Smartwatches certainly haven‘t hit the mainstream yet, but are we to see that change in 2014? That depends on a couple of factors, one of the most important being cost. The other major factor in my eyes, however, is design.
People wear watches not only to tell time, but as a piece of engineering excellence and more importantly as something stylish. Smartwatches have not been able to capture the essence of what a timepiece should be, but Motorola think they might have the answer to our wishes. We have been asking for a great looking smartwatch with a striking, yet stylish design. But functionality also needs to be included, of course, otherwise it‘s not a smartwatch.
Motorola have announced the Moto 360, which will run Android Wear, their first entry into the smartwatch space. It tries to take design cues from luxury watches, with a more classic, elegant round face. Up until now, all smartwatches have sported square or rectangular screens, which don‘t look very nice in most cases. This meant that smartwatches haven‘t escaped the “˜geek‘ factor yet. While many of us are happy with that connotation, many were yearning for the smartwatch experience without looking like a “˜Trekkie.‘ At first glance, this might very well be that device.
All eyes were on Apple to bring us such a piece of design, but the unlikely Motorola have delighted us with the Moto 360 and must certainly be commended (unless it performs like a dog).
The casting of the watch is also classy, sporting a metallic casing. A control“¦ button, for the lack of a better word protrudes from the side resembling the winders on traditional timepieces. If Google‘s teaser materials turn out to be true, the device will come complete with “œOk Google“ voice control like on the Moto X smartphone and will also feature motion-based gesture controls.
The Moto X will reportedly come is a variety of styles and will be launched in the US as soon as June 2014. Without a doubt, we think this is the sexiest smartwatch we‘ve seen to date. When more details become available, you can find it here. Until then, check out the official Motorola reveal video after the break:
Source: Motorola
Follow Theunis on Twitter: @Theunis_BWB


