Huawei Watch Buds: headphones inside this smartwatch

With the Huawei Watch Buds, the manufacturer says it makes no compromises. Neither the smartwatch nor the earbuds have to do without important functions such as heart rate measurement or active noise cancellation.

Always have your headphones with you

At first glance, the Huawei Watch Buds is a classic smartwatch. Its AMOLED display measures 1.43 inches in diameter and the TruSeen 5.0 Plus sensor delivers the same measurement data as in the GT series. The black leather strap is also inconspicuous. Only on closer inspection do you notice that the watch is slightly thicker.

The display can be lifted and gives access to two headphones. According to Huawei, the folding mechanism can withstand at least 100,000 openings in tests. The two earphones are held in place by magnets on the lid. They are identical in design and should recognise independently which is in the right and which in the left ear. The 21.8 millimetre long headphones have a diameter of 10.3 millimetres and are round. This means that it doesn't matter which way you put them in your ear.

The four gram buds are said to be 50 per cent smaller than other true wireless headphones. They still manage a maximum volume of 104 decibels. They have active noise cancelling so that you don't have to let this maximum out on your ears. Their design is also intended to prevent wind noise. They can also automatically adapt to your ear canal. Wearer detection automatically stops playback when you take them out of your ear. You will find an equaliser in the associated app. Connection to smartphones or other devices is via Bluetooth 5.2.

Back to the smartwatch. It actually offers all the functions of other current watches from Huawei. Only the 80 workout modes do not include water sports. The Huawei Watch Buds is not waterproof, but only protected against splashing water. It is IPX4 when open and IPX7 when closed.

Huawei specifies the battery life of the smartwatch as three days. In power-saving mode, it is said to last seven days. The headphones last four hours without active noise cancellation when playing music. When making calls, it is only 2.5 hours. With active noise cancellation, the running time is reduced to three and two hours respectively. Huawei left open how intensive use of the headphones affects the battery life of the watch. However, it is clear that the watch supplies the buds with power.

Price and availability

Huawei already presented the Watch Buds in China in December. Now they are also coming to Europe. Pre-orders will be possible from today, with regular sales starting on 1 March. The recommended retail price in Germany is 499 euros.