The Huawei Watch 2 and the Huawei Watch 2 Classic have just been launched at the Mobile World Congress at the Fira Gran Via Barcelona. With these launches, Huawei has taken a plunge in the wearable technology arena. The two editions if the updated watches add a lot of technological advantages besides being sporty and rugged. The Huawei Watch 2 Classic is slightly more design oriented than the cousin but more are more fitness oriented than many other options available currently in the market.
Huawei Watch 2 Specs and Features
The new Huawei Watch 2 series follows the original Huawei Watch deemed by many users and experts to be the complete Android Wear device. These watches have several factors, both in form and functionality, which will make them worthy successors. The three features which come to mind at first glance are the battery lives, which have been greatly enhanced, a ceramic bezel, a dedicated SIM-card space for the smartwatches which will make them independent from the smartphones and a lot of colours. The Huawei Watch 2 is also a very decent competitor to the Apple Watch 2 and the Samsung Gear S3. Key features of the Huawei Watch 2 include:
- A 1.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 390×390 pixels. Th display screen is circular and adds a chic element.
- In a departure from the original Huawei smartwatch range, Gorilla Glass 3 has been used for added protection. The previous generation had scratch-proof sapphire crystal glass for protection. However, the new Huawei Watch 2 is slightly thicker than the predecessor.
- The two new watches will be powered by a newly-designed 1.1GHz Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset manufactured by the redoubtable Qualcomm. Memory and storage specs include on the new Huawei Watch 2 4GB of RAM which is mated to 768MB of native storage.
- Fitness tracking options include an optical heart-rate sensor and GPS support to track running. This means that you can use Google Maps to track your runs in real-time without the need for your smartphone. These features are also available on a rival, the Garmin 235. Forerunner. Other fitness tracking features include heart rate zone information in real-time, dynamic heart rate monitoring as well as zone indicators. Also on offre are real-time stage guidance, lap reminders, and a very well thought goal progress reminder feature.
- The Huawei Watch 2 comes with a powerful 420mAh battery, touted to be enough for two days of constant use. Huawei stated that when put in the ultra battery-saving mode, it will work for weeks. However, in this mode, it will only tell you the time and track your steps.
- Similar to the new LG smartwatches, the Huawei Watch 2 has Google Assistant to help us out in many situations. You can use the watch to set reminders, set up to-do lists, set calendar reminders, remotely control other connected devices book restaurant tables and make your life a tad simpler. The new Google Assistant is much more powerful compared to pre-Android Wear 2.0 devices.
- Huawei will sell the new Watch 2 series internationally as well. They will feature a more updated model with a 4G LTE connection, GPS, NFC for mobile payments, besides connectivity features like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
- The main difference between the Huawei Watch 2 and the Huawei Watch 2 Classic is that the former has a more rugged look. The Classic version, as the name suggests, has more traditional looks with a standard 22mm watch strap.
- Both the models are IP68 certified for dust and water resistance. Huawei, however, does not recommend users to go swimming with the watches on.
The Huawei Watch 2 Classic has a retro feel to it as well. The Huawei Watch 2 series will soon come to European countries in March. The US will have to wait till April. The prices of the Watch 2 series will start at $347. The new series will take on established brands both internationally as well as in its native country. The MWC 2017 may just have seen its first star launch.