Edible Apple

Motorola on Tuesday announced the MotoACTV, a new “smart watch” powered by Android and aimed at serious exercisers. The watch plays music, tells time (of course) and can wirelessly upload a user’s fitness data to the web as it can track the distance, speed, and pace of runners. There are also optional headsets with built-in heart rate monitors that will detect which songs really get your heart pumping while working out. The software can then create a personalized “high-performance playlist” to really kick your butt into gear.

But more than anything, the design of the MotoACTV is what caught our eye. In case you missed it, it seems to be a blatant rip off of the iPod Nano which Apple is now also touting as a smart-watch type device and which also includes the same type of fitness tracking offered by Motorola’s upcoming product.

Motorola’s device can be paired via BlueTooth to a user’s phone and can display text messages and other phone call alerts. Not to rain on the MotoACTV parade or anything, but if a phone is close enough as to relay a message via Bluetooth, why would you ever want to answer calls or receive text messages on this instead? Don’t get me wrong, this seems cool in theory, but I question if it has much practical use.

Price wise, the MotoACTV comes in 8 and 16GB models that sell for $249 and $299 respectively. Compared to what Apple’s iPod lineup now offers, Motorola’s pricing amounts to highway robbery. Users can pick up a base model iPod Touch for $199 and an 8GB iPod Nano for only $129.