Watch Asus Zen Watch 3. Stylish smart watch ASUS ZenWatch – Review of the gadget on Android Wear OS

Despite some disadvantages, ASUS's watches turned out to be quite good. Yes, they do not have Wi-Fi and the operating time of the device leaves much to be desired, but the first experience of the Taiwanese in this niche can be called successful. The emphasis in the watch is not on technology, but on design and comfort, which is not entirely usual. However, for a gadget that you wear on your hand every day, ease of use is perhaps more important, and not how many sensors it has. The watch copes with the main tasks, even measures the pulse, but you can do without the rest. It's surprising that the price of this watch is lower than that of its competitors, although the ASUS ZenWatch is presented as a luxury gadget. You can buy them in the US for $199, which is $50 cheaper than the same Moto 360 or Sony SmartWatch 3, although they have a little more features. What can we say about Apple Watch, starting at $349. In Russia, the new product will cost 17 thousand rubles, unfortunately, the price is no longer very attractive. The same SmartWatch 3 with a steel strap is already sold for 15 thousand, and Moto 360 is easy to find for 12-13 thousand rubles. When choosing, price can be the main factor, because the gadgets do not differ much in function. Sales of ZenWatch will begin in a week, on June 1, with a noticeable delay, because almost six months have passed since the international start of sales. In addition, this year many companies, including ASUS, plan to announce new models of Android Wear devices. This means that ZenWatch will simply become obsolete pretty soon, but prices will be adjusted downward, which can attract buyers.

Smartwatch manufacturers quickly encountered a strange paradox. Potential buyers were, of course, very concerned about the mind. But they were even more excited about the aspects characteristic of traditional watches: the prestige of the brand, the quality of materials, combination with clothing, etc. That is, the watch, having acquired the filling of a smartphone, has not ceased to be an accessory. And then Apple played a very nice trick on everyone with its Watch. The company has the same prestige of the brand and the careful selection of materials on its side, and the abundance of straps and bracelets simply dazzles the eye. I’m afraid that if the Apple Watch worked with Android smartphones, other manufacturers would have almost no room for maneuver...

But, fortunately for many, Apple is currently only developing its own platform. I don’t know how long she will engage in self-restraint. But let me remind you that once upon a time iPod players only worked with Mac computers. No, I'm not idealizing Apple, and Watch no different from best models on Tizen and Android Wear (and in some ways they are inferior to them). But Apple's smartwatch = accessory approach is definitely closer to the average person's heart. And there are much more ordinary people than technomaniacs.

Why am I doing all this? Moreover, ASUS also employs very intelligent people. And the new generation of ZenWatch 3 watches was made so cool that you can’t immediately distinguish it from expensive mechanics.

In the first two generations, ASUS experimented with rectangular shapes. I wrote about them and. In short, the experiments were successful, and the second generation was the cheapest member of the Android Wear watch family (from $165). But it was still impossible to confuse ZenWatch and ZenWatch 2 with “just a watch”. But ZenWatch 3 is easy.

The new model is produced in three cases – “metal”, “silver” and “rose gold”. I was given “metal” for the experiments, and in English this version is called much cooler - Gunmetal. The body is made of 316L stainless steel. It is commonly used in the jewelry and medical industries - for the manufacture of jewelry and surgical instruments, respectively. That is, strength, resistance to corrosion and oxidation - that’s all. When polished, such steel is indistinguishable to the eye from white gold. The Gunmetal version has black anodizing, which also looks very solid. Personally, I personally associate the gold rim around the dial with Movado watches, although, of course, they were not the first to come up with this, and they were not the last to use it. The round case is framed at the top and bottom with composite strap mounts. The latter is made of leather “processed using traditional Italian technology.” The good news is that the strap is really very good, looks great and fits comfortably on the hand. The bad news is that it has a proprietary design, and if it fails, you will have to buy a new one from ASUS or the good Chinese on eBay (if they come up with a hint, there are no offers yet).

