Huawei Watch 2 Now Arrives In The US
Huawei Watch 2 is finally out in the US. Huawei’s second-generation Android Wear smartwatch replaces the original Huawei Watch. THe original boasted a premium design and modest feature set. Its biggest failing was the delay between its launch and release date. The Huawei Watch 2 is trying to up the level with more connectivity options, Android Wear 2.0 and a sporty new look. With a smaller display and chunkier build, this latest smartwatch feels like it’s trying to do too much.
Watch Aesthetics
At 2 ounces, Huawei’s Watch 2 lighter than other watches. It’s black, ceramic bezel has indentations around its circumference. The Huawei’s bezel doesn’t rotate. You will be able to navigate menus only by using the touch screen. Or you can use the two stainless-steel buttons on the right. At 0.5 inches thick, the Watch 2 is only a little thicker. It is made up of stainless steel. It has a large optical heart-rate sensor in the middle and four metal contacts on one edge for the wireless charger. The black rubber strap that comes with the Watch 2 is comfortable. The Watch 2 has LTE, but this feature is not available in the U.S. The Watch 2 is IP68-rated. It can withstand being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
Crisp Display
The 1.2-inch display on the Watch 2 is small but bright. At a resolution of 390 x 390 pixels, it looks crisp. Like other Android Wear 2.0 watches, its display has an always-on setting. This features a stripped-down watch face that still shows the time. Tapping the display or rotating your wrist changes the screen to its active mode. In this you’ll see additional animations. You will see a second hand or information such as remaining battery life and your steps for the day. The Classic watch face has four customizable subdials. One of these had an animation of spinning gears.
Fitness App
Within the Fitness app, The exercise options are limited Running, Fat Burn, Cycling, Treadmill etc, within the fitness app. You can set a goal within each, such as distance and calories burned, go running or cycle with your favorite workout beats, guided and motivated by real-time coaching. Also, you will have your trail mapped via GPS. All this without the burden of a phone. Persistent heart rate monitor works continuously with high precision. It will show you the heart rate graph for the last 6 hours. Resting heart rate monitoring is also supported. Work hard, play smart, with the data to make you work out smarter. Thorough and professional information helps you build a great workout. Work out with your best beats and your best riffs while you’re getting ripped.
The Huawei Wear App
The Huawei Wear app is separate from the Android Wear app. It lets you view your health stats as recorded by the watch. But it opens yet another app, Huawei Health. This shows a more detailed look at your daily fitness information. There’s not much purpose to the Huawei Wear app. All the information it contains can be found elsewhere. The Huawei Health app lets you set training goals and create a customized plan. At the bottom of the app is an icon to pair a device with the app. But the Watch 2 is not among the devices listed. You can share data from the Huawei Health app with MyFitnessPal and Google Fit.
The Huawei Watch 2 is one of the first smartwatches that can run Android Wear 2.0. This version of Google’s wrist-based OS introduces several upgrades. It includes the ability to install apps directly on the watch. There are more options for text input and greater integration with Google Fit.
Battery
The Huawei Watch 2 lasts about a day when receiving notifications and performing other smartwatch-like functions. Huawei claims that the Watch 2 will last up to 10 hours using GPS and the heart rate monitor.
The Verdict
The new watch is much chunkier and larger than the prior model. It comes with a distinct focus on fitness-tracking features. That includes GPS for tracking runs and comes with extra software. Also, it includes NFC for Android Pay. The $300 standard variant with mixed rubber strap in Carbon Black and Concrete Grey can be found at the usual retailers. The list includes Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart. There’s a classic variant with a rubber-leather hybrid strap and a metallic casing. That one’s not yet available and will set you back $370. With one of the standard variants, you’ll also get 10 free weeks of Google Play Music. That will come bundled with the device for a limited time.
Dhruvil is a Writer & Marketeer for Nimblechapps, joined in December 2014, based out of Sydney, Australia. He has worked briefly as a Branding and Digital Marketing Manager before moving to Australia. At Nimblechapps, he worked on Social Media Marketing, Branding, Email Marketing and Blogging. Dhruvil studies Business at University of Western Sydney, and also handles Operations for the company in Australia.