What can a smartwatch do?

Luxury design that is different from other companies' products

　Android Wear is a new platform that Google just announced in June, literally for wearables such as smartwatches. . Basically, by using it in combination with Android smartphones and tablets, it is intended to increase the usability of mobile terminals and add new functionality. Smartphone giants such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Motorola, and ASUS (and Apple for iOS) have entered the market first, and all but Motorola will have their products on sale in Japan by the end of this year.

　For that reason, there are probably many people who have vaguely heard about it and are interested in it, but don't know the details of what it can do. This is the first time I've tried a smartwatch, too, so let's take a look at what it's all about.

　In addition, ZenWatch is recommended to be combined with the same manufacturer such as ZenFone, but Android Wear terminals can also be combined with other companies' mobile terminals with Android 4.3 or later.

　First, the exterior. The dial is a little large, probably to secure a certain size screen and space for the circuit board, but it looks like a digital watch itself. The case is made of stainless steel, the rim and back are silver, and the sides are rose gold. The belt is made of leather. If anything, there are many products that have an atmosphere for sports, but ZenWatch is comfortable for businessmen to use on a daily basis. Except for the slightly larger size, the design fits both men and women and is easy to accept. The band is interchangeable and compatible with 22mm wide bands, so you can change it to whatever you like.

　The size of the case is 39.8 x 50.6 x 7.9 to 9.4mm (width x depth x height), and weighs about 50g (about 25g of which is the band). It is IP55 waterproof and dustproof, so you can use it around water or get caught in the rain.

　I haven't worn a watch for years. ASUS claims that the weight of about 50g is "no fatigue even when worn for a long time", but this time, after wearing it for the first time in a while, I certainly did not feel tired. However, with the author's posture, when typing the keyboard at the company, the clasp of the band hit the desk and felt uncomfortable. Even so, this seems to be avoidable by getting used to it, and almost all watches are like that, so it's not a problem with the product.

　The screen is a 1.63-inch 320 x 320-dot organic EL display. The viewing angle is 178 degrees both vertically and horizontally, so it is easy to see, but because it is glossy, there is some reflection of external light. The glass on the surface is Gorilla Glass 3, which is familiar with smartphones, but when viewed from the side, you can see that it has a gently curved surface. It's not a point that greatly affects usability, but I feel that this also plays a role in producing a sense of luxury. As ASUS itself emphasizes, many of the company's recent products, including PCs and smartphones, are excellent in design.

　Pixel density is 278ppi. It's a number approaching the so-called Retina, but the pixels can be identified with the naked eye. When displaying text, it can display about 8 characters x 10 lines of Japanese. In the case of the author, whose visual acuity is 1.5 with the naked eye, it can be read without difficulty. He said it might be tough.

Beneath this organic EL, hardware such as Snapdragon 400 (1.2GHz quad core), memory 512MB, storage 4GB, compass, acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, heart rate sensor, and Bluetooth 4.0 are built in. What's very interesting is that the processor is exactly the same as the ZenFone 5. It seems like an over-spec, but other companies' products are equipped with the same or similar processors, and even though it's a compact version, it seems that you need a processor similar to that of a smartphone to run Android.

　For that reason, even though the battery capacity itself is low at 369mAh, the operating time is over a day, which is short for a watch. In fact, when I tried it, it decreased by about 30% after using it for 8 hours, so I guess I need to charge it every day. As for smartphones, if you use them reasonably, you will probably charge them almost every day, and in the case of ZenWatch, the screen is almost always displayed, so it can be said that you have a battery for more than a day, but when charging Since the attached dedicated cradle is required, it may not be possible to charge it outside the home unless it is prepared separately, so it seems necessary to pay more attention to charging than a smartphone.

　Another thing about charging is that the cradle is designed so that it can be placed on a desk or the like, but the band has no breaks and is always in a loop, so you can place the cradle flat when you put it on the main unit. I can't do it and I'm not good at it. For the time being, the band can be placed flat by removing the pin that fixes the length or removing the band itself from the main body, but it is a little troublesome to do so every time it is charged. I wanted another improvement in this area.

The dial is slightly larger than a watch, and the case is made of stainless steel, with a rose gold band on the side. Waterproof and dustproof back. The contact is for connection with the cradle. In the center left is the power button, but since it is basically used without turning off the power, the band is made of genuine leather and is almost never used unless the battery runs out. The cradle function is only for charging, and if you attach it to the ZenWatch normally, the cable will float and you won't be able to sit comfortably. Somewhat troublesome