Huawei Watch Review: A Premium Android Wear Timepiece
Huawei Watch Intro and Specifications
One of the sharpest, classiest, most alluring Android Wear smartwatches yet has arrived, and it's manufactured by a company that many American consumers may not be familiar with. The Huawei Watch is just about as good as it gets for a smartwatch currently. The reason? It's a watch first, and a smartwatch second. For those clamoring for a timepiece that looks like a tried-and-true premium wristwatch, look no further.
Huawei has made phones, tablets, and other gizmos for years, though it has had more success in Asia than in the U.S. Standing out in the U.S. marketplace is difficult. A company typically won't get very far without wide distribution and a massive marketing budget. The Huawei Watch is the type of device that can be the foundation of a widespread marketing push to advance the brand in this market -- it is a beautiful device. Given that it is still the early days in the smartwatch game, with only a handful of competitors to speak of, the company has a good chance or reaching the average consumer, that maybe scouring the web for smartwatch reviews and other details.
Let's take a look at what's inside in this little beauty...
If much of that list looks familiar to you, fret not. Much of what is inside the Huawei Watch is also inside of Motorola's second-generation Moto 360, which we recently reviewed. Right down to the CPU, the RAM, and the ROM, the two watches share similar internals. Presumably, that means we'll see similar performance, but Huawei's design and interface should affect the user experience. And that's what we aim to find out on the pages ahead.
Huawei has made phones, tablets, and other gizmos for years, though it has had more success in Asia than in the U.S. Standing out in the U.S. marketplace is difficult. A company typically won't get very far without wide distribution and a massive marketing budget. The Huawei Watch is the type of device that can be the foundation of a widespread marketing push to advance the brand in this market -- it is a beautiful device. Given that it is still the early days in the smartwatch game, with only a handful of competitors to speak of, the company has a good chance or reaching the average consumer, that maybe scouring the web for smartwatch reviews and other details.
Let's take a look at what's inside in this little beauty...
Apple and Samsung have already had their annual smartphone launch parties, and now, Motorola is taking its turn. For the third year in a row, a new Moto X has arrived on the test bed. There's no mistaking the design -- visual cues that created the silhouette of the original still remain on the Moto X Pure Edition, but it's clear that the company is evolving its flagship phone based on market demands. For instance, the 5.7-inch Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) display would've been viewed as monstrous in 2013, but today, it feels wholly natural. Moto has also included a few useful extras like TurboPower (which injects 10 hours of life into the phone after just 15 minutes on the charger) and a water-repellant nano-coating.
The Moto X Pure Edition (also known as the Moto X Style in non-U.S. markets) has plenty of competition, but in some ways, it exists in a niche of its own. Samsung and Apple have long since garnered the lion's share of mobile profits in North America, but those flagships start at around $649 and peak at nearly $1,000 with a halfway decent amount of internal storage.
Apple's unlocked 128GB iPhone 6s Plus goes for $949 exclusive of tax, while Samsung's 64GB Galaxy Note 5 checks in at around $800. Rather than bark up that tree, Moto is hawking a great phone, completely unlocked, at a price point that's downright cheap in comparison. While the $399 base price only includes 16GB of storage, even the 64GB model only costs $499. What's that coin get you? Let's take a look.
Apple and Samsung have already had their annual smartphone launch parties, and now, Motorola is taking its turn. For the third year in a row, a new Moto X has arrived on the test bed. There's no mistaking the design -- visual cues that created the silhouette of the original still remain on the Moto X Pure Edition, but it's clear that the company is evolving its flagship phone based on market demands. For instance, the 5.7-inch Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) display would've been viewed as monstrous in 2013, but today, it feels wholly natural. Moto has also included a few useful extras like TurboPower (which injects 10 hours of life into the phone after just 15 minutes on the charger) and a water-repellant nano-coating.
The Moto X Pure Edition (also known as the Moto X Style in non-U.S. markets) has plenty of competition, but in some ways, it exists in a niche of its own. Samsung and Apple have long since garnered the lion's share of mobile profits in North America, but those flagships start at around $649 and peak at nearly $1,000 with a halfway decent amount of internal storage.
Apple's unlocked 128GB iPhone 6s Plus goes for $949 exclusive of tax, while Samsung's 64GB Galaxy Note 5 checks in at around $800. Rather than bark up that tree, Moto is hawking a great phone, completely unlocked, at a price point that's downright cheap in comparison. While the $399 base price only includes 16GB of storage, even the 64GB model only costs $499. What's that coin get you? Let's take a look.
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| OS | Android Wear 1.3 |
| CPU | 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 |
| Memory |
512MB RAM 4GB Internal Storage |
| Display |
42mm Face: 1.4-inch circular display; 286ppi (400x400) 10,000:1 contrast ratio Sapphire crystal |
| Wireless |
Bluetooth 4.1 LE, Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1700 (AWS),1900, 2100 MHz) CDMA (800, 850, 1900 MHz) 4G LTE† (B1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, 38, 41) |
| Size | 42mm diameter by 11.4mm high |
| Audio | Dual microphones |
| Sensors, etc. | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Vibration/Haptics engine; Heart rate monitor (PPG) |
| Battery | 300mAh |
| Case Options |
Stainless Steel Black-plated Stainless Steel Rose gold-plated Stainless Steel |
| Price | $349 to $799 |
If much of that list looks familiar to you, fret not. Much of what is inside the Huawei Watch is also inside of Motorola's second-generation Moto 360, which we recently reviewed. Right down to the CPU, the RAM, and the ROM, the two watches share similar internals. Presumably, that means we'll see similar performance, but Huawei's design and interface should affect the user experience. And that's what we aim to find out on the pages ahead.
