It’s been more than half a year since Huawei first made the promise of a premium looking Android Wear smartwatch and some might have even lost interest, let alone hope, that it would see the light of day before something better comes along. Anxious fans and interested buyers can now breathe a sigh of relief as Huawei makes the Huawei Watch available in all its premium glory, in time for the latest Android Wear 1.3 launch and in time for IFA 2015. We go hands-on to see how for the timepiece has come along.
Spec-wise, noting has really changed. The 1.4-inch circular display still has one of the highest resolutions in the smartwatch market at 400×400. This is protected by two-layer sapphire glass, also a first, at least on Google’s side of the fence. While the Apple Watch does tout the super hard material, it is only on the more expensive Apple Watch models. In contrast, all variants of Huawei Watch gets this normally expensive protection. The rest of the hardware is standard, like the 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage. Bluetooth LE, and motion sensors. Rest assured, there is Wi-Fi on board. There is also a heart rate sensor that Huawei claims to be the most accurate in the market.
The battery, which is always a concern, is only 300 mAh. Still, Huawei promises up to two days with regular use, which is sometimes too generous an estimate. Especially when you consider that it features an always on watch face. To make up for it with fast charging through a magnetic puck charger eerily similar to the Apple Watch’s. 45 minutes is advertised to give 80 percent battery life, while 75 minutes can take you to full.
With hardware all considered equal, Android Wear smartwatches compete in design and there is little doubt that Huawei deserves some praise in this area. Round smartwatches are no longer uncommon, but the Huawei Watch seems to definitely hit the right mark. The screen is full, unlike the Moto 360’s flat tire. The watchface itself is metal all around, no plastic in sight or even out of sight underneath. Huawei uses 316L cold-forged stainless steel here. The design is truly closer to traditional luxury watches, though the relocation of the lone crown button to the 2 o’clock position is still debatable. And unlike the LG Watch Urbane, which was the classiest in the gang until Huawei’s arrival, the Huawei Watch has substantially thinner bezels.
The Huawei Watch will come in six models with three watch bodies of stainless steel, black, and rose gold, and a variety of watch straps. That said, the lug design makes it possible to use any standard 18 mm band to your liking.
The most affordable model immediately starts at $349, one of the highest you’d find in the Android Wear market. This is one that comes with a Stainless Steel body and a regular Black Leather strap.
At $399, you get that same Stainless Steel body paired with a more fancy looking Steel Link bracelet.
Perhaps a bit more notable is the Stainless Steel body and Stainless Steel Mesh combo, also at $399. This band practically looks like the Milanese mesh that the Apple Watch has popularized. Unfortunately, unlike Apple’s version, the clasp here is a rather bulky buckle instead of a more convenient magnetic one.
Next comes the darkest of the brood at $449. This comes with a Black DLC-coated Stainless Steel and matching Black-plated Link band.
Prices jump substantially with the next two variants that both come with Rose Gold bodies. At $699, you get one with an Alligator-pressed Brown Leather strap. And the most expensive of them all comes with a Rose Gold-plated Link bracelet at $799.
Overall, the quality of the Huawei Watch is definitely impressive and might very well be worth the higher than normal price tag without going overboard like the limited edition LG Watch Urbane Luxe. The latest updates to Android Wear sweetens the deal even more, although iOS support still leaves much to be desired. For now, the Huawei Watch seems to be the creme a la creme of the Android Wear world and, if recent leaks of the 2nd gen Moto 360 are any indication, it might be for a long time.
The Huawei Watch is available for pre-order today from GetHuawei.com, Google Store, Amazon.com, and BestBuy.com. Shipping and retail availability starts on September 17. Actually, only the Stainless Steel and Black DLC models are available now for pre-order. The more luxurious Rose Gold will be made available at a still undisclosed date later this year.
