Huawei Watch Buds Review: Cool But Cumbersome

Value When Reviewed

Not out there within the US

Should you’re a gadget fanatic who goals of proudly owning a chunk of 007-style tech, then the Huawei Watch Buds could also be for you.

This smartwatch seems to be like an strange wearable on the floor, however the watch face clicks open to disclose a pair of wi-fi earbuds, that are docked and charging from contained in the watch. These buds include lively noise cancelling (ANC), together with a couple of extra surprises.  

It’s definitely a novel product from Huawei, however is that this hybrid wearable really of any use? And extra importantly, are the options well worth the value? I’ve been utilizing the Huawei Watch Buds, seeing how this crossover smartwatch performs day-to-day, and I’ve many ideas.  

Design & construct 

• Two-in-one smartwatch and earbuds
• Charging case positioned beneath the watch face
• Buds connect through magnets

The Huawei Watch Buds is really a feat of engineering that hasn’t didn’t intrigue individuals every time I open the display screen to point out off the shock beneath.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The watch face opens through a button under the dial and might be positioned anyplace between 10 and 75 levels. I’ve used it loads of occasions, and it by no means felt janky or breakable in that point.  

The earbuds keep in through magnets on the highest of the face – even holding the watch the other way up doesn’t shift them. Beneath that could be a built-in charging case, in order quickly as you shut the watch, the buds will begin juicing. The watch at all times provides you a heads-up when the case is open. 

I wasn’t satisfied that I’d discover a want for this product, however a couple of days with it proved me improper. I discovered it extraordinarily helpful to not need to hunt round in my bag for my earphones throughout my commute. They have been proper there, able to entry with ease – so Huawei has definitely nailed the comfort issue. 

The wearable

• Heavy for anybody with smaller wrists
• 22mm leather-based strap
• IPX7 score when closed
• Not appropriate for swimming

Huawei has made efforts to make the watch look as regular as doable, however on the finish of the day, there may be an earbuds case housed in there. As such, that is one chunky wearable.  

It weighs 66.5g (excluding the strap), which is twice as heavy as different main wearables just like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. This won’t be a problem for somebody with thicker arms, however I’ve noodle-like wrists. Consequently, the watch feels cumbersome after lengthy durations of time, equivalent to carrying it in a single day for sleep monitoring.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The thickness additionally proved a problem when altering garments – I used to be caught in a precarious place after I by accident clicked open the case and bought it caught on my jumper which was already midway over my head. I’d advise taking the wearable off when altering. 

The physique is created from black chrome steel and comes with an identical 22mm leather-based strap with a brown underside. While it feels snug and appears premium, it isn’t the best choice for train because it feels moderately grubby after sweating. Nevertheless, that is removable, so you would swap it out for any third-party one with ease.

The AMOLED show measures 1.43in and comes with a 466 x 466 decision. It’s vivid, shiny and clear, and doesn’t appear to retain marks or fingerprints. You possibly can navigate through the touchscreen show, or through the use of the button on the right-hand facet which can be used to energy the machine.

The Huawei Watch Buds has two IP rankings, because the machine is extra weak when the lid is open. When the watch is closed, it’s rated IPX7 – this then drops to IPX4 when it’s open. You would in principle bathe with this watch on with the case closed.

Nevertheless, when you get the buds moist in any approach, or get any liquid within the charging case, you should wipe it down with some cotton buds or a paper towel. That could be annoying when you’re utilizing it for train, as you’ll be able to’t merely stick them again within the case with out ensuring they’re free from sweat first. 

As well as, the Huawei Watch Buds doesn’t help swimming in any respect attributable to issues of breaking the buds. As a daily pool-goer, this was a slight disappointment.  

The earbuds

• Steady and compact design
• May be managed utilizing faucets on buds, or on the ears

The buds themselves are available in a shiny black end with silver accents and an octagonal design. They weigh solely 4g per bud, measure a tiny 21.8 x 10.3 x 10.3mm and include three interchangeable silicon ear ideas. They’re extraordinarily snug to put on, even for lengthy durations of time.  

As they arrive with no stems or wings, I used to be anxious about stability. Nevertheless, I by no means had any concern with the buds falling out – they even managed to carry up beneath a run with minimal motion.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

They arrive with what Huawei dubs as Large-Space Auricle Contact Controls, that means that the contact controls work not solely on the outer fringe of the buds themselves but additionally on the outer and inside edges of your ear.

Surprisingly, I discovered the faucets to be extra constant and cozy on my ear moderately than on the buds, which typically have been sluggish to reply or nestled in my ear just a bit too roughly.  

Software program & options 

• Runs on HarmonyOS 2
• App choice not as complete as WearOS

The Huawei Watch Buds runs on HarmonyOS 2, and it has many related options that Google and Apple wearable customers will likely be used to.  

You possibly can both select to show all of the apps in a grid format (the default, which has similarities to the format on Apple Watch), or as a listing with every thing laid out as you’d discover on Amazfit wearables. I opted for the latter.  

