Android Magazine UK - Issue No. 49

Benefitingfromseveralsystemupdates,the

interface is much superior to our earlier tests with

the G Watch. Everything from setting the watch up

to managing apps works flawlessly, but some will

still crave a slightly bigger screen. Although it’s

moreofanannoyancethananythingelse,the

metallic back can get quite warm sometimes. This

dependsonhowoftenyouusethesmartwatch,

which – given the nature of the device – should be

really the less than five minutes at a time.

However, having a powered-up processor and

thebestintegrationofAndroidWeartodatedoes

come with certain downfalls. Battery life takes a

massive hit and while the accompanying wireless

charging plate works really well, we got just under

14 hours of life from the 369mAh battery. For any

smartwatch to be truly successful, it really needs

to last a whole day without needing a charge.

It’sclearthatAsushaslearntfromthepast

mistakesofitscompetitorswhenitcomestothe

ZenWatch. Although it’s a little chunky and still

lacks the battery life we want, it’s by far and away

the best smartwatch out there right now. If you’re

interested in investing in Android Wear, this is the

smartwatch of choice.

Reviews

Adjustable strap

If the leather strap isn’t for you,

then you can swap it out with

any standard watch strap thanks

to the hinges on the ZenWatch.

We recommend going for a

metal strap to give it a nice

premium fi nish

Chunky design

With the two layers of metal

encasing the capacitive screen,

the watch face does look and

feel chunky. If you’ve got small

wrists it’s surprisingly noticeable

how big the ZenWatch is

Works with Wear

This is without doubt the best

Android Wear smartwatch you

cancurrentlybuy.Thescreen

size is ideal for getting the most

outofWearandthird-partyapps

workreallywelltoo

Fast response

Thanks to the power of a

dual-core processor moving

around, the ZenWatch feels

snappy and responsive. The only

lagwenoticedwaswhenwe

initially setup the smartwatch

We’re still dubious about the

batterylife,buttheAsus

ZenWatch is still the best

smartwatch on the market

»Verdict

better than worse than

Asus ZenWatch

Value for money

The ZenWatch is competitively priced when

compared to other smartwatches for sale

Features

The best smartwatch to utilise Wear yet.

Addingyourownwatchstrapisanicetouch

Design

Thechunkybuildmightbeaputoff,butit

givestheZenWatchamorepremiumfinish

Performance

It’s a pleasure to use the ZenWatch thanks

to the 1.2GHz dual-core processor

Price £199.99

»^ More information http://www.asus.com

»^ Supplied by http://www.asus.com

information

Asus

ZenWatch

Battery life

Expect around 13

hours of life from the

369mAh battery

before you need

to charge

With a premium design and a slick processor, can the

ZenWatch prove we should care about Android Wear?

A

ndroid Wear is not even a year old, but

there are already second generation of

smartwatches on the market. Following on

from plastic prototypes like the LG G Watch and

Samsung Gear Live, the new breed have a more

premium feel. However, while the likes of the Moto

360 and the G Watch R have stolen the headlines,

the Asus ZenWatch has largely fl own under the

radar - but this could be an advantage.

Some complain square screens on

smartwatches are ugly, while others say circular

screens are impractical. The ZenWatch is

predominantly square, but has pleasantly round

edges that make it look like a luxury timepiece.

We’d go as far saying it’s the fi rst smartwatch that

we actually felt comfortable wearing. The metallic

build is chunky and has a notably weight, but it

helps cut a svelte fi gure when on the wrist and

looks arguably better than the Moto 360.

Currently, all Android Wear watches have similar

specs. The ZenWatc has familiar dual-core 1.2GHz

processor, with 512MB of RAM to keep things

ticking nicely. It has the added benefi t of 4GB of

internal storage, but using a signifi cant amount of

it does cause some noticeable slowdown.

Asus ZenWatch

»^ Operating system ...............Android Wear

»^ Processor ................................... 1.2GHz dual-core

Snapdragon 400

»^ Memory .......................................4GB flash, 512MB RAM

»^ Dimensions ..............................51 x 39.9 x 7.9mm

»^ Weight ..........................................75g

»^ Display size ...............................1.63 inch

»^ Display resolution ...............320x320 pixels

»^ Connectivity .............................Bluetooth

»^ Expansion slot .......................N/A

technical specs

Moto 360

issue 46

N/A