Motorola yesterday rolled out a circular smartwatch, counting on a more traditional design to win over consumers who have so far shunned other computerised wrist devices.

Smartwatches so far have had rectangular faces, a shape that has turned off many consumers, said Motorola vice-president of product management Steve Sinclair.

Motorola's Moto 360 is round and has an all-metal frame, making it look more like a regular watch.

'People don't want to wear a shrunken-down smartphone on their wrist,' Sinclair said.

Reshaping the smartwatch still might not be enough to sway consumers' attitudes.

Apart from design, smartwatches have had limited appeal because of their small displays and a requirement to have a companion smartphone nearby.

Yesterday's debut of the Moto 360 comes a week after LG Electronics announced its own circular smartwatch, the G Watch R. LG's watch won't be available for at least a month.

Both watches use Google's Android Wear operating system. The system uses voice controls for basic functions, such as reading messages, checking the weather and getting reminders on calendar appointments.-Reuters