The Huawei Watch line has been impressing us for a number of generations, however the greater value places it out of attain of most shoppers. The Huawei ‘Band’ line is their health band line, which is clearly extra inexpensive, however nonetheless packs in a whole lot of options.
The Band 6 is the sequel to the Band 4 – they skipped the Band 5 – and comes with a a lot bigger contact delicate display screen to the earlier mannequin. It arrived in Australia this month for $139 RRP and it comes with a light-weight design, all day battery life and a bunch of recent options as nicely like improved sports activities monitoring.
The extra compact and inexpensive health tracker line is pretty aggressive, so it’s time to take the Huawei Band 6 for a spin and see if it’s value carrying in your wrist.
Design and Hardware
As far as design goes, the Huawei Band 6 is easy. There’s a skinny, non-removable silicone band hooked up to the Band 6 physique which is offered in 4 colors: Graphite Black, Sakura Pink, Amber Sunrise and Forest Green.
The band is snug to put on and is simple to wash – the Band 6 is water resistant to 50m afterall. The strap itself is just a little too slender for my liking each from an aesthetic perspective, in addition to a structural one because it’s just a little floppy when feeding the surplus by means of the loop on the band, but it surely does the job. I did take it off whereas showering – which you don’t want to truly do because it’s water resistant which made the thinner band extra apparent.
It can be good to have the ability to change bands, however I’ve not often finished this once I had the choice, so that you’re higher off selecting one thing you want from the nice color choices obtainable.
The huge 1.47” contact display screen may be very shiny and straightforward to see, although might be just a little brighter in direct daylight. The contact show is superb, responding nicely even with moist/sweaty fingers.
The Band 6 features a single interplay button on the facet which when mixed with the contact delicate show, makes it straightforward to search out apps, entry data shortly or work together with the gadget shortly and simply.
The Band 6 physique is made from a polymer materials, which is each mild and robust with the physique weighing simply 18g making it very snug to put on all day.
There’s each metallic contacts for the magnetic dock charger and an optical heart-rate sensor on the rear of the Huawei Band 6, with ‘TruSeen 4.0 heart-rate monitoring’ on-board in addition to the choice to view all-day SpO2 data.
There’s additionally an Accelerometer and Gyroscope on board for monitoring your steps, however no GPS so you possibly can’t observe exterior exercise.
Battery Life
Huawei claims the Band 6 presents as much as two weeