Huawei Watch 2, analysis and opinion

Although Smart watches They have been in the market for a long time, the truth is that today it is not a demanded product. This type of w It is still not an essential product for the consumer, especially with the little autonomy that smart watches usually have, with few exceptions.

Huawei still wants to bet on this segment and the last example we have with the Huawei Watch 2, a watch that hits the market with a series of notable changes, as you will see in our analysis in Spanish.

Huawei focuses its Watch 2 for physical activity and user autonomy

The Huawei Watch 2 not only changes in terms of design, but its new features give a very clear focus towards physical activity and especially the ability to use this smartwatch without the need for a mobile phone thanks to its groove nanoSIM.  

The Asian manufacturer has opted for elegance, offering a more classic design in this watch, achieving a very successful result. To start the clock has a much sportier design, moving away from those chrome finishes and the 1.4-inch screen of its predecessor, although curiously the Watch 2 is more voluminous than the previous model.

And it is that those wider and so characteristic frames in sports watches make the watch occupy more despite having a smaller screen.

La ceramic crown It has a bezel on the inside with the marks from 0 to 60 every five minutes. To say that this crown is static unlike the Samsung Gear S3. And it is a real shame since it seems that you can rotate it and it would have been a detail that users would appreciate.

Personally one of the things that I liked the most when I tested the Gear S3 it was its crown, which gave the device a plus of functionality. And if we take into account that Android Wear 2.0 it does have support for this type of control, I do not understand why the Huawei design team did not opt ​​for this option.

To say that the watch is quite thick, although it is normal if we take into account the huge battery that the Huawei Watch 2 has. 20mm straps They can be exchanged quickly thanks to a very simple and intuitive fastening system that also serves to hide the nano SIM card slot that the Huawei Watch 2 we have analyzed has.

Another detail that differentiates the Huawei Watch 2 from the first model is the presence of two buttons instead of one. The one located at the top is used to access the applications menu, just by pressing it we will access the list of apps.

I like the bottom button since it is programmable so that we assign different types of tasks, although as standard it is prepared to activate a Huawei sports program when pressed.

The watch it feels very good in the hand, offering a pleasant touch and a more than correct weight. Personally I like bulky watches so I have nothing to criticize in this regard, but I recommend that you try it before buying it in case you do not like how it looks on your wrist.

Say that, broadly speaking the work done by Huawei has been excellent, showing a product

Technical characteristics of the Huawei Watch 2

with great finishes that give the Huawei Watch 2 a very premium look. To put a but I would complain that the crown is not rotatable, but I hope that Huawei takes note for the next generation of smartwatches.

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With mounting hardware the Huawei Watch 2 the device works really smoothly. During the time that I have been testing the new smartwatch from the manufacturer, I have not noticed any lag or jerk at any time. But the most interesting changes with respect to the previous model come don the independence of the watch with respect to the smartphone.

And is that the Huawei Watch 2 has a receiver Integrated GPS in addition to a series of sensors to quantify sports activity. If we add to this a nanoSIM slot to be able to use the watch in a totally autonomous way, we have before us a device that can be used completely independently of our smartphone.

Of course, these elements have made the screen have to be smaller despite the fact that the dimensions of the clock have increased significantly. Something normal, more if we take into account the presence of the GPS sensor. And we cannot forget about the certification IP68 that allows us to use the Huawei Watch 2 in any environment without having to worry about anything. I have showered with him, gone to the beach, bathed in swimming pools and the clock continues to work perfectly, so in this aspect you can be very calm. Of course, remember that the manufacturer recommends that we do not bathe with it, so I recommend that you heed the indications of Huawei.

Autonomy

One of the main novelties with respect to the previous model is the greater capacity of the battery included in the Huawei Watch 2. Those 420 mAh they are still not enough for long sessions if we use GPS and mobile connectivity at the same time, but it still offers good performance.

While it is true that the device has a "clock" mode that simply shows the time and counts steps that we give to offer great autonomy, in this case we have a conventional watch, not a smartwatch, so in this aspect I cannot assess the increase in the autonomy of the device.

In general, the watch has kept me on for a maximum of two days giving moderate use and a day and a half on the days that I have given it the most. On the positive side, we have a fast charging system that allows the watch to be fully charged in less than an hour. Does it compensate? I already tell you no.

Using the Huawei Watch 2 autonomously

As I said before, one of the main novelties of Watch 2 is the possibility of working without the need to be connected to the mobile phone via Bluetooth. There are two versions of the Huawei Watch 2, a model with an integrated e-SIM card that will be available in certain regions, Spain is not among them, and another model that is available in our country and that has a nano SIM slot.

The analyzed version is the Watch 2 with nano SIM slot so I have been able to test my personal card to see how it works. And here I have to say that Android Wear 2.0 is not very well optimized to use this type of system since it does not automatically ask for the PIN to unlock the phone's SIM.

The only way to get data is to go to Settings and in the Connectivity section activate mobile connectivity. Be careful, you also have to go to the "SIM unlocking" section that appears when you have inserted the card. Once this is done we will unlock the card, although as you may have seen, it is not a comfortable system. Not at all.

After the odyssey of unlocking then we can use the watch to perform various tasks without having to link with a phone. We can make and receive calls using the microphone and the integrated speaker of the Huawei Watch 2. The truth is that it sounds pretty good and you can have a conversation without problems but I find it very strange to go talking on the street with the clock because, as expected, people look at you. Everybody looks at you.

I like the possibility of installing applications from Google Play or replying to messages from different social networks and instant messaging services, as well as being able to activate Google Now through «Ok Google«. We can respond by voice or use the mini keyboard to respond in writing, although the size of the Huawei Watch 2 screen makes it quite difficult to use this function without ending up desperate.

Everything really works quite well, especially if we consider that we are talking about a watch, but the limitations that a device of this type has, especially due to the size of its screen, means that the degree of autonomy exists but with an obvious lack of features. that make it very difficult, at least in my opinion, to leave the phone at home.

Final conclusions

El Huawei Watch 2 is a great smartwatch. The Asian manufacturer has done a great job offering a very complete device that works really well. A team that will also delight sports lovers thanks to the different functions it has. Although with buts.

To begin with I still think that the autonomy of the watch is not good enough as to make up for such a purchase. For breaking a spear in its favor, I will say that the only device of this type that has surprised me for having a decent autonomy is the Samsung Gear S3, although on the other hand I think that it is more reason for its competitors to take note in this aspect .

And on the other hand we have the section of the connectivity. Yes, the watch can work completely autonomously from a mobile phone, but with limitations. Talking on the phone with the watch is uncomfortable in every way and certain functions such as being able to write with the mini keyboard is torture.

Is the watch worth buying? Depends. If you are looking for a good smartwatch that you can take advantage of to do sports and be able to use it without having to take your phone, the Huawei Watch 2 is an option to take into account. If, on the other hand, you think that a smart watch is not an essential tool like a smartphone, it is best that you wait for the next generation of smartwatches to see if the issue of autonomy improves.

Editor's opinion