The back of the case, if it were not for the charging connector, would also closely resemble a regular watch. Yes, the watch does not have an optical sensor that measures the pulse, and the watch does not detect the heart rate. Considering the very questionable accuracy of sensors of this kind, this is not really a pity.

Otherwise, the electronic filling is very decent. The watch runs on SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, it has 512 MB RAM and 4 GB onboard. An AMOLED matrix with a resolution of 400x400 pixels is used, which is slightly above the average level (for comparison, the Moto 360 v2 has 360x325). There are no strange black areas on the screen, the image occupies the entire surface, and the picture quality, as you might guess, is excellent. Considering that most watch faces now show a color image even in standby mode, from the outside you won’t immediately understand whether it’s a smart watch or a regular one. The glass has a Corning Gorilla coating, which should protect against accidental scratches. And it is quite difficult to smash the screen on the watch due to its light weight.

You may ask - why three buttons? Well, first of all, it's beautiful. And secondly too. It seems to me that the buttons were added precisely to resemble a real chronometer, because in practice one is enough. And so the top button is designed to launch your favorite application (optional), the middle one is common for all watches on Android Wear, and the bottom one turns on the energy-saving mode. In general, yes. They are for beauty.

Battery capacity 340 mAh. In normal mode, by the evening approximately 65% of the charge remains, and, in principle, there is a chance that the watch will last until the evening of the second day. But I have a habit of charging gadgets every evening, so I won’t lie, I didn’t check it. Unfortunately, ASUS again did not make wireless charging, and we are greeted by a circle with a contact pad, which is quite convenient compared to its peers, but still requires a certain dexterity. Unlike Moto and Samsung chargers, the circle is proprietary. If it breaks/gets lost, contact ASUS for a new one. The proprietary interface allowed for faster charging (from 0 to 60% in 15 minutes), but the ability to simply put the watch on the charging stand without having to monitor the position of the contacts is much more convenient.

The watch has a speaker and microphone, so it can be used as a wireless headset. But we don’t have our own GPS receiver; we didn’t install it. Provides moisture protection according to IP67 standard. It's not worth swimming in the sea, but the shower and freshwater pool will last you hours. Although, to be honest, I wouldn’t vouch for the strap. The skin does not like to bathe.

ASUS ZenWatch 3 comes pre-installed with more than 50 watch faces, half of which can also be customized. Some of them I liked, some not so much. In general, the number of preset dials cannot be considered either an advantage or a disadvantage, because Google Play There are just an incredible amount of them, and you are sure to choose an option to suit your taste. It’s just a pity that Google monitors copyrights so closely, and there are no clones of “Komandirskie” or other Soviet watches on Android Wear, like on .

Well, about the operating system itself. Google is delaying the Wear 2.0 update for most manufacturers, but it's coming. In the meantime, you can use Wear 1.6, it is a very convenient operating system.

Total

ASUS watches are getting better and better. In the third series, the materials are excellently selected, the workmanship is excellent, and the design has gone towards strict classics, which can only be welcomed. In the end, there are a lot of smart watches for youth, but for serious wealthy guys - you can count them on your fingers.

With that said, the price of the new watch is quite reasonable. In the States it’s $229 plus taxes, our official price tag is 21,990 rubles, but you can find it for a couple thousand cheaper. For comparison, the already discontinued second-generation Moto 360, which looks noticeably simpler (although it does have a heart rate sensor), costs the same amount. The Huawei Watch also looks good (and has a heart rate monitor), but the platform is older and the battery is weaker. That is, it’s not cheap, cheap, as it was with ZenWatch 2, but, as they say, “in the market.” After all, even mechanical watches of this quality rarely cost less. And here they are smart!

I recently bought a special “attachment” for regular watches called Chronos, which turns them into almost smart ones. I really missed the classic design. I won’t try, I just can’t get around to it. But if you don’t have a collection of mechanics, and generally don’t really want to experiment, ASUS already has ready-made option with an absolutely classic design. Try it on if necessary.

