Moto 360 Release Date: Heartbeat Sensor Revealed In Motorola Watch's Photo Leaks

Aug 17, 2014 01:27 AM EDT

Motorola's Moto 360 has a heartbeat sensor on the back, as confirmed in recent photo leaks that have revealed other details as well.

On Aug. 6, Italian-site Mister Gadget released twenty-six images of the Moto 360. One image shows the heartbeat sensor. Another image shows the Motorola device side-by-side with the LG G smartwatch. Both devices are roughly similar in size, but different in shape.

Mister Gadget also reported that the Moto 360 is made of stainless steel with interchangeable watch bands. Upon release, the device will come in either black or silver. Apparently, the Moto 360 is dust and water resistant with IP67 certification. Regarding internals, the Moto 360 may have wireless charging capabilities.

This latest report contradicts earlier information from Tech Web, which claims the Moto 360 is made mostly of plastic. The Chinese-language site also said that the Moto 360 is about 1.88 inches in diameter, which is significantly larger than the LG G 1.65mm display. The images from Mister Gadget seem to have disproved Tech Web's claim.

Just like the Samsung Gear Live and LG G, the Motorola Moto 360 is running on the Android Wear OS. In other words, all three smartwatches are joining the first wave of devices receiving the new Google-designed software.

Last month in July, the still-elusive smartwatch was spotted by a commuter on a train in Chicago, IL. The man wearing the device was reportedly an employee working for Motorola. The astute passenger admitted she was a Motorola fangirl, and was lucky to have a short chat with the gentleman in question. She later shared her excitement on the device on The Verge.

At this time, it is not clear when Motorola plans to launch the Moto 360. The wireless device manufacturer has given a vague release schedule of summer 2014. No exact release date has been announced so far.

However, given the recent spate of photo leaks it seems the Moto 360 may be available in the late third-quarter of this year. Until then, consumers will need to wait patiently for more information from Motorola itself.