Moto 360 Marks Latest Bid to Introduce Breakthrough Smartwatch Design

By Don Reisinger

Motorola’s Moto 360 is running Android Wear, which means the look and feel of the operating system won’t be all that different from what customers have already seen in devices from Samsung and LG. The big difference, however, is that, unlike Samsung and LG products that come with square displays, the Moto 360 has a round screen. That’s a first in the wearable market, and something that can’t be overlooked.

When looking at the Moto 360, it’s clear that Motorola’s focus was on style and form factor. While the functionality of the device is important in its own right, the Moto 360 is arguably the best-looking smartwatch the market has seen to this point, and there’s no other product we know about in the pipeline that will match it anytime soon.

According to those who have already tested the Moto 360, the device is slightly larger than anticipated. Motorola will provide full specs and information about the device next month, but the Moto 360 is said to be quite large around the wrist, and for smaller wrists is almost too big. It should be interesting to see whether Motorola makes note of that when it shows off the device next month.

Although all of the images of the Moto 360 show it on the left wrist, the device is fully capable of being used on the right wrist. It’s expected at the Sept. 4 event that Motorola will show how the screen flips or adapts in some way to being used on either wrist. That’s important—especially for left-handed people who prefer to wear a watch on the right wrist.

Motorola has made it clear that a camera will not come with the Moto 360. The company has said that the device’s design and Motorola’s own desire for high-quality design precluded the inclusion of a camera. It’s possible that a camera is included in the second generation, but for now, it’s out.

At Motorola’s Sept. 4 event, the company is expected to showcase several applications that third-party developers have created to take advantage of the device’s round display. Rumors have been swirling for weeks that developers are excited by the new device and see it as a potential boon for their development efforts in the wearable space. That’s good news for Motorola.

As with other smartwatches currently available, like the LG G Watch, the Moto 360 will require Android 4.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher to communicate with another device. Anyone can buy the Moto 360, of course, but those who want the full feature set, including notification support and messaging, will need a later-generation Android smartphone.

Motorola has yet to say how the Moto 360 will be charged and how long that charge will last. However, some images have surfaced recently showing a docking station for the Moto 360 that would allow the device to be charged wirelessly. Motorola hasn’t confirmed that those photos are real, but they certainly looked legitimate.

Since battery life will be so important to the Moto 360, the big question mark surrounding the device is what kind of technology its display is made of. Some reports have suggested that Motorola has gone with an OLED display to ensure longer battery life. OLEDs are renowned for using little battery life, and some reports say that Motorola wants to use the technology to maximize how long the Moto 360 will last on a single charge.

The latest mobile trend is personal health care. That’s why the Moto 360 is likely to come with some health-related features and apps, which Motorola is expected to talk about on Sept. 4. The device is already known to have a pedometer built in, but is also rumored to include a heart rate monitor. There will likely be others, though Motorola has kept that all close to the vest.