Last year, ASUS launched their first smartwatch, the stylish yet inexpensive Android Wear powered ZenWatch. They’re back this year with the second generation ZenWatch 2, this time in two sizes to suit both male and female wearers. It’s still sleek and really affordable, and this time, even iPhone compatible (with caveats). The ZenWatch 2 is better than expected.
At first glance, the ZenWatch 2 is almost similar to its predecessor at least in looks and style. Perhaps one noticeable difference is the new metal crown that’s been added to the ZenWatch 2, similar to side-mounted buttons on some other Android Wear watches, as well as with Apple’s Watch. The watch face is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The two size variants of the ZenWatch 2 are mostly identical in technical specifications, except for the display size, of course, and the battery capacity. The larger of the two, “Sparrow”, has a 1.63-inch 320×320 resolution AMOLED display and 400 mAh battery, while the smaller one, “Wren”, has a 1.45-inch 280×280 resolution AMOLED display and 300 mAh battery capacity.
Both watches pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, and 6-axis accelerometer and gyroscope with sensor-hub. Both AMOLED displays support two-finger touch interaction. They are charged via a magnetic charging cable, and are IP67 rated for water resistance.
Both ZenWatch 2 watches are available in a selection of rubber, leather and stainless steel straps. The larger “Sparrow” ZenWatch 2 takes standard 22 mm straps, while “Wren” takes standard 18 mm straps, so you can change to any other additional straps to your liking.
In terms of colour, both watches are available in Silver, Gunmetal, and Rose Gold. With three colours, 3 straps, and 2 sizes, there are a total of 18 physical combinations out-of-the-box, giving you some options to personalise the ZenWatch 2 to your preference. You can go for a more sporty look, or a more elegant style.
Additionally, ASUS offers over 50 professionally designed software watch faces to choose from. Furthermore, the new FaceDesigner app allows wearers to create their own watch faces for the ultimate in personalisation.
On top of running Android Wear, and offering all the benefits of the apps and features of the Android Wear platform, the ZenWatch 2 works with iPhones running iOS 8.2 and later. You get convenient, at-a-glance view of incoming calls, messages, notifications and other information without having to check your phone.
ASUS apps such as Do It Later allows wearers to defer events such as incoming phone calls and messages by automatically adding them to a list of reminders. A useful app, FoneHelper, offers a collection of features such as Quick Settings, Cover to Mute, Unlock My Phone, and Forget Phone Warning. The Remote Camera function allows you to view your smartphone’s camera viewfinder on the watch itself, and trigger the shutter remotely.
For the health conscious, the ZenWatch 2 is a full-featured activity tracker with built-in pedometer. There is no heart-rate monitoring though.
Both 1.63-inch Sparrow and 1.45-inch Wren ZenWatch 2 models will be available in Singapore at S$229 from 14th November onward. Interchangeable straps will be available at S$39 towards the end of November.
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