It is official. ZTE are going to be entering the smartwatch competition with their very first Android timepiece powered by Android Wear 2.0. The company’s first attempt will be under the name “Quartz,” after having been appeared on numerous leaks as well as having just passed the FCC back in February.
ZTE will soon launch an Android Wear smartwatch (file photo)
The model number of the Quartz is ZW10 and the watch itself is designed to be quite rigid. It features an all-metal body with tick marks on the bezel, with a small button protruding on the side, making it look as if it is floating separately from the watch. ZTE seems to want to make this watch look both casual and sporty with its metal trimmings as well as its carbon fiber patterns along the band. We’ll leave it to the users to decide how they would want to be identified wearing such a wearable.
The Verge has indicated that the wearable will not feature NFC nor will it also come with a heart-rate monitor. This means that those longing for a sporty companion from ZTE will have to wait a little longer. There will also not be an LTE-equipped variant, apparently, so the entire strength of Android Wear 2.0 will not get to be fully utilized on this platform, unfortunately. Having said that, it seems that the company is looking to cut costs to make this device more budget-friendly for the masses who just want a smartwatch without the commitment; and it makes sense, since many users barely use those functions anyway apart from just using the watch-face. For those who absolutely need the bare necessities, this would probably be an alluring option.
Everything is not lost yet on this device, since although it will not come with 4G LTE, it will however, come with 3G capability. What remains to be seen is, whether the straps will be interchangeable or will there be any other customizability options to choose from. The company has not officially given any word on the release of a watch or what is going to be the cost. But from what we can gather, it will look to take the budget-route and place itself against similarly spec’d smartwatches.
The company might have something going for itself in this case, since it basically widens the audience much more by reducing certain relevant features that will keep costs at bay. ZTE might be a little late to the party on this occasion, but at least they made it after all.
COMMENTS