Not long ago, a new product with an improved set of options and characteristics entered the market; these are special watches from the manufacturer Asus. The article provides an overview. The product is a progressive digital device, manufactured according to long-standing traditions. Only high-quality parts are used in the production process.

Demonstration of the exact time is not the only option that the Asus ZenWatch 3 smartwatch has. The list of its functions includes a much larger number of possibilities. First of all, they are related to the personalization of the interface, through which the user gains the ability to customize it in accordance with his own preferences. A for a long time Autonomous operation along with the presence of instant charging technology makes this product indispensable in terms of mobility.

Specifications

The Asus ZenWatch 3 wi503q smart watch is equipped with a number of the following technical parameters, options and characteristics:

Qualcomm SoC class working mechanism with 4 1.2 GHz cores;
touch-type display class 1.39 AMOLED units size 400 * 400, which contains Gorilla Glass 3;
built-in 2 microphones;
there is Bluetooth 4.2 LE, as well as Wi-Fi transmission;
RAM is 512 MB, internal memory is 4 GB;
In addition, the device includes a light sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer;
the operating system that is present in the device is created on Android based Wear;
The watch has a polymer lithium battery with an indicator of 340 mA * h;
the product has 100% compliance with the IP67 protection standard;
the strap can be removed if the user wishes and needs it; it is made of natural leather material;
the weight together with it is 59 g.

The Asus ZenWatch 3 wi503q Leather watch will delight users with high power, extensive functionality and an affordable price. Numerous applications make the device's operation comfortable and convenient.

Equipment

A hint of luxury and dignified style is present, starting from the packaging. The product is delivered in a special dark blue box with a cubic shape. The following units are located inside:

device power supply;
a flat cable for charging USD watches, equipped with a magnetic cradle, which must be attached to the back of the case so that the contacts match;
brief user manual (instructions).

Many experts and just amateurs believe that for a product to be “fashionable,” it lacks accessories or sophistication in the design of the interior space. It follows from this that the company, a global giant in the production of equipment, decided to save on these aspects.

Design

The new product is very bulky and impressive in size, since it is not yet possible to fit a large mechanism into a thin case. However, it’s nice that the engineers have been honestly engaged in development all this time in order to win back even hundredths of a millimeter from their competitors. Thus, the thickness of the Asus Zenwatch 3 wi503q smart watch is 9.95 mm, which is not bad for such a smart accessory.

Talented designers also came to the rescue of the developers, who proposed streamlined shapes, slightly beveled outlines that are visible to the naked eye. And the display seems to be buried inside the case, which favorably emphasizes the insignificant in size, but significant in beauty, thickness of the case. Due to its discreet and elegant appearance, the watch looks good on both men's and women's hands.

The case is made of stainless steel and is offered in three color options - metal, silver and gold with a pinkish tint. Italian techniques were used to produce the strap, which made it non-standard and at the same time original. appearance. There are only two branded products - one is made of light beige leather, the other is made of dark brown. In practice, it is also common to use a silicone accessory, but it is not mentioned on the official website.

Screen

Another significant advantage that the watch has is Smart Watch Asus ZenWatch 3 – screen. It is a significant advantage, because it is an AMOLED with a decent appearance and optimal characteristics. The display consumes almost no energy, has a resolution of 400*400 pixels and a round shape. Due to high-quality technologies used in the manufacturing process, the screen provides a good viewing angle, as well as decent brightness and contrast parameters.

Natural transmission deprives the device of excessive acidity; black and white colors are free of all kinds of impurities and image inaccuracies. There is also a light sensor that helps regulate brightness parameters in manual and automatic mode.

operating system

The functioning of the device is based on the use of Wear OS, which is designed specifically for smart watches. This allows you to integrate features and get more options. This platform is compatible with square and round watches.

Performance and battery life

The manufacturer promised consumers an impressive increase battery life by time interval. Despite these assurances, miracles did not happen, and the clock still lasts a little more than a day. Many tricks have emerged among users that can be used to extend this period by double or even triple. But there is little point in this, since the functionality is reduced in economy mode.

