Moto G Smartwatch, Moto Watch & Moto One to launch in 2021
Moto is planning to launch three new smartwatches this year. They include devices that go under the names Moto G smartwatch, Moto Watch and Moto One.
The last Moto watch was released in 2019
The original Moto 360 came out in 2014 to coincide with Google’s launch of its Android Wear (now Wear OS) platform. It sparked interest due to its smart form factor and round LCD display. A second generation followed in the fall of 2015.
However, slow sales meant that Motorola ultimately decided to rethink its strategy. In early 2017 it decided to back out of the smartwatch space entirely.
At the time Shakil Barkat, head of Motorola’s global product development gave the reasons.
“Wearables do not have a broad enough appeal for us to continue to build on it year after year.”
He left hope, though, for Motorola fans. Barkat did not close all doors and hinted that the company might reenter the market.
“We believe the wrist still has value and there will be a point where they provide value to consumers more than they do today.”
That was back in early 2017. Fast forward to late 2019 and the third generation Moto 360 arrived. However, the watch was not entirely Motorola’s. That one was manufactured by eBuyNow. This is a Canadian-based firm that works with major brands “to help rapidly execute new product development”. As listed on their website, some of their clients include Microsoft, Samsung, Toshiba and Panasonic.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
In terms of specs, the 3rd generation Moto360 has some handy updates. There’s 1GB RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a slew of fitness tracking sensors including a heart rate monitor. GPS ensures that outside exercise data is precise while NFC can be used for payments on the go.
Behind all of this sits the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 quad-core processor. Powering the watch is a 355mAh battery that can be charged in just one hour. Battery life is about a day but this is with an always-on (Ambient Mode) display. Whats more there’s a Battery Saver Mode’ that automatically kicks in when needed and can keep the thing going for up to three days.
Design-wise we get the the recognizable Moto360 look. The 3ATM water-resistant watch has a circular stainless-steel curved body and a power-efficient 1.2-inch, OLED display (327 PPI).
Three new Motorola watches incoming during 2021
Now we have news on Motorola’s planned re-entry into the smartwatch space. The information comes from a presentation by Canadian-based CE Brands Inc. The above mentioned eBuyNow was their wholly owned subsidiary but has been amalgated into CE Brands a couple of years ago.
The presentation lists a plethora of upcoming products in 2021. As listed amongst these are three devices that go under the names Moto G Smartwatch, Moto Watch and Moto One. The first is expected to land in June, the other two in July. You can see all three of them pictured in the timeline below.
Moto G is masculine in looks. It could be a sportswatch, a smartwatch or a combination of both. With two physical buttons on the right, it very much resembles the Moto 360. We’re guessing Motorola will stick with Wear OS.
The other two devices are quite different and appear to be more lightweight and unisex. They actually remind a bit of the Amazfit line of watches.
Motorola has not said anything official yet. The information in this article is based on the CE Brands presentation that is publicly available, so whether or not we actually see the watches as per the timeline remains to be seen. You can find the document in full on this link.
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