Motorola unveils the Moto 360, first smartwatch based on Android Wear

Just hours after Google announced its new operating system for smartwatches called Android Wear, Motorola had an announcement of its own to make. The Lenovo-owned smartphone giant has just announced that it is the first manufacturer to release a smartwatch design based around Android Wear.

Motorola's new Moto 360 is the first smartwatch to utilize the new Android Wear OS from Google, but that is no surprise as Motorola was owned by Google up until about 2 months ago. The Moto 360 utilizes the new round form factor design which is one of two supported shapes (the other is square) in Android Wear. The smartwatch features OK Google voice control, alerts and notifications, and can display information such as weather, and fitness metrics.

"Moto 360 keeps you on time and up to date without taking you out of the moment or distracting you, telling you what you need to know before you know you need it through subtle alerts and notifications. With just a twist of the wrist you can see who's emailing or calling, what time your next meeting is or a friend's latest social post," said Motorola in a blog post. "Most importantly, Moto 360's iconic design, featuring a round face and premium materials, feels comfortable and familiar on your wrist. It's everything you need, with a look that you want.Moto 360 will be available in a variety of styles globally in Summer 2014, starting in the US."

The Motorola Moto 360 is being billed as a high-end device and is built using premium materials. A few days ago, when I wrote an article about a concept smartwatch that was based on a high-end existing watch design, I said that it was what was needed to push the smartwatch into the "must have" mainstream category of tech, and this new smartwatch from Motorola is exactly what I was talking about. Up to this point I have said that I see no need for smartwatches, but I will own one of the Motorola Moto 360's.