Time out Huawei Watch 2

Introduction

Huawei unveiled the Watch 2 next to the P10 couple of flagship smartphones. Although the handsets took most of the attention in Barcelona, the watches - yep, multiple versions here too - didn't completely go unnoticed either. After all, it's been two years since the original Huawei Watch.

Huawei's second generation of wearables is aptly among the first to get Android Wear 2.0 right out of the box. The latest OS version was officially released in early February and it took quite a while too. By the looks of it though, the wait might have been well worth it.

Huawei will offer its watch in two distinct options for different demographics. The Huawei Watch 2 Classic is the dressed up, ceramic-on-leather, SIM-less version for the style-conscious while the sporty Huawei Watch 2 is the connected, outdoorsy gadget for a more active lifestyle.

Huawei opted for a mix of metal and plastic - with a touch of ceramic for the crown of the Watch 2 Classic. The SIM compartment - only available on the basic Huawei Watch 2 - is accessible when one piece of the 20mm standard rubber strap is detached. The variety of bold paint jobs and color accents for the Watch 2 makes a strong case for the device's main target being power users and outdoor enthusiasts.

Huawei Watch 2 key features

• 1.2" Circular AMOLED display, 390 x 390 pixels, 326 ppi, 45mm in diameter
• Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, quad-core 1.1GHz, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage
• 420mAh battery
• 48.9 x 45 x 12.6mm, 57g / 60.5g (Classic)
• Android Wear 2.0
• iOS support
• Heart-rate sensor, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis compass, barometer
• IP68 certified for water and dust resistance
• Wireless charging

Huawei Watch 2 main shortcomings

• The plastic strap looks cheap
• Slow GPS positioning, not the best choice for activity tracking

Now, it's the basic Huawei Watch 2 we're reviewing today - and that's clearly a different device from the Classic variety. The overall look and feel, the finish, the Classic's leather strap - you'll have no trouble telling the two apart. The Classic is bigger too. Mind you, we even caught a glimpse of a Porsche Design option at the MWC, but that's yet to get a wider release.

Anyway, we're gonna focus on what's at hand and that's the sporty, LTE-capable Huawei Watch 2. Follow us on the next page to find out what the smartwatch can do for you.

Performance

Huawei Watch 2 in action

The first thing to come to your attention, taking the Huawei Watch 2 out of the box, are the sporty looks. It has two buttons on the right, a ceramic chronograph crown and non-nonsense rubber straps that look sturdy enough.

    
Huawei Watch 2 official photos

The latest Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset and the 768MB of RAM are capable enough of powering the Android Wear 2.0 device. You don't get much variety with smartwatch internals and the Snapdragon dedicated platform is basically as good as they come.

The hardware that failed to impress is the GPS chip with its slow refresh rate. When the device was used in running and cycling, the positioning data was only collected once a minute which is of little use if you are doing interval training or preparing for a race or a long run. At least the positioning is accurate enough so if you don't change direction too frequently you will get decent mapping at the end of your workout. And after all, if you are preparing for a marathon, aiming for those 4:30-5 minutes per kilometer, maybe a smartwatch isn't the best option around.

Android Wear 2.0 gives its bearers much more independence, allowing watches to make phone calls, navigate on Google Maps and even run games on it while waiting in line at the airport or wherever. The only problem - if you have bigger fingers, the tiny icons that the watch face can fit are inconveniently small targets. When dialing a phone number, you are probably going to need to erase a wrong digit or two in the process.

Conversation with the Watch 2 is effortless. The only problem you might have is with bystanders, because even in 2017, talking to your wrist doesn't quite attract the right kind of attention.

   
Daily Fit info • App drawer • Heart rate app

If you still don't mind, you can even ask Google Assistant for relevant info. It works with "OK Google" but you can also hold the top button for several seconds to launch the Assistant app.

Navigation via the circular screen is well thought out - you swipe left or right to change watch faces, up to show notifications and down for Display Brightness, Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb. You can configure the watch face in various designs and colors but here is a tip: if there is a lot of sunlight where you are, a white or light-colored face would do a better job. A dark background doesn't do well in direct sunlight and if you are wearing sunglasses even checking the time can be a challenge.

The top button of the Watch 2 activates the app menu upon a single press, while the bottom one starts the Fit app. If you don't like that, you can have it your way in the Settings.

Connecting the Watch 2 to a smartphone via Bluetooth is easy enough. When devices are paired, you receive notifications on your watch if your phone is in range. After pairing for the first time via Android Wear (available on Google Play and the App Store), the Watch 2 scans the apps you have downloaded on your phone and suggests to download the their matching Android Wear 2.0 versions on the watch.

There is a rather important differentiation to be made here, regarding Wear 2.0 and previous generations of Google's smartwatch OS. The platform is not only polished on the outside, but quite different in the way it works. Pretty much all Android Wear experiences used to be fed from your phone to the wearable, essentially being developed as dedicated interfaces (Android Views) within an existing APK, running on your smartphone.

