Asus: next smartwatch should last a week on a battery charge

Asus hints that its next smartwatch should have a battery life of one week instead of the maximum two days it is now. This should be done by using a simpler and more economical processor and simplifying the operating system.

Asus foreman Jonney Shih made his statements during his company’s year-end meeting, reports the usually reliable Focus Taiwan. He didn’t promise that the current Zenwatch’s successor would last a week, but noted that the processor and operating system should be simplified “so I can use it for seven days.” When the next Zenwatch comes out is unknown.

There is room for that improvement. The Zenwatch contains a Snapdragon 400 from Qualcomm, a soc that also serves in much more complex smartphones and tablets. Qualcomm is also said to be working on a soc designed for smartwatches.

Many current smart watches have socs for smartphones on board. Apple made its own soc for the Apple Watch, which according to a recent rumor is just as powerful as the A5 processor from its iPhone 4s and iPad 2. Some wearables, such as the Pebble and Pebble Steel, have a less powerful and more efficient processor. In combination with the economical Memory LCD, this means that those watches last longer on a battery charge than Android Wear watches.