Is Second Gen Moto 360 Just Around The Corner? Google Store Slashes Price To $165

As much as we'd like to believe that companies care about consumers in a way that would prompt them to issue price cuts for no other reason than to say, 'Hey, you rock, Joe Consumer!', that isn't how the business world works. If there's a price cut, it's usually because (A) a product isn't selling, or (B) a vendor is looking to clear inventory. Which is the case with the Moto 360?

Good question. If you head over to the Google Store, you'll find that the Moto 360 is now selling for just $165 with free shipping, down from its regular price of $249.99. Google's price cut follows that of both Best Buy and Amazon, which reduced the Moto 360 to $179.99 and $179, respectively, last week. On Best Buy's website, the Moto 360 is listed as being "On Sale," perhaps indicating that these are temporary price reductions.

Moto 360

More likely, however, there's something else at play here than just a sale. There are rumors that a second generation Moto 360 is imminent, and as recently as late last month, Lenovo boss Yang Yuanqing supposedly posted an image to Weibo showing the next Moto 360 model.

Another scenario that's not necessarily separate from the above is that Google could be looking to steal some thunder from the Apple Watch launch. After all, Apple Watch devices start at $349 and go up from there -- way up if you're planning to snag a high-end Watch Edition, which start out at $10,000 and top out at $17,000 (add another $1,500 if you want AppleCare+ protection).

In any event, if you're interested in the Moto 360 at $165, you can find it here.