News & Reviews:   ASUS ZenWatch Malaysia

Android Wear 2.0, which was supposed to be released in Q4 2016, was delayed, and is now finally seeing the light of the day. Now, if you’re one of the previous-generation Android Wear Smartwatch users, you must be wondering, “Would this new update arrive on my wrists?”. Well, the answer is, Yes, but only to certain devices. Google has, Thankfully, provided the full list of supported devices that will be getting the Android Wear 2.0 update once it becomes available for your smartwatch.

While the ASUS ZenWatch (W1500Q) has not been made officially available in Malaysia, third-party sellers like SatuGadgetDotCom and DirectD are now selling the smartwatch from RM799. Other third-party sellers can also be found selling it for as low as RM769 which you can see with a quick visit toLelong.com.my. As a refresher the tech specs for the ZenWatch include a Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a curved 1.63-inch display with 320 x 320 pixel resolution covered by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Available in rose gold and silver, the ZenWatch comes with a leather strap and is compatible with devices that can run Android Wear. 

ASUS Malaysia recently announced their Face the Future global contest for their ASUS ZenWatch smartwatch. Beginning from 10 January 2015 (today) to 10 February 2015 you can send in your own ZenWatch watch face design which could become one of the standard watch faces included with the ASUS ZenWatch. Winners will win the ASUS ZenWatch with a prize for 6 categories including Overall Gold Medal, Best Beauty in Design, Best Practical Design, Best Creative Design, Best Student Design Award and Fan Favorite. In addition, 3 more ASUS ZenWatch smartwatches will also be up for grabs in a lucky draw for users who vote for their favourite designs, so everyone wins. Check out the ASUS ZenWatch site for more details or go and download the ASUS ZenWatch Watch Face Template for your entry in the Face the Future contest. Still no news on Malaysia release dates, but considering this Face the Future contest we expect the ASUS ZenWatch to make an appearance in Malaysia soon, probably after the contest ends, so stay tuned for more developments. 

ASUS have officially announced the ASUS ZenWatch (WI500Q), confirming a curved screen, premium look and gesture-based shortcuts. The overall design of the smartwatch is definitely premium with a classy metal chassis that is both thin and shiny right down to the chrome finish. Measuring in at 50.6 x 39.8 x 7.9-9.4mm and 75g the ZenWatch is quite slim and trim. Tech specs for the ZenWatch are not bad at all with a Snapdragon 400 processor,  512MB of RAM,  4GB of storage and a curved 1.63-inch display with 320 x 320 pixel resolution covered by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The watch has a leather strap and IP55 water resistance certification.  This means that it can probably take a shower or some rain but may not survive a swim. The ZenWatch runs on Android Wear with the ASUS ZenUI user interface but we're not sure if this also means that the watch may only have 1GB of storage left due to all the ZenUI apps. According to ASUS,  they have more than 100 watch faces but one of the more notable features is gesture-based system of shortcuts such as covering the watch to mute it and so forth. While there are still no Malaysia release dates or pricing details yet,  early estimates have it priced at around $260 (RM823) which places it on par with other smartwatches in the country. Hopefully, the price comes down a little for it to remain competitive.

ASUS has confirmed that their upcoming smartwatch will be called the ASUS ZenWatch in a new teaser video. While the official announcement for the ZenWatch remains 3 September 2014 at the IFA 2014 event, the video does reveal the curved look of ASUS's upcoming Android Wear smartwatch. So far, there are still no confirmed tech specs or features yet but the teasers have revealed that it could come with a "smooth shell", "front camera" and "genuine leather" strap. No news yet on pricing but many are expecting it to cost around $99 (RM313). Stay tuned for more developments.