Hardware

Published on March 30th, 2015 | by Admin

ASUS to launch ZenWatch in Australia

ASUS today announced that ASUS ZenWatch, its first wearable device powered by Android Wear and produced in partnership with Google, will be available in Australian retail stores in April

Sydney, Australia (30th March 2015) — ASUS today announced that ASUS ZenWatch, its first wearable device powered by Android Wear and produced in partnership with Google, will be available at Bing Lee for $289 from April. The device will also be available for pre-order on ASUS’ online store in April. It is available now on Google Play.

ASUS ZenWatch follows the tradition of fine watch craftsmanship with its stylish, detail-focused design and use of high quality materials. Its curved Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 display and case that follows the contour of the wrist, combined with a premium, stitched-leather strap with unique clasp, results in a design that is both comfortable and elegant. With a standard 22mm changeable strap and a selection of instantly-changeable watch faces, ASUS ZenWatch is easy to customise to fit anyone’s personality or sense of style.

As a smart companion for Android phones, ASUS ZenWatch provides timely information at a glance and lets wearers get things done with a simple touch or voice command. ASUS ZenWatch brings some of the great features of ASUS ZenUI to an Android wearable for the first time. Users of ASUS smartphones can enjoy seamless integration with ASUS ZenUI on their phones, and experience exclusive ASUS ZenUI apps like What’s Next and Do It Later in ways that are more convenient and powerful than ever. Other apps add additional functionality to ASUS ZenWatch, including Remote Camera, which displays the smartphone viewfinder on the watch, letting wearers easily take selfies and other creative photos.

Combining sophisticated sensors with all-day comfort, ASUS ZenWatch is also a personal wellness manager that tracks a variety of wellness statistics, such as heart rate, step counts and relaxation levels to help wearers keep their lives in balance and achieve personal fitness goals.
Fine watch craftsmanship

Employing the attention to detail and level of craftsmanship found in luxury watches, ASUS ZenWatch brings the tradition of fine watchmaking to Android wearables. The durable stainless-steel case features an attractive layered design composed of a striking rose-gold-coloured band inset between two steel layers. The case is curved for increased comfort and a stylish look, and the watch face is covered with a layer of curved glass that increases usability by providing a smooth surface for easy and responsive swiping gestures.

The device has a universal fit that comfortably accommodates a wide range of wrist shapes and sizes. Its soft, genuine stitched-leather strap provides all-day comfort and features a unique clasp design that makes it easy to put on and remove. The standard 22mm strap is easily changeable, letting wearers create a unique look for their watch by choosing a strap in their preference of colour, style, and material. ASUS ZenWatch can use any suitable sized strap; additional leather straps will be available in the future on the ASUS online store.
Complementing its physical design, ASUS ZenWatch comes with a selection of instantly-changeable watch faces to fit any style, mood, or occasion. Wearers can use ASUS ZenWatch Manager on their smartphone to pick a watch face and customise its colour and the information it displays, and change the watch face directly from ASUS ZenWatch. The smartwatch offers over 100 watch face combinations that, together with its changeable strap, provide endless personalisation options.
Smart companion

ASUS ZenWatch is compatible with all smartphones running Android 4.3 or higher, and provides wearers with a convenient window to view incoming calls, messages, notifications and other important information, as well as get straight answers to spoken questions, without having to remove their phone from their pocket or bag. All Android smartphone apps will show updates on ASUS ZenWatch and many apps are creating new experiences to take full advantage of Android Wear.

When paired with the ASUS ZenWatch Manager smartphone app, ASUS ZenWatch provides enhanced smartphone integration, the ability to configure watch faces directly from the phone and advanced features including ASUS ZenUI integration, Unlock My Phone, Cover to Mute, and Find My Phone. Two additional features, Remote Camera and Presentation Control are available by using ASUS ZenWatch with the ASUS Remote Camera and ASUS Remote Link smartphone apps.

ASUS ZenWatch also integrates seamlessly with ASUS ZenUI on ASUS smartphones and comes with wearable-optimised versions of exclusive ASUS ZenUI app such as What’s Next and Do It Later. What’s Next is an intelligent schedule manager that displays the next important task or event such as appointments — including time and location changes, as well as cancellations — weather updates, birthday and anniversary reminders for important contacts. Do It Later reminds wearers of items on their to-do list at just the right time. New email, text message and missed call notifications are all seamlessly integrated with Do It Later, so wearers can create reminders to read and reply to messages and return calls right from ASUS ZenWatch.

Unlock My Phone turns ASUS ZenWatch into a universal key that lets wearers quickly unlock their phone or tablet simply by touching the watch face. Unlock My Phone provides a balance between security and convenience by helping wearers protect their personal information, without always having to type a password or PIN into their device.

Remote Camera opens up new photographic opportunities for wearers by displaying their smartphone’s camera viewfinder remotely on ASUS ZenWatch. This is useful for group photos, letting the photographer compose the photo, release the shutter and check the final result while being included in the shot. Remote Camera also frees wearers to take photos from creative angles where the viewfinder would be difficult to see, such as when holding the phone overhead at a concert or other crowded event.

Cover to Mute lets wearers easily mute an incoming call by placing their hand over the face of ASUS ZenWatch, helping them avoid situations where a ringtone would disturb others. Cover to Mute can also be used to silence alarms. Find My Phone helps wearers find their phone when it is misplaced by ringing it remotely. Alternatively, ASUS ZenWatch Manager on the smartphone can be used to find a misplaced ASUS ZenWatch by making it vibrate and flash.

Presentation Control enables ASUS ZenWatch to be used as a remote control and time manager when giving a business presentation or lecture. Wearers can move between slides, keep track of their progress, and keep an eye on the elapsed time all from ASUS ZenWatch, helping them to give polished, effective presentations.
Wellness manager

Comfortable to wear everywhere and built with sophisticated sensors, ASUS ZenWatch is a full-featured wellness manager that helps wearers maintain a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Using the built-in biosensor, ASUS ZenWatch measures relaxation levels and then provides wearers with an easy-to-understand relaxation score based on the results. Depending on the score, ASUS ZenWatch provides useful short tips on how to increase relaxation and reduce stress to improve wellness. Relaxation scores are recorded in the ASUS ZenUI Wellness app so wearers can track their relaxation levels over time.

While wearers use ASUS ZenWatch throughout the day, the Wellness app tracks and displays a variety of health-related stats, including steps taken, calories burned, heart rate, activity duration, exercise intensity and relaxation level. The stats are presented as an informative timeline and weekly summary view that lets wearers know at a glance how active their lifestyle is.

Wearers can set activity goals — such as a target number of steps to take in a day —then monitor these goals on ASUS ZenWatch as well as in the Wellness app. The summaries include attractive graphs that are easy to interpret and analyze, and can be used to progress towards future fitness goals.

ASUS has also partnered with Jawbone to bring its revolutionary UP system to ASUS ZenWatch. UP is an activity tracker and smart coach that helps wearers be more active. UP counts steps taken during the day and lets wearers log their diet and sleep. With this information UP presents wearers with simple lifestyle adjustments they can make to improve their health and fitness.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ZenWatch will be available at Bing Lee from April for $289. ZenWatch will also be available through ASUS’ online store on pre-order (shop.asus.com/au ) in April. It is available now on Google Play. ASUS ZenWatch Manager, Remote Camera, and Wellness will be available on the Google Play store.


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andrew@impulsegamer.com'


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