MWC 2015 has been something of an eye-opener when it comes to lesser-known brands producing great devices. First we had Alcatel OneTouch’s Idol 3 smartphones, and then out of nowhere came the Huawei Watch. And boy is it good-looking.
Before we talk design, we’ll quickly run over the specs. The Huawei Watch has a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor powering it along with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Its AMOLED display measures 1.4-inches and has an impressive resolution of 400x400, with a pixel density of 286ppi. It also has a built-in microphone, a 300mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0/4.1 and runs Android Wear.
As for its construction, the Watch itself is made almost entirely from 316L stainless steel. It measures 42mm in diameter, is 11.3mm thick and comes in three colors, black, silver and gold. The gold includes a small amount of 24K gold to give it its color. It’s a very solid and well-made timepiece. You also have a choice of leather or metal straps. The gold Watch comes with a gorgeous crocodile skin-patterned leather, the black model comes with a subtle Milanese wristband and the silver comes with an effortlessly classic leather strap with stitching down the sides.
The first thing I noticed about the Huawei Watch is that it looks like a proper watch. I mean, no one will take a glance at it and think “That’s a smartwatch”. Its dimensions, shape and wrist band scream “classic”.
Keeping the display protected is a sheet of sapphire crystal, a material well-known for being scratch-resistant and difficult to break.
So, it’s beautiful, solid and durable, and is compatible with virtually every new Android smartphone. So what’s the catch? It could be price. Nothing has been announced yet in terms of a retail price, but I’d be surprised if the Huawei Watch cost less than $300 for the base model. Saying that, recent rumors have speculated that it could be around $1,000. And from spending some time with the device, I could believe it, although I’m not sure I know anyone who’d stump up that much cash for an Android Wear watch.