Asus ZenWatch First Look: Inquisitive Design, Yet Shallow Software

Rating:

3.0/5

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PROS

• Looks premium in nature
• Bold Design
• Fairly bright display

CONS

• Android Wear
• Poor app catalogue
• Expected to be on a higher side

Although the wearable segment is still in its nascent stages, the demand of such gadgets continues to grow. After Samsung, LG and Taiwan's Asus is the latest company that sees big scope in the wearable tech segment. At this year's IFA tech show, the Nexus 7 maker first showcased the inquisitive smartwatch.

The Asus-made watch came from nowhere, but it quickly made a long lasting impression. The good news is that Asus has plans to bring the ZenWatch to India in the first half of 2015. Apparently, it could be priced under Rs.20,000, though there's no confirmation from Asus' side.

But would it be better if they make it round? We've got a rare preview of the Asus ZenWatch at the recently held event in Delhi. Let's dig it into our first impressions.

Asus ZenWatch: Form Factor, Design, Display and Operating System

Asus is doing crazy business these days. The company's Zenfone range has completely taken over its rivals, and the ZenWatch looks like a winning game. It may not have a round face, but it looks delicious. Most urban men and women should like the watch's design.

It doesn't come with a curve screen, but the watch has a curve design. The glass fitted on the front has a gentle curve, alongside the slightly tempered frame which gives the watch more classic appeal.

The brushed stainless-steel exterior encloses the screen with a smooth curve design. There's no power button on the side, and leather stitched strap holds the device well. The Asus ZenWatch is the most stylish smartwatch we've ever seen, and there's one single reason: it has a gold colored finish.

This extra-ordinary looking watch has a 1.63-inch display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels. Notably, it's an OMLED display. The display seemed bright and colorful, similar to the Samsung Gear S. Though the screen is gorgeous, you may find it difficult to trace individual pixels.

Undoubtedly, the watch is beautiful; its software is a big letdown. Google's Android Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Being an Android Wear watch, much of the software is fairly understandable and simple to understand.

The main menu of the watch hardly looks like a full blown menu. Tapping on the watch face brings up a Google voice search box. If you want to voice search, you say something, but if you want to reach the actual menu, you have to swipe up.

Sure, the watch uses Google's Android Wear. However, the company has tried to integrate this dull and boring user interface around Asus' ZenUI. So, there are a couple of nice offerings being integrated to make the experience slightly better.

For instance, there's a feature called cover to mute. If you have call you don't want to take right now, cover the watch with your palm and it will mute your handset automatically. Moreover, you can even unlock your phone using the intelligent watch.

In the meanwhile, other features such as Compass, Calculator, Google Fit and Maps are fairly standard. There's also the problem of a limited number of must have apps, which is natural for such a new platform.

For the record, Google's Android Wear OS is a big mess. It seems a well known problem, and only Google has a solution to this big issue. Hopefully Google will solve this mess as soon as possible.