Moto 360 design, watch face and battery life
Update: Moto 360 made a cameo at Google IO, but its official price and release date did not. On Page 1, we revised the specs. On Page 2, Motorola hints at the launch price.
The Moto 360 watch is Motorola's circular wonder that everyone is waiting to latch onto their wrists, even though the first two Android Wear watches are out.
That's because, unlike LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live, this isn't another wearable with a square-shaped display. No, this Google watch ditches the computerized boxy design of Pebble Steel and Samsung Gear 2.
It only has two sharp-edged downsides: it's not out yet and the price hasn't been officially confirmed. The release date was rumored to be July but, curiously, it wasn't demoed at Google IO.
In fact, despite Motorola's vague "summer" release date in the US, it has only recently been demoed. Prior to Google IO, it's been turned off and at a distance in developer videos or turned on in still photos.
Paired with customizable leather and metal straps that fit variety-seeking 21 century wrists, the ambitious Moto 360 is shaping up to be Google's answer to the inevitable Apple iWatch. It just has to get here on time.
Moto 360 watch face and battery life
The computerized Moto 360 watch screen is rumored to be a custom-made OLED display, which would make sense given its circular shape and need to conserve battery life.
OLEDs consume as much as 40% less power when displaying black images vs LCDs because they can turn off individual pixels. The opposite is true for battery-draining white backgrounds.
This could be why almost all Moto 360 renders exhibit a black analog watch face when Android Wear menus are inactive. The timepiece could easily throw up a black analog dial "screensaver."
Such a power-saving move would make the Moto 360 look and act even more like a traditional watch and give it an always-on screen, a feature that's also been confirmed for the rival LG G Watch.
Motorola perfected a similar active display on its Moto X smartphone, which always includes the time and notifications on the lock screen, and it could do the same here. Battery life is even more important on a wearable; no one wants to charge a watch before the day is out.
Moto 360 specs, battery charging and compatibility
Moto 360 specs
Motorola was upfront about its Android Wear smartwatch plans early on, but it's still shy about revealing the official Moto 360 specs.
That may be because the internals of a purposely low-powered smartwatch have never been all that exciting when it comes to processing power and memory.
We know more about the outside of this device. Motorola has confirmed that the Moto 360 can be worn on the left hand or the right hand thanks to its clever orientation-free design.
Yes, there's a classic watch button on one side of the face and not the other, but think about it, this is a digital watch face. The UI can be flipped around so that the knob always points to your elbow.
Whether the Moto 360 is on your right or left wrist, it's equally susceptible to everyday dings and scratches. Scuffing a wrist-worn wearable is just as common as dropping a smartphone.
Moto 360's beautiful watch face stands a better chance of staying in pristine condition if it's protected by sapphire glass vs Gorilla Glass.
Sapphire glass has a hardness level that is said to be four times greater than the Gorilla Glass that protects many of today's smartphones.
It's also the same glass material that is rumored to protect the forthcoming iPhone 6 and iWatch. The one downside is that it could put the Moto 360 price at a premium. More about that in a bit.
Moto 360 battery charging
You won't find charging contacts or a micro USB port on the Moto 360 because this Google watch has a "secret" charging method. It's the device's "secret sauce," teased Motorola earlier this year.
Sure enough, the company recently confirmed that its smartwatch charges wirelessly via magnetic induction. This makes perfect sense.
Inspecting the handful of Moto 360 photos that exist reveals the rear of the watch features a strange purple backing. This could easily be used for the popular Qi charging method.
Google's Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones and its newer Nexus 7 tablet take full advantage of a magnetic Qi charger, and Motorola was a Google-owned company up until recently.
All the signs are here that the Moto 360 will ditch wires in favor of a magnetic Qi wireless charger that could easily sit on a nightstand before you go to bed.
There's only one problem with its micro USB-free future. Charging the Moto 360 would require a wireless charger, so you'd have to bring with you on trips longer than a day if that's the average battery length.
Compatibility
Motorola has confirmed that that unlike the Samsung Gear 2, Geo 2 Neo and Gear Fit, its smartwatch will work with more than just its own hardware. It won't be limited to the Moto X and Moto G.
In fact, the Moto 360 is compatible with all Android 4.3, Android 4.4 and Android L phones and tablets that take advantage of battery-sipping Bluetooth 4.0 technology.
That seems to rule out the possibility that Apple devices like the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air will be able to tether to the Moto 360. Both have Bluetooth 4.0, but for now this is an Android-only device.
Water makes for a completely different compatibility test. The Moto 360 isn't waterproof, but it is water resistant, according to Motorola and Google.
Both the Samsung Gear Live and the LG G Watch are okay to use up to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, and the Moto 360 could follow that waterproofing standard.
That should make wearing the new smartwatch a carefree experience, whether you're in the rain or on the wrong end of a splash while bathing a child. Just don't go dunking it in the pool or ocean.
Moto 360 release date and price
Moto 360 release date
Moto 360 is scheduled to be the third Android Wear watch in the US this summer, trailing behind the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live that are up for pre-orders.
Its global plans are even more of a mystery. Motorola has promised to launch the Moto 360 outside of its home territory, saying that it's a global company. But it hasn't said much more than that.
The worldwide launch details could be revealed at Google's first post-Google IO press event, and we're likely to hear new details about the device's battery life and price then too.
Moto 360 price
Motorola has inadvertently clued us in on the Moto 360 price through the official rules of its watch face contest, suggesting that its "average retail value" is $249 (about £148, AU$270, but likely to be £200, AU$300 based on the real LG G Watch and Gear Live pricing).
That's far cheaper than the previously leak that pegged the smartwatch's cost at a steeper $341 (about £203, AU$367), an estimate based on conversions from this report.
For comparison, the LG G Watch is on sale for $300 (£160, AU$250), the same price as the Pebble Steel. Samsung's Gear Live is even cheaper at $200 (£170, AU$250).
Price isn't so far-fetched, though the Moto 360 doesn't need to price match. Its wireless charging, circular screen and sapphire glass could easily fetch a premium.
Even if the Moto 360 does cost more than a smartphone on-contract, early adopters are likely to pay for the convenience of offloading notifications from the phone to their wrists.
Every time we dig our phone out of our pockets or rush to our device charging in another room and see a friends' SMS that just says something irrelevant "Cool" or "K," our love of technology dies a little inside.
Android Wear promises to do much more than yet, but solving that one pet peeve with easy-to-dismiss notifications on the wrist could make the sleek-looking Moto 360 the must-have wearable of 2014. At least, until the iWatch shows its ticking time face.
- Decision time: Moto 360 vs LG G Watch vs Samsung Gear Live
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