A few weeks in the past, I acquired the possibility to review the Honor Band 6, the primary good band from Honor because it formally cut up from Huawei just a few months in the past. Soon after that, Huawei reached out to me concerning the Huawei Band 6, and to my shock, the good bands are nonetheless virtually equivalent, although I suppose that is to be anticipated contemplating how little time has handed for the reason that cut up.
Regardless, I used to be excited by testing the Huawei Band 6 as a result of there are some key variations that may make this a extra compelling gadget, with probably the most notable one on the spec sheet being the extra sports activities modes obtainable on the Huawei mannequin, together with a better price ticket. Are the variations sufficient to justify the worth hike? Let’s discover out.
Specs
Body | 43×25.4×10.99mm, 29g with strap (18g with out strap) |
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Strap | Silicone strap, swappable |
Display | 1.47-inch AMOLED, 368×194, 282ppi |
Sensors |
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Battery life | Up to 14 days with typical utilization, 10 days with heavy utilization |
Water resistance | 5ATM |
OS | LiteOS |
Colors |
Black body: Graphite Black, Forest Green |
Price | €59.99-€69.99 (varies by market) |
Design
Like I mentioned, the Huawei Band 6 is extremely much like the product from its former sister firm when it comes to design, and that goes proper right down to the packaging, which makes use of an virtually equivalent template. I really type of favor the extra colourful look of the Honor Band 6’s bundle, however that is most likely a ineffective level to make.
The good bands themselves are additionally extremely related, with the identical show dimension, the identical lone button on the right-hand facet, and the identical strap mechanism. There are some key variations, although, and I favor the Huawei model due to it. For starters, it is ever so barely thinner, however the physique can be barely rounder, which I feel appears to be like extra elegant. Huawei additionally affords extra shade variants of its band, with both golden or black variants of the steel body together with 4 completely different strap colours (versus three for the Honor Band 6). Huawei additionally let me select which shade I’d get, and I really like this orange Amber Sunrise mannequin.
The variations proceed on the edges. The left-hand facet of the body is totally clear this time round, no Huawei branding in sight.
Meanwhile, the appropriate facet has the identical single button, however with none accent colours. I often like accented energy buttons, however I’m not an enormous fan of the pink Honor sometimes makes use of, so I’m comfortable about this distinction, too.
The again is just about equivalent, housing the physique sensors and the charging pins. You also can see that it makes use of the identical strap mechanism.
Over on the entrance, the 1.46-inch AMOLED show can be almost equivalent to that of the Honor Band 6. It’s the identical dimension and backbone, although placing them side-by-side, the Huawei mannequin appears to supply barely hotter colours.
A few belongings you’ll be lacking listed below are the help for computerized brightness and always-on shows. I do not thoughts the latter level in any respect, personally, however I do know some individuals prefer it. Automatic brightness might be helpful, although I discover the medium brightness degree to principally work effectively sufficient each indoors and outside.
Overall, I used to be already an enormous fan of the compact design and massive show of the Honor Band 6, and it feels extra refined on this watch, so it undoubtedly will get a thumbs-up from me.
Fitness and well being monitoring
For common well being monitoring, the Huawei Band 6 covers all of the fundamentals, with 24/7 coronary heart price and stress monitoring, sleep monitoring, and feminine cycle monitoring (if it applies to you). One huge benefit that this good band affords versus the Honor equal is all-day SpO2 monitoring, and it is really the primary time I see any wearable provide this. Usually, you must measure your SpO2 ranges manually each time, however Huawei made it work all through the day, which makes this function rather more helpful. However, it nonetheless requires you to be comparatively nonetheless for the measurement, so there shall be some extended intervals with out measurements when you’re continually on the transfer.
One factor to notice when you’re utilizing a non-Huawei or Honor smartphone is that the Huawei Health app on the Google Play Store hasn’t been up to date in months. You’ll want to search out the most recent APK recordsdata elsewhere on the web for this function to mild up – however telephones with entry to the Huawei AppGallery can simply replace the app by means of there.
There are extra benefits to the Huawei Band 6, although, as it could actually monitor as much as 96 train modes, which is a large step up from the ten modes supported by the Honor model. In reality, this quantity is similar as what’s supported on the Honor Watch ES, which was rather more costly when it launched and can be considerably greater. That mannequin additionally provided guided exercise routines, although, which you aren’t getting right here.
