HUAWEI Fit hands-on: a sleek fitness-focused smartwatch

Does anyone even remember the HUAWEI HONOR Band Z1? It was announced earlier in the year during CES 2016 alongside the equally cheap HONOR 5X smartphone, but it has fallen out of memory for most people because, you know, it seemed like a subpar tracker when compared to other devices it was competing against. Well, HUAWEI isn’t one to give up, especially when it comes to spreading its name into other consumer electronics arenas besides smartphones. That’s again evident with its latest hybrid fitness tracker/smartwatch device, in the HUAWEI Fit.

We’ll hand it to them for simplifying its name for starters, and based on that, you know that the central focus is going to be fitness. From a cursory look, the HUAWEI Fit looks almost identical to the HONOR Band Z1, but its differences become more apparent under closer inspection.

Certainly sporting a more refined design, the HUAWEI Fit is fashioned from brushed aluminum, which gives it a modern appeal. Well, that depends on what color option you end up choosing, just because the orange one we’re checking out here gives it a slightly odd color scheme. In comparison, the darker color straps provide more unity with the chassis.

Another stark difference that we appreciate is that the bands are replaceable this time, unlike the HONOR Band Z1. Switching them for others is a cinch, since it employs the same pin latching mechanism we see in some smartwatches. And given its fitness attachment, it receives an IP68 rating to provide water resistance protection – meaning you can take it for a swim as well! There aren’t any buttons whatsoever on it, which again emphasizes its modern-esque design.

Rather, the central focus of the HUAWEI Fit is its round faced touchscreen. At first glance, it appeared to be some sort of e-ink display, but we were surprised to be told that it’s actually an always-on black and white LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 208 x 208 pixels. Frankly, it’s sufficiently detailed, allowing us to discern whatever is displayed on it. However, it can be a little tough to make out when there’s some glare hitting it. The touchscreen works decently for the most part, requiring some firm strokes to navigate around the UI, but it gets the job done.

Being a hybrid, it means that the HUAWEI Fit does indeed offer some smartwatch functions – such as being able to receive notifications for incoming calls and notifications. And not surprisingly at all, too, it caters to fitness buffs with its comprehensive listing of activities that it can track and monitor. That includes activities such as running/jogging, measuring your heart rate during workouts, and various guided techniques to help you get better form.

When it’s paired to your Android smartphone, it breaks down all of the data it acquires via the low energy Bluetooth connection. If you’re a fitness junkie, you’ll surely eat up all the comprehensive data is accumulates, which are all display via graphs. And finally, it solidifies its package by offering sleep tracking as well!

Unlike most smartwatches, the HUAWEI Fit harness the same longevity we get from most fitness trackers. In fact, it’s rated by the manufacturer to deliver upwards around 6 days of battery life – while requiring 2 hours to charge using the proprietary charging cradle.

Slapped with a price tag of $129.99 when it goes on sale at retailers like Best Buy, Amazon, and Newegg starting on November 3rd, it’s clearly attempting to be an attractive option for those who want the best of both worlds; a smartwatch and fitness tracker. It’s in the same range as most dedicated fitness trackers on the market, but it’ll no doubt have to prove its depth against Pebble’s line of smartwatches.

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