Asus has been teasing its smartwatch for quite a while, and now it’s finally here. The super sleek ZenWatch runs Android Wear OS and features a version of the ASUS ZenUI developed specifically for the ZenWatch.
Powered with Android Wear, the new ZenWatch will be priced around $250, while the international pricing is yet to be announced. It’s the first Android Wear smartwatch with a customised UI. It is compatible with smartphones running Android 4.3 or above.
The ZenWatch features a gold-colored middle layer and stainless steel top and bottom, with a brushed surface around the face. It has a 1.63-inch 320×320 AMOLED display with a slight curve to its surface, and a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, as well as 512MB or RAM and Bluetooth 4.0.
They’ve provided a heart rate sensor on the bottom, and it uses standard user-replaceable 22mm watchbands. IP55 water and dust-proofing helps it tolerate accidental splashes, and it has a 9-axis sensor for tracking activity and movement.
Asus has also included a number of gesture controls and pre-loaded features, which makes it stand out amongst other Android Wear devices. These features give you options to unlock your phone or tablet by tapping the face of the ZenWatch, auto-opening a function you set with a double-tap, covering the watch to mute and phone finding, remote camera operation and slide deck control apps. However, for these feature to work you are required to install a separate, Asus-created watch manager app in addition to Android Wear on your companion device to work.
The Asus ZenWatch comes in a a soft touch stitched-leather strap and quick-release clasp. The display is curved to give off a 2.5D effect.
