Asus kicked off Computex 2015 in their native Taiwan with a slew of announcements, including this: the ZenWatch 2. The new Android Wear smartwatch is a straightforward follow-up to the original ZenWatch, released last year, but there are a few surprises too. Let’s take a look!
The ZenWatch 2 is the first Android Wear smartwatch to be made available in two sizes, something that mirrors the Apple Watch. It also comes with a ‘digital crown’, but unlike the Apple Watch, the ZenWatch 2 is just a button; there’s no scrolling functionality here. Of course, the Moto 360 (and other Android Wear smartwatches) launched with similar buttons ages ago.
Asus’ new watch is also available with a range of different coloured cases and straps. There are three case choices available – silver, gunmetal and rose gold – which can be colour matched to a stainless steel strap. If you’d prefer a rubber or leather option, there are a nice range of these too. All in all, there are 18 different colour and material strap combinations – even one with embedded Swarovski crystals.
The ZenWatch 2 also has a few practical upgrades, including a new magnetic charging connector that Asus boast will dramatically improve charging times. The AMOLED screen is now protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
The watch’s software suite has also been improved, with a new Watch Face Land app that lets you design your own watch faces and an updated Remote Camera app. The ZenWatch 2 runs the most recent update to Android Wear that Google re-announced at Google I/O, and so includes WiFi support, tilt gestures and all the rest.
The ZenWatch 2 will be fully launched at IFA in Berlin this September, where full pricing, specs and availability will be announced.
Are you interested in the watch? Let us know in the comments below, or write to us on Twitter @mobilefun!