Moto 360 Could Have Actually Been Square And Terrible

Motorola should probably thank its lucky stars, or its executive decision makers, that the Moto 360 it launched in 2014 was a far cry from this prototype that has now leaked online. Back when smartwatches were still practically unheard of, the Moto 360 was the lone voice of fashion, running circles around its contemporaries, even with a flat tire. But in another world, in another possibility, Motorola's first smartwatch could have been just as square as all the rest. In fact, it could have even been worse.

It's not that hard to understand why the first smartwatches were more square than the round faces that most watches bear. Manufacturers needed to quickly put out a smartwatch in a race to first, and, coming from smartphones, they were more familiar with rectangular screens. They had to make do with the technology, hardware, and knowledge they had at the time. In some cases, like the Apple Watch, that still holds true.

For whatever reason, however, Motorola charged in with the first round-faced smartwatch. But apparently, that was not always the case. Early prototypes revealed that Moto played around with a square model just like any other. And it's a rather chunky one at that.

The prototype also reveals a micro USB charging port. Again, we're thankful that Motorola decided to go with wireless magnetic charging in the end.

Although the Moto 360 was largely criticized for its "flat tire" design, looking back, the smartwatch still paved the way for things we might have taken for granted now, like round designs and wireless charging. Sadly, this pioneer seems to have dropped off the smartwatch map after its acquisition by Lenovo.

VIA: GizmoChina