This situation is saved by the presence of instant charging. As the manufacturer himself reports, in 15 minutes it is possible to recharge the battery by 60%, but in reality the results are more modest (slightly above 50%). A full charge requires about 55 minutes of valuable time from the user.

Reviews

Daria:
I received this wonderful product as a gift from my boyfriend. I didn’t order such surprises, so when I received them I was slightly taken aback. In the end, the result exceeded all expectations!

Ivan:
One minus is that the watch does not have the ability to wireless charging, for the rest, I personally see solid advantages for myself: low cost, a large number of functions, original design, and battery life lasts for a day.

Dmitry:
A good invention that is worth the money. I don’t have such a personal watch yet, but I plan to buy one in the near future. I think that the price of just over $200 for such a toy is simply ridiculous.

Tatiana:
My husband really wanted such a watch, and I decided to give him this surprise for his 30th birthday. He was very happy, although I still don’t understand all their tricks and goodies.

Conclusion

A review of the Asus ZenWatch 3 wi503q indicates that this new product will be particularly popular on the market due to the opportunities it provides to the average user.

Video review of ASUS ZenWatch 3:

You open the box and you immediately understand that ASUS employees do not eat their bread in vain. Not a single render, not a single photograph can convey how beautiful the watch is. Polished steel and leather, not a hint of sports or fitness - ZenWatch WI500Q looks expensive. Premium materials, engraving and embossing make you want to look at the device from all sides for a long time. The name of the device is stamped on the strap on one side, and Genuine leather (“genuine leather”) on the other. Of course, this is not written on the straps of expensive watches, but this is an inexpensive watch!

The version familiar from all advertising materials is with a light brown strap, but there are two more options on sale - with red-brown and black. A classic set for expensive ones and not quite typical for smartwatches - no polymers or plastic. ZenWatch looks appropriate with a suit, with a shirt, or at worst with a sweatshirt - a T-shirt or sleeveless vest asks for something sportier. The case also comes in two colors: silver-gold and rose-gold. All this makes you double-check the price of the device and sit back in bewilderment: ASUS watches are almost the cheapest Android Wear offer available today. They are not yet sold in Russia, and in the US they are asking for only $200 (excluding taxes), while the Moto 360 is priced at $249, and the recently reviewed LG G Watch R is sold for $299. Only the original LG G Watch is cheaper - they want $169.

Specifications
	ASUS ZenWatch	LG G Watch (LG-W100)	LG G Watch R (LG-W110)	Sony SmartWatch 3 (SWR50)	Samsung Gear Live
Display	1.63 inches, 320 × 320, AMOLED	1.65 inches, 280 × 280, IPS	1.3 inches, 320 × 320, P-OLED	1.6 inches, 320 × 320, TN Transflective Anti-glare filter, oleophobic coating Capacitive touch screen	1.6 inches, 320 × 320, Super AMOLED Transflective, oleophobic coating Capacitive touch screen
	Oleophobic coating	Anti-glare filter, oleophobic coating	Oleophobic coating
	Capacitive touch screen	Capacitive touch screen	Capacitive touch screen
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 APQ8026: quad core ARM Cortex-A7 (ARMv7), 1.2 GHz frequency 28 nm LP process
Memory	512 MB + 4 GB flash
Bluetooth	4.0LE
NFC	No	No	No	Yes	No
WiFi	No	No	No	Yes	No
GPS	No	No	No	Yes	No
Sensors		Accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)	Accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), heart rate monitor	Accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), light sensor
Microphone and speaker	Microphone only; vibration motor
Camera	No
Battery	1.4 Wh (360 mAh, 3.8 V)	1.52 Wh (400 mAh, 3.8 V)	1.56 Wh (410 mAh, 3.8 V)	1.6 Wh (420 mAh, 3.8 V)	1.2 Wh (300 mAh, 3.8 V)
Charger				Micro-USB connector in the device itself	Via micro-USB docking station
Weight	71 g (with strap)	63 g (with strap)	62 g (with strap)	74 g (with strap)	59 (with strap)
Water and dust protection	IP55	IP67	IP67	IP68	IP67
Strap	Replaceable, 22 mm wide			Replaceable, own standard	Non-replaceable, own standard
operating system				Android Wear (Android 5.0.1W)	Android Wear (Android 4.4.1W)
Compatibility	Any smartphones that have received an update to Android 4.3 and higher
Recommended price	Price in Russia is unknown/$199	9,990 rubles	16,990 rubles	8,990 rubles	8,990 rubles

