Android electronic watch for Asus. Review of ASUS ZenWatch smartwatches: this is a must see

I never thought of a watch as an accessory. And I’ve also never experienced the joy of the very fact that some miniature mechanical thing is dangling from my wrist. I wore the watch with pleasure during my school years, both for the opportunity to quickly find out the time and for the built-in alarm clock, stopwatch and timer. After the mobile phone appeared, I began to wear my watch less and less, and then I gave it up altogether. Fortunately, even the simplest “handset” already had a clock, a stopwatch, and an alarm clock.

I've been looking at smartwatches for a long time. After all, at first glance, this is the reincarnation of the good old “Electronics”, only at a fundamentally new technical level. That is, a kind of universal gadget that, in addition to showing the time, can do a bunch of other things. What stopped me was the price - I didn’t want to pay a lot of money for an unknown animal that lived on battery power for just over a day and threatened to turn out to be completely useless. And the reviews existing on the Internet somehow did not convince me of the usefulness of such gadgets.

I reacted with great enthusiasm to the proposal to take the Asus ZenWatch 3 for testing and almost tore it away from Evgeniy along with his hands. I was not so interested in ZenWatch 3 as such, but in watches on Android Wear in general.

Characteristics

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100
• Operating system: Android Wear
• RAM: 512 MB
• Data Storage: 4GB eMMC
• Display: AMOLED 1.39", 400x400
• Case material: stainless steel steel
• Dimensions: 45x45x9.5 mm
• Interfaces: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi
• Battery: 340 mAh

Design

For the most part, smartwatches are quite bulky things. No matter how hard manufacturers try, they still can’t pack a bunch of powerful hardware into a thin body. It’s all the more pleasant that Asus engineers did not sit idly by and honestly tried to win back even a fraction of a millimeter from their competitors. The thickness of ZenWatch 3 was 9.95 mm, which is very, very good for a smartwatch. For comparison, the thickness of the second generation Moto 360 and Apple Watch Series 2 is 11.4 mm, the LG Watch Urbane is exactly 11 mm, and the Huawei Watch 2 Classic is 12.6 mm. The only trouble is that the eye usually doesn’t notice this millimeter difference anyway.

Designers came to the rescue of engineers. The streamlined design, beveled edges, and the display recessed inside the body favorably emphasize the small thickness of the gadget. As a result, ZenWatch 3 really doesn't look bulky. And they look quite good on both men’s and women’s hands.

The watch case is made of stainless steel, available in three colors: metal, silver and rose gold. The strap is made using Italian technology from genuine leather. Its fastenings are non-standard, and I think that it will be difficult to find an alternative option. There are only two branded leather straps - light beige and dark brown leather. Judging by the store offers, there is also a silicone strap, although for some reason it is not mentioned on the official website.

Below are several photos of watches in different colors from the manufacturer’s official website.

Asus designers say that when developing the design of ZenWatch 3, they were inspired by a solar eclipse. There really is something to this. The dark gold bezel between the steel body and the black circle of the darkened display looks very impressive.

There are three control keys on the side. The central one is stylized as a wheel (you can spin it, but it’s useless) and serves as the “Home” button. The bottom button switches the watch to energy-saving mode. You can assign a quick launch of an application to the top one; by default, this is the Asus ZenFit fitness tracker. For the most part, the two additional buttons are a design tribute. They make the ZenWatch look more interesting, but have almost no practical use.

On the bottom side of the case there is a connector for the charger and speaker slots. The magnetic mount is perfect - you just need to bring the charger close to the watch and it clicks into place. But there is no heart rate sensor on this watch, which may upset many.

Hardware and performance

The heart of the device is the Snapdragon Wear 2100 SOC. This is the first processor in the new Qualcomm line, originally designed for wearable devices. Essentially, it is a redesigned version of the Snapdragon 400. The main differences between the Snapdragon Wear 2100 and its predecessor are its compactness (the difference reaches 30%) and energy efficiency (power consumption is reduced by 25%).

As for performance as such, at this stage of development of smartwatches there is simply no place to evaluate it. The interface works smoothly, simple games like 2048 do not slow down. If there is anything that raises questions about them, it is ergonomics, not the power of the hardware.

Screen

In the comments under the review of any tablet or smartphone with an AMOLED display, a debate will certainly begin about the pros and cons of this technology. Some people still complain that they can distinguish individual subpixels on a 2K screen. Others admire the “unusually bright and rich colors,” which in half the cases are explained by “skewed” factory calibration, and not at all by the type of screen. In general, each type of matrix has its own strengths and weaknesses; the choice between them has long been a matter of taste.

