Updated impressions
We recently had a little more time to tool around with the Huawei Watch at a press event in New York. The general design hasn't changed one bit, but thankfully, the company has filled in nearly all the blanks since our initial impressions in March, which left us wanting more.
Huawei's first Android Wear smartwatch looks to make a splash in the small, but competitive group of elegant, intelligent timepieces. If you're looking for a blend between the more traditional look of the LG Watch Urbane and the sleek minimalistic aesthetic given off by the Moto 360, the Huawei Watch could be the wearable you've been waiting for.
If you want to see staff writer James Peckham's initial impressions, which go into more detail over every nook and cranny of the Huawei Watch, head to page three. But if you're after what's new, you're in the right place. We'll also get into pricing and release date below.
Design
We now know that the Watch will be 11mm thin, which is just a hair thicker than the Urbane, and a half millimeter thinner than the Moto 360. Clearly, Android Wear smartwatches are still a bit thick. The 42mm diameter of its body is a few millimeters shorter across than its competition, though Huawei's 1.4-inch screen sits in between that of the LG Watch Urbane's 1.3 inches and the Moto 360's larger 1.56-inch display in terms of size.
As we saw in our initial impressions, the sapphire glass-covered screen on the Huawei Watch sets the bar high at 400x400 and 286 pixels per inch. But its inclusion of an AMOLED panel here might be enough to tempt prospective buyers away from the LG Watch Urbane and Moto 360. Those watches feature a plastic OLED screen and a Corning Gorilla Glass 3-covered LED display, respectively.
You'll be able to pick up the Huawei Watch in six flavors. Each model, while priced differently, has a cold-forged, stainless steel body at its base, which Huawei claims is both corrosion and scratch-resistant.
From left to right in the photo above, the watch with the black leather band goes for $349 (€399, around £300). The second and third options (with the stainless steel link band and milanese loop-like design) run for $399 each. The black, stainless steel tier, which features Huawei's "diamond-like carbon" scratch-resistant coating, runs for $449. Finally, we arrive at the most premium options with rose gold detailing. The model with the brown leather band will cost $699 and the rose gold watch with the matching band will set you back $799 (€699, around £515).
Huawei will sell each of the six straps separately, but you'll also be able to fit this smartwatch with any 18mm band of your choice. The Huawei Watch comes in a classic watch box that opens from one side and will include a few goodies within: an AC adapter and a magnetic charging cradle that snaps on and matches the look of the watch.
Performance
Last time we got access to the Huawei Watch, it was running a looped demo version of Android Wear and we couldn't even try it out on our wrists. This time, things were different. The software integration with the hardware seems to be nearly complete, and I got to try it out untethered.
First, let's get into the official specifications:
- Display: Always-on 1.4-inch ambient AMOLED, 400 x 400, 286ppi
- OS: Android Wear v1.3
- Processor: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
- Memory: 4GB of onboard storage and 512MB RAM
- Battery: 300mAh
- OS Support: Android 4.3 or iOS 8.2
- Sensors: Gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, heart rate monitor
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi (though Huawei didn't specify which protocols it will support), Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy
- Waterproofing: IP67
Navigating through Android Wear on the Huawei Watch feels fluid and responsive to touch. If you've used an Android Wear smartwatch before, using this one is no different. On the wrist, Huawei's smartwatch is hefty and much larger than analogue watches. But any worry that I would scuff it up was put to rest, thanks to the sapphire glass and scratch-resistant, stainless steel body.
Huawei claims that its Watch can last for two days on a 300mAh battery. While that duration is an increase over the comparatively dreadful battery life of the Moto 360, it's about on par with the LG Watch Urbane, which houses a significantly larger 410mAh battery. I can't decide whether I'm more impressed that Huawei squeezed two days of battery life out of a 300mAh battery, or if, by achieving that goal, I'm more disappointed that it didn't attempt to put an even bigger one inside.
The Huawei Watch breaks new ground in the Android Wear smartwatch arena with a high-resolution screen, passable battery life through a small battery and an activity tracker that utilizes both a gyroscope and accelerometer. Huawei even confidently stated that its heart rate monitor is the most accurate one found in any Android Wear device to date, but didn't really specify what exactly will make its the best out there. We'll be sure to test the heck out of it during our final review.
Now, you know what you'll be getting with the Huawei Watch and how much it will cost. But when can you actually get it? Pre-orders open in the US on September 2 and the smartwatch will launch on September 17 on US soil. At the time of writing, the device will launch in UK and other select markets in October.
Early verdict
Despite the minor hardware and software innovations brought to the table (Huawei's wearable is iOS compatible and packed the Watch with 40 unique watch faces), I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that the specs are generally the same, if not a little worse, than smartwatches we've seen already this year.
For example, the LG Watch Urbane features 1GB of RAM and a bigger battery for a cheaper price at launch. What's a little more worrisome is, that with the next wave of Android Wear watches coming soon, including the next Moto 360, the Huawei Watch could quickly grow obsolete. Of course, only a full review will tell the whole story, so keep it locked here for updates.
(Psst, head over to the next page if you want to see some more photos.)
Original contribution by James Peckham
Image gallery
Impressions from MWC 2015
The Huawei Watch is the company's first attempt at producing a wearable using Google's Android Wear operating system, and the focus has been very much put on the styling.
The Huawei Watch comes with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display and is the first Android watch (so far) to boast sapphire glass - the super tough material that has become an, ahem, watch-word for durability in the display world.
A screen resolution of 400 x 400 with 286 pixels per inch, makes it the highest resolution Android Wear smartwatch available to date, although with no firm release date there is certainly a window of opportunity for the rivals to squeeze into.
The design is similar to the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R with a round watch face and a 42mm diameter. It is made with a stainless steel uni-body that is corrosion and scratch resistant.
On the top right at a 45 degree angle is a crown - designed to be more practical when operating on our wrist - and it works as the power button on the watch. The lug width is similar to designer watches at 18mm, allowing a great choice of third-party straps.
The bezel around the smartwatch's display is particularly thin giving it a more premium feel than say the LG G Watch R and the fully circular screen gives it an edge on the Moto 360.
Our hands-on period was restricted to a demo mode of Android Wear that was running a series of apps on repeat meaning we didn't get time to try out the software at all.
During our brief hands-on time with the watch everyone present was asked not to wear it due to "security reasons" so we can't tell you how it feels in situ on your wrist right now.
We can say that the strap itself feels like a good quality leather and the uni-body is one of the thinnest we've seen on a smart watch so far (but still not what you'd call 'thin').
Overall the design is stylish and premium - it's definitely one of the best looking Android Wear offerings on the market.
The Huawei Watch will be available in gold, silver and black with a variety of different straps made of either leather or metal, with different sizes available for both men and women.
Without seeing the watch running the full version of Android Wear and being able to attach the strap around our wrist we wouldn't like to judge the watch just yet.
We have no details of what the watch will be running under the hood either, but we're cautiously optimistic about the Huawei Watch so far.
Huawei has yet to reveal a firm release date for the wearable but it will be available in certain territories from mid-2015.
- Check out the rest of our MWC 2015 coverage
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1L4SqZj
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