We have been hearing a lot about how smartwatches will be the treat of IFA this year. And while we wait to find out the "big" names that are joining the bandwagon, it seems like Asus has paved the way for all with the announcement of its new ZenWatch smartwatch.
Asus Corporate Vice President Eric Chen, accompanied by Asus Design Center Vice President Mitch Yang and ASUS Senior Product Director Derek Yu, took the stage today at a pre-IFA 2014 event held at the Classic Remise to announce the company's latest lineup of products. This included the Asus ZenWatch, the company's first wearable device produced in partnership with Google.
Leading up to the events that unfolded in Berlin today, Asus had anyway mentioned earlier in the year that it was planning to make a smartwatch in its own brand. This new smartwatch would then compete against the likes of Moto 360 and the LG and Samsung devices that came around this summer.
The Asus ZenWatch has now become the first wearable device from Asus that's powered by Android Wear. It also features a version of the Asus ZenUI user interface developed specifically for ZenWatch.
"This exquisitely-crafted and slim device pairs seamlessly with a smartphone running Android 4.3 or higher to provide relevant and useful information when it is needed most, and also to serve as a personal wellness manager in conjunction with the ASUS ZenUI Wellness app," the company states.
As far as the overall specifications are concerned, the ZenWatch features a 1.63-inch curved 320×320 AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and Bluetooth 4.0.
The new smartwatch also comes with a bio sensor which can measure your heart rate, alongside water proof up to IP55 rating. On an overall, it's quite similar to the likes of LG G Watch and Moto 360, although the ASUS ZenWatch is a treat to the eyes.
The ZenWatch from Asus is currently set to be priced at $260 (around Rs. 15,000) and will be made available to retailers in Q3 and Q4 of this year.
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Design
Exquisitely-crafted using premium materials with sophisticated design enhanced by rose gold color layering and genuine stitched-leather watchband and quick-release clasp design. It also has got 100+ combination watch face choices to fit your mood and personality.
Display
Vivid AMOLED display and Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Seamless ASUS ZenUI integration and enhanced functionality Gestures Automatically unlock your phone with ASUS ZenWatch, Tap Tap and Find My Phone helps you locate your phone instantly if misplaced or simply cover ASUS ZenWatch with your hand to mute an incoming call.
Camera
ASUS Remote Camera frees users to take photos from creative angles where the viewfinder would be difficult to see.
Features
Presentation Control enables ZenWatch to be used as a remote control and time manager when giving a business presentation or lecture.
Wellness manager
Monitor and track a range of health-related statistics with the ASUS Wellness app Measures steps taken, calories burned, activity duration, heart rate, exercise intensity and relaxation level
