HUAWEI WATCH BUDS
Buddy folly
They’re part slick smartwatch, part tiny true wireless in-ears. But are the Huawei Watch Buds really good enough at either job?
■ We are all on snugs
Magnets stop the buds tumbling out whenever you open the watch, and metal contacts provide wireless charging as soon as they’re stowed. They’re identical, so no worries about right and left: they’ll work it out automatically.
■ Beverly drills
Step counting and sleep tracking are on a par with other popular smartwatches, as is the GPS and heart-rate accuracy. Athletes won’t be swayed from pricier kit, but there’s plenty of inspiration to get off the sofa for the rest of us.
£450 / go.stuff.tv/WatchBuds
■ Every so often a gadget concept appears and makes us wonder why no one came up with it before. Huawei’s health-centric wearable is only slightly chunkier than its other premium smartwatches, but has a pair of noise-cancelling earphones stashed inside. The only giveaway is the little button beneath the six o’clock position; press it and the display pops open.
■ They don’t have audiophile appeal, and ANC merely quietens the outside world rather than truly silencing it, but the buds are a fun listen, with a V-shaped EQ curve that delivers big bass and largely clear vocals. There’s no shortage of volume if you want it, but these are tiny earbuds so getting a good seal can be tricky.
■ The Watch’s circular AMOLED screen is crisp and colourful, with ample brightness outdoors. It runs Huawei’s HarmonyOS software, which has typical smartwatch features like canned message responses, music playback controls, weather reports and calendar reminders. There’s 2GB of on-board storage for loading up with music for phone-free runs.
■ You can expect about three days of battery life from the Watch itself, while the buds last 3hrs with ANC enabled. It’s not quite the longevity we’re used to from Huawei’s wearables or earphones, but you might think that’s a small price for the 2-in-1 convenience.
Tech specs
Screen 1.43in 466x466 AMOLED
Storage 2GB
OS HarmonyOS 3.0
Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Battery
life Up to 3 days (watch), 3hrs (buds)
Durability IPX7 (watch), IP54 (buds)
Weight 66.5g (watch), 2x 4g (buds)
STUFF SAYS
A convenient gadgety hybrid, but one that makes compromises ★★★✩✩
It’s an island in the fun… but we wouldn’t want to live there
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Fan of chunky smartwatches? The Huawei Watch Buds will feel right at home on your wrist, and always having a pair of earphones to hand is beyond convenient – whether for commuting, working or exercising. Limitations like basic ANC, modest listening time and a sometimes troublesome companion app can’t be ignored, and neither can the high price – but no other smartwatch can match its futuristic cool factor.