Asus launched their newest ZenWatch at IFA in Germany in September, launching a second gen watch in 2 sizes, 3 colours and with 18 different straps. The watch has just launched on the US Google Store, and unless you want to go through the rigmorale of ordering and forwarding your order, you could be waiting a while for it to launch here.
The ZenWatch 2 is available from $149.99USD on the Google Store, but only the 49mm option is available and only in one colour: Navy Blue. It’s a start and Asus will most likely make other options available quite quickly, but for many fans the smaller 45mm model has been what they’ve been after.
The original ZenWatch took a long time to launch in Australia, launching some 5 months after launching in the US. It’s currently $289 on the Google Store, but the signs are there that Asus Australia is preparing to launch the ZenWatch 2, lowering the price of the original on their own store here by $30 which includes free shipping.
Of course if you want to save even more money, Expansys Australia is clearing out the original for just $182.99 with delivery options available from just $20.
Spec wise, the ZenWatch and ZenWatch 2 are almost identical, there’s now Wi-Fi in the new model and new sizes and colours and as we saw with the Huawei Watch, there could be unannounced surprises in the new model.
| Asus ZenWatch | ZenWatch 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.63” AMOLED display (320×320) | 1.45″ (280×280) AMOLED – Small 1.63″ (320×320) AMOLED – Large |
| Glass | 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | |
| Processor | 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (APQ 8026) | |
| RAM | 512MB | |
| Storage | 4GB | |
| Water Resistance | IP55 | IP67 |
| Sensors | 9 Axis Sensor/Bio sensor | Six-axis gyro, sensor-hub |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 4.0 | Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi |
| Battery | Polymer 1.4Wh Battery | 300 mAh – Small 400 mAh – Large Quick Charge: 50 percent charge in 36 minutes |
| Dimensions | 51 x 39.9 x 7.9 ~ 9.4 mm @ 50 g | 45.2 x 37.2 x 10.4 ~ 11.8 mm @ 42g – Small 49.6 x 40.7 x 9.4 ~ 10.9 mm @ 47g – Large |
| Bands | 22mm Leather in three colours | 18mm – Small 22mm – Large – Rubber, Leather, Metal |
We haven’t heard anything on when we’ll see the ZenWatch 2 here in Australia, but given the extended period between the US and AU launch for the original, it could be a while.
