Asus is aiming for a September launch 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. Now, a source familiar with the company’s plans has confirmed to TechCrunch that Asus will indeed launch an Android Wear smartwatch later this year, with a targeted debut window of September, an AMOLED display, and a price point below those of the current crop of launch devices from LG and Samsung. Pricing for the Asus device will likely be between $99 and $149 when it launches, according to our source. The company made the decision to wait until later to launch its Android Wear project because they didn’t want to “rush” their efforts, the source added. It’s true that LG conceded during its press conference for the G Watch yesterday that part of the reason it didn’t include a heart rate monitor in its device was because of time constraints, so there was clearly a schedule imposed by Google to stick to in order to meet the Wear launch window. Asus had previously discussed including gesture control on its smartwatch to make up for a smaller screen more suitable to wristborne computing, but this was prior to Google’s unveiling of Android Wear so it’s unclear if it’s the same project as the one discussed above. One thing is for certain: almost every major electronics OEM will probably jump in the Android Wear pool in time for the holidays, if only for fear of being left behind in this new market.