Huawei features a vary of apps such because the climate, music (you’ll be able to load songs on through the Huawei Well being app), alarms and extra. The smartphone app additionally consists of Huawei’s personal AppGallery, which has a variety of additional apps that you may obtain to the watch. These embrace Petal Maps, a capsule reminder app and a watch controller for Spotify.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The watch can obtain notifications out of your smartphone and work together with some. For instance, you’ll be able to ship automated responses on WhatsApp, in addition to emojis.

The app choice isn’t fairly as complete as what you’ll discover on WearOS (you received’t discover any Google particular watch apps right here), however it’s higher than the providing on Zepp OS. 

You possibly can obtain and take telephone calls on the Watch Buds, however you’ll must be carrying the buds to do that as no speaker or microphone is included on the watch itself. You too can load music onto the watch to pay attention with out utilizing your smartphone for playback.   

Ensure that the app has permission entry to your smartphone contacts, as in any other case the names will present up as ‘unknown caller’ on the watch.  

Health & monitoring 

• 80 totally different exercise modes supported
• Messy app format
• Some points with step depend on Android

Moreover taking calls and listening to music, you too can use the Huawei Watch Buds to trace your well being and health ranges.  

The watch helps over 80 totally different exercise modes. The usual pre-loaded ones are operating, strolling, biking, skipping, cross coaching and utilizing a rowing machine – however you’ll be able to add a great deal of totally different ones, together with yoga, boxing and tennis.

The watch additionally consists of some programs to comply with. I examined out the superior stroll/run setting, which had pre-loaded timers for when to modify between the 2 actions. You possibly can add extra of those programs through the Huawei Well being app – which is accessible on each iOS and Android. 

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

This app is unfortunately one of many worst issues in regards to the Huawei Watch Buds. Not solely is it stuffed with adverts for varied Huawei merchandise and software program, nevertheless it additionally isn’t essentially the most intuitive to navigate – some options are buried deep inside the settings, for instance.  

When you’ve got an Android telephone, the app additionally double counts your steps in your wearable and telephone and combines them as commonplace. While the determine on the Huawei Watch Buds itself was correct, the one on my telephone was wildly out and appeared to assume that I used to be strolling when taking the tube throughout London (I WISH I may stroll 60,000 steps in a couple of hours).  

This may be fastened by disabling ‘bodily exercise’ on app permissions. Huawei claims within the app that this isn’t an issue for these on iOS.  

The watch additionally options an auto-detect mode for exercises. Nevertheless, I tried to make use of this for strolling and it didn’t activate. I’ve contacted Huawei about this to see if this concern will likely be fastened.

Bugbears apart, the app does present an honest breakdown of your exercises. Right here you’ll be able to see the route you travelled (if GPS was enabled), your coronary heart charge all through the exercise and a few extra metrics on sure sports activities, like common tempo and cadence on operating.  

You too can use the Watch Buds for monitoring your coronary heart charge, SpO2 ranges (blood oxygen) and stress. The outcomes I bought have been in-line with the numbers I’ve had from different smartwatches. The wearable additionally shows a median of your coronary heart charge during the last seven days, which is a pleasant contact.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The Huawei Watch Buds will also be used for sleep monitoring. The app breaks down the place you had deep sleep, gentle sleep and REM, and flags when you awoke through the evening. It additionally supplies some evaluation of your sleep primarily based on the time you went to mattress. You too can add in a guide sleep file, do you have to neglect to put on your wearable.

Once more, these scores all appeared right, with the watch figuring out any nasty disturbances I had through the evening. The knowledge on the app is sort of complete for this part and backs up the claims with sources from medical establishments.  

Sound high quality 

• Spectacular audio high quality
• Interchangeable left and proper buds
• So-so ANC

The headphones on the Huawei Watch Buds impressively (for his or her dimension) include a Full-Vary Planar Diaphragm Unit, the identical tech seen on the Huawei FreeBuds Professional 2. That is mixed with a flat voice coil and a quad magnetic construction. In keeping with Huawei, all this know-how ends in “transparency, smoothness, wealthy particulars, and deep sound”. 

They arrive with a frequency vary of 20Hz-20kHz, which is in-keeping with most different earbuds and matches the theoretical human listening to vary. Additionally they produce as much as 104dB by way of quantity. You get Dynamic EQ mode on the watch, which may enhance the bass, treble and voices on audio.

In actual phrases, the buds are a deal with for day-to-day listening, particularly while you tweak the settings to go well with what you’re listening to. Bass has a pleasant thump to it with digital songs equivalent to Sebastian Bohm’s remix of Blue Monday – particularly when it’s boosted. Different devices equivalent to strings and synths additionally shine properly.  

