The Moto 360 is making a 2025 comeback but it’s not the same story
A new Motorola Moto 360 is on the way. Set to launch sometime in 2025, it sticks with the round design and keeps that crown at the 2 o’clock position, but this isn’t just a rerun of the past.
Back to the round watch that started it all
The Moto 360 originally dropped in 2014, right at the start of Google’s Android Wear era. It was the first round smartwatch to run the OS, even if that “flat tire” at the bottom of the display annoyed plenty of people. Despite its early buzz, the project fizzled. Motorola released a second-gen version in 2015 but bowed out of the category by 2017, citing a lack of broad appeal.
What came next was a licensing deal. The Moto 360 returned in 2019 but was built by a Canadian firm called eBuyNow. That model leaned into premium materials like stainless steel and sapphire coating, with Snapdragon Wear 3100 powering things under the hood. But again, the impact was limited. It looked fine, did what most Wear OS watches did at the time, and didn’t get much further than that.
Now here we are in 2025, and Android Headlines has leaked what seems to be the next chapter.
The new Moto 360 keeps the traditional form factor. It’s round again, and it brings back the crown at 2 o’clock, with an additional button at 4 o’clock. The renderings suggest there will be five colour options at launch. That could mean a stronger push toward personalisation this time around, possibly to help differentiate it from other mid-tier smartwatches running Google’s OS.
What’s powering it is still a bit unclear
There’s still some uncertainty about the software. Motorola has used RTOS on recent models like the Moto Watch Fit, but this new Moto 360 might also run Wear OS. It’s even possible the device could adopt a dual-OS setup. That’s something OnePlus recently pulled off with their Watch 3, combining Wear OS with a real-time OS for better power management.
The visuals show a classic Wear OS-style watch face, which adds to the speculation. But until Motorola confirms things, it’s not clear whether we’re looking at a full Wear OS experience, a lightweight overlay, or something custom with deep Google hooks.
This dual-OS approach is starting to get more traction, especially as brands look for better battery life without giving up too much on functionality. If the Moto 360 goes that route, it could be a smart compromise.
Familiar style with modern nudges
Some small changes are expected as compared to the last version. There’s talk of refinements around materials and build, although nothing concrete yet on screen size, battery, or sensors. The older 2019 model offered a decent spec sheet for its time, but in 2025, that same approach would feel flat.
Motorola needs to offer something that stands out in the current crowd. Simply slapping Wear OS onto a stainless-steel shell won’t be enough, especially not when Samsung, Google and OnePlus are pushing more polished experiences with more mature health tracking.
That said, the 2025 Moto 360 looks like it wants to carve out a specific look and feel rather than chase the high-end spec race. If it can nail the basics with clean design, responsive performance and solid battery life, that might be enough to win some attention again.
Still more questions than answers
There’s no confirmed launch date yet, but a late 2025 release is looking likely. Whether Motorola will handle the hardware directly this time, or work again with a partner like eBuyNow, also remains unclear. Given their past licensing strategy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the business model sticks, even if the branding leans heavily on nostalgia.
We’ll need more details around sensors, fitness tracking, pricing and battery life before making any kind of judgement. The watch is at an early leak stage, and Motorola hasn’t made any official announcements.
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