The situation with wearable electronics is a little different. Tiny sizes, weak batteries and the need for an always-on display dictate completely different rules of the game. And in such situations, the AMOLED display is a very significant plus. Primarily due to the fact that it consumes virtually no energy when displaying dark colors.

The Asus ZenWatch 3 uses a 1.39" round AMOLED screen with a resolution of 400x400 pixels. By smartphone standards, 287 ppi is not too much, but for a watch the characteristics are not bad. If you look closely, you can notice slight graininess, but in real life this is not too critical.

Viewing angles are good, brightness and contrast practically do not drop when tilted. Color rendition is natural, without excessive “acidity”. Black color is displayed perfectly (a nice feature of AMOLED), while white does not have any special impurities visible to the eye.

In general, the display brightness is sufficient, although it is not very comfortable to use the watch in bright sunlight. The dial in standby mode becomes unreadable; on the active screen you can read the information, but you still want to increase the brightness. At night, the dimly glowing display is not annoying, although this is a matter of taste.

The watch has a light sensor, which allows you to adjust the brightness not only manually (5 steps), but also automatically. Among the quick switches in the notification shade there is the “Increase brightness” item, which allows you to quickly raise the brightness to the maximum level. Although specifically in ZenWatch 3 it is not particularly needed - the light sensor works flawlessly, and you still can’t jump above the maximum.

Autonomous operation

The Snapdragon Wear 2100 promised a solid increase in battery life. Alas, the miracle did not happen. When choosing a dark dial and minimal use of third-party applications, the watch lasts a little more than a day.

There are various tricks that allow you to extend the operating time of the device by 2-3 times. There's just no point in using them. For example, there is a power-saving mode in which all wireless interfaces are disabled. This allows you to increase battery life up to two days, but turns the smartwatch into a mediocre fitness bracelet. It is possible to completely turn off the screen in sleep mode, which will also save some amount of charge. Especially for those who prefer to use a light dial. In my opinion, this is extremely inconvenient, and automatically turning on the display when you move your hand does not help the situation. A watch that does not allow you to tell the time at a glance and requires ritual gestures from the owner is nonsense. And they look as if their battery is dead.

The situation is partially saved by the presence of fast charging. According to the manufacturer, in 15 minutes you can charge the watch battery by 60%. In reality, the results are a little more modest; my completely discharged watch was charged by only 52% in a quarter of an hour. Which is still very good. In 30 minutes the battery is charged to 85%, and a full charge takes approximately 55 minutes.

The other side of the coin is the lack of wireless charging. The charger is a round pad with a thin cable that is attached to the underside of the watch. Thanks to the convenient magnetic mount, you can charge the watch in one motion, even in complete darkness.

Dials

There are a lot of different types of dials. Firstly, there are good solutions from Asus designers. Secondly, there are a bunch of different options on Google Play. Thirdly, many watch faces allow you to choose from several color schemes. And fourthly, there is also proprietary Asus software, which easily allows you to change the appearance of branded displays and create your own based on them.

In the pursuit of beauty, the main thing is not to forget that the dial on a smart watch is not only an aesthetic issue, but also a completely practical one. And it can greatly affect the operating time of the device.

Each dial has two operating modes. In active screen mode (when you raised your hand to see the time, tapped the screen, or pressed the Home button), the watch face appears in all its glory. In sleep mode, when you are not directly using the clock, a simplified version is displayed. It lacks small details (for example, a second hand or some design elements) and usually uses different colors. Most of them are dark, which, thanks to the features of the AMOLED matrix, can significantly reduce energy costs.

Two points follow from this. Firstly, it’s far from a fact that the dial you like in the picture will look beautiful in sleep mode. For example, I am extremely annoyed when, with every movement of my hand, the black dial turns bright white, and after a few seconds of inactivity it turns black again. This flickering is distracting, and it looks quite peculiar.

Secondly, at least in a simplified version of the dial, dark colors should predominate. You can find options exclusively in light colors, but this will not have the best effect on battery life.

The watch face can also have different widgets and active zones. In addition to the time, it can display the current date, the number of unread emails or steps taken today, the smartphone battery percentage, the weather forecast, and so on. Some watch faces from Google Play are almost full-fledged launchers, with widgets, quick launch icons and additional menus.

Android Wear

I should immediately note that my watch worked on Android Wear 1.5, the update to 2.0 had not yet arrived.

First of all, you need to connect the watch to your smartphone. To do this, you need to download and run the proprietary Android Wear application on your phone.

Control is carried out using swipes on the touch screen, each of which can be replaced with a special gesture. For example, the analogue of a swipe up is a sharp turn of the wrist away from you and a slow return to yourself. Swipe down - slowly turn your wrist away from you and sharply return it back. To exit the current section, simply raise your wrists upward. To enter the submenu, tilt your hand down. With a shake of your wrist, you can dismiss the current activity and return to your home screen.

