Smartwatches are such commonplace now, that it appears uncommon for folks to not have one. There’s a continuous query of what you need from a smartwatch too, whether or not it’s for health or for performance. We’ve had just a few gadgets by means of these days and extra within the works for the time being, so the Huawei Watch Match 2 was fascinating for its mid-range price and nice function set.
The feel and appear
At a look, you’d be forgiven for pondering this was an Apple Watch and that’s not essentially a foul factor. The fundamentals are that the Watch Match 2 is a 1.74-inch FullView show working 336 x 480 decision and 336PPI that has a bunch of options making it supreme for customers who desire a productiveness and communication instrument or are delving into the health world.
What actually caught me off guard when the assessment unit arrived is simply how mild it’s. At solely 26 grams (not together with the strap), as soon as it’s in your wrist it’s very cozy and straightforward to overlook that it’s there. Even for folks with fairly small wrists and palms, it’s adjustable sufficient to suit nicely.
As is normally the case with smartwatches within the present age, you may select your watch face. The issue then turns into, which one of many actually a whole lot (mixed with paid and free) choices you need to select permits customisation of your machine throughout all ranges.
There are two choices, the “Traditional” version which seems a bit extra smartwatch, and the energetic which is a little more of a health tracker look. Both approach, the bodily measurement and capabilities of the display to show a number of information make it nice for the on a regular basis wants of smartwatch customers and health fanatics.
Software program and options
Because the sanctions imposed on Huawei within the US, putting in the Huawei Well being App has required you to take action by means of the Huawei App Gallery. This course of hasn’t modified from the final couple of Huawei wearables we’ve reviewed. Supplied you’re comfy putting in from a supply apart from the Play Retailer, the entire course of to put in the app and join your machine takes a matter of minutes.


I personally don’t thoughts the default structure of the app, so didn’t trouble altering it. However in the event you’d wish to see sure metrics on the high of the display if you log in, then you definately’re in a position to try this.
From a options standpoint, the Watch Match 2 actually punches above its weight. There are many options to discover from each a health and smartwatch perspective. The power to decide on which apps provide you with notifications could be very welcome as some wearables give you all or nothing.
This is likely one of the greatest bang for buck choices I’ve seen not too long ago each from a health standpoint and for the good options.
To shortly entry options on the watch you may swipe from proper to left to entry (so as) coronary heart fee, SpO2, Climate, name log, lunar cycle and exercise log. Swiping up from the underside of the display reveals your present notifications and down from the highest offers you entry to the machine settings.
Music playback and name dealing with
Listed here are a few actually helpful options in the event you have a tendency to depart your cellphone in your pocket or laying about. The primary is with the ability to management music playback out of your watch, the one difficulty is that you could’t select playlists however that’s extra an app difficulty (Spotify and YouTube Music) than the watch. If you happen to’re actually eager, you may undergo the considerably clumsy and time-consuming course of to add music to your watch, however I’d argue that most individuals stream music lately and you have to your cellphone with you to try this.
The second is the decision dealing with which works much better than I anticipated and because of this, I actually prefer it. Calls will be answered or declined out of your watch, and due to the mic and speaker, you don’t even must get your cellphone out. After all, this implies your name is audible to throughout you however, that’s the case with any speakerphone possibility. That is very simple to make use of and the sound high quality for you, in addition to your caller, is great.
Well being Monitoring
There are a loopy quantity — 97 based on Huawei — of potential exercise modes you may arrange in your Watch Match 2. The GPS-based choices are very well designed and the GPS itself appears to lock on shortly and monitor precisely always.
The actions cowl every thing from the usual indoor (ie. Treadmill) run on the fitness center by means of to Parachuting and Motorsport, amounting to a whole lot of choices that you could present by default, conceal and order to swimsuit your self. Suffice to say, if there’s an adventurous exercise or exercise of well being profit that isn’t coated right here, I’d counsel it’s a reasonably obscure possibility.


If you happen to’re a runner or bicycle owner, you’re nonetheless going to must manually transfer information from the Huawei ecosystem into third-party favourites like Strava. For customers simply beginning out, that’s not a difficulty however for long-time customers “if it’s not on Strava, did it actually occur” rings true.
If you happen to’re extra on the informal health facet of the fence and searching for some primary well being monitoring and advantages, there’s a lot right here for you too. Easy options like a reminder to rise up and transfer usually are glorious for office-based staff. The automated detection of health actions like strolling, working or biking is massively helpful and even the day by day step rely can maintain you accountable.
Battery life and charging
It is a story of excellent and dangerous as a result of the battery life is great, however the charger is one other proprietary cable. It’s USB-A on one finish and a magnetic two-pin connector on the opposite making it very simple to attach and not possible to get incorrect.


Charging is fast at round an hour for a full cost from lower than 5% cost or about 25% from about 10 minutes charging in the event you’re caught a bit quick. It might be good to have Qi compatibility to get slightly increase from a cellphone able to reverse wi-fi charging, however that’s me being very choosy; probably unfair of a tool at this price degree.
I’m very a lot impressed with the best way Huawei checklist their machine’s battery life now, it makes a few of the different producers appear disingenuous with their “as much as X days” estimates; normally involving little exercise time and minimal display on time.
On the specs web page, yow will discover clearly, what Huawei defines as “typical” and “heavy” utilization. I discovered I used to be fairly persistently getting 7 or 8 days with sleep monitoring, coronary heart fee monitoring and plenty of notifications turned on with round 7 hours of exercises per week tracked additionally.
Does the Huawei Watch Match 2 deserve your cash?
The quick and trustworthy reply to that query is sure, it’s nicely definitely worth the cash. So long as you’re out there for a tool that handles smartwatch options nicely and does an excellent job of health monitoring. If you happen to’re after a extra closely fitness-focused machine, you’re most likely going to go for one thing just like the GT3 Professional or a Garmin-style possibility.
The AU$299.00 value level makes this a very engaging possibility when you think about every thing you’re getting for the cash.
Offering you haven’t already invested years into information on a totally incompatible platform (iWatch, Garmin and so on) the standard of {hardware}, value and capability to trace such a variety of actions make the Huawei Watch Match 2 an excellent possibility.
The battery life makes it usable for a weekend, or perhaps a week away while not having to take a charger. The interface is straightforward to make use of and general the consumer expertise has been actually slick. If you happen to’re eager to take a more in-depth look or choose one up at Bing lee, Amazon, MobileCiti and the Huawei Expertise shops.
Disclosure Assertion
As a part of the launch occasion, the machine was gifted to all attending journalists.
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