ZenWatch
Two years ago, Asus chairman Jonney Shih introduced to the world the Taiwanese company’s first ZenWatch. Getty Images/TORU YAMANAKA

Taiwanese company Asus is preparing for the debut of its ZenWatch 2 successor, the ZenWatch 3. Ahead of the smartwatch’s launch however, its specs and features have been leaked by an FCC filing.

Earlier today, the FCC filing got leaked online, revealing that the ZenWatch 3 will pretty much arrive with a circular body unlike its predecessors, which had rectangular displays and bodies, as per Ausdroid. The idea that the wearable is coming with a rounded body came from the circular diagram of the ZenWatch 3 which also contains the list of some of the specs and features of the device.

Some of the items listed in the diagram are the model number of the smartwatch (WI503Q), the charging input (5V/2A) and the FCC ID of Asus’ upcoming timepiece (MSQW1503Q). Based on the charging input data, it is clear that Asus has yet again ditched wireless charging as the technology of choice in replenishing the juice of the smartwatch, while its rivals are taking advantage of this technology.

There is also an entry that states the ZenWatch 3 will have stainless steel, so it is possible that the body of the device will be made of this material. In addition, there is also mention of customized keys, which according to Android Central refer to the physical buttons that will be part of the smartwatch, just like the ones found in LG’s second-generation Watch Urbane.

The round diagram is believed to represent the rear cover of the timepiece, but Asus has yet to come out and confirm this. Nonetheless, it would not be surprising if Asus has decided to go for a round display for its ZenWatch 2 successor, given that the shape is the trend among many smartwatches today, including the Moto 360, Gear S2 and the aforementioned Watch Urbane.

More importantly, the round form factor of the ZenWatch 3 is seen as a hint that the device will be running Android Wear 2.0 on launch, according to Phone Arena. This is because the new version of Android Wear is specifically designed for wearables with round displays because of its circular UI.

Asus ZenWatch 3 is expected to launch in September, during the IFA 2016 in Berlin, with Android Authority claiming that the smartwatch will hit the market with a $150 price tag.

RELATED STORIES