ASUS has already confirmed that it plans on releasing a second generation ZenWatch in the latter half of 2015. Little is known about this new smartwatch but CEO Jerry Shen suggested that it would be able to make and receive calls without having to be paired to a smartphone. New details have now surfaced that suggest that one area of improvement that ASUS is striving for is improved battery life.
Speaking at the company’s year-end party, company Chairman Jonney Shih told reporters that the next ZenWatch could last as much as seven days between charges. “The ZenWatch is defined by us as a companion of a smartphone, and we think it still has a lot of room for improvement,” he explained. “As a companion device, its central processing unit and operating system should be more simplified than the current version, so that I can use it for up to seven days on one charge, rather than for just two days.”
The wording of Shih’s statements suggests that the seven day battery life is a goal that the company is striving for rather than something the company has already solved. It will be interesting to see whether it can meet its goal.
While new chipsets designed specifically for wearables may lead to battery efficiencies, it remains to be seen how much the operating system can be simplified to help extend battery life. If anything, we can expect Android Wear and other operating systems driving wearables to get more complex as consumers expect their devices to provide more and more functionality.
ASUS is also planning to release two “wristband-like” devices that will focus on health and sports features. These should launch ahead of the second generation ZenWatch.
Source : Focus Taiwan