Motorola unveils Android Wear-powered Moto 360
Not one to be left out, Motorola made its own smartwatch announcement using Google's software.
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Motorola Mobility is trying to bring the sexy back to wearables with the Moto 360.
Motorola confirmed in a blog post Tuesday that it will join the ranks of hardware partners who have lined up to use Google's Android Wear, a modified operating system designed for wearables. The company had previously disclosed at a press conference in Mobile World Congress that it had plans to build a smartwatch.
That watch is the Moto 360, which the company said would launch in the summer, starting in the US. Motorola only offered a small glimpse, but the device looks like an actual timepiece. The company bragged that it would use a round face and premium materials.
"The wristwatch has been through several evolutions since it first became a popular fashion accessory more than a 100 years ago," the company said in the post. "Our vision for Moto 360 was to celebrate that history as we re-imagined the wristwatch for the future."
Motorola said that you would be able to get alerts on emails, missed calls, and calendar appointments with the twist of the wrist. Like other devices running on Android Wear, it responds to the "Ok Google" command.
Google earlier Tuesday released the details of Android Wear, and has lined up hardware vendors, chipmakers, and one apparel company in Fossil Group. With Android Wear, the company is attempting to create a more consistent experience for watches running on its OS.
Other companies such as HTC, Samsung, and LG were mentioned in the blog post. Notably missing was Motorola from that list. But the company doesn't appear to be left out of the mix. To sign up for updates, here's the product page.