This is no longer a limitation for Wear 2.0 apps. Now they can live entirely independently on your wrist. The implications from this are many, but mostly revolve around the wearable's new-found ability to be the master of its own hardware, resources, sensors and data channels. Wear apps can now open and access a data connection on their own. While apps still employ different levels of co-dependence with your phone, we can expect more and more untethered local and connected experiences to emerge in the Android Wear realm.

We found that having all the apps on the watch has both its benefits and drawbacks. For example, Facebook Messenger gives you the opportunity to open the conversation, but you can't type a response - you either send a Like sticker or record a voice-to-text message. When using Runtastic or Strava for running the situation got even worse - the apps tracked everything you do, but the device has to be connected to Wi-Fi or 3G to sync your data. There's no data transfer whatsoever for the major fitness apps between your watch and your phone.

When the Huawei Watch 2 is connected via Bluetooth, the 'Wi-Fi Automatic' feature is activated. It lets the device use the phone's wireless connection. There's also an option to connect the wearable to another Wi-Fi network, and if you have to write a password, it just sends a notification to your smartphone to type the password. Overall the watch and your smartphone would work together pretty well regarding notifications. You can always preview everything you need to know on your watch. When you tap a notification, it automatically opens on the smartphone, if the Watch 2 itself can't read it.

   
App drawer • Wi-Fi menu • Battery menu

The battery life of the Huawei Watch 2 managed to impress. The device lasts two days in normal use, but if you need it to last longer you also have a Battery app that gives you two options.

The first one is Smart Power Saving, which extends the battery life by some 20%. It turns off the gestures that might activate the watch face by accident. The second is Watch mode - it turns off everything, including notifications and leaves only the watch itself and the pedometer. This option lets the Watch 2 go about 20 days on a full charge, or just let you get through the day when the battery levels are already critically low.

Conclusion

Android made huge strides forward with the new Wear 2.0 and removed plenty of limitations that made people sniff at smartwatches. Watches are more self-sufficient, so you might as well want to leave your phone at home when going for a run or out on the town and don't expect to be doing much besides a phone call or two.

The Huawei Watch 2 fits nicely in that first scenario as its sportier looks tend to work better with workout gear than a blazer. There are plenty of options (Android Wear or not) that would fit in a more formal environment, but this is certainly not the forte of the device we are reviewing today.

What we should mention though is that, despite the progress, Android Wear 2.0 and the devices it powers pretty much cater to the same audience as the first generation. That is mostly tech geeks that like to move their rusty bones from time to time. And by moving we mostly mean running or cycling, because the tracking of most other sports activities is not nearly as great.

Also, if you are the kind of active athlete that needs a perfectly accurate tracker with perfect GPS mapping of their workout you should probably look elsewhere. With the Huawei Watch 2 this is more of an added value feature than the focus, which means it's not working as great as the high-end Garmins, for example.

Huawei Watch 2 key findings

• The Huawei Watch 2 has nice sporty design and the rubber straps seem durable and holding well with time
• Android Wear 2.0 may turn to be a game changer for wearables. It lets you leave your smartphone at home and still stay connected
• The Huawei Watch 2 promotes a more active way of life, but it's certainly not the best option for high-level athletes, who would benefit from more frequent GPS readings
• The IP68 certification works as you'd expect - the Huawei Watch 2 had no issues with rain, mud or sweat. It kept working and measuring pace and heart rate without any issues
• Sync between apps of the same platform is not the best, but at least you can preview your emails and messages and even send back short replies.

While the Huawei Watch 2 is among the first to debut with Android Wear 2.0 it's certainly not alone in the market. Google is updating most of the gen 1 devices, and as long as you pick one with a speaker you will be getting more or less the same functionality. The original Huawei Watch is on the list by the way of those getting 2.0. The new dedicated Snapdragon 2100 chipset may work in its favor but we didn't notice any dramatic improvements in battery life so it's not a game-changer by any means.

That said, the original Huawei Watch is a very reasonable alternative to its successor. Neither has NFC to take advantage of Android Pay and with the first generation undergoing several price cuts a strong case can be made that it's better value. You'd be missing on the SIM slot and that's a large part of the whole watch independence thing, though.

There's also the newly unveiled LG Watch Sport. If you prefer the SIM-less version, it's the Huawei Watch 2 Classic vs. the LG Watch Style. The LG Watch Sport is slightly bigger (1.38" screen) and of higher resolution (480 x 480), but the internals are the same: Snapdragon 2100, 768MB of RAM, and 4GB of storage.

We could go on with the list, but the differences are not too great between Android Wear devices. At the end of the day, the right one for you will depend mostly on your local pricing and design preferences.

Once again there's no simple answer to the million dollar question - should you get a Huawei Watch 2 (or any of its alternatives)? On one hand, it looks like the right time to give smartwatches a try - their functionality got a major boost and we are seeing new announcements left and right, which means plenty of big players are committed, so support should be great. Also, with such a wide variety deals are much easier to come by, so you don't need to break the bank to add some more connected tech to your life.

Yet, with all the work that goes in the wearable niche - Google, its partners, as well as Samsung and Apple with their respective platforms - smartwatches are still a long way to becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. Here's hoping that app developers will be drawn by the updated platform and help make the extra step. Even the smartest, most relevant apps though will hardly help as much as a single geek bone in your body.