The front panel of the ASUS ZenWatch, framed in stainless steel, is covered with slightly curved Gorilla Glass 3. Hidden underneath is a square AMOLED matrix with a diagonal of 1.63 inches and a resolution of 320 × 320 pixels (278 PPI). AMOLED for watches is exactly what you need. The concept of viewing angles is not applicable to organic LEDs at all due to the almost infinite contrast, black practically does not glow - no voltage is applied to the switched off pixels, which saves energy. ASUS has skillfully taken advantage of this: in sleep mode, the display displays a simplified black and white scheme of the clock and notifications. The battery power is consumed less, but, unfortunately, this does not help. The device is equipped with a 1.4 Wh battery (369 mAh, 3.8 V) and therefore lasts a couple of days without recharging, no more. Well, if you actively use your watch, then be prepared to charge it every day.

The rest of the hardware is pretty standard for Android Wear devices from late 2014 to early 2015: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with a frequency of 1.2 GHz, 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of built-in flash memory. There is Bluetooth 4.0, compass, 9-axis gyroscope, heart rate sensor and microphone. There is no speaker, GPS or Wi-Fi. Of the above, the sensor, skillfully integrated into the device by designers and engineers, deserves special attention.

Without knowing what a heart rate monitor looks like, you won’t be able to find it in ASUS ZenWatch. The sensor is the steel frame of the front panel: by placing your fingers on it, you can find out your heart rate. Of course, the optical sensor is more convenient, but ZenWatch is not positioned as a fitness tracker, and, frankly, there is no desire to play sports in this watch - you are afraid of scratching it. So the heart rate monitor is here rather as a nice addition; besides, it’s a shame for a gadget worn on the wrist to appear on sale without it. What is really useful is moisture and dust protection. True, here it is not complete: the watch is protected according to the IP55 standard, that is, it is not afraid of dust and jets of water. But you shouldn’t dive or take a bath in them - the manufacturer did not promise that ZenWatch will certainly survive this.

It was reported that the device was developed in close cooperation with Google. In fact, this collaboration resulted in the use of a slightly expanded version of Android Wear, because the interface Google systems It doesn't allow me to change it yet. About the standard features of this OS, we will look at exclusive features available only to ZenWatch owners. At the time of review, the device is using the latest available firmware version - 1.0.5.1636785, version Google services Play - 6.5.90.

The Taiwanese place their main emphasis on interaction with their proprietary ZenUI shell, which can be found on ASUS smartphones. However, all ZenWatch features without exception can be used on any smartphone, as long as the Android version is higher than 4.3. The names of these “chips” mostly speak for themselves. Watch Unlock allows you to unlock your phone without a password if the watch is nearby. With Cover to Mute, you can mute a ringing smartphone by covering the watch screen with your hand. Using the same method, you can put the device into sleep mode. Find My Phone helps you find your phone if it's within Bluetooth range, and Remote Camera turns your watch into a remote control remote control camera. The real-time image is transmitted to ZenWatch, which makes the gadget indispensable for selfie lovers. To use Remote Camera, you need to install the program of the same name on your smartphone; all other functions become available after installing the ZenWatch Manager application. With its help, you can launch the compass built into the watch, turn its screen into a weak flashlight, or send an SOS signal. By the way, the same thing can be done without the help of a smartphone by telling the watch a phrase that begins with the traditional “Okay, Google” - this is fun, but not always convenient.

