The Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch was the first device with Android Wear software to feature a round watch face for a sort of classic watch design. It’s also customizable, thanks to the Moto Maker web app which lets you choose the finish, band, and default watch face.
But soon there may be even more options. Lenovo CEOÂ Yang Yuanqing reportedly posted (and then removed) a photo to Chinese social network Weibo showing what appears to be a new version of the Moto 360 smartwatch.
Lenovo is Motorola’s parent company, so it’s not odd Yang Yuanqing would have access to new hardware. What is a bit surprising is that he would post a picture before the watch was officially introduced.
So what’s new? While there are no details about the processor, display resolution, or other specs, Droid Life reports that the watches shown in the photo have lugs for attaching watch bands, while the original Moto 360 has a slot beneath the case where you can connect a wrist strap.
It also looks like the watch will come in at least two different sizes: right now you can get watch bands in different widths but there’s only one size for the watch itself.
One thing that doesn’t appear to have changed? There seems to be a small black bar at the bottom of the screen which means that the display isn’t quite a complete circle… although I suppose it’s possible we’re looking at early prototypes based on the first-gen Moto 360 and that the final design could look a little different.
via Hellomotohk and MyDrivers
Hopefully we see big updates to Android Wear at I/O
Considering the reduced subset of Android that Wear offers, having Wear smartwatches look like actual watches makes sense to an audience of people intimidated by too much tech.
But to people like me, geeked out watches, like the Galaxy Gear S (which unfortunately is not waterproof, nor does it have full Android) or Neptune Pine (again no waterproof), are more appealing. To me, the idea of doing HPS or reading a website on a round screen is just a wee bit strange. I have to see it so know if I like it, but so far I do not like the idea. I think we are reaching a point where it should become obvious to marketing departments that there are, at least, two kinds of demographics, one that is perfectly happy if their watch gives them some additional functionality, but looks like a watch, and others, who would like to have as much functionality of a smartphone implemented in a smartwatch as humanly possible. Plus ruggedness and waterproofness, because I do not want to switch watches every time I jump (drunkenly) into a pool, nor carry around different watches for different walks (and swims and dives and surfing sessions and cycling sessions etc.) of life.
And just as a footnote: where I say “waterproof” I mean waterproof to 30, 50 or even 200m, not this wimp-like deep-puddle-waterproof classification of IP 7/8.
Those are some deep pools you’re jumping into! 🙂
If I were to buy a smart wrist device right now, I would actually want the Microsoft fitness band, which is nice and narrow and concentrates on all sorts of cool body measurements, like how well you sleep! I don’t care to much about texting and other communication via watch, because it’s so easy to do on my phone already.
that is because you belong to a different demographic. First of all, I do lots of sports, where whipping out a phone is unpractical or impossible. And I don’t play games (not implying that you do), I just want to see information, and that is entirely possible on a form factor such as the Galaxy Gear S or the Neptune Pine.
And secondly, I like to move with as little gear as possible, and having a watch who keeps me in touch with stuff and accompanies me to all kinds of tough activities, would be really cool.