There’s one thing about Huawei that makes you like its merchandise. The corporate has developed during the last couple of years into a brand new beast that also manages to create and ship high-quality merchandise and genius concepts to unravel issues we didn’t know we had. Huawei’s newest product to reach with a contact of genius is the Huawei Watch Buds, a brand new 2-in-1 answer that takes wearables to a brand new dimension.
The Huawei Watch Buds was introduced again in December 2022, with world availability beginning on March 1, 2023. Certainly, it doesn’t have that a lot time in the marketplace. Nonetheless, it’s undoubtedly an absolute hit for anybody trying to get a pair of earbuds and a smartwatch in the identical package deal. The Huawei Watch Buds is Huawei’s newest and most costly smartwatch (on the time of publishing this assessment) with built-in earbuds.
HUAWEI WATCH Buds
The HUAWEI Watch Buds is a singular smartwatch with wi-fi earbuds built-in. The smartwatch consists of SP02, Coronary heart charge, and sleep monitoring, in addition to the power to trace greater than 80 sports activities actions. The wi-fi earbuds have a 4-hour battery life, and supporting options like Adaptive EQ, noise cancelation, and extra.
- Good battery life
- 2-in-1 smartwatch and earbuds combo
- Nice construct and crowd pleasing design
- No IP score for the smartwatch
- Noise-canceling might be higher
- Expensive
- Setup for Android customers could also be a bit sophisticated
It might be a bit sophisticated to wrap your head round this idea, however issues change into simpler once you play with one. My first expertise with the Huawei Watch Buds was unusual as I considered all the pieces that might go unsuitable with this product, believing that this is likely to be one other gimmick or a fad that will quickly be forgotten. Nevertheless, after a few weeks of utilizing it, I’m assured that this would be the first step in the direction of one thing distinctive.
First impressions
I acquired a assessment unit of the Huawei Watch Buds again in Barcelona, which was fairly handy contemplating all of the strolling concerned with MWC 2023 and all of the sightseeing I deliberate after the occasion. So I obtained to the resort and began making an attempt to pair my smartwatch with my Android gadget, and I instantly realized that issues wouldn’t be as easy as I anticipated.
Huawei’s newest smartwatches run on HarmonyOS, and it’s good to set up the Huawei Well being app to get the gears shifting. Nevertheless, Google stored on advising me to not set up probably harmful apps on my gadget, and I even needed to fiddle with App permissions to get notifications on the Huawei Watch Buds. However after a couple of minutes, I managed to get issues operating easily and started having fun with all the pieces this product provided.
I then centered on the {hardware}, and I have to admit that I used to be instantly happy with the texture, design, and construct of Huawei Watch Buds. I initially had some doubts concerning the dimension of the case, however you’ll be able to’t actually inform the distinction when you’re carrying this magnificence. Response and navigation have been quick and fluid, and there are tons of choices so that you can tweak it and make it your personal. As an illustration, I activated the always-on show, regardless that it meant I’d additionally must sacrifice battery life, and I additionally ended up altering the watch face, regardless that I want I had extra choices to select from. However I lastly pressed the small button to disclose a small pair of buds with a really handy design, respectable audio high quality, and long-lasting battery life.
All it’s good to know
The Huawei Watch Buds are available in at 47 mm × 47.5 mm × 14.99 mm on the watch’s thinnest half, excluding the sensor. Every earbud measures 21.8 mm × 10.3 mm × 10.3 mm, and also you get three different-sized ear tricks to provide the greatest match. The medium-sized ear tip comes pre-installed, however you can even go for the big or the smaller choices. It can match any wrist dimension that goes from 140 to 210 mm, however you can even get third-party 22 mm straps to regulate it to your wants and stream. It weighs roughly 66.5 g with out the strap, and every earbud is available in at about 4 grams, however as I discussed earlier than, you received’t really feel big variations whereas carrying it.
You received’t get a speaker or microphone help together with your smartwatch, however then once more, it’s not needed, contemplating that you just get these options with the earbuds. You additionally get a 1.43-inch AMOLED coloration display screen with 466 x 466 decision that will get fairly vivid, making it straightforward to learn even when hit by direct daylight. And also you additionally get a number of sensors, together with 6-axis inertial sensors, an optical coronary heart charge sensor (model 5.0), an ambient optical sensor, a corridor impact sensor, a capacitive sensor, and a bone conduction part used for voice pick-up and in-call noise cancelation. And we additionally get two buttons. The primary one helps urgent however has no help for rotation-based interactions, and the second is the duvet opening button.
