HUAWEI Watch first look

HUAWEI is making a big splash at MWC 2015 with the launch of its first Android Wear-powered device, the HUAWEI Watch. The new Watch is the first Android Wear device to sport a display made of sapphire crystal, which is a display material that we’re only used to seeing in high-end (non-smart) watches. We got some hands-on time with the new wearable here at MWC, so let’s dive right in to our first impressions of the HUAWEI Watch.

We know aesthetics are completely subjective, but it’s hard to deny that the HUAWEI Watch is a looker. For starters, it sports a 316L corrosion-resistant stainless steel body with a circular display. It boasts a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 400×400, which makes the display a little sharper than other Android Wear devices currently on the market. To make the design even better, it also comes with a choice of interchangeable leather or metal watch straps that are sized at 18mm. Of course, design can only get a smartwatch so far.

Performance on the watch should be no slouch either, thanks to the 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor backed by 512MB of RAM. Android Wear is a very light OS, so we couldn’t imagine this watch running slowly at all. Unfortunately, we can’t say that for sure, as our demo unit was also running demo software. We’ll need to wait for our full review to find out how it performs with Android Wear.

As for the software, we can expect to see the same Android Wear version available on all other Wear devices. However, HUAWEI has loaded up 40 difference watch faces to choose from, which is a welcome change from the 10-15 we usually see on Wear watches.

Specs

• 1.4-inch AMOLED display (sapphire crystal) with a resolution of 400×400, 286ppi
• 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
• 512MB of RAM
• 4GB of internal storage
• 300mAh battery
• Bluetooth 4.0/4.1
• Heart rate monitor
• Sensors: Gyroscope + Accelerometer, PPG, Barometer, Vibration Motor
• Colors: Black, Silver, Gold

What do you think of the new HUAWEI Watch? Will this be your next Android Wear purchase?