You know what would make a smartwatch even better? If it were also a projector, like the Asu. Yes, it beefs the size up considerably, but it also projects information onto your skin, and that seems like a very futuristic thing to do. Silliness aside, there is a very small, very passionate market for futuristic gimmick stuff. A very small market. It might just be me, actually.

Haier’s Asu watch projects information onto the back of your hand, treating it like a second display. It doesn’t just copy what’s on the screen, but gives you additional information. When working out, for example, the watch screen is where you will interact with the app while the projected display will show you how long you’ve been working out, how far you’ve gone, etc. There are gesture based controls, too, so you can actually double tap your hand to change what’s being displayed.

The watch will go on sale in China sometime in the next quarter, making it hard to get your hands on if you live elsewhere. That’s alright, because you probably shouldn’t buy it. It’s absurd, and the projector isn’t used for much outside of the fitness app, and it doesn’t have an app store. The whole thing is ridiculous. There is a drawing app, though. And an “app” that depicts a man dancing next to a tentacle, and it briefly projects the dancing man onto your hand. I appreciate that they’ve leaned into the absurdity with this watch that was apparently concocted during a fever dream, but it’s definitely not worth whatever price they’re going to ask for it.

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