Love it or hate it, marketing is the best way for any company to make noise about its own products. Since marketing has been a big reason behind Samsung's success in the smartwatch sector (as can be evidenced by the Korean giant's latest Gear S3 teaser 1 and teaser 2), ASUS is certainly taking cues from the marketing master when it comes to "spreading the word" that a new smartwatch is on the way. Android Wear has made it difficult for smartwatch OEMs to stand out, seeing that Google controls all the software experience and has not yet left room open to UI customizations by smartwatch makers themselves. And with uniform software, Android Wear OEMs have to have some way to stand out. For ASUS, that is in the form of marketing teasers.
"The time for something incredible is now!," ASUS teased on its Twitter page yesterday, leading us to believe that references to "time" has everything to do with the upcoming ASUS ZenWatch 3. Motorola has always used the word "time" when advertising for its Moto 360 smartwatch, so it seems clear that ASUS has its third-generation Android Wear-powered smartwatch in mind. The ASUS ZenWatch 3, taking this to heart, will appear at IFA 2016, the next international tech conference held in Berlin Germany. As revealed by Samsung's Gear S3 teasers above, Samsung will also be there to showcase its next-generation smartwatch, as well as a number of other top tech companies.
The Taiwanese phone and smartwatch maker has also been working hard to bring the ZenWatch 3 to market. The ZenWatch 3 has already passed through the American Federal Communications Commission (FCC), meaning that the company intends to release it in the States after the announcement. The FCC filing shows a model number as well as a reference to the ZenWatch 3's round, stainless steel casing that highlights the upcoming design that will differ from the budget-friendly ASUS ZenWatch 2 that costs $150 at the Google Store. The ZenWatch 3, if leaked photos tell anything, show that the smartwatch will bear a Moto 360-like design that is indicative of where the smartwatch market is headed these days.
Motorola had a Moto 360 Sport and a luxury Moto 360 at the Google Store; Google removed the Moto 360 Sport but retained the luxury Moto 360 -- showing that consumers want luxury over "sporty" for their hard-earned money. And any company that wants to remain at the top of the game in the consumer market would be wise to give consumers what they want; that includes ASUS.
