The Asus ZenWatch 2 impresses many on its October, 2015 launch in Taipei and, by far, outperforms and outdoes its predecessor, the Asus ZenWatch 1, in many ways. Still sporting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB storage, the new smartwatch pushes ahead from its older sibling with many improvements making this wearable interesting to own.
The new iteration from Asus carries a $129.00 price tag which is lower than its first smartwatch priced at $199.00. According to Lily Prasuethsut of Tech Radar, the Asus ZenWatch 2 comes in two variants, to wit: one with a rubber band strap retailing at $129.00 and one with a leather band with a buckle-type strap retailing at $149.00. The watch also comes in two sizes aptly distinguished by their model numbers, WI500Q and WI502Q, respectively. Prasuethsut further hints that the WI500Q could be for men and the WI502 could be for women, the latter being smaller in size than the former.
Aesthetics-wise the Asus ZenWatch 2 did not depart from the original ZenWatch design having retained its square-shaped face with curved corners and sporting a wide bezel. The display on the Asus ZenWatch, however, is AMOLED made from curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 measuring 1.45 inches from diagonal. Screen resolution, on the other hand, is at 273 ppi (pixels per inch).
Prasuethsut mentions other noteworthy credentials for the new Asus ZenWatch 2 such as being lighter by 15 kg compared to its predecessor (75kg), the new iteration already has a crown (the first one did not have any), more comfortable on the wrists, has a 6-axis gyrometer and accelerometer (instead of 9 for the Asus ZW1), and the new Asus ZenWatch 2 has an IP6 rating which means it is dust proof. One caveat, however, is the new smartwatch is not water-proof, Prasuethsut added.
The new Asus ZenWatch 2 is a sheer delight to wear and, as Prasuethsut implies, a smartwatch that is worthy of anybody's time and money.
Continuing with the Asus ZenWatch 2, Google Play Store ran out of stock of the new smartwatch days after it launched. According to Robert C. Weich III of Latin Post, interested buyers started jumping on this smartwatch leading to Play Store quickly running short of the much-demanded wearable.
Weich III further mentions the new Asus ZenWatch 2 like its predecessor still lasts for two days but recharging only takes around 30 to 40 minutes to complete.
And finishing off on the new Asus ZenWatch 2, the new iteration from Asus might not be as appealing as one would expect at least in terms of apps that it carries. John V. of Phone Arena comments that the crown Asus ZenWatch 2 now sports is only used as a wake-up button.
Another thing he points out is the removal of the heart sensor that the previous ZenWatch had. John V. states that telling the smartwatch, "measure my heart rate," would instead present the user with various apps to do the request. And to make things more confusing, the app chosen could not even accomplish this task, he added.
John V. also cited the Asus ZenWatch 2 display under sunny conditions. He said that the display appeared washed out making it difficult for the user to see what's on the smartwatch.
The Asus ZenWatch 2 is still very much a work in progress. While there are many shortcomings still to be addressed by the new smartwatch, this improved wearable brings a lot of promise to many who have grown accustomed to its predecessor. Continuing developing more useful apps and introducing more functionalities into the wearable are needed in making this a real winner in the smartwatch arena.
Join the Conversation