Google’s Motorola division has launched its highly anticipated circular smartwatch, the Moto 360.
The firm said it believed the model offered a stylish design after what it suggested had been a series of unapp
ealing wearable tech launches by its rivals.
The release of the watch comes at a time of transition for the business.
Sales of Motorola’s smartphones are on the rebound and the business as a whole is about to switch ownership to Lenovo.
But while analysts have been generally positive about the look of the new timepiece, they expressed doubts about its potential to become a bestseller.
The Moto 360 can display a range of watch face designs as well as app interfaces
it features a 1.5in (3.8cm) LCD touchscreen encircled by a thin metal band.
The waterproof device runs on Google’s new Android Wear operating system – which is designed for small screens – and also features a built-in heart rate monitor and pedometer step counter, but no proprietary sleep monitoring software.
It only lasts about a day between charges. The version already on sale in the US has leather straps, and versions with metal bands will follow. The watch will be released in the UK in October.
Competitors of the moto 360 include LG’s watch R and Samsungs galaxy Gear, Apple is set to enter the sector, potentially as soon as next week