Asus has finally unveiled its much-anticipated ZenWatch, featuring a classy design and a hefty price tag.
While the device does not feature a trendy circular face like watches from Motorola and LG, it does look high-end and chic, largely because of the brown leather wristband that it uses.
The device includes 512 MB of RAM along with 4 GB of onboard storage, which is quite impressive for such a small device. It also uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to the user's smartphone and other devices and it has a 1.4 Wh battery.
Users also won't have to worry about getting the device a little wet, as it has an IP54 rating, although users should not go swimming while wearing it.
The display is a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 320x320. A 1.2-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor is used in the watch, giving it plenty of processing power for the tasks that it needs to do.
Not only is the hardware of the device quite impressive, but it also includes a number of software features that set it apart from other Android Wear devices. Asus does use Google's Android Wear operating system, but it has added its own "ZenUI" on top of Wear.
It makes use of a number of gesture controls, including the ability to unlock the users phone simply by tapping on the face of the watch. Users can also open a preset function with a double tap of the display, as well as remotely control a smartphone camera.
To set all of the gesture controls, Asus has created a number of companion apps for the user's smartphone.
Another feature that sets this watch apart from other Android Wear devices to date is its premium-looking brown stitched-leather wristband. Should the user not be fond of the wristband, however, it is attached with a quick-release clasp, and the user can take it off and replace it with any other 22-mm band.
All those great features, however, don't come cheap. The device is thought to cost 199 euros, or around $260, when it is released sometime later this year. This is more than some other Android Wear smart watches, but is also a little less than some of the newest Wear offerings. This price, however, is not yet official and is unexpected, considering the fact that Asus CEO Jerry Shen promised that the device would be under $200. It is possible he meant €200.
Many are hoping that it will come with a bundle discount if bought with other products.
There is no official release date, however the device will most likely go on sale sometime between late third quarter and early fourth quarter of this year.
