Asus ZenWatch 2 Announced
The ZenWatch 2 could prove to be a challenger for other Android Wear based smartwatches that are launching at about the same time.
Asus recently, in an event hosted by IFA in Berlin, publicised the Asus ZenWatch 2, the successor to its first smartwatch, the ZenWatch.
The design portrayed is almost identical to the previous version, however Asus has made ZenWatch 2 highly customisable, now providing three colour options — Rose Gold, Silver and Gunmetal with 18 interchangeable straps to choose from!
That’s not all, with the Asus’s ZenWatch Manager app, users can choose from 50 different watch faces, or design their own watch faces with the FaceDesigner app.
The smartwatch comes in two sizes to accommodate people with different wrist sizes — the larger one measuring at 49 mm with a 22 mm strap and the smaller one with 45 mm stainless steel case with an 18 mm strap.
Asus may not have revamped the exterior design to any major extent, however, it has surely put in some real effort to improve the hardware and software aspects of their offering.
The ZenWatch 2 will come with the latest version of Android Wear and is now compatible even with iOS. That said, the iOS functionality will initially be quite basic.
The 49 mm model comes with a 1.63-inch screen, a 320x320 pixel resolution with 278 pixels per inch, while the 45 mm model comes with a 1.45-inch screen, a 280x280 pixel screen resolution and a pixel density of 273 ppi.
Both models have an AMOLED display and are securely protected by Gorilla Glass 3, and are somewhat water and dust resistant.
The ZenWatch 2 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 processor, 512 MB RAM with 4 GB internal storage. The device also includes a 6-axis accelerometer, a gyroscope with sensor-hub and a pedometer and both devices support Wi-Fi connection.
The battery capacity is 400 mAh and 300 mAh for the 49 mm and 45 mm models respectively, with faster charging via magnetic charging connector, that charges them to 50% in just under 40 minutes.
The ZenWatch 2, is an affordable smartwatch and is a class in itself. The larger model is appropriately priced at USD 190 (INR 12,500) while the smaller 45 mm model retails at USD 170 (INR 11,000).
Several smartwatches announced at the IFA event could be affected by the launch of the ZenWatch 2, including the Samsung Gear S2, Moto 360 2, and the Huawei Watch — all of which will launch in and around the same time as the ZenWatch.
The expected worldwide launch for ZenWatch 2 is October, 2015.
Originally published at Chip-Monks.
