Huawei Watch 2 breaks cover: big and bad, with a fully independent option

by Kaloyan C. / Feb 26, 2017, 9:10 AM

Huawei Watch 2 breaks cover: big and bad, with a fully independent option

It's been rumored for some time, but now Huawei has made it official: the Huawei Watch 2 is now a reality. The latest of the company' Android Wear devices was unveiled at its Mobile World Congress press conference, following the unveiling of its newest flagship smartphones, the P10 and P10 Plus.

Huawei Watch 2

The new wearable follows in its predecessor's footsteps by trying to bring the best of both worlds – the sports-oriented and the casual smartwatch, in one good-looking package. Just like the newly-announced smartphones, the Huawei Watch 2 puts a lot of focus on style, and is offered with a number of bands to suit most users' needs. However, it's worth noting the device is pretty bulky, even for a smartwatch, which can make wearing it every day an uncomfortable experience for some users.

Thanks to the Android Wear 2.0 platform, the Watch 2 can be used both as a companion to your smartphone, and as a standalone device running its own, specialized apps. The latter, however, is only available for users of the independent, 4G-enabled version of the device, which can make use of a nano SIM or eSIM card. The watch features a number of high-end features such as GPS and a real-time heart rate monitor, and its chassis is made of ceramic, which, along with its slightly curved profile, promises to be comfortable, despite the device's thickness.

It features a 1.2", 390x390 AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass. The 420 mAh battery isn't the biggest one on the market, but Huawei promises 2 days battery life with everyday usage. The device is also IP68-certified, making it suitable for some water sports, or the occasional spilled drink.

Huawei Watch 2

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Huawei Watch 2

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17 Comments

1. surethom

Posts: 1632; Member since: Mar 04, 2009

I'm sorry but the classic is not a classic, the old w1 was a classic style with thin bezels & 11mm thick the claim has huge bezels & smaller screen & I believe e now 12.6mm THICK. How is this an upgrade?? We want a classic slightly thinner than the w1. Terrible

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:15 AM 1

3. jellmoo

Posts: 2541; Member since: Oct 31, 2011

Is it really 12mm thick? Yikes. My Pebble Time Steel is 10.5mm thick and I find that way too chunky.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:17 AM 0

4. Feanor

Posts: 1341; Member since: Jun 20, 2012

I can't stand anymore these geeks that think that reduced bezels are some sort of the ultimate future. Watch design has nothing to do with reduced bezels. It's not a TV set. Not even a smartphone.

8. wando77

Posts: 1167; Member since: Aug 23, 2012

It's also it a standard watch anymore where you just look at the time. Reduced bezels means a bigger screen which in turn means it's easier to read and send messages etc

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:32 AM 2

9. maherk

Posts: 6746; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

Well, that what separates a classic watch from a sport's one, in general classic watches are known for their slim bezels, and the Huawei Watch 1, Moto 360 are great example of that to when it comes to classic smartwatches. This has nothing to do with geeks.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:33 AM 1

10. jellmoo

That's not entirely true. There's a wide variety of bezel sizes in classic watches. Two of my favourite watch makes (Movado and Maurice Lacroix) have a large variety of watches with minimal bezel.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:33 AM 0

12. Feanor

And my favourite TAG Heuer Carerra Heuer 01 has massive bezel. Is that bad watch making? Come on! This bezel talk has derailed completely. It's like a massive collective obsession. Some watches look better with big bezels. The rumoured Sony Xperia XZ Premium looks better than an LG G6 to me despite its rice field sized bezel. So what? Get over it. Design is more about craftsmanship, consistency, visual quality. Learn something.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:38 AM 0

13. jellmoo

Because personal preference exists. Some people like the look of a bulky timepiece. Some people do not. I like sleeker designs while you like a more robust watchface. That's fine. In the world of luxury watches, there is a plethora of options that satisfy both of us. In the world of smartwatches though? No, there really isn't a ton of elegant options for people that like a slim device. It's not about good or bad watch making, it's about having options for all types of consumer.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:42 AM 1

14. maherk

That's why I said In General, I didn't say all of them.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:43 AM 0

2. Feanor

Could have been my next smartwatch because I need a sporty watch for the gym. Everything nearly perfect apart from the fact that it doesn't take advantage of the rotational input that Wear 2.0 offers and it seems that it comes with neither digital crown nor digital bezel. However in design it looks a bit better than the LG Watch Sport and it looks also a bit thinner, so it may be the better option in the end.

5. LeoC57

Posts: 8; Member since: Feb 28, 2015

Ok. Around $400 and still uses the pin conector? Huawei... -_-

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:22 AM 0

6. maherk

Way to ruin my favorite smartwatch of all time. The classic doesn't look classic anymore with those gigantic bezels, and then getting rid of the sapphire glass. I guess I'll be keeping both of my Huawei Watches a lot longer than I thought I would.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:23 AM 0

7. Feanor

Bezels are like Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street for tech geeks. They come in their dreams and eat them alive. :-)))

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:29 AM 0

11. maherk

I don't get it why you're this butthurt about people wanting a bigger screen instead of bigger bezels. Stop trying to force your opinion on others, if you like big bezels, then good for champ.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:35 AM 0

15. Feanor

Because the bezel scare is becoming a collective hysteria, whereas in reality is just one attribute to a multitude of design and package elements of a device. I actually have nothing against reduced bezels. But I don't value them more than anything else dismissing immediately craftsmanship, proportions and visual consistency.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 9:45 AM 0

16. Bondurant

Posts: 780; Member since: Jun 04, 2014

Its not like you would have purchased it if it had lesser bezels. And most likely because of the connectivity features (and obviously to look sporty), the bezels were built as such to provide good signal.

posted on Feb 26, 2017, 10:22 AM 0

17. maherk

The bigger bezels, smaller display, and the ditching of sapphire glass for GG is what will make me hold on to my two black and silver HW1. I have no problem with the thick bezel on the sports version, but not on the classic one.