The Huawei Watch Buds arrives with an IP54 score, however sadly, this score solely applies to the earbuds. This was a serious disappointment, contemplating that it sells for €499. We additionally get long-lasting battery life that can maintain you related for as much as three days, and if you happen to’re curious concerning the battery life on the earbuds, we rise up to 4 hours of music playback or 2.5 hours of calling with out noise cancelation or rise up to three hours of music playback and a couple of hours of calling when noise cancelation is enabled. Lastly, you additionally get GPS and NFC help that can assist you pay issues quicker and with out a trouble.
Earbuds
I actually wish to say that I like each side of the Huawei Watch Buds, however I used to be a bit disenchanted in some issues, particularly on this class.
Don’t get me unsuitable. I’m not saying that the buds inside this gorgeous-looking smartwatch are dangerous; I’m simply saying they might be higher. Sure, they’re fairly useful and handy if you wish to exit for a stroll, buy groceries, or simply wish to disconnect from the world for some time. They’re additionally snug. I used them rather a lot throughout this journey, regardless that I by no means obtained to empty their battery, as I might shortly and simply put them contained in the watch to get topped up extraordinarily quick.
Nevertheless, I generally felt that they weren’t loud sufficient, even with noise cancelation to assist maintain exterior noise down. I imply, earbuds alone are supposed to assist maintain the noise down, however then once more, I’m evaluating them to my Sony’s WF-1000XM3, which I additionally imagine it is considerably unfair contemplating their dimension distinction.
Nonetheless, one explicit problem bugged me, as my music and calls would get uneven sometimes. Let me clarify. Sound high quality and calls labored completely when my cellphone was on my desk or whereas in my hand, however I normally carry my cellphone in my pocket, and this problem got here up each time I laid my hand on high of the gadget whereas strolling round. I managed to detect the reason for the issue instantly, and I solved it by retaining my hand away from my cellphone whereas it was in my pocket. A lot for that 10-meter Bluetooth connectivity.
Aside from that, you’ll completely love the brand new wide-area contact controls that will let you faucet the earbuds, auricles, or the world in entrance of the ear twice to reply or reject calls and to play or pause your music. And if you happen to faucet 3 times, it is possible for you to to activate or disable noise cancelation. Or you’ll be able to select to handle your buds straight from the Huawei Watch Buds in your wrist.
Health
That is the place the entire 2-in-1 combo will get a bit difficult. As I discussed earlier than, Huawei’s Watch Buds options an IP54 score, however it should solely offer you water and dirt resistance on the earbuds, not the precise watch. In different phrases, I counsel you’re taking off your smartwatch if you happen to plan on sweating rather a lot. And I additionally suggest you might be very cautious when washing your fingers in order to not get an excessive amount of water near the Huawei Watch Buds.
Getting some water or sweat leaks contained in the earbud’s cavity could harm your new watch, however don’t fear. You’re going to get a notification telling you to open the lid on the Huawei Watch Buds and clear any moisture to forestall additional points down the street.
That being mentioned, you’ll be able to completely put on your watch over prolonged strolling classes, as I managed to stroll greater than 17K steps in Barcelona with readings that matched these recorded by my Galaxy Watch 4 Traditional. So any sort of gentle train shall be OK. However if you happen to’re into hardcore coaching or extra demanding sports activities, I counsel you try different choices, as that is undoubtedly not the right choice for you.
Conclusion
Huawei has created an incredible wearable that complies with all the pieces thought of needed. It can maintain you posted with each notification you allow by the Huawei Well being app, and on the similar time, it should maintain a report of your step depend and primary actions that received’t have you ever sweating excessively. You additionally obtain a superb pair of earbuds, excellent for listening to your favourite music in comparatively quiet environments.
Sadly, I imagine that that is nonetheless a piece in progress, and I’d undoubtedly wait to see the second era of this product, as I really feel that this smartwatch is a bit expensive and it doesn’t ship a superb smartwatch expertise for extra demanding customers. The shortage of a secondary button to launch particular apps or including rotation-based interactions to the first button are a few issues I’m anticipating. You may also enhance how the earbuds work, as their lively noise-canceling function isn’t as nice as I’d need. However that’s me simply being choosy. Lastly, I can solely say that if you’re a Huawei fan, I’m certain you’ll love the expertise as a result of I undoubtedly do.