The standard is a bit on the muddy facet for rock music, however that could be a frequent concern with many earbuds. Deep Cuts by You Me At Six has clear vocals, and the devices are all identifiable from each other. Vocals on podcasts additionally sound sharp and detailed.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Arguably essentially the most distinctive factor in regards to the buds is that they’ve Adaptive Identification Expertise. Offering that they’re correctly synced, the audio channels will robotically right to allow them to be used interchangeably. I.e. you would take out the left-hand bud and use it in your proper ear.  

The buds do that by sensing motion. So, when you decide up the right-hand earbud and put it in your left ear, Huawei asks customers to softly nod or shake your head. The earbuds will then notify you that they’re robotically synced – that is between 5 and 15 seconds for me (although Huawei asks to provide it as much as 30 seconds). Be aware that you may’t do that efficiently when you’re mendacity down or taking a telephone name.  

When listening to Bohemian Rhapsody, I observed that the channels did robotically swap to right ones after switching and ready for them to synch. I had one or two separate events the place the audio appeared to sound barely off-kilter, however this was just for a break up second.  

The earbuds include each lively noise cancelling (ANC) and ambient modes. While ANC does block out some stage of noise, it’s not fairly on the similar stage as rival earphones. Travelling on the underground, for instance, nonetheless produces some stage of background noise.  

This can be all the way down to the smaller dimension of the buds, which simply don’t present the identical stage of acoustic seal as a standalone set of headphones.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

As well as, ambient mode is helpful for while you want your wits about you (equivalent to crossing a highway), however you’ll nonetheless want your quantity to be at a low stage to listen to conversations.

Twin mics are in-built on the buds so you’ll be able to take calls on them. I examined these out on busy roads, and while my voice was largely clear, it was barely on the tinny facet and never all background noise was omitted.  

Battery life & charging 

• Common three days utilization on smartwatch
• As much as 4 hours of listening on buds on one cost
• Simply over one hour to cost from flat to full

Huawei claims a median of round three days’ value of utilization with the Watch Buds, and I discovered this quantity to be largely correct. The earbuds themselves have round 4 hours of listening time with out ANC enabled, and round three hours with this function turned on.  

The buds cost contained in the watch robotically, until you allow the power-saving mode through the battery settings which ought to lengthen the watch’s life to round every week. I observed that when the watch dropped under 10%, it stopped charging the buds.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The short settings mode exhibits what share every bud is charged, in addition to the cost of the watch itself.  

While some wearables from the likes of Amazfit provide for much longer battery life, this can be a first rate vary that really outpaces some main rivals such because the Google Pixel Watch. That’s all of the extra spectacular while you keep in mind that the earbuds are always charging when they’re docked inside.

Huawei’s magnetic charger juices the watch from flat to full in simply over an hour, which is way faster than I used to be anticipating.

Value & availability 

The Huawei Watch Buds price £449/€499 and can be found to pre-order now from the Huawei retailer. It goes on sale on 1 March 2023, and will likely be out there from Amazon UK in mid-March. Like different Huawei merchandise, it isn’t out there within the US.

That is an costly smartwatch, which is comprehensible contemplating its distinctive hybrid nature. Nonetheless, you would simply purchase two separate merchandise for a similar value (or cheaper) and get higher high quality total – together with the Apple Watch SE and AirPods 3. 

Should you’re a tech fanatic who values comfort, then it’s nonetheless value contemplating the Huawei Watch Buds, as there isn’t something prefer it in the marketplace. Nevertheless, this isn’t a crossover product that I can see catching on anytime quickly.  

You possibly can try our round-ups of the most effective smartwatches and the most effective true wi-fi earbuds.

Verdict 

The Huawei Watch Buds is a cool piece of tech, there’s no denying it. The {hardware} on the watch is spectacular, and the earbuds are each inconspicuous and cozy. Plus, each the audio and health/sleep monitoring efficiency are largely fairly good.  

There are some use circumstances for it – it eliminates looking round in your earbuds in your bag and is particularly helpful for commuting and light-weight train out and about.  

Nevertheless, it’s let down by its cumbersome construct and messy app. Plus, it’s exhausting to justify one thing so area of interest at such a excessive price ticket. You would simply go for two nice separate merchandise for much less, and get a way more snug and slimmer smartwatch while you’re at it.

Specs

• Watch measurements: 47 x 47.5 x 15mm
• Watch weight: 66.5g (with out strap)
• 22mm leather-based strap
• 1.43in round (466×466) AMOLED show
• Stainless-steel casing
• Coronary heart charge sensor
• 80 exercise modes
• IPX7 score (closed) IPX4 score (open)
• Watch battery: Common 3 days, as much as 7 seven days on energy saving mode
• Wi-fi charging
• Compatibility: Android & iOS
• Buds measurements: 21.8 x 10.3 x 10.3mm
• Buds weight: 4g per bud
• Full-Vary Planar Diaphragm Unit
• ANC and ambient mode
• Put on detection
• Interchangeable left and proper channels
• Contact controls on buds and ears
• Charging inside the hidden watch case
• 4 hours listening time with out ANC, 3 hours listening time with ANC
• Black and silver end on buds