Asus aims to release Android Wear smartwatch in September costing between $99 and $149
Asus Aiming For September Launch And Price Advantage For Its Android Wear Smartwatch — Taiwanese computer manufacturer Asus previously announced its intent to create a smartwatch for release this year, but details were scarce.
Context & Ripple Effects
Asus had already said it intended to ship a smartwatch sometime this year; what was missing was any detail on when or at what cost. This report fills both gaps — a September target and a $99–$149 band that the company itself frames as its price advantage over whatever else lands on Android Wear first.
First-order effects
- Asus converts a vague 2014 smartwatch pledge into a dated, priced commitment: a sub-$150 Android Wear device on shelves by September, with price positioned as the product's stated selling point rather than design or features.
- Buyers get the cheapest confirmed entry point yet into Google's Android Wear lineup, and Google gains a volume-oriented hardware partner for its young watch platform.
Second-order effects
- Other Android Wear hardware partners are forced to either match the $99–$149 band or clearly justify why their watches cost more — the first serious price-floor test for the platform.
- A September ship date puts the watch in retail channels ahead of the holiday quarter, giving carriers and retailers a low-cost wearable SKU for Q4 promotions.
Third-order effects
- If sub-$150 Android Wear hardware proves viable, the platform splits into premium flagship watches and mass-market budget models, with scale manufacturers like Asus competing on manufacturing cost rather than differentiation.
- Sustained budget pricing would accelerate wearables' shift from early-adopter gadget toward commodity accessory, pressuring the whole category's margin structure.
The trend: Android Wear's first hardware wave is beginning to split into premium flagships and sub-$150 mass-market devices, with Asus betting its smartwatch future on cost leadership.