Update: On Page 2, Moto 360's price was outed by Motorola along with wireless charging specs and a rumored July release date. We'll know for sure at Google IO on June 25.
Google's Android Wear software is designed to be work with all sorts of wearables, but the one watch that is expected to steal the show at Google IO is the Moto 360.
Motorola's ambitious smartwatch, rumored to have an even more ambitious July release date, features a unique circular watch face, not a square-shaped display like every other smartwatch including the LG G Watch.
Despite Moto 360's impending summer release date, it actually hasn't been shown working in video. We've seen in turn off and at a distance in developer interviews and turned on in still photos.
That all changes at Google IO. Expect to get a closer look at the bold design choice of this all-metal Moto 360, which looks more sophisticated and natural next to the boxy Pebble Steel and Samsung Gear 2.
Paired with customizable leather and metal straps that fit variety-seeking 21 century wrists, the Moto 360 is shaping up to be Google's answer to the inevitable Apple iWatch.
Moto 360 watch face and battery life
The computerized Moto 360 watch screen is rumored to be a custom-made OLED display, which would make sense given its circular shape and need to conserve battery life.
OLEDs consume as much as 40% less power when displaying black images vs LCDs because they can turn off individual pixels. The opposite is true for battery-draining white backgrounds.
This could be why almost all Moto 360 renders exhibit a black analog watch face when Android Wear menus are inactive. The timepiece could easily throw up a black analog dial "screensaver."
Such a power-saving move would make the Moto 360 look and act even more like a traditional watch and give it an always-on screen, a feature that's also been confirmed for the rival LG G Watch.
Motorola perfected a similar active display on its Moto X smartphone, which always includes the time and notifications on the lock screen, and it could do the same here. Battery life is even more important on a wearable; no one wants to charge a watch before the day is out.
Moto 360 specs
Motorola has been upfront about its Android Wear smartwatch plans, but it's still shy about revealing the official Moto 360 specs.
That may be because the internals of a purposely low-powered smartwatch have never been all that exciting when it comes to processing power and memory.
We know more about the outside of this device. Motorola has confirmed that the Moto 360 can be worn on the left hand or the right hand thanks to its clever orientation-free design.
Yes, there's a classic watch knob on one side of the face and not the other, but think about it, this is a digital watch face. The UI can be flipped around so that the knob always points to your elbow.
Whether the Moto 360 is on your right or left wrist, it's equally susceptible to everyday dings and scratches. Scuffing a wrist-worn wearable is just as common as dropping a smartphone.
Moto 360's beautiful watch face stands a better chance of staying in pristine condition if it's protected by sapphire glass vs Gorilla Glass.
Sapphire glass has a hardness level that is said to be four times greater than the Gorilla Glass that protects many of today's smartphones.
It's also the same glass material that is rumored to protect the forthcoming iPhone 6 and iWatch. The one downside is that it could put the Moto 360 price at a premium. More about that in a bit.
Moto 360 battery charging
You won't find charging contacts or a micro USB port on the Moto 360 because this Google watch has a "secret" charging method. It's the device's "secret sauce," teased Motorola earlier this year.
Sure enough, the company recently confirmed that its smartwatch charges wirelessly via magnetic induction. This makes perfect sense.
Inspecting the handful of Moto 360 photos that exist reveals the rear of the watch features a strange purple backing. This could easily be used for the popular Qi charging method.
Google's Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 smartphones and its newer Nexus 7 tablet take full advantage of a magnetic Qi charger, and Motorola was a Google-owned company up until recently.
All the signs are here that the Moto 360 will ditch wires in favor of a magnetic Qi wireless charger that could easily sit on a nightstand before you go to bed.
There's only one problem with its micro USB-free future. Charging the Moto 360 would require a wireless charger, so you'd have to bring with you on trips longer than a day if that's the average battery length.
Compatibility
Motorola has confirmed that that unlike the Samsung Gear 2, Geo 2 Neo and Gear Fit, its smartwatch will work with more than just its own hardware. It won't be limited to the Moto X and Moto G.
In fact, the Moto 360 is compatible with all Android 4.3 and Android 4.4 phones and tablets that take advantage of battery-sipping Bluetooth 4.0 technology.
That seems to rule out the possibility that Apple devices like the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air will be able to tether to the Moto 360. Both have Bluetooth 4.0, but for now this is an Android-only device.
Water makes for a completely different compatibility test. The Moto 360 isn't waterproof, but it is water resistant, according to Motorola.
That should make wearing the new smartwatch a carefree experience, whether you're in the rain or on the wrong end of a splash while bathing a child. Just don't go dunking it in the pool or ocean.
Moto 360 release date and price
The Moto 360 will be one of the first Android Wear watches along with the LG G Watch this summer in the US, with the exact release date suspected to be in July. Its global plans remain a mystery.
Its worldwide launch details could be revealed at the Google IO keynote happening on Wednesday in San Francisco, and we're likely to hear new details about the device's battery life and price then too.
Motorola has inadvertently clued us on the Moto 360 price through the official rules of a contest this week, suggesting that its "average retail value" is $249 (about £148, AU$270).
That's far cheaper than the previously leak that pegged the smartwatch's cost at a steeper $341 (about £203, AU$367), an estimate based on conversions from this report.
For comparison, the Pebble Steel costs $229 (about £136, AUS$244) for the brushed stainless steel version of the smartwatch with a leather band. The metal band edition is $249 (about £148, AU$266).
Of course, the Moto 360 doesn't need to price match Pebble. Its wireless charging, circular screen and sapphire glass could easily fetch a premium. But it's hard not to like the all-but-confirmed affordable price.
Even if the Moto 360 does cost more than a smartphone on-contract, early adopters are likely to pay for the convenience of offloading notifications from the phone to their wrist.
Every time we dig our phone out of our pockets or rush to our device charging in another room and see a friends' SMS that just says something irrelevant "Cool" or "K," our love of technology dies a little inside.
Android Wear promises to do much more than yet, but solving that one pet peeve with easy-to-dismiss notifications on the wrist could make the sleek-looking Moto 360 the must-have wearable of 2014.
- Read our Google Glass review for our take on the other Android wearable
James Potter