Huawei Watch Buds Quick Review: Smart Wear of 2023

The Huawei Watch Buds is a unique fusion of “Watch” and “Buds,” as its name suggests. At first glance, it may appear to be a regular smartwatch, but once you turn on the screen cover, you will be pleasantly surprised to find a pair of TWS earbuds neatly stored inside.

Huawei Watch Buds Quick Review

Design and comfort

The Huawei Watch Buds bear a striking resemblance to other members of the Huawei smart wear family in terms of overall appearance. It features a round watch face, a sophisticated steel frame, and 3D curved glass.

Due to the incorporation of a pair of earbuds within, the watch has a significant thickness, measuring almost 15mm, and boasts a sizable watch face of 47mm. Consequently, the Huawei Watch Buds are better suited for individuals with at least medium-sized wrists.

Upon my initial encounter with the Watch Buds, I presumed that once I placed it on my wrist, it would feel massive, burdensome, and possibly weighty due to its built-in headset. However, to my surprise, the Watch Buds rested comfortably and felt lightweight on my hand. It was difficult to discern the presence of an active noise-canceling headset inside.

Aside from the fact that the Watch Buds appeared sizeable, measuring 47mm in diameter and thick at 14.99mm, particularly at the thinnest point, I find it otherwise comfortable to wear. I believe individuals with larger wrists will find the Watch Buds quite suitable for their needs.

In addition, the total weight of the watch, inclusive of the strap, is around 78g, making it less than optimal for professional sports activities. Nonetheless, the strap of the watch is made of top-notch leather, featuring tidy stitching and a texture that is neither too stiff nor too soft, providing a comfortable wearing experience.

With its widely popular size of 22mm, the leather strap can be effortlessly substituted with other sets of straps to suit your preference. The Huawei Watch Buds are available in two versions, Khaki and Black, with our review unit being the latter.

The Huawei smart wear features a single round button on its right side that can be pressed but not rotated. This can be disappointing for sports enthusiasts who prefer the convenience of using touch and rotation to control their smartwatch during physical activities, especially when their hands are wet.

On the side of the watch, you will notice a finely engraved control knob that is limited in its functionality. While it cannot be used for scrolling or zooming on the screen, it can be pressed to activate specific features.

Display

The Watch Buds boasts a 1.43″ screen with a resolution of 466 x 466, providing a sharp 326 PPI. Situated beneath the screen is a range of built-in sensors, including an optical 5.0 heart rate sensor and an optical sensor. Additionally, the watch is equipped with Hall effect and capacitive sensors, as well as the VACC bone conduction component, which is utilized for voice activation and call noise reduction.

Upon accessing the watch face, users will find a pair of TWS earbuds that come with an incredibly compact design. These headphones are attached to the watch through the power of magnetism, and each earpiece weighs only around 4g. While their small size is a plus, it may take some time for wearers to get accustomed to wearing them.

Features

Watch Buds only includes two earbuds that have IP54 water resistance standards, so you should be very careful when using them and keep the headphones dry when you put them back in the watch. I did not find the watch’s water resistance standard, nor can I know if it will work well in the rain or not.

Despite being small and lightweight, this headset is designed to be highly secure when worn on the ear, making it difficult to accidentally drop. What sets it apart is the added convenience of adjusting the features and EQ of the headset right on the watch, eliminating the need for a phone application.

In addition to the above, the Huawei Watch Buds also feature various health-oriented functionalities, such as sleep monitoring, heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, and stress testing. Furthermore, the smartwatch supports a range of sports activities, making it a perfect fitness companion for users.

Connectivity

To connect the watch to your phone, you need to have the Huawei Health app and HMS kit (Huawei Mobile Services). To download the app, you can easily scan the QR code on the watch during the initial setup process. Once downloaded, you can then connect and synchronize your watch with your phone. Furthermore, once the watch is connected, your headphones will also be connected to your phone, which enables you to listen to your phone’s music through the Huawei Watch Buds.

Moreover, it’s worth noting that the watch does not feature a built-in microphone, so users must wear a headset to communicate. Despite their small and compact size, these earbuds offer exceptional comfort when worn on the ears, and can be used for extended periods without causing any discomfort.

Huawei Watch Buds is equipped with Harmony OS 3.0, a software version that enables it to connect with Android phones running 7.0 or higher, and iOS 9.0 or higher. It boasts an array of impressive features such as receiving notifications, tracking health metrics, and monitoring physical activities during sports practices.

Sound

Regarding sound quality, the Huawei Watch Buds’ built-in headset is primarily focused on delivering a bass-heavy range of audio, making it ideal for playing upbeat music and suitable for listening during workouts rather than relaxed moments. This makes perfect sense, as it is not always convenient to carry a phone when exercising. Listening directly through the watch is a much more practical option. Of course, most people typically prefer to use their phones or computers for music playback because it is easier to control.

Battery life

Huawei claims that the battery of the device will last for three days. Additionally, the headphones can play music continuously for up to four hours or provide 2.5 hours of talk time without noise cancellation. If noise cancellation is turned on, the same headphones will give you three hours of music and two hours of talk time. The sound volume is fixed at 50%. This is a remarkable feat for such a small headset, and it’s a testament to Huawei’s engineering expertise.

Huawei Watch Buds supports wireless charging technology, and the charger that comes with the device can charge the watch with a capacity of 9V/2A.

Final line

The Huawei Watch Buds is a remarkable gadget from Huawei that merges both a headset and a watch into one compact unit, negating the need for separate earphones. The device is equipped with noise cancellation, crosstalk, and gesture adjustment features that are on par with any other true wireless earbuds. The sound quality is exceptional, making it an ideal choice for music enthusiasts. Additionally, when worn on the wrist, the Watch Buds appears just like a smartwatch, making it an excellent choice for daily use.

Huawei Watch Buds price and availability

The Huawei Watch Buds are currently available for purchase on Amazon.co.uk online store with a listed selling price of £449.99. This price point is quite reasonable, considering the innovative and captivating features of this smart wear.