AW owners thoughts on Huawei watch?

[Zirel]

It's not "bad", but for the same price as the Apple Watch Sport, it's a really bad preposition, not just only because it's not 100% integrated into iOS:

You don't get wireless charging, which is important for reliability
The screen is inferior
You only get 4GB of Flash, not enough for OS+Apps+a decent collection of workout of Music.
No NFC payments (even on Android)
You can't change straps easily, without any tools, and in short time, like the Apple watch
The HRM looks cheaper, and unreliable (where are the lenses like in the Apple Watch?)
It doesn't make calls or even a sound
The vibration motor isn't silent
etc...

And the design looks like a generic watch, and nothing more, nothing less...

However, for Android phones, it's the pretty boy right now... and one that's not a big potato, with it's 42mm diameter, and 11mm thickness, it's okay

PS: seen the video, horrible, I have no doubt that the "correspondents" aren't engineers and designers, but pretty models.

 

[sean000]

I welcome the competition, and I think this is one of the more elegant alternatives that may appeal to the right target market: Those who want a conventional watch look with a basic set of smartwatch features. It's still kind of a chunk compared to my 38mm Apple Watch though. It was funny to see the women in the video talking about how they want small watches, and this one is small compared to some other Android wearables, but it still looked big on their wrists.

I am definitely not in their target market, because I don't care about the "smartwatch pretending to be a conventional watch" look. A smartwatch isn't a watch any more than a smart phone is a phone. To me it's a bit like designing a smartphone to look like a rotary dial phone. I get why some people want that, but I also think there is room for other designs. I do think there are many conventional round (and rectangular) analog watches that are absolutely beautiful, but since I was not a watch-wearer before the Apple Watch I am not wedded to the conventional watch look.

The more I look at round smartwatches, the more I like the rectangular Apple Watch approach. Many of the round watches do some strange things to get text-based notifications, messages and lists to conform to a round face. The worst for me is the Samsung Gear 2 watch face that wraps the text based complications in a curve around the bottom of the face. I really don't want to read curved text on my watch. Fortunately it doesn't seem like that is the only approach, but I still have a difficult time seeing the advantage of a round watch other than it simply being an issue of style over function. Not that there is anything wrong with that: Style should absolutely be a factor when it comes to wearable technology. I just think that Apple's approach strikes a better balance between style and functional design that is ultimately more elegant... at least to me. I also appreciate how much thought went into what it would be like to wear and use the Apple Watch every day...right down to how easy it is to change the bands (which I do frequently).

It is important for me to be able to access and interact with more information and third party apps, so I would probably be inclined to stay with Apple for that reason alone. But not everyone needs that. There are many folks who would probably love a watch like the Huawei, and I think the competition is a good thing. I still see Apple being the watch to beat for years to come, but the other offerings will keep getting better as will the Apple Watch.

Sean

 

[Zirel]

I don't care about the "smartwatch pretending to be a conventional watch" look.

Yeah, it's like a computer being forced to look like a typewriter.

Well, some things, like the keys ergonomics, were good on typewriters, so that makes sense, but not the whole machine look...

 

[Mojopin]

I actually didn't even mind the Moto 360 subpar screen when I tried one for a week after having the AW for a good month & that was not even AMOLED. Variety is the spice of life, so def am interested. I know many will not consider it and understandably so but for the average person with an iPhone that doesn't look for much it may be attractive as it drops closer to the $200-250 price point. I am surprised at how little I utilize my AW functionalities after the whole "honeymoon" period but the time/notifications are a godsend and the main reason I got it. The rest is just a bonus I may or may not ever use.

I do absolutely agree though on that "premium" feel that the AW has when you use it it's immediate and a watch like the Moto 360 felt so inferior when I had both. I hope the Huawei feels more substantial than the Moto and reports seem to say it does.

Thanks for the intelligent discussion pros/cons some of you have brought up great points on each side.

 

[Newtons Apple]

You don't think Apple would be introducing new hardware anyway?

Likely so but if they want to stay viable they will have to do it as early as new year.

 

[Rogifan]

Likely so but if they want to stay viable they will have to do it as early as new year.

What needs to be in the new hardware?

 

[Newtons Apple]

What needs to be in the new hardware?

Well I will take an improved HR sensor as the one on the AW sucks when compared to devices like the FitBit Surge. My Surge would do HR no matter if loose or tight each minute and while is excercise mode, even more often. The AW was touted by Apple to be the Holy Grail of fitness devices, it is not.

How about it's own GPS? Or at the least allow it to use the GPS data from the iPhone for work out mapping, etc.

