Ambitious Moto 360 watch confirmed to feature secret charging method

Android Wear Moto 360 close-up
Look, no USB charging port

Motorola confirmed that its ambitious Android Wear smartwatch with a round watch face doesn't posses any sort of USB port, alluding to a "special sauce" for charging the device.

"That's one of the secrets of the Moto 360," said Barbara Liss, Motorola senior director of social media in an ironically late Google Hangout video conference call.

Without contacts or a USB slot, the Moto 360 could feature convenient wireless charging like the Qi standard that's used to recharge the Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and other compatible Android phones and tablets.

It's not hard to imagine laying the watch down on a wireless charging dock or pad that's resting on a nightstand. A angular design like the Palm Pre Touchstone magnetic charger would be perfect.

Kinetic charging alone for this Android Wear-powered device might be a little more far-fetched, as much as it would be in everyone's best interest to not have to charge another gadget.

Other confirmed specs

You won't need a Moto X in order to wear the Moto 360 about town. Motorola also confirmed that its smartwatch is compatible with all Android 4.3 devices that have Bluetooth 4.0.

Bluetooth 4.0 keeps battery drain to a minimum, and it's a part of many of the latest phones, from the Galaxy S5 to the iPhone 5S.

That being said, Motorola didn't list iOS among the compatible platforms for its Android Wear smartwatch, meaning watch-envy Apple fans may be out of luck (and out of time).

Also not onboard the Moto 360 is a camera. The company didn't feel is necessary to include one just because it's a part of the Samsung Galaxy Gear and forthcoming Gear 2.

That means cutting-edge Dick Tracy-style video calls via Google Hangout are out, but without privacy concerns, wearers may sleep more easily.

Could face limited quantities

Because the unique Moto 360 has a round face, the smartwatch is rumored to be challenging to make and could face limited quantities at first.

Motorola's Android Wear entry requires a more difficult and wasteful manufacturing process, according to G4Games citing a notorious Webio leaker.

That may result in fewer Moto 360 smartwatches being available when it launches first in the US this summer.

There are other Android Wear watches coming like the square LG G Watch. Samsung, HTC and Asus are all said to be developing Wear watches, but so far none have been shown with a round face like the Moto 360.

  • Check out our review of the other wearable to walk around with: Google Glass
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Matt Swider
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