Asus CEO confirms ZenWatch will cost under $199

The Asus ZenWatch will make its debut at IFA next month.

The Asus ZenWatch will make its debut at IFA next month.

Asus CEO Jerry Shen has confirmed that the company’s new ZenWatch, which will get its official unveiling at IFA 2014 in Berlin this week, will cost under $199 when it goes on sale in October. Asus has also promised that the device will be the most attractive Android Wear watch to date, and that it will have built-in voice controls.

The ZenWatch will launch with English voice recognition initially, Shen told reporters at a media briefing in Taipei — but support for Chinese-speaking users is part of the company’s plans and it will be added before the end of the year. This suggests the device will be available in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries at launch.

Asus hasn’t actually confirmed the ZenWatch’s price tag, but Shen does say it will cost less than $199, making it $30 cheaper than the LG G Watch, and the same price as the Samsung Gear Live. Asus has also promised that the device will be more attractive than existing competitors.

Asus will officially announce the ZenWatch at IFA in Berlin later this week, and we’ll bring you that news as soon as it breaks.