14 DAY TRIAL // Motorola may have come up with the core concept for the round Moto 360 smartwatch, but it's not discounting the suggestions of everyone else. Indeed, it is doing the opposite, seeking out all those who would express their opinions.
There's a contest page set up in Google+ in fact, where people can make submissions for how the face of the watch may look.
The folks at Droid Life were kind enough to highlight a few of the more promising ones.
Motorola only provided them with some template PSDs and is now looking through the various ideas.
One of the ideas consists of a mixed concept, with both analog and digital time, plus a notification counter and weather indicator. You even have the option to swipe a small arrow and access the notifications directly. +Luigi Elisino is the one who submitted it.
Another intriguing concept is the one where the screen is split in three, to have the home screen, apps and notifications visible all at once (+Kristoffer Sundmyhr).
There are plenty of others, even some that alternatively shift between the three menus. Many Google+ users are pitching in.
At the heart, though, the smartwatch remains the same, unusual, ambitious piece of work it's ever been, complete with wireless charging support.
This was confirmed a while ago: the wearable gadget recharges by means of magnetic induction. It doesn't really have a great range (only an inch or so), but it is wireless.
It might not sound so amazing, until you realize that wireless charging means you don't need to include a USB port anywhere, so you don't need to include electronics in the strap to make it work.
This, in turn, means that the Motorola Moto 360 has interchangeable straps, or will have interchangeable straps whenever it finally comes out.
The Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch uses a round OLED display, which is the main reason it's getting so much attention: it's the only round smartwatch we've heard of so far, though some IT companies are looking at the idea as well.
The shape is pretty unorthodox, and required the display makers to jump through a few hoops to ensure good color and brightness while not making the watch cost an arm and a leg.
Speaking of which, sales are supposed to start in July 2014 (so, one to two months from now) for the price of €249 / $249. Motorola isn't really cutting any corners here.
