Asus ZenWatch – Part 1 of 2

In a world where smart phones and wearbles are dominated by Motorola, Samsung, LG, Google and Apple, yours truly decided to take the road less traveled.  After calling several Best Buy stores and taking a picture of the camped out tents, I snatched the very last Asus ZenWatch from a nearby store.

It’s safe to say that I’ve always been a fan of watches.  There are very little things us men can be proud of and having a watch is definitely one of those symbolic signs of manhood.  Something about owning a classic timepiece and just staring into the revolving tourbillon mesmerizes you.  Wearing a watch isn’t just about being able to tell the time or making a fashion statement, it goes beyond all of that.  Having a watch is like owning time itself!  The ability of the watchmaker to capture the precise movement of every single mechanism and unanimously align everything to call upon this magical experience we call time, is truly magnificent!

However, the recent popularity in wearable tech in a way has disrupted this magic!  And many big technology players have begun making strides in this industry.  Major brands such Samsung, Sony, Motorola, Pebble, LG, and Apple have all began or announced their groundwork in entering the wearable era.  But, one of the biggest downsides about smart watches is that they do not look like actual watches.  The ones currently in-market all seem to look like a miniature monitor strapped to one’s wrist.  Both Motorola with its Moto360 and LG with its LG G Watch R took a more design centric approach by making their watch round and more “watch” like.  Being an Android user and watch enthusiast, I was having a hard time choosing between the two.  That was until I ran across… Asus ZenWatch.

The device comes in a black cubic box.  At the top of the case, rests an image of the sleek watch face with the words “ASUS ZenWatch” written across the bottom.  Flipping over the box you’ll find the barcode and product specs.  On one side of the box you’ll find additional inscriptions of the device, while the log and “powered by Android Wear” is written on the other end.

Propping the box open, you’ll find the watch resting in the center of the cradle, starring right at you.  It took only a glance, but suddenly I was a believer of “love at first sight”.  Here’s what you’ll find in the box:

·       (1) Asus ZenWatch

·       (1) USB to Micro USB Cable

·       (1) Asus-branded Charging Cradle

·       (1) Asus-branded Power Adapter

·       (1) Quick Start Guide

·       (1) Warranty Card

·       (1) Parts and Features Booklet

The ZenWatch is Asus’ entry to the wearable arms race.  Unlike Motorola and LG, Asus took a conventional approach and decided to go with a square watch face with a silver metal bezel.  A coat of rose gold surrounds the watch in a concave shape.  The watch itself has a slight curve to match the curvature of a person’s wrist.  The opposite ends of the watch are extended by the luxurious 22mm, light brown genuine leather strap.  At the end of the leather strap sits a single fold metal clasp.  The end of the clasp is inscribed with the logo ASUS.  The tightness of the strap can be adjusted by sliding the loop to the appropriate pinhole to fit the size of the wrist.

If it wasn’t for the 1.63 inch, 320x320 pixel AMOLED gorilla glass touchscreen, you’d be sure to mistaken this for an automatic luxury timepiece.  Unlike the traditional handcrafted automatic watches, however, you will not find a balance wheel or a caliber under the hood.  Instead, this beauty is powered by a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 SoC processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB of internal storage.  (Sidebar - this is definitely a bitter-sweet point for a watch aficionado.  Perhaps it’s equivalent to most super cars of today (i.e. Ferrari) opting away from the manual transmission gearbox.)  The specs are pretty much identical to its Samsung Gear S and LG G Watch R cousins.  Underneath the watch, you’ll find what seems to be an aluminum back cover along with a mic and 5-pin connector for charging.  There is also an on/off button for booting the watch.  This is definitely an all-in-one package.

From the initial look, I am very pleased with the Asus ZenWatch.  The watch itself currently retails for $199.99 on the Google Play Store as well as at Best Buy.  I’ve been told that Best Buy will not put any new release items on hold unless you purchase it over the phone.  Check back next time as MP gives a detailed rundown of the Android Wear OS and our thoughts on the whole Zen experience.

by ManPossible