The clock face is the system's home screen. On the right is the main menu with a list of installed applications, a voice dialing screen and a list of contacts. On top there is a curtain with switches. The notification card “spine” is displayed at the bottom of the screen. You can pull it up with a horizontal swipe. If the entire text of the message does not fit on the screen (for example, it is a long letter), then to view it you need to tap once on the screen. If there are several message cards, they will be displayed one below the other.

There's no shortage of apps for Android Wear. Moreover, many Android programs have miniature companion applications for watches. For the most part, control occurs using the same swipes. Horizontal swipe – scroll through the application feed, swipe to the right – go to the list of additional functions or submenus, swipe to the left – go to the main screen.

The swipe system is convenient for performing simple actions. For example, when you need to view a couple of recent messages, get acquainted with the agenda, display the weather forecast or navigator tips. To do this, you don’t even have to touch the screen, just a few brush movements are enough. But more complex tasks result in constant digging through the menu, inconvenient scrolling of long texts, the need to dictate text by voice, and so on. And there are not enough functions in the applications. The clock is primarily an additional screen for displaying basic information. It is better to use a smartphone to work with it.

As for stability, Android Wear still has room to grow. I can’t say that there were many problems with the watch, but there were some. But two weeks of operation is a very short period of time.

The most unpleasant thing is problems with synchronization. In two weeks, I twice encountered a situation where the watch lost connection with the smartphone in the middle of the day. The phone was on silent at the time, which caused me to miss several important messages. Rebooting the watch did not help, so the problem was not so much with the watch, but with the operation of the Android Wear application on the smartphone. There, the status of the watch was “Connecting...”, although among the available devices in the Bluetooth settings they were displayed all this time. Enabling/disabling Bluetooth, restarting the application and other similar actions did not bring any results. The first time rebooting the phone helped, the second time the problem resolved itself after about 2-3 hours. One could blame this on the phone manufacturer, but the problem is that at that time I was using an Asus ZenFone 3 Max.

Among other small things, there were a couple of crashes and errors of third-party applications, due to which they had to be restarted. This further demonstrates that Android Wear, unlike Android itself, is still a young OS. I would like to believe that the watch will work more stable on Android Wear 2.0.

Branded Applications

ZenWatch 3 is compatible with a set of proprietary Asus applications. As an example, I will give descriptions of several programs.

ZenWatch Manager is a smartphone application that allows you not only to configure your watch in detail, but also to teach it a couple of new tricks.

FaceDesigner is an application for editing watch faces. You can use it to “fine-tune” the branded watch face you like (for example, add a couple of miniature widgets), or you can completely redo everything.

ZenFit is a fitness app for monitoring activity. The application is installed on the watch out of the box and works even without connection to a smartphone. But the manufacturer still advises installing its “adult” version on your phone and periodically synchronizing the data, this will make working with it even more convenient.

Nobody forces you to use branded applications, but overall this is a very nice bonus.

Personal impressions

Battery life is the main thing that confused me about smartwatches and what stopped me from buying them for several years. I have long been accustomed to leaving my phone to charge overnight. Check your laptop's charge before going to bed, too. But adding a clock to them, taking up all the free sockets, is already a clear overkill. Moreover, in this case you can say goodbye to the alarm clock and call notifications. And due to the nature of my work, sometimes they actually call me at night.

In practice, everything turned out to be not so scary at all. My watch always lasted more than a day, which allowed me not to worry about how it would survive the night. Usually there was still about 10% charge left. The charging time allows you to charge the device in the morning while you wash your face, have breakfast and get ready for work. In the end, no one bothers to charge the watch after work - just 15 minutes, and the battery is already 50-60% charged. Of course, this is not ideal. But you can already live like this.

The second question was the quantity and quality of “smart” functions, for which such watches are bought. And here everything is much less clear. On the one hand, the watch has a wagon and a trolley. On the other hand, most of them are very situational and are not needed so often to justify the purchase of a new gadget.

Despite a bunch of different features and applications, most often I used the two most common functions: alarm clock and notifications. Moreover, the alarm clock is very simple, without any intellectual functions or additional gadgets. On the one hand, this is a gentleman's set of almost any wearable device, starting from the budget Xiaomi Mi Band. On the other hand, a full screen still gives smartwatches a solid head start.

The fitness bracelet will notify you when a new notification arrives, but will not tell you what exactly happened. So in any case, you will have to take your phone out of your pocket and see what happened there. With a smartwatch, everything is different - you immediately see what kind of notification it is, and immediately evaluate whether it’s worth picking up your phone for. Correspondence in a group chat may not directly concern you at all and be completely uninteresting. The SMS “I’m 10 minutes late” is worth taking into account, but since it does not imply a response, you don’t have to take your smartphone out of your backpack. As an option, you can simply dictate a short answer directly from the watch. But a business letter that requires a quick and detailed response is really worth answering from a smartphone.

