14 DAY TRIAL // Smartwatches haven't experienced the same quick acceptance as tablets did, although one might argue that the Apple iPad shouldn't be used as representative for the whole industry. But we digress. Anyway, smartwatches haven't taken off, exactly, but ASUS is making one anyway.
If we were to guess, we would say that ASUS is glad that the first wave didn't amount to much, because it allows it to still grab onto the first big momentum.
Then again, it's not like the smartwatch market was going to score so many sales with just the Pebble, and Samsung's Galaxy Gear didn't sell at all (almost).
But the second push (probably the first successful push) is only now beginning, with the Samsung Gear 2 / Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit.
Now we learn that ASUS is going to release a watch of its own, sometime soon, one that will be “feature packed” according to previous statements from the company.
So what does that mean? Apparently, that the smartwatch will incorporate both voice control and motion control.
ASUS CEO Jonney Shih has recently said that ASUS aims to make a wearable product that can be controlled through hand movements or voice commands.
So the motion control would be different from the norm. Instead of a camera sensor “watching” how we move our hands, fingers, bodies or whatever, an accelerometer would probably be used as the centerpiece, to figure out when we flick our wrist for example.
The device would probably be less capable of working on its own than the Samsung Gear 2, maybe, but probably more versatile than the Gear Fit.
It's still supposed to be a smartwatch after all, not merely a wearable fitness tracker with a few unusual perks.
Then again, ASUS has been pretty evasive, talking about a smartwatch on one occasion and then about a voice- and motion-controlled wearable that may or may not be a smartwatch. Clearly, it's trying to preserve some illusion of suspense even now.
Anyway, the device should run on a tenth of the energy used by a smartphone, and also have an attractive price. Not that a sum has actually been stated, oh no, or even hinted at.
Since Samsung will sell the Gear 2 / Gear 2 Neo for £199 / $331 / €242, ASUS may go for something similar, or something even less expensive. Hard to say, though. The Gear aren't motion controlled after all, and voice and movement tracking won't come for free.