Asus Pivots Away from Phones with New OLED Tablet and AI-Centric VivoWatch 6 Plus
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A Strategic Pivot in Taipei
For years, Asus occupied a precarious but respected niche in the smartphone market. While they lacked the global volume of Samsung or Apple, they were the last bastion for the ‘compact’ Android enthusiast with the Zenfone series and the gold standard for mobile gaming with the ROG Phone. However, following the company’s quiet exit from the smartphone race earlier this year, the industry wondered where that engineering ambition would migrate. At Computex 2026 in Taiwan, Asus provided an answer: a renewed focus on high-end tablets and AI-integrated wearables.
The centerpieces of this pivot are the Asus Pad and the VivoWatch 6 Plus. While neither device is designed to disrupt the entire market, they represent a calculated attempt to capture the ‘premium mid-range’ segment—offering high-end materials and display tech without the prohibitive pricing of a Galaxy Tab S-series Ultra.
The Asus Pad: OLED Ambitions
The Asus Pad marks the company’s first serious venture into the tablet space in nearly a decade. The headline feature is undoubtedly the 12.2-inch 2.8K OLED display. Asus is utilizing a dual-layer architecture here, a technical choice that allows the panel to hit higher peak brightness and maintain better color consistency than standard OLEDs, while theoretically extending the lifespan of the organic materials to combat burn-in.
Physically, the device is built for portability and durability. Weighing in at 523g with a thickness of 6.5mm, it uses a magnesium-alloy chassis paired with a fiberglass back cover. This material choice suggests Asus is targeting a professional or student demographic that needs a rigid device capable of surviving a backpack without the bulk of a laptop.
Under the hood, the tablet avoids the top-tier Snapdragon 8-series chips in favor of the MediaTek Dimensity 8300. Paired with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, this is a choice that prioritizes efficiency and cost over raw benchmark scores. While it won’t outpace the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra in heavy video editing or 3D rendering, the Dimensity 8300 is more than capable of handling the media consumption and multitasking tasks the device is clearly designed for, supported by a 9,000mAh battery and 45W fast charging.
Health Data and the VivoWatch 6 Plus
While the tablet was a detailed reveal, the VivoWatch 6 Plus was presented more as a vision for the future of ‘AI-Driven Healthcare’ than a standalone piece of hardware. The hardware specs are premium: a 1.43-inch AMOLED display protected by sapphire-crystal glass and a titanium alloy case. This puts it in direct physical competition with the Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch series.
The real story, however, is in the telemetry. Asus is moving beyond basic step-counting and heart rate monitoring. The VivoWatch 6 Plus introduces gait analysis and sleep breathing movement tracking, aiming to provide users with insights into chronic disease risks and long-term health trends. By leveraging AI to synthesize these disparate data points, Asus is attempting to transition the smartwatch from a fitness tracker into a legitimate preventative health tool.
Market Positioning and Availability
Despite the impressive hardware, Asus has remained tight-lipped regarding global pricing and launch dates. Given the current volatility in the global electronics supply chain, there is a strong possibility that these devices will see a limited rollout, starting in Taiwan and select Asian markets before venturing into North America or Europe.
By focusing on the high-end OLED tablet and AI-health wearable, Asus is effectively hedging its bets. It is moving away from the brutal, low-margin competition of the smartphone world and instead doubling down on the ‘ecosystem’ peripherals that complement their dominant laptop business.
