Huawei Watch Buds review

Worth When Reviewed

€499

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

This smartwatch appears to be like like an atypical 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 energetic noise cancelling (ANC), together with a number 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 definitely worth the worth? 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 situated beneath the watch face
• Buds connect through magnets

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

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 instances, 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. Under 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 number of days with it proved me incorrect. I discovered it extraordinarily helpful to not must 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 attainable, 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. Because of this, the watch feels cumbersome after lengthy durations of time, akin 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 once I by accident clicked open the case and obtained it caught on my jumper which was already midway over my head. I’d advise taking the wearable off when altering. 

The physique is constituted of black chrome steel and comes with an identical 22mm leather-based strap with a brown underside. While it feels comfy and appears premium, it isn’t the most suitable choice for train because it feels moderately grubby after sweating. Nevertheless, that is removable, so you might 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 vibrant, shiny and clear, and doesn’t appear to retain marks or fingerprints. You’ll be able to navigate through the touchscreen show, or through the use of the button on the right-hand aspect which can also be used to energy the system.

The Huawei Watch Buds has two IP scores, because the system 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 possibly can in principle bathe with this watch on with the case closed.

Nevertheless, if you happen to get the buds moist in any manner, or get any liquid within the charging case, you need to wipe it down with some cotton buds or a paper towel. That could be annoying if you happen to’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 as a result of issues of breaking the buds. As an everyday 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 suggestions. They’re extraordinarily comfy to put on, even for lengthy durations of time.  

As they arrive with no stems or wings, I used to be fearful about stability. Nevertheless, I by no means had any problem 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 Extensive-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 comfy on my ear moderately than on the buds, which generally have been gradual 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 might be used to.  

You’ll be able to 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 an inventory with every part 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 contains Huawei’s personal AppGallery, which has a spread of additional apps that you may obtain to the watch. These embody Petal Maps, a tablet 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’ll be able to obtain and take cellphone calls on the Watch Buds, however you’ll have to be carrying the buds to do that as no speaker or microphone is included on the watch itself. You may as well load music onto the watch to hear with out utilizing your smartphone for playback.   

Be sure 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 completely different exercise modes supported
• Messy app format
• Some points with step rely on Android

Apart from taking calls and listening to music, you may as well use the Huawei Watch Buds to trace your well being and health ranges.  

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

The watch additionally contains some programs to observe. I examined out the superior stroll/run setting, which had pre-loaded timers for when to change between the 2 actions. You’ll be able to add extra of those programs through the Huawei Well being app – which is offered 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 filled with adverts for numerous Huawei merchandise and software program, but it surely additionally isn’t essentially the most intuitive to navigate – some options are buried deep throughout the settings, for instance.  

When you’ve got an Android cellphone, the app additionally double counts your steps in your wearable and cellphone and combines them as normal. While the determine on the Huawei Watch Buds itself was correct, the one on my cellphone 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 number 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 problem might be fastened.

Bugbears apart, the app does present a good 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 working.  

You may as well use the Watch Buds for monitoring your coronary heart charge, SpO2 ranges (blood oxygen) and stress. The outcomes I obtained have been in-line with the numbers I’ve had from different smartwatches. The wearable additionally shows a mean 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, mild sleep and REM, and flags if you happen to awakened in the course of the night time. It additionally supplies some evaluation of your sleep primarily based on the time you went to mattress. You may as well add in a handbook sleep document, must you neglect to put on your wearable.

Once more, these scores all appeared right, with the watch figuring out any nasty disturbances I had in the course of the night time. The data 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 measurement) 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. Based on Huawei, all this expertise leads to “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 might increase 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 swimsuit what you’re listening to. Bass has a pleasant thump to it with digital songs akin to Sebastian Bohm’s remix of Blue Monday – particularly when it’s boosted. Different devices akin to strings and synths additionally shine properly.  

The standard is a bit on the muddy aspect for rock music, however that could be a frequent problem 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 Know-how. Offering that they’re correctly synced, the audio channels will robotically right to allow them to be used interchangeably. I.e. you might take out the left-hand bud and use it in your proper ear.  

The buds do that by sensing motion. So, if you happen to choose 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). Word that you may’t do that efficiently if you happen to’re mendacity down or taking a cellphone name.  

When listening to Bohemian Rhapsody, I seen 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 energetic noise cancelling (ANC) and ambient modes. While ANC does block out some degree of noise, it’s not fairly on the similar degree as rival earphones. Travelling on the underground, for instance, nonetheless produces some degree of background noise.  

This can be right down to the smaller measurement of the buds, which simply don’t present the identical degree 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 (akin to crossing a street), however you’ll nonetheless want your quantity to be at a low degree 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 aspect 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 mean of round three days’ price 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 per week. I seen that when the watch dropped under 10%, it stopped charging the buds.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The fast settings mode reveals 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 truly outpaces some main rivals such because the Google Pixel Watch. That’s all of the extra spectacular while you take into consideration that the earbuds are consistently 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.

Worth & 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 might be accessible from Amazon UK in mid-March. Like different Huawei merchandise, it isn’t accessible within the US.

That is an costly smartwatch, which is comprehensible contemplating its distinctive hybrid nature. Nonetheless, you might simply purchase two separate merchandise for a similar worth (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 price 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’ll be able to take a look at our round-ups of the perfect smartwatches and the perfect 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 comfy. Plus, each the audio and health/sleep monitoring efficiency are largely fairly good.  

There are some use instances for it – it eliminates looking out 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 laborious to justify one thing so area of interest at such a excessive price ticket. You possibly can simply go for two nice separate merchandise for much less, and get a way more comfy 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 throughout the hidden watch case
• 4 hours listening time with out ANC, 3 hours listening time with ANC
• Black and silver end on buds