I got to spend a little time with the new smartwatch, instantly wanted one. Yes, like all Android ar watches, it’s a little on the large side for those with slight wrists like me. But it has a simple understated appearance I really dig, the size of the watch seems dominated by the big 1.4 inch 400×400 pixel OD display, not a bunch of extra casing. It didn’t feel especially heavy for its size, either. I could comfortably wear it all day. The specs seem similar to most Android ar watches. There’s a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, 300 mAh battery. A G heart rate sensor is found on the back, it seems similar to that found in the Moto 360 other watches. I don’t see any particular reason to think this one is finally going to be accurate reliable. There’s a vibration motor, microphone, gyroscope accelerometer—the stard set of equipment found in all Android ar devices. Huawei does have one new trick up its sleeve: a barometer. It’s sensitive enough to detect changes in elevation, so the watch can count vertical steps running up or down a hill. The company uses its own activity tracking software on the watch, promises that it can detect when you’re walking, running, sleeping, or cycling, switch its activity tracking automatically. But the real reason I want the Huawei tch is the fantastic design. The simple elegant stainless steel body strikes just the right balance between sporty elegant. It’s appropriately unisex enough for women to wear. You can get it in plain stainless, anodized black, or gold— the gold version contains 3 ounces of 24 carat gold, says Huawei, which means you can expect it to cost several thous dollars at least. There are black silver mesh steel bs, a leather strap, a gold link b for the gold version. You can see why the company wasn’t keen to let me put that one on my wrist. I didn’t test the display outdoors, but indoors it was remarkably bright, so I expect it will do well in sunlight. It’s covered by sapphire glass to resist scratches. Touch response was fast smooth, without the occasional hitching we’ve seen on some Android ar watches. I still have some unanswered questions. th that big bright OD display, will the watch’s 300mAh battery prove equal to the task of making it last a full day? How much will it cost? en exactly will it hit the market (Huawei only says it’s in the middle of the year)? The answers to these questions could certainly affect my enthusiasm for this watch, but for now, the Android ar high-fashion gauntlet has been thrown down, it’s up to , Motorola, Asus, Sony to catch up.
