Asus pivots from smartphones to ‘AI-Driven Healthcare’ with new tablet and VivoWatch 6 Plus
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A Strategic Pivot at Computex
For years, Asus has occupied a specific, somewhat paradoxical niche in the mobile market. It was the last bastion for those craving truly compact Android flagships via the Zenfone line, and the gold standard for unapologetic mobile gaming with the ROG Phone series. However, following the company’s quiet retreat from the smartphone sector earlier this year, there was a lingering question of where that engineering ambition would land.
At Computex 2026 in Taipei, Asus provided an answer. The company unveiled the Asus Pad and the VivoWatch 6 Plus, signaling a transition away from the saturated smartphone wars and toward a more targeted blend of premium media consumption and biometric health monitoring.
The Asus Pad: Chasing the Mid-Range Premium Gap
The most striking reveal is the Asus Pad, the brand’s first serious foray into the tablet space in nearly a decade. Rather than attempting to out-spec the behemoths like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, Asus is positioning this device as a high-fidelity media machine that doesn’t demand a four-figure price tag.
The centerpiece is a 12.2-inch 2.8K OLED display. Notably, Asus has implemented a dual-layer architecture for the panel, a technical choice designed to push brightness levels higher while maintaining color consistency and improving the overall lifespan of the organic LEDs. When paired with a quad-speaker array supporting Dolby Atmos, the device is clearly aimed at the “prosumer” who prioritizes streaming and content consumption over heavy multitasking.
Under the hood, the choice of a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor suggests a pragmatic approach to performance. While not a top-tier silicon chip, the 8300 is efficient and capable, paired here with 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The chassis is constructed from magnesium alloy with a fiberglass back, keeping the weight to 523g despite the large screen—a move that balances rigidity with portability.
Power is handled by a 9,000mAh battery supporting 45W fast charging. To round out the productivity angle, the tablet supports the Asus Pen 2.0 and a proprietary Bluetooth keyboard, with a protective case included in the retail box—a rarity in an era where manufacturers prefer to sell accessories ala carte.
VivoWatch 6 Plus and the Shift Toward Biometrics
While the tablet is a straightforward hardware play, the VivoWatch 6 Plus represents a deeper shift in Asus’s corporate philosophy. During the presentation, the company spent less time on the watch’s aesthetics and more on its role within a broader “AI-Driven Healthcare” ecosystem.
The hardware itself is premium: a 1.43-inch AMOLED display protected by sapphire-crystal glass and housed in a titanium alloy case. However, the real story lies in the sensors. Beyond standard heart rate and step counting, the VivoWatch 6 Plus introduces ECG monitoring and a suite of advanced biometric tracking, including sleep breathing movement and gait analysis.
Asus is attempting to move the wearable from a fitness tracker to a diagnostic tool, offering insights into chronic disease risks and long-term health trends. By integrating AI to analyze these patterns, Asus is positioning itself as a health-tech entity rather than just a gadget maker. This puts the device in direct competition with the Google Pixel Watch 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series, both of which are expected to launch later this summer.
Market Outlook
Asus has remained tight-lipped regarding pricing and global availability. Given the current volatility in the global electronics supply chain, it is probable that these devices will debut in Taiwan and select Asian markets before a wider rollout is considered.
The absence of a smartphone in this lineup confirms the end of an era for the Zenfone. But in its place, Asus is betting that the intersection of OLED luxury and AI-powered health monitoring is where the next growth cycle lies.