In addition to the gadget itself, the package includes a charger - a small docking station. It is not magnetic, it is simply put on the back of the watch, connecting to the contacts on its “back”. It will take approximately two hours to charge the device from scratch. Despite the modest packaging, the watch received very expressive packaging - the strict black box looks as if it contains a device, if not a luxury one, then at least something special, not like everyone else. And here I would like to return to where we started.

⇡ Conclusions

Since Google introduced Android Wear, many famous brands have acquired wearable devices on this platform. This is understandable - almost all companies interested in the production of smart watches cooperate with Google in one way or another. And there is no alternative even remotely close in quality. So it turns out that, choosing between writing their own operating system and a contract with a “good corporation,” even giants like Samsung opt for the latter, leaving iOS users Windows Phone out of work It's a pity.

ASUS has released a device whose design, quality of materials and assembly evoke extremely pleasant emotions. The first pancake from the Taiwanese turned out to be not at all lumpy: surprisingly, ASUS managed to create perhaps the best Android Wear device to date. Yes, the device is not without its drawbacks, the main one being a weak battery. It does not shine with advanced developments and does not surprise with the shape of the screen. But everything you need to have a mobile assistant on your wrist is there. And of course, the price - in America ZenWatch costs $199. This is $100 cheaper than the LG G Watch R and $50 cheaper than the Moto 360. For the same $199 you can only buy Samsung Gear Live, Gear 2 or LG G Watch - also quite decent devices, but completely different in terms of the impression they make. In Samsung and LG watches, design is sacrificed for manufacturability, while the ASUS device takes a different approach - you will be pleased to wear the ZenWatch every day, and for such a device this is probably the most important thing.

I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but the moment has come. I love Android watches!

Smart watches are now produced by all consumer electronics manufacturers. Last year, Asus, the largest manufacturer, joined this battle motherboards and other computer components. At the IFA 2014 exhibition, the Taiwanese have their own view of what a smart watch should look like. And on June 1 this year, official sales began Asus ZenWatch in Russia.

First impression

The first thing you notice when you pick it up ZenWatch– excellent design. It is clear that the company has worked hard in this direction. The device looks very solid.

The watch case is quite thin and has a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Due to this, as well as the curved, scratch-resistant glass Gorilla Glass 3, ZenWatch looks organic on the hand. It doesn't market itself as a smartwatch, unlike many others.

On the back panel there is single button, battery charging connector, as well as information about the device.

I only had to use this button once - when I first turned it on. You can also use it to call up the settings menu, turn off or reboot a frozen device. But I haven't gotten around to it :-)

The clasp is very comfortable. Firstly, with its help you can adjust the size of the strap to almost any hand. Secondly, it allows you to quickly take off and put on your watch: just press two small buttons located on the sides.

The only thing you can complain about is this strap. It is made of genuine leather and looks quite decent, but feels like oak. This problem can be solved. Unlike the Apple Watch, where you can only use branded or specially made straps for this gadget, with Asus ZenWatch you are free to choose. The point is that mounting width is 22 mm– This size is widely used in ordinary watches.

Here's an example of what your smartwatch might look like with a "stupid" bracelet. Agree, it looks good. The strap is attached to a regular spacer with a spring, which are sold in any watch store. So you can choose one of thousands of options for yourself without much difficulty and significant costs.

Kit and packaging

Asus ZenWatch comes in a small box, in which, in addition to the watch itself, you can find instructions, a warranty card, USB cable, network adapter and a docking station.

The Chinese get screwed over little things.

I think many people noticed that the country had a plastic “bathtub”, which I politely called a docking station. Designed for charging watches. However, the way it is made does not stand up to criticism. Every time you have to “stuff”, and there is no other way to call it, a stylish watch into this plastic horror. Do you think I'm exaggerating? See what it looks like in reality.

Like? I don't. And after charging, you still have to pick them out. Perhaps the manufacturer was guided by the fact that any cable with a mini-USB connector could be connected to this docking station. This way you can replenish your battery charge while away from home. However, to do this, you will still have to carry this thing with you. They were a little too clever, it was enough to get by with a connector with a magnetic fastening - something similar to MagSafe.