Some will say this is a mere trifle. Maybe so, but, unlike many other promoted “tricks”, it really makes life a little more convenient. This was felt especially well at the beginning of this summer, when the temperature was not much above zero, and something disgustingly reminiscent of sleet was falling from the sky. According to the law of meanness, the phone was literally bursting with messages at that time. Every time I didn’t want to unbutton my already not too warm jacket and take my smartphone out of its inner pocket. Moreover, he has no protection from water, and the rain (or is it snow?..) fell incessantly. But simply ignoring all the messages was completely untenable. And here the smart watch came in handy, allowing us to select a few truly critical ones from among the dozens of notifications received.

Against this background, it’s a shame that the notification implementation itself in the current version of Android Wear is not very good. As you remember, any events are displayed as cards at the bottom of the screen. This could be anything - a hint card from Google Now, information about the remaining number of steps, a message from a chat, a new letter, a notification from some application, and so on. You can see the “spine” of the card under the watch dial even in standby mode. It allows you to roughly assess what kind of message it is and how interesting it is to you. Then, by swiping or tilting your hand, you pull the card onto the screen and scroll through the text of the message.

If you forget to clear the screen of unnecessary notifications or didn’t feel the vibration of your watch a couple of times while shaking on the subway, then the cards will begin to accumulate. Having taken a quick glance at the watch dial, you will no longer be sure how many messages you have and from which programs. After all, only the latest, most recent card is displayed under the dial. And what is hidden underneath is a mystery. You need to lift it onto the screen, scroll through, check which card is hidden below, scroll through the next message again, and so on until the very bottom. And sometimes it’s easier to take your smartphone out of your pocket and look at the list of notifications on it. Although there are pitfalls here - the SMS that you just read from the watch will be marked as new on the phone screen.

But the gesture control system turned out to be unexpectedly good. It requires some getting used to, and it will still be more convenient to perform complex actions using the touchscreen. But if you want, you can read the incoming message, even if your hands are full. Or if you are cleaning or cooking and don’t want to touch your watch or smartphone with dirty hands.

As you can see, in my case the scenarios for using the watch turned out to be quite boring. Although in fact they can do a lot of things.

To whom, why and for what purpose

People buy some devices for strictly defined tasks. Washing machine – for washing. Iron - for ironing. Filter – for water purification. Other devices are purchased because of the potential, the opportunities that they can open. The first iPad became just such a device, which was bought without really understanding what exactly to do with it. And after the fact, we figured out what he could do and what he could be useful for. Smartwatches, whether on OS from Apple or OS from Google, were supposed to be exactly such devices.

But something didn’t work out for the manufacturers with the watch. And it seems that it also turned out to be an interesting and promising thing with a bunch of different features and programs. But for some reason the mass consumer was not interested. From a toy for everyone, as tablets have become (with a number of caveats), smartwatches have turned into toys for technology enthusiasts and geeks. The meaning is exactly the same, only the audience is hundreds of times smaller.

People who love tech gadgets can certainly find a use for smartwatches. And these will be working use cases, and not a forced attempt to justify the purchase in the eyes of others. Another thing is that these are not scenarios that can be taken and extrapolated to everyone.

For example, you can use your watch as a navigator. Of course, not while driving a car. And it’s unlikely when walking, where it’s usually enough to glance at the smartphone screen once and remember the route for the next 5-10 minutes. But when riding a bicycle, when you don’t want to stop and take your smartphone out of your pocket, this can really be convenient. Unless, of course, you use it as transport from point A to point B, and not just ride somewhere outside the city.

You can use the watch as a fitness tracker. Of course, no one bothers you to buy the same Xiaomi Mi Band for 2,000 rubles. Or install a free pedometer app on your smartphone, which won't drain your battery that much. But is there any point in creating entities if you are accustomed to wearing a watch on your hand anyway?

You can use watch sensors to collect and process statistics in third-party applications. For example, some smart alarm clocks (including the popular Sleep as Android) allow you to use your smartwatch to track your sleep stages. Yes, in most cases, you can use the smartphone itself for this, which will respond to your movements. But if you have an expensive spring mattress (or if you sleep more than one), this may be a good solution.

All this is just the beginning of a long list. For example, the watch allows you to control music playback from Google Play. If your headphones don’t have a button to switch tracks, and you’re too lazy to reach for your smartphone, this may be convenient. Or browse your Twitter feed. It’s inconvenient to do this on a tiny watch screen, but using a smartphone on public transport during rush hour is even more difficult. Some people might like to use them for wireless Android Pay payments, in case you're too lazy to take out both your credit card and your phone. You can also control your smart home using a watch, although this is even more exotic than the smart watch itself.

