Moto 360 Hangout recap: requires Android 4.3+BT 4, interchangeable bands, wireless charging, cameraless

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpY8O5Zer78&feature=youtu.be]

Motorola has just wrapped up a 25 minute Google Hangout where it showed off its recently announced Moto 360 wearable device and answered some frequently asked questions. During the event, Motorola discussed some of the inspiration behind the watch’s design, as well as revealing some more details about the device as a whole.

One instance in which Motorola’s Moto 360 is unique is its rounded design. Many other smart watches, including the Pebble and Gear are rectangular or square. Motorola says the decision to round its device was due to the iconic shape people associate watches with. The company also notes that 80 percent of watches sold today are still round. Another detail regarding the design is that the straps will be interchangeable, although Motorola says there will only be “several different options” the the bands. Ultimately, we’d love to see it use the common 22mm strap like the Pebble, but that’s unclear at this point.

There wasn’t much else revealed during the Q&A. Motorola says the device will work equally as well with left handers as it does with right handers. The device is also “aimed at women” too, which seems rather obvious. Motorola also confirmed that there is no camera in the device. As far as technical details go, the company said the Moto 360 will require Android 4.3 and BlueTooth 4.0 to be functional. In terms of size, the device is about 46 mm in diameter, which is rather large for a watch. But Motorola notes that the rounded design makes it seem a lot smaller than it really is.

GigaOm also made some observations regarding the device. For one, it noticed that the time will always be displayed, much like the Pebble. This means that an always on screen is most likely available, and we’re hoping some battery optimizing has been done as well. In the video you can also see that the Moto 360 is using a card based interface, which we’d expect with a device running Google’s Android Wear program.

Finally, Motorola’s head of Consumer Experience Design, Jim Wicks also noted that there is no microUSB port on the device because “people don’t want to see exposed electronics.” This implies that the device could charge wirelessly. But we’ll have to wait a little longer to confirm that.

At this point, Motorola says it doesn’t have any details regarding regarding pricing and availabity for the watch. In the meantime, checkout the full video up above.