Overall the AW is a great device but it will be greater in the future and improved software can only do so much! I do not hear that OS2 is fixing many things that need to be addressed.

 

[maflynn]

Looks nice to me, I'm not sure about its actual functionality. I think if possible a round face is better, though I do like the look of the AW.

 

[LewisChapman]

It does look good however it would not make as much sense for an iOS user as it would for an Android user. To me it looks like competition that will simply drive Apple to consider the 'Another device to show off' bit that was mentioned by this mad man:

​

 

[Rogifan]

Well I will take an improved HR sensor as the one on the AW sucks when compared to devices like the FitBit Surge. My Surge would do HR no matter if loose or tight each minute and while is excercise mode, even more often. The AW was touted by Apple to be the Holy Grail of fitness devices, it is not.

How about it's own GPS? Or at the least allow it to use the GPS data from the iPhone for work out mapping, etc.

Overall the AW is a great device but it will be greater in the future and improved software can only do so much! I do not hear that OS2 is fixing many things that need to be addressed.

Fair enough.

 

[Rogifan]

I re-watched Jony Ive's interview at the Condé Nast luxury conference. One interesting thing he said is when they were developing the iPhone the motivation was they all hated their phones and wanted to make a better phone. With the Watch the motivation was different as they all loved their mechanical watches. The motivation wasn't that Apple thought they could make a better watch or wanted to compete with existing watch makers but because they thought the wrist was the right place for technology to come to.

One thing we hear a lot is how people don't wear watches any more. What that tells me is many people were wearing watches for the utility more than anything else and once the phone in your pocket or handbag could tell you the time you didn't need a watch on your wrist anymore. I'm not convinced that people still wearing watches for mostly fashion reasons or as a status symbol are going to jump to smart watches over a luxury mechanical watch. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone he said the killer app was making calls. Of course 7 years later it's pretty hard to still say making calls is the killer app. I think we'll see the same thing happen with smart watches and the "watch" looking like a traditional mechanical timepiece will become less important.

 

[Bob190]

I have to say, the Moto 360 Sport almost looks like the holy grail of smartwatches / running watch (at least for 2015 anyway). HR Sensor, GPS, and Music ... the three things I am looking for in a smartwatch that can double as a running watch. I may buy one just to have as an alternative to my AW ... hopefully the next gen AW has GPS, as I don't run with my phone, and currently wear my Garmin (GPS tracking) on my right wrist, and the AW on my left (music and activity tracking). Would love to have just one device.

I am not a heavy user of other smartwatch functions like notifications, calling, etc., so the stripped down functionality on of Android Wear for iOS might be enough for me.

 

[Arran]

Here's hoping they put a bit more care, skill and authenticity into their products than they put into their advertising.

That video was dreadful. Clueless.

 

[Enygmatic]

That video was... adorable.

 

[bbplayer5]

Not water proof = no buy. If I wanted a classy smart watch to wear with a suit though? A+.

 

[bbplayer5]

I have to say, the Moto 360 Sport almost looks like the holy grail of smartwatches / running watch (at least for 2015 anyway). HR Sensor, GPS, and Music ... the three things I am looking for in a smartwatch that can double as a running watch. I may buy one just to have as an alternative to my AW ... hopefully the next gen AW has GPS, as I don't run with my phone, and currently wear my Garmin (GPS tracking) on my right wrist, and the AW on my left (music and activity tracking). Would love to have just one device.

I am not a heavy user of other smartwatch functions like notifications, calling, etc., so the stripped down functionality on of Android Wear for iOS might be enough for me.

THIS!!! I will most likely be buying one. I think it will be in the 450 range though, due to all of its features.

 

[Rok73]

Every time a new smartphone debuts, the media calls it the "iPhone killer" but it always fails to live up to the name. I predict the same will happen with the AW.

This. And a new product/device doesn't necessarily have to "kill" another product or device. It's always better when the consumer has a choice of different brands. Always.

 

[Mojopin]

I have to say, the Moto 360 Sport almost looks like the holy grail of smartwatches / running watch (at least for 2015 anyway). HR Sensor, GPS, and Music ... the three things I am looking for in a smartwatch that can double as a running watch. I may buy one just to have as an alternative to my AW ... hopefully the next gen AW has GPS, as I don't run with my phone, and currently wear my Garmin (GPS tracking) on my right wrist, and the AW on my left (music and activity tracking). Would love to have just one device.

I am not a heavy user of other smartwatch functions like notifications, calling, etc., so the stripped down functionality on of Android Wear for iOS might be enough for me.

I'm still surprised gen 2 has the "flat tire" will the sport have it too?