It's very easy to remember dozens of functions and come up with hundreds of use cases. But the question will always be in the air: why is this necessary? Someone will find the answer for themselves. Some people don't.

As for me, I enjoyed using the Asus ZenWatch 3 for two weeks. And I must admit that Android Wear smartwatches really turned out to be an excellent technological toy. Partly useful, partly just funny. But at the same time, I don’t feel the slightest regret that it’s time to put them back in the box. It is already clear that in another two or three weeks I would, in any case, put them on the shelf and return to the good old Xiaomi Mi Band, which formally can do a hundred times less. But in practice it does exactly what I really need. It wakes you up in the morning, vibrates when new emails arrive, and as a bonus, counts your steps. And on the hand, unlike a rather heavy watch, it is practically not felt.

Results

Overall, my impressions of the Asus ZenWatch 3 are purely positive. Relatively compact dimensions, beautiful design and nice materials, good hardware, fast charging, interesting proprietary applications - all this is definitely captivating. The disadvantages include the lack of wireless charging and a heart rate sensor. And also a meager assortment of branded straps and their non-standard fastening.

It’s not so much the Asus ZenWatch 3 that raises questions, but the entire segment of Android Wear smartwatches as a whole. At the moment, these are quite specific and niche devices that are not useful to everyone. And the thickness of the case or the quality of the screen of a particular model does not greatly affect this situation.

As for the price, in my opinion, taking into account the characteristics of the watch, it is set adequately - from 18,990 rubles in federal retail. We can say that this is the middle segment - there are offers both cheaper (the closest analogue is LG Watch Style) and noticeably more expensive. Although it is difficult to seriously draw any parallels and talk about competitors here. Still, a watch, even a smart one, is an accessory. Which is chosen not only by characteristics, but also by appearance. And the shape of the case or the style of execution here can become a much more significant advantage than the processor model or the name of the OS.

The first detailed review in Russia

In January 2015, we told you about the Asus ZenWatch smartwatch. We really liked this model - at that time it looked like perhaps the best option among smart watches on the market. However, since then the situation has changed significantly: the Apple Watch appeared, which set new design standards in this area. Asus' competitors, Samsung and LG, have also strengthened their positions by releasing round watches. The Taiwanese company had to quickly respond to the expansion of competitors from the USA and South Korea, and now, less than a year has passed, the second version of Asus watches, ZenWatch 2, entered the market.

Apple's example clearly turned out to be contagious: now every manufacturer considers it their duty to present two size options and the widest possible selection of straps. So Asus watches were released with screens of 1.45 and 1.63 inches, and the strap could be leather, metal or silicone.

Let us remember that the first model was available only in a version with a 1.63-inch screen, and the strap was leather. It still remains in the Asus range, the model number is WI500Q, while the new models received the numbers WI501Q and WI502Q (1.63 inches and 1.45 inches, respectively).

Let's take a look at the specifications of the model we tested.

Specifications Asus ZenWatch WI501Q

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4 cores @1.2 GHz
• Touch display 1.63″ AMOLED, 320×320 (278 ppi) with curved Gorilla Glass 3
• Random access memory (RAM) 512 MB, internal memory 4 GB
• Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Wi-Fi
• Microphone
• Gyroscope, accelerometer
• Lithium polymer battery 1.4 Wh
• Android Wear operating system
• Compatible with devices running Android 4.3 and later
• Compliant with IP67 protection standard
• Removable genuine leather strap (width 22 mm at loops)
• Dimensions 50×41×11 mm
• Weight (with strap) 62 g

Now let's compare the key characteristics of ZenWatch 2 with the specifications of its predecessor, as well as with the Samsung Gear S2 and Apple Watch - perhaps the most serious competitors.

*according to manufacturer information

So, compared to the first generation ZenWatch, the new product has the ability to communicate via Wi-Fi, as well as a higher degree of protection against moisture (IP67), that is, with the new ZenWatch you can safely take a shower. The dimensions have changed slightly (if we compare the WI500Q and WI501Q models), but still the body is now different. Find out more in our review!

Equipment

The watch comes in a rectangular blue and black box that looks quite nice.

Having opened the box, we see the watch itself, which is placed in a cardboard slot, where it is quite well fixed. This gives you confidence that they will not be damaged during transportation, even if the box falls.

Under the cardboard holder of the watch you can find several mini-booklets (since we ordered the watch from the USA, they are all in English), a 5V 1.2A charger and a Micro-USB cable with a magnetic connector for connecting to the watch.

