is stylish, incredibly small and convenient and it’s also reasonably priced. It’s going to force competitors to come up with something comparable if not better. This should spark the market, by introducing a whole slew of new Bluetooth headsets using a sleek design. The consumers will benefit here.
If we have to spell it out for you further, this is exciting news because it means the overall design of these headsets should get smaller and smaller. Hell, the Moto Hint is already pretty much inconspicuous while you’re wearing it. Imagine even smaller designs that are practically invisible!
Then, there’s the added value of the bundled portable charger and case combination. Most brands or companies would offer additional accessories like this for a premium charge, but Motorola decided to include it with the Hint. That coupled with the reasonable price tag means the Moto Hint offers great value. It will be even more interesting to see what the competition does to stay on par — or improve upon — Motorola’s practice with the Hint. Will we see more companies bundling accessories with their headsets and devices? It’s possible this could go absolutely nowhere and end with Motorola entirely, but we sure hope not!
What are your thoughts on the Moto Hint? Do you like the design, and sleek form factor? Do you already own a Bluetooth headset that you feel is better? Are you going to avoid it completely, and if so why? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions below!