Here's What We Just Learned About Motorola's New Smartwatch

Motorola/Youtube

This summer Motorola will be launching its Moto 360, which the company is touting as a smartwatch that looks more like a timepiece than a gadget. Although we still don't know how much it will cost, Motorola just revealed some more details on its functionality.

Here's a brief overview of what we know so far:

• The watch will be water-resistant. Water resistant usually means it can withstand being sprayed with water but not submerged, so don't count on going swimming with this watch.
• The Moto 360 will be available globally - eventually - but is initially rolling out this summer.
• It won't charge through USB, but Motorola says it's exploring "alternative ways" to charge it. Perhaps this means we'll see wireless charging, although it's too soon to tell.
• You'll be able to change the watch's wristband. The company stressed that the 360 is meant to be a mass appeal device, so buyers will be able to switch out the bands to fit their taste and size.
  Google

• The Moto 360 will work with all Android devices running 4.3 Jelly Bean and up.
• The user interface is capable of switching orientation depending on how you wear it. So you never have to worry about putting it on upside down or wearing it on your opposite wrist.
• It won't have a camera. Motorola said it "did not see it as essential to what we thought people wanted" from the watch. The Moto 360 will focus on delivering contextual information, not acting as a phone replacement on your wrist, the company says.
  Google

• It'll be a lot like the Moto X - meaning the screen will turn on as you life up your hand to check the watch, etc. Motorola said the technology that's in the Moto X will appear in the Moto 360.
• You'll always be able to see the time when you glance down at your wrist. Some smartwatches' screens turn off when they remain inactive, meaning you have to wake up the screen to see the time. Motorola suggests the Moto 360 won't be this way.

We expect to learn more as the summer approaches. Here's the full interview with Motorola's design chief Jim Wicks.