Let us remind you that the previous version of ZenWatch used a cradle, which had to be put on the watch case and a cable connected to it. The new solution, on the one hand, is more convenient and simpler (and certainly more compact), but on the other hand, the connector is not magnetized very tightly, and in order for it not to come unfastened from the watch, you need to find the optimal position.

Note that all of the above-mentioned competitors use inductive charging (wireless), which is more convenient and interesting from a technological point of view. However, it is obvious that such charging is more expensive and takes up more space.

Design

The first impression when you see the watch is that it is very large. Perhaps it’s a matter of slightly increased thickness, perhaps it’s some other nuances that affect perception. But, rather, this is influenced by comparison with other smartwatches - for example, with the 42 mm version of the Apple Watch (which, with a larger screen area, has a much more compact body). But, one way or another, Asus ZenWatch 2 WI501Q is really large by today's standards. They look very strange on a woman's hand.

The manufacturer has retained some important features of the previous version - slightly curved glass, steel hinges of standard width, body shape (something between an oval and a rectangle with rounded corners). However, some characteristic elements have disappeared (a recess on the edges, painted in a different color, a metal back), but others have appeared: first of all, the button on the right side.

As we remember, the Apple Watch has a similar element called the Digital Crown and not only performs the function of the Home button, but also allows you to scale or scroll the picture (since the button can be rotated around its axis). The Asus ZenWatch 2 has a more modest button functionality: a short press on it takes us to the main screen (watch face), and a long press takes us to the main menu. You can't twist it in any way. However, this is a better option than the first ZenWatch - there the Home button was on the inner surface of the case and getting to it when the watch was on was completely inconvenient.

The button has a rounded cap and a golden color, it is pressed quite elastically, the “frame” of the button is made of steel and is motionless. The frame of the case is also steel. On the left side we see the microphone hole. There is no speaker on the watch.

The strap consists of two halves, which are attached to steel loops protruding from the bottom and top of the case. The loop width of the strap is standard: 22 mm (for the version with a 1.45-inch screen it is smaller - 20 mm). As we already said, there are many options for straps on sale, we had the cheapest one - silicone. It has a corrugated, rough surface that is not very pleasant to the touch. The color of the strap we had was black and brown. Also a very strange decision. This strap will fit perfectly with a classic black or blue suit.

The strap halves are attached to the watch case very simply and there should be no problems with replacing them - just remove the metal lever.

The last thing worth noting when talking about the design is the fairly wide frames around the screen. The manufacturer is trying to brighten this up, firstly, with an original solution with curved glass, and secondly, with a specific pattern - thin lines diverging from the screen to the edges of the case. This element is also borrowed from the first generation Asus ZenWatch. But the problem is that now they are practically invisible - only if you look very closely, bringing the device very close to your eyes.

Overall, the design of the watch left us with a mixed impression. It seems that there are good solutions (for example, the “Home” button is located better), and continuity with the previous generation has been preserved, but to say that the watch makes you want to own it or admire it - no, this is not the case. The model is not for everyone.

Screen

The watch is equipped with a square color touch screen made using AMOLED technology. A resolution of 320x320 with a diagonal of 1.63" already seems insufficient (the pixel density is 278 ppi, while competitors have more than 300 ppi), but if you don’t look closely, the pixels are unlikely to be noticeable.

The editor of the “Projectors and TV” section, Alexey Kudryavtsev, conducted a detailed test of the screen. His expertise is below.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, noticeably better than that of Google Nexus 7 (2013)), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are slightly worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 2013 screen. For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off:

The screen of the Asus ZenWatch 2 is slightly lighter (brightness according to photographs is 117 versus 109 for the Nexus 7). Note that there is a not very pronounced bluish halo from bright objects reflected in the screen, and some convexity of the outer surface of the screen leads to the fact that something is almost always reflected in it. There is no double reflection, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. When the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum value (5 on the scale) of brightness was about 305 cd/m², the minimum (1 on the scale) was 51 cd/m². Given the good anti-glare properties, on a sunny day outdoors, screen readability should remain at a more or less acceptable level. There is no automatic brightness adjustment, which, given the high minimum brightness, is not very good, especially for a watch. In the graphs of brightness (vertical axis) versus time (horizontal axis), only slight modulation can be seen, so there is no visible screen flicker:

This screen uses an AMOLED matrix - active matrix organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors - red (R), green (G) and blue (B) in equal numbers, as confirmed by a fragment of a microphotograph:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

In each pair, the subpixels are controlled independently, which is confirmed by another fragment in which some of the red subpixels are turned off:

The spectra are typical for OLED - the primary color areas are well separated and appear as relatively narrow peaks:

