Review : Huawei Watch

Tech December 11, 2015 18:07

- To be honest, I 'm still not convinced of the usefulness of smart watches. Nice that I can immediately see who's on my wrist mails or appt and how many steps you put in, but now the whole day wearing a smart watch... Many copies are also anything but classy there. The Huawei Watch jumps in design positive above it, but is that enough?

by Gabi OuwerkerkAppearanceThe Huawei Watch is only available in one size. A diameter of 42 mm is very large, especially for a small woman wrist, but in practice it is quite stylish.However, the cabinet with more than 1.1 cm very thick. The soft leather strap that is included is flexible and is fine. Incidentally, consumers can also opt for a stainless steel braided band or one with links. The enclosure is available in silver, gold and black.The smart watch has a 1.4 inch large round screen with a resolution of 400x400 pixels. Thus, the pixel density leads to 286ppi and which is virtually equal to that of the 38 mm Apple Watch (290ppi). The screen is compared to many other Android Wear watches a lot sharper. The operating system of Google makes it possible to have always turned on the screen, so a face is always visible and no dull black surface as with Apple Watch.InwardlyThe Huawei Watch is equipped with a motion sensor and heart rate monitor and can be used as a fitness tracker. The device has a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor and 512 MB of onboard memory. That's enough to Android Wear ensure smooth running, but third-party apps that play making possible, for example YouTube videos on the clock or browse the internet, or have trouble booting. The 4GB of storage memory is sufficient for storing apps and music.BatteryThe battery life of many smart devices remains a problem. The 300mAh battery that Huawei has put into his smart watch is far from perfect. In normal use, the screen is always on, so the clock after a 1.5 day should really get back to power. Though that charging is done in just over an hour, you do have to make sure that the AC charger is nearby. At first glance, this charger that of the Apple Watch, but where as Apple is entirely magnetic, Huawei does use connectors. When you watch the charger depends must fall exactly on the connectors, otherwise you after an hour still a dead object in your hands.The clever clock has an IP67 certification, which means it is completely dust-proof, but not waterproof. A downpour he survives and you do not have to panic if you forget to take off in the shower. However, it is not advisable to go swimming with it.The complete specificationscan be found here.NavigationAndroid Wear of the user interface is based on the information known maps of Google Now, which appear in the image at the bottom. Swipe left get more information and a swipe to the right removes the card.Due to wipe the main screen once to the left, a list of applications in image. Wipe again bring you to your Contacts list. This method works, but scrolling on such a small screen remains a hassle. Incidentally, it is also possible to drive the watch through OK Google with voice commands. But beyond that it comes across a little weird if you talk to your wrist, it does not really smoothly.Android and iOSThe Huawei Watch runs on the latest version of Android Wear, which means that the clock both on an Android device like an iPhone can be connected. However, the possibilities to the iPhone more limited. Thus, it is not possible to transfer music on the device and also it is not possible to respond to notifications. In fact, Huawei Watch in conjunction with the iPhone can not help but step count, heart rate tracking and notifications pass coming in on the smart watch.When the gadget is connected to an Android smartphone, the possibilities are much greater. Thus easily via Google Play Music music on the smart watch to be put, so that it is not necessary to take the smartphone itself while running. The clever clock must be above a while paired with a Bluetooth headset, but that is a piece of cake.The number of apps for Android Wear growing rapidly. So there are programs that allow the clock from receiving mail and send it. Complete with keyboard. Really convenient but not yet it works. Even YouTube videos can be viewed on it and with a special browser, you can scour the Internet. Nice that it can, but the question is why would you do this if you have a smartphone in the neighborhood.There are also pre-installed a few apps. Google provides default apps along as Calendar, Hangouts, Google Maps and Fit. Huawei has itself also has three fitness apps: Daily Tracking, Tracking and Fitness Heart Rate.Price and alternativesThe Huawei Watch is available from € 400, which is quite a steep price for an Android smart watch. The LG Watch Urbane (from € 230) also has a circular screen and runs on the same operating system. That includes the Moto 360 (2015) which is priced from € 300. The Samsung S2 Gear (available from € 315) runs on its own operating system Tizen. The Apple Watch is available from € 419.ConclusionAlthough I'm still not convinced of the added value of smart watches, I do not find it annoying to carry the Huawei Watch. I was told several times that I had a nice watch. Something that I never heard when I wore the Apple Watch. Because you can choose the dial and it remains visible, the Huawei Watch can be seen as an ornament, like regular watches. A clever piece of jewelery also. However, it is still annoying that you need to charge it almost every day. And because the charger is not universal, you must always have with you.Although the smart clock best offers useful features, these are also available on the smartphone. A smart watch for me is nomusthave. But if I still wear one there, then like a nice one. Although there is plenty to improve on the Huawei Watch- thinner, faster, smarter navigation, a universal charger- it is one of the best in design that is available.