A smartwatch with earphones in it? Is there, from Huawei. Sounds like something for James Bond. How does the gadget perform in everyday life? We tried it.
Why didn’t anyone come up with this idea much earlier? A foldable smartwatch with small, removable earbuds sounds practical. And so are the Huawei Watch Buds. The two plugs are stored in the accompanying smartwatch just below the dial.
Whether left or right is the same
When inserting the buds, you no longer have to pay attention to which plug goes in which ear. The tiny headphones are able to recognize their current location themselves. They only weigh four grams each and are so delicate that one initially fears that the sound cannot be far off. But the true wireless in-ears surprise with full sound and crisp bass.
Calls and media playback can be controlled via touch surfaces on the headphones. This can be a bit fiddly for people with slightly stronger fingers. When it comes to active noise cancellation (ANC), for example, you have to make some compromises compared to Apple’s AirPods Pro.
In the test, the Huawei plugs had trouble compensating for louder ambient noise. Two microphones in each earbud do a better job when making calls. At least there was nothing to complain about when it came to the sound of the calls from the other party.
Store and charge in the watch
While other earbuds are delivered with their own charging cradle, the smartwatch of the Huawei Buds not only takes on the function of a storage cradle, but also that of a charging station. With one battery charge, we managed to get by for around three hours in the test. After that, the pegs had to be put back into the watch for charging.
The smartwatch itself is charged inductively. This not only works with the supplied charging cable, but also on any charging cradle that works with the Qi standard. The fact that Huawei has refrained from being a loner here should set a precedent in the industry, which still too often relies on specific in-house solutions. Depending on the power saving setting, the battery lasts up to eight days.
With dimensions of 47 x 47.5 millimeters, the smartwatch does not appear very discreet on the wrist, but it is also not bulkier than many competing models. The thickness of 15 millimeters is also noticeable, but an Apple Watch Ultra, for example, also has a thickness of 14 millimeters.
Easy to read AMOLED display
The AMOLED display measures 1.43 inches (466 by 466 pixels) and is easy to read. Like the other smartwatches from Huawei, our test candidate also offers various fitness functions, heart rate measurement and sleep analysis and can determine the blood oxygen content.
Despite the folding hinge, the Huawei Watch Buds are protected against the ingress of water according to protection class IPX7 up to a depth of 1.50 meters. However, there is no ATM rating for even deeper dives, which is common for many smartwatches.
Even outside of the swimming pool, you miss a few functions that otherwise define the practicality of smartwatches. There is no payment function because the watch does not support services such as Google Pay or Apple Pay. We also missed the option of loading an E-SIM onto the watch so that we could make calls without a smartphone nearby.
The heart rate, both at rest and during sport, is measured very precisely. However, the watch cannot write a simple single-channel ECG to detect atrial fibrillation. However, the Huawei Watch scores points when it comes to recording sporting activities, especially outdoors. The GPS recordings of the routes covered are reliable and precise.
Android app only via detours
The headphones and the smartwatch are connected to the smartphone via Bluetooth. This not only works with devices from the Chinese manufacturer and other Android smartphones, but also with Apple iPhones. To set it up, however, you have to install the Huawei Health app. With iPhones and Huawei smartphones, this can be obtained directly from the first-party app store – the App Store for Apple and the AppGallery for Huawei. However, Android users first have to laboriously download the AppGallery via the browser, potentially exposing their smartphone to danger. Only after installation do you get access to the necessary Huawei Health app.
Unfortunately, Huawei holds out its hand again if you want to use all the functions of the Huawei Health app. With the Plus subscription, in addition to the free features, there is also a nutrition tracker, advice on exercise and nutrition and personalized training plans. Huawei charges 8 euros per month or 60 euros per year for Health Plus.
For whom is the Huawei Watch Buds worthwhile?
If the main thing is to have your in-ear headphones always available without having to look for a separate charging case, the Huawei Watch Buds smartwatch-earphone combination will not disappoint. The plugs sound good and prove themselves in everyday use.
The smartwatch pleases with the innovative concept of also serving as a storage and charging case for the earplugs. On the other hand, other smartwatches can record more sports and health data and are more suitable for everyday use as a mobile wallet.
The list price for the Huawei Watch Buds including the headphones is 500 euros, but you can get them a little cheaper from some retailers.