Motorola scrapped a Value Tier Moto 360

Motorola recently announced its second generation Moto 360 smartwatch, which comes in classic and sport versions. New information states that a third Moto 360 Value Tier model was also in the works, but the project was cancelled before it ever entered production.

Imaan Naeem, an Industrial Designer at Motorola, has revealed that the Value Tier smartwatch was designed for the youth market and has also provided some concept images and photo-realistic renders of what the smartwatch would have looked like.

Although she didn’t share exactly what made the Value Tier 360 cheaper than the other models, a closer look at the renders reveals a plastic trim on the case, the heart rate monitor is missing, there’s a proprietary metal contact charging port rather than support for wireless charging, and the wrist band options are limited to just the NATO bands.

Although we don’t know how much this Moto 360 version would have ended up costing, the missing features and the name suggest that it would have cost quite a bit less than the new Moto 360’s $300+ price tag. The market is rather devoid of very affordable cost Android Wear devices, so such a watch may have been a good first purchase for those who are still unsure about the whole smartwatch idea. Naeem didn’t reveal why the Moto 360 Value Tier was cancelled. Perhaps Motorola simply chose the Sport option over a lower cost model?

Do you think that Motorola missed out on the opportunity to release a more cost effective smartwatch, or is the lack of features not really very appealing?