The Huawei Band 6 nonetheless would not have a GPS, however one factor I discovered throughout my evaluation interval is that when you’ve got a Huawei cellphone, these watches can the truth is pull your location out of your cellphone mechanically. It simply would not work with different cellphone manufacturers, and in that case, the “outside cycle” exercise mode is hidden from the watch UI, and you must begin it from the Huawei Health app in your cellphone. What’s annoying is that this does not occur for different outside exercises, like working and strolling. You can begin these from the watch, nevertheless it will not register any motion, so the exercise is not saved.
In phrases of well being monitoring, I discovered that the Huawei Band 6 is a little more aware of adjustments in my coronary heart price in comparison with the Honor sibling. I wasn’t positive of this after I first reviewed it, however that mannequin tends to get caught on the identical worth for longer, and generally it confirmed me very irregular values, like over 130bpm whereas I’m sitting at my desk. The Huawei model updates extra shortly, each all through the day and through exercises, and thus paints a extra reasonable image.
You also can sync your well being knowledge with Google Fit, which I love to do, however just some sorts of train are registered there. When I register a Ring Fit Adventure session as cross match, it would not sync to Google’s service, as an example.
Software and battery life
The Huawei Band 6 runs the identical OS as most different Huawei and Honor smartwatches, together with the Honor Band 6. That’s an enormous bounce from earlier generations of the good bands, although, which had easier and fewer animated interfaces to suit the smaller display screen. There’s a myriad of watch faces obtainable for the Band 6 so you may have it fit your desire.
Swiping left or proper from the watch face will present you widgets like your exercise rings, coronary heart price monitoring, and so forth, and you’ll customise these by means of the band’s settings. You additionally get the standard slew of “apps” by urgent the facet button, that are:
- Workout
- Workout data
- Heart price
- SpO2
- Activity data
- Sleep
- Stress
- Breathing workouts
- Music
- Weather
- Notifications
- Stopwatch
- Timer
- Alarm
- Flashlight
- Remote shutter (requires a Huawei/Honor cellphone)
- Find cellphone
- Settings
The software program could be very easy and considerably restricted in what it could actually do, however that helps it obtain unimaginable battery life. Something like Wear OS has many extra good options, help for apps from the Play Store, and so forth, however you may just about solely use a Wear OS look ahead to someday earlier than charging once more. The Huawei Band 6 guarantees as much as 14 days on a cost for common customers, and 10 days of intensive use, which is about what I acquired. That’s with some firmware updates in there, virtually each day train monitoring, and steady coronary heart price, stress, sleep, and SpO2 monitoring. It’s nice to not have to fret about charging almost as typically.
I’ve mentioned just a few occasions already that I nonetheless favor having the good options of Wear OS on the expense of battery life, however I’m beginning to change my tune a bit. Wear OS has change into extremely irritating for me as a result of it requires me to reset my watch each time I want to make use of a special cellphone for a evaluation, and each time I reset it, it is a gamble what sort of expertise I’ll get. It may fit flawlessly or it could have some bizarre bug that may solely be mounted by resetting once more. I respect how straightforward it’s to pair the Huawei Band 6 (and different Huawei/Honor wearables) with a special cellphone with out shedding something.
Conclusion
At first look, the Huawei Band 6 would not appear to face out that a lot from the gadget I reviewed a few weeks in the past, however when you dive into it, there are just a few benefits that make this simply a greater gadget. The design total is best and also you get extra shade choices besides, it affords much more train modes when you want extra superior monitoring, and it provides all-day SpO2 monitoring, which is totally new for a Huawei/Honor wearable. On prime of that, coronary heart price monitoring simply appears barely extra correct right here.
At €59.99 in most European markets, the official value of the Huawei Band 6 is €10 above that of its Honor equal, however I’d say the benefits it has simply justify the worth enhance when you’re out there for a considerably reasonably priced wearable. Feature-wise, there is not any drawback for the Huawei model, and even when you’re solely searching for the fundamentals proper now, a small step up in value may help you future-proof your self if you wish to get extra critical about health later.
You can purchase the Huawei Band 6 from Huawei’s website, although costs range by nation. In most European nations, it prices round €59, whereas others go as much as €69.99. In the UK, it may be had for £59.99. You also can try our review of the Honor Band 6 if you would like to check them,
