Review: Asus Zen Watch
OK, so Asus just announced their newer version of the Zenwatch – the version 2 so I’m now officially one version behind. Regardless, here’s what I found from using the original version. For me the Zenwatch is actually pretty good. Partly because it looks like a stylish regular watch and also because it works well. I’ll spare the rant on smart watches. There’s plenty of that along with comparisons and pundit confusion. Here’s what I liked and what I got frustrated with in using the Zenwatch.
Out of the box the Zenwatch connected to my Samsung Note 4 as soon as I downloaded the Android watch and Zenwatch apps. As long as I’m within about 10 feet of my phone all is well. But as soon as I cross that line beyond which the 2 can’t communicate I get a notice that asks ‘did you leave something behind?’ This can be a great help if I happen to leave my phone on the table at the coffee shop, but it gets old pretty fast. I turned off the notification function… something I’ll likely regret that one time that I do leave my phone behind.
I added a bunch of watch faces from the Google Play store. There must be thousands, plenty of which are free. So many in fact that I didn’t bother with the paid watch faces. I’m able to customize the content of the faces to include battery level, steps taken, and a few other things the watch senses. Some useful, some not so much.
The watch works well as a watch (as you might expect) and the extra functions that are available when connected are pretty sweet too. I like the ability to view Google maps as well as weather on the watch. Great for directions while walking and for a quick check while driving.
I also toyed with the workout apps like Vimofit. What was amazing about that in particular was the level of sensitivity it demonstrated. I mean that it could tell the difference between a push-up (very little hand movement) and a bench press, and plenty of others. I eventually stopped using that app only because it really didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know – other than that the sensors worked well.
Battery life. Well the battery lasted all day. That’s about all that can be said about it, but that’s not too different from every other smart watch. OK some will last a couple days and the Pebbles will last maybe a week. A week’s worth of wear would be great. A day is just not really enough. It should be said that I haven’t worn any kind of watch for maybe 12 years – ever since my smart phone became an appendage. I’m not quite ready to strap on the watch yet as a permanent fixture.
What I really found annoying about this watch was the inconvenience of charging it. You need a USB port. That’s not a problem. I have them everywhere including in the wall socket by my bed. But the watch needs to be shoved into a rubberish mount that then connects to the USB cord. Again, not much of a problem. Except that #1 – the mount is upside down (at least for my use) and #2 – getting the watch out of the rubber mount is a pain. There’s no real way to just pull it out easily. It involves reaching around and grabbing small areas and… well it just isn’t easy.
Aesthetically I do like the look. And I like many of the watch faces. I do/will wear it occasionally. It’s convenient when I’m with friends and don’t want to constantly take my phone out of my pocket to check statuses, email, or see who’s calling. But really, my phone isn’t all that far away.
Maybe I’ll like the next versions of smart watches better, but then I still have about a dozen ‘fashion watches’ in my drawer that I don’t wear either.