 

[Arran]

That video was... adorable.

Seriously?

 

[Mojopin]

it's funny i put up the link and never even saw the video, sorry it was so bad, I just wanted to put something up that showed what I was talking about. I'm going to change it

 

[zetaplus93]

I welcome the competition, and I think this is one of the more elegant alternatives that may appeal to the right target market: Those who want a conventional watch look with a basic set of smartwatch features. It's still kind of a chunk compared to my 38mm Apple Watch though. It was funny to see the women in the video talking about how they want small watches, and this one is small compared to some other Android wearables, but it still looked big on their wrists.

Android Wear watches like the Urbane and Huawei watches are much bigger than the 38mm AW:

http://www.imore.com/i-tried-latest-android-wear-watches-and-they-still-suck-women

The Android watches like the Urban are closer to 52mm lug-to-lug (measure from top to bottom of the watch), whereas the AW is just shy of 39mm lug-to-lug.

Lug-to-lug length is important because if a watch "overhangs" your wrists, it's definitely too big (unless you're going for that look).

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Android Wear watches like the Urbane and Huawei watches are much bigger than the 38mm AW:

http://www.imore.com/i-tried-latest-android-wear-watches-and-they-still-suck-women

The Android watches like the Urban are closer to 52mm lug-to-lug (measure from top to bottom of the watch), whereas the AW is just shy of 39mm lug-to-lug.

Lug-to-lug length is important because if a watch "overhangs" your wrists, it's definitely too big (unless you're going for that look).

The title says "Why most smartwatches still suck for women," but it's the trend that women go for big ass watches. It's the guys who don't look right with too large of a watch.

 

[Brien]

Yes definitely am eager to see how it feels in-person all hands-on impressions have been very positive. And again not knocking AW as I have one but nice to see them finally supporting iOS.

I'm still in love with round form factor & I feel this is the closest to a nicely designed SW from all the androids I've seen. It doesn't have the Moto flat tire, no bulk bezel like the Urbane, the lugs are a little weird, it's a little thick, but as a whole, they're on the right track with form and price for me as long as it holds up.

I have to say, the Huawei Watch and the new 360 are very nice looking. Still wouldn't get me to give up my Apple Watch though.

 

[sean000]

I re-watched Jony Ive's interview at the Condé Nast luxury conference. One interesting thing he said is when they were developing the iPhone the motivation was they all hated their phones and wanted to make a better phone. With the Watch the motivation was different as they all loved their mechanical watches. The motivation wasn't that Apple thought they could make a better watch or wanted to compete with existing watch makers but because they thought the wrist was the right place for technology to come to.

Before I had an iPhone I carried a work-issued Blackberry AND a Palm OS device (last one I owned I believe was a Palm Tungsten T5?). The Blackberry was great for work email, barely tolerable for Web browsing, and big for a phone compared to the small flip-phones of the day. I had been a Palm OS user since the Palm III, so I carried the second device so I could have access to the apps I had been using for years. I switched to the iPhone 3G because it seemed to do just about everything better than the two devices I had been carrying. The bonus was that most of the apps I enjoyed on the Palm OS platform had already been ported over to iOS. For those that weren't, I was able to find an iOS app that I liked even more.

One thing we hear a lot is how people don't wear watches any more. What that tells me is many people were wearing watches for the utility more than anything else and once the phone in your pocket or handbag could tell you the time you didn't need a watch on your wrist anymore. I'm not convinced that people still wearing watches for mostly fashion reasons or as a status symbol are going to jump to smart watches over a luxury mechanical watch. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone he said the killer app was making calls. Of course 7 years later it's pretty hard to still say making calls is the killer app. I think we'll see the same thing happen with smart watches and the "watch" looking like a traditional mechanical timepiece will become less important.

I completely agree. For me making phone calls was never the killer app of the iPhone, and telling time isn't the killer app of the watch. I used to wear an analog watch for the utility factor. I think I still wore one when I first started carrying a Palm Pilot, and later a phone. When that last watch broke I didn't see the point in buying another watch just for the purpose of telling time.

I do think that fine mechanical watches are beautiful things, and I can easily understand why someone would want collect and wear them. I know some Apple Watch owners have extensive mechanical watch collections. For them the Apple Watch might replace their regular daily wear watch, but they can still switch to another watch in their collection whenever they want. I would think it might be a tougher sell for those who have owned and worn one nice watch for many years (especially if it is a family heirloom) because the watch has become such a familiar part of their daily wardrobe.

Sean

 

[Mojopin]

new Moto 360 looks nice but not a fan of the lug style or the...... Flat tire