And straight into the water

Like all wearable devices, the watch is protected from dust and moisture. Asus ZenWatch comply with IP55 standard– There is no need to worry about the presence of dust inside the device. They are also protected from direct jets of water. That is, you can wash your hands without any problems, but it is not recommended to swim in your watch. Of course, they will survive under water for some time, but it is difficult to say how long this will last. This is a minus.

Filling

Asus ZenWatch is equipped with AMOLED-1.63-inch display with a resolution of 320x320 pixels, which corresponds to 278 pixels per inch. The viewing angles are very large. The screen transmits colors without distortion, the picture is pleasant - it doesn’t hurt the eyes. The display has oleophobic and anti-glare coating. There is multi-touch support, so you can use pinch-zoom in applications. I won’t say that it’s very convenient, the display is not that big, but you can get used to it. And given that there is no physical zoom in/out button, this will take some getting used to.

There is only one complaint about the display, or rather, not about it itself, but about the frames around it. If on the sides they are minimal, then on the top and bottom they are quite noticeable. The situation is saved by dials with a dark background that merges with the frames. Then the entire surface looks harmonious.

The device is powered by a Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 400 With clock frequency 1.2 GHz and Android Wear OS. The device has 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of permanent memory. Communication with a phone or tablet is carried out via Bluetooth 4.0. Naturally, there is a microphone, but no speaker, so you can't talk on this watch. The battery capacity is enough for one day with fairly active use of the device.

Specifications

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, frequency 1.2GHz;
RAM: 512MB LPDDR2;
ROM: 4GB eMMC Flash;
Display: AMOLED 1.63″, 320×320, 278ppi, multi-touch;
Communication: Bluetooth 4.0;
Battery: 369 mAh;
OS: Android Wear;
Dimensions: 51 x 39.9 x 7.9 ~ 9.4 mm;
Weight: 50 (with strap 75) grams.

Android

Asus ZenWatch is controlled by the one that appeared last year operating system, a special version of the OS Google Android, designed for smart watches and other wearable devices. In order for your smartphone or tablet to work with it, it must have Android OS version 4.3 or higher installed. If these requirements are met, the watch will be integrated and will also be able to receive incoming notifications from the smartphone.

To get started with Asus ZenWatch they will need to be connected to a power source, after which the device will indicate that it is ready to sync with your smartphone. Next, install from Google Play Market Android app Wear, with the help of which your phone and watch will become friends.

Once the connection is established, data synchronization will begin. All contacts will be transferred, including photos, as well as applications installed on your smartphone that are supported by the Android Wear OS. For example, Shazam, QR scanner and even games. The process is quite long, it’s better to put the smart watch aside for this time - it slows down a lot.

Next, we need to install another application - ZenWatch Manager. It is used to configure the device. Here you can change dials, configure display settings, and send a sound signal to your watch if you can’t find it. However, this is all quite banal.

One of the interesting features is lost device notification. How does this work. For example, when leaving the premises you forgot your smartphone or tablet, as soon as the system detects this, notifications will be sent to both devices. For users who constantly forget their gadgets, this function will be very useful.

Another feature is the ability to create emergency reminder. All you need to do is select the contacts to which the notification will be sent and type its text. In the event of an emergency, it will be enough to do two swipes on the watch screen and within 10 seconds notifications will be sent to the specified numbers. The function is perfect for both a child and an elderly person, and it will not harm those experiencing health problems.

For their watches, in addition to ZenWatch Manager, the Taiwanese have prepared several more proprietary applications: Remote Camera, Remote Link and Wellness. The first two are designed for remote device management. By using Remote Link, for example, you can manage a presentation on a PC, and Remote Camera will allow you to control the camera on your smartphone or tablet with ZenWatch. To take a photo, you just need to rotate your watch hand. You can follow someone (but don't) :-)

Third branded application Wellness is a program for monitoring the status of your activities. The application collects together the number of steps taken, walking time, distance and calories burned. It also calculates your mood index.

