New Moto 360 smartwatch arrives next week

The next generation Moto 360 is on the way, with Motorola's owner Lenovo confirming in a blog post that the new smartwatch will be unveiled 8 September.

Two images of the new Moto 360 have already leaked, suggesting there will be at least two models of the device. The rumoured models include the larger 360L and smaller 360S, which both appear to sport the same 'flat tire' screen of the original.

Motorola president Rick Osterloh suggested last year that there was a disconnect in the smartwatch market between what consumers want and what tech companies are releasing.

"I think the first watches that shipped have been really bad. A number of manufacturers were willing to ship products that I felt were not appropriate for consumers," he said. "The biggest problem consumers said they had with them was that they really didn't look appealing. The difference in our initial approach has been to focus on that problem and solve it."

Since then, Apple has entered the market, bringing with it a greater focus on fashion and design. In IT Pro's comparison of the Moto 360 and Samsung Gear S, the Gear S won for functionality, battery life and display. The Moto 360, however, is the cheaper device and has greater compatibility.

Google has also confirmed an Android Wear app for iOS, making the Moto 360 compatible with Apple devices in addition to Android.