ASUS ZenWatch 2 Review: An Affordable Android Wear Smartwatch
Final Thoughts On The ZenWatch 2
Just like the smartphone market, there are now a wide array of options in the smartwatch market, ranging from budget-friendly options to high-end timepieces. The ZenWatch 2 finds itself at the budget-end of the spectrum. Because of this, we didn’t expect the ZenWatch 2 to be the thinnest, lightest, or fastest smartwatch we've evaluated. We did however, expect it to be functional and user-friendly, and the ZenWatch 2 does was it's supposed to do quite nicely.
From a design standpoint, we wished the ZenWatch 2 was smaller and thinner. For some users, the size of the ZenWatch 2 will be just fine, but for me, it was a bit too big and bulky. As mentioned earlier in this review, I haven’t jumped on the wearables bandwagon mainly because of the size of today’s smartwatches in relation to the size of my wrist. Simply put, my wrist is too small for today’s offerings.
In terms of functionality though, the ZenWatch 2 has a lot to offer thanks to the burgeoning Android Wear ecosystem and ASUS’s own ZenWatch Manager, especially considering it's relatively low price point.
During our tests, the ZenWatch 2 was responsive, but occasionally had a slight lag in response. We also experienced more than one occasion where we had to tap the screen multiple times to get it to respond. You can also flick your wrist to control the ZenWatch 2. And while these controls worked well and let us flip through text messages and wake the phone, we unfortunately also noticed times when they were activated unintentionally, such as when folding laundry or washing our hands.
Since the ZenWatch 2 performs well, offers the inherent benefits of Google's Android Wear, and has a budget-friendly price that starts at just $129, however, we’re willing to cut it some slack. Overall, the ZenWatch 2 has a lot to offer including replaceable bands, two size options, and many customizable features. If you’re interested in a non-nonsense smartwatch and don’t want to break the bank, the ZenWatch 2 is worth considering.
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