In Google Play Market, as well as in App Store, exists separate category of applications, which are intended for watches. Here you will find countless dials, all kinds of assistants and, of course, games.

Menu and navigation

As I wrote earlier, there is only one physical button on the device, and even that one is more likely for emergencies. Asus ZenWatch is controlled by swiping on the screen and by voice. When you turn your hand, the watch goes into active mode and “listens” to you. The time after which the watch “falls asleep” is set in the settings. With swipes everything is just as simple. Swiping your finger from top to bottom opens the settings menu, from bottom to top – received notifications, from right to left – the main menu opens.

Icons in the main menu available applications are placed taking into account when the application was opened. For example, the Flopsy Droid game you just opened is at the very top, open another one and the first one will move to the second position. The sequence cannot be fixed.

By swiping from right to left again, you get to the contact book of your smartphone, once again you get to the menu Google Now. Here you can say the legendary phrase “Ok Google”, then say voice command. This can also be done when switching the watch to active mode.

Navigation
I would especially like to mention the navigation app Google Maps . The device receives all data from your smartphone and is essentially just a display. In order to get directions to the point you need, you enter the address by voice (you can use your phone). After this, navigation starts on the smartphone, and on the watch screen map and route displayed. You can view it in navigator mode or by control points. There is a tab that displays arrival time and other statistical information.

There are several interesting features. First, when you take a wrong turn, ZenWatch is right there begin to vibrate, attracting your attention. Secondly, there is support black and white mode, which turns on automatically. This allows you to significantly save battery power, and is very convenient at night.

You can also choose how you will cover the given route – car, bicycle or on foot. In general, the navigation works quite stable and indicates the direction correctly. However, when paired with insufficiently powerful devices, stuttering may occur.

What else can Asus ZenWatch do?

Naturally, the functionality of the watch is much greater than what is listed. You can not only browse all notifications received on your phone or tablet, but also reply on them. To enter text, you'll need to talk to ZenWatch for a bit. From the outside it will look funny, but in some cases, for example, while driving, this function is appropriate.

In some applications, such as WhatsApp, you can draw a smiley face on the screen, and the application will recognize what you are drawing and offer the most similar one from its set.

You can also create notes, start a stopwatch, set an alarm, use voice search, remotely control the music player on your phone and much more. New and interesting applications appear every day.

Asus ZenWatch and iOS

Admit it, many of you have already thought: why read about this watch if I have an iPhone? So, Asus ZenWatch can even be paired with an iPhone! This is a life hack that is not officially supported. But it still works.

All you need to do is complete a few simple steps, about which very recently. There is no need for jailbreak or any dances with tambourines. Just install two applications (on your watch and on your phone). That's it, the devices are connected!

Today the possibilities are still limited, but that's only . The following functions are available:

rebroadcasting of all notifications from iPhone (all Push enabled in the notifications menu);
notifications about incoming calls with the name of the caller and answer/reject function;
displays the current iPhone battery charge.

Few? Of course, it’s not enough, but all basic functions are there. You will definitely not miss a single notification or call. You won't need to constantly check your iPhone, which makes it great. And this is just the beginning. Google will make every effort to make the full Android Wear smartwatch experience available on iOS devices.

Thus, Asus ZenWatch is suitable not only for owners of Android smartphones and tablets, but also for fans of Apple technology. And in addition, the latter will always be able to surprise their friends by demonstrating to them the interaction of two hostile operating systems.

Main advantages:

excellent design worthy of a premium watch;
high-quality display;
ability to work with iPhone;
standard strap fastening.

Flaws:

IP55 protection, which is not enough for such a device;

I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but the moment has come. I love Android watches! Smart watches are now produced by all consumer electronics manufacturers. Last year, Asus, the largest manufacturer of motherboards and other computer components, joined this battle. At the IFA 2014 exhibition, the Taiwanese presented their view of what a smart watch should look like....