Accordingly, the coverage is noticeably wider than sRGB, and there are no attempts to reduce it:

Note that on screens with a wide color gamut, without appropriate correction, the colors of regular images optimized for devices with sRGB screens look unnaturally saturated:

Somehow I don’t want to eat such tomatoes, and the girl’s complexion inspires fears about her health. Apparently, only Apple cares about the correct color gamut with OLED matrices. The color temperature of the white and gray fields is approximately 6600 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is 5 and 2 units, respectively. Color balance is acceptable. Black is just black from any angle. It is so black that the contrast setting is simply not applicable in this case. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. The screen has excellent viewing angles with a much smaller drop in brightness when looking at the screen at an angle compared to LCD screens. In general, the quality of the screen can be considered quite high.

Asus software and proprietary applications

Like other Android Wear devices, the Asus ZenWatch is compatible with smartphones and tablets running Android 4.3 or later. In addition, the Android Wear application for iOS has recently appeared. On the one hand, this is very cool: now, of all operating systems for watches, Android Wear provides the widest compatibility. But on the other hand, when working with an iPhone, you will not be able to install third-party applications for the watch, that is, you will be deprived of one of the main advantages of Android Wear. However, a set of additional watch faces will still be available to you (they are located in the application itself, and not in the Google Play Store, where there is no access from the iPhone). Below are screenshots of the iPhone version of Android Wear.

In the case of Asus ZenWatch 2, these advantages are especially significant, because the manufacturer has prepared a number of proprietary applications for the watch. Of course, there are also watch faces made specifically for the ZenWatch. We will talk about this in detail in this section, leaving out the description of Android Wear as a whole (we have already talked in detail about this operating system and its capabilities more than once, so we refer you to previous articles). We emphasize that on all existing watches running Android Wear, the operating system looks and works the same - both in terms of performance, and in terms of functionality, and in terms of appearance, because Google prohibits customizing the OS interface in any way.

So, at the moment, Asus offers five proprietary applications for ZenWatch (they are compatible with both generations of smartwatches). These are ZenWatch Manager, ZenWatch Remote Camera, ZenWatch FaceDesigner, ZenWatch Music and ZenWatch Wellness.

ZenWatch Manager is interesting primarily due to the ability to flexibly customize the appearance of watch faces. For example, you can change the color of individual elements or the set of widgets (however, the range of options is always very limited). In addition, ZenWatch Manager provides a number of additional settings that are not possible through the Android Wear application.

The new ZenWatch FaceDesigner app offers even more interesting options for working with watch faces. Here you can create a new watch face almost from scratch, select the background, the type of hands/numbers, and also set the number, color and arrangement of elements. You can even make a custom inscription.

The third interesting application is ZenWatch Music. It allows you to transfer music files from your smartphone to the watch’s memory, from where you can play them without using a smartphone, simply by connecting a Bluetooth headset to the watch.

We told you about other applications in our review of the first generation ZenWatch. They haven't changed much since then. Wellness is a fitness app, Remote Camera is an app for controlling your smartphone camera from your watch.

Dials

As with the first version of the watch, Asus has made sure that many dial options are available to the user. Moreover, all of them can be displayed both in color (and even with animation, if it is intended for a specific dial), and in a static black and white version - to save energy. The screenshots below show the same dial in normal (left) and economy (right) modes.

This option is enabled when the watch is set to always on. Here are the most interesting and beautiful dials that come pre-installed on watches.

Overall, a decent set. And although it cannot be said that these options cause delight, there is still plenty to choose from.

Autonomous operation

We were very pleased with the battery life of the Asus ZenWatch 2 WI501Q. In the mode with the screen always on (during the period when you do not touch it or do not look at the time, a static picture is displayed there, reminiscent in nature of the image on E-Ink screens), the watch worked for a day and a half (at the same time, notifications were received on the watch and we used in real life).

If you set the screen to turn off, then the watch will work from one charge to two days with everyday use. Of course, if you use Google Now, navigation, or some third-party applications very often, this period may be reduced. But in general, this is still a noticeable step forward compared to the more common day for smartwatches. However, we note that in the same mode of use, the 42 mm Apple Watch after the latest watchOS update (2.0.1) works for us on average for the same two days (and sometimes even more).

conclusions

The watch turned out to be imperfect: compared to its competitors, it no longer looks as great as the first ZenWatch compared to other models introduced on the market at the beginning of 2015. The design leaves mixed impressions, the charger too, there are complaints about the screen; in terms of functionality, the differences from the previous model are minimal (provided it is updated to the latest version of Android Wear, of course). However, all arguments against the Asus ZenWatch 2 fall away when we look at the price. The model we tested costs $129 in the official Asus online store. For comparison, the cheapest version of the 42mm Apple Watch Sport is priced at $399. And prices for the Apple Watch modification with a steel case start at $599.

Not only the Apple Watch, but also models from other smartwatch manufacturers are more expensive than the Asus ZenWatch: for example, prices for the second generation Moto 360 start at $299 (this is for the 42 mm version, and for the 46 mm they ask for all $349!), Samsung Gear The S2 with silicone strap will cost $299. Overall, Asus' offering is unique and incredibly attractive. At the same time, you can equip your watch with a metal or leather strap. Of course, it will cost more, but still incomparably less than even the cheapest versions of competitors. For example, Asus ZenWatch 2 with a 1.45" screen and a silver metal bracelet (Milanese weave) can be purchased for $199 (not yet on sale). And how much does an Apple Watch cost with a steel case, a 38 mm screen and a Milanese bracelet (for convenience, will we also take the price in the USA)? Nothing at all - $649 :)

In general, you already understand that Asus has taken a course towards total dumping in the new line of watches. And coupled with a decent selection of straps and case options (albeit much more modest than those offered by Apple and Motorola), as well as decent battery life and a good set of proprietary software, this turns out to be a very attractive option for anyone who just wants a smartwatch moderately pleasant in appearance, and not an innovative piece of jewelry (many times more expensive!). From this point of view, the model turned out to be not just successful, but generally without alternative at the moment.

Another thing is that in the case of watches, people, as a rule, proceed not from technical characteristics, but from considerations of appearance and compliance with their style, and for a successful hit they are willing to pay not only several times, but tens of times more. Asus followed the same path as with smartphones. Let's see how her strategy works for smartwatches!

Finally, we offer you a video review of the Asus ZenWatch 2, in which you will see a visual comparison of this model with the steel Apple Watch 42 mm.

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. Surprisingly, 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 the Apple Watch, the starting price of which is $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.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Mikhail Nikitin

Advantages: 1) The best combination of design, size, speed, quality and price! 2) A very rich and beautiful screen with an optimal diagonal and a large selection of dials out of the box. 3) I use average battery efficiency, my screen is always on with a light backlight, which looks awesome in twilight and darkness, but without automatically turning on the full backlight when you raise your hand, in this mode, by the evening 50-60% of the charge remains, which says that if desired, the charge will last for 2 days!

Disadvantages: 1) The dial sometimes moves a little, like on my old Sony SW2, it was even surprising! 2) After updating to Android Wear 2.0, to enter the menu you need to press a button, on the first version this was done with a gesture, which increased the service life of the main button, and gestures change the dials, there is no reason at all! After all, you don’t change dials very often. 3) The watch doesn’t slow down much and falls asleep, the call starts to vibrate with a delay, sometimes long, sometimes less, notifications from messengers, social networks. networks, etc. They begin to arrive on time only after installing the "Informer" program from the market, and also with a delay. 4) The original charger failed once: I went to another city and accidentally forgot the charger there, I was left at home without a charger and, accordingly, without a watch, I ordered a spare one from Ali for 500 rubles, which I consider an expensive price, the contacts have not failed yet, some say that they have to clean, but my head is sweating, my hands are dry, apparently that’s why there are no problems with the contacts.

Comment: I bought this watch to replace my old Sony SW2, I didn’t like that the Sony was like a pager, messages come in, but to answer you have to reach for the phone. On this same watch, you don’t need to fiddle with your phone, you can reply by voice to messages from Viber, Wapp, Telegramm, VK and all of them are made more convenient by Hangoust, since it’s my main messenger :) you can not only reply but also view the correspondence history. The clock duplicates notifications with a delay, so I installed the "Informer" application, it seems to keep notifications from falling asleep, and calls arrive with a delay of ~5-10 seconds. On the watch you can enable the audio streaming function in the bluetooth settings and talk directly from it, the battery drain increases and my bluetooth connection to the car radio stopped working, so I disabled this function. I bought the watch in the cheapest configuration, with a silicone gray strap and in silver color with a gold ring, then I ordered a leather strap on Aliexpress specifically for this watch for 1 thousand rubles and was very pleased, because for the original leather belt I would have paid 4 thousand rubles . more, but everything together cost me 14,700 rubles. Overall, I am very pleased with the watch, despite some minor inconveniences.

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 associated with the personalization of the interface, through which the user gains the ability to customize it in accordance with his own preferences. And the long battery life, 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 present in the device is based on Android 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 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 gave it a 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 Asus ZenWatch 3 Smart Watch is endowed with is the 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 in battery life over time. 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 wirelessly charge, but otherwise I personally see solid advantages: low cost, a large number of functions, original design, and battery life lasts for a day.

Dmitriy:
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: