14 DAY TRIAL // A big part of Google’s I/O keynote was devoted to Android Wear, smartwatches and wearables and, as expected, every major tech manufacturer is signaling interest in the field in some way or another.
LG and Samsung have already launched a smartwatch each at this week’s event and Motorola is expected to do the same quite soon.
But what about other device makers? Taiwanese computer maker ASUS previously said it would be launching a smartwatch until the end of the year, but other details weren't provided back then.
Now, TechChrunch reports talking to a source familiar with the matter who has confirmed ASUS is gearing up to jump into the Android Wear bandwagon, too. Not really a surprise, as no major tech player will pass on the opportunity to tap into the Android Wear goodness.
In the meantime, ASUS is surveying the competition and is cherry picking the features most likely to make an impact on consumer choice.
The smartwatch should come boasting an AMOLED display and sell for a price that’s both affordable and quite lower than the LG and Samsung counterparts.
According to the source, the watch should arrive in retail with a price ranging from $99 / €73 and $149 / €109. And as you can see, the price reduction is quite sensible. The LG G Watch has been launched with a $229 / €167, while Samsung’s latest Gear Live will be sold for $199 / €145.
We should also mention that the Tizen-powered Gear 2 smartwatch, which also bundles a camera, is marketed for $299 / €219.
ASUS plans to release the device sometime in September and the delay can be attributed to the company wanting to take its time with designing a worthy product and not just come up with a smartwatch for the sake of contributing to the market.
This makes a lot of sense, especially since LG has admitted that their G Watch fails to bundle a heart rate monitor (unlike the Samsung Gear Live) because the company was on a deadline and ran out of time.
You might remember that ASUS was talking about including gesture controls on its wearable, but since Android Wear is now out, this aspect is still hanging.
Adding to the story above, @evleaks also has a few more details to share about the ASUS smartwatch, which has apparently been codenamed Robin.
Furthermore, ASUS plans to mark a first with the product making it the thinnest device in its class, but it remains to be seen if that will happen, especially since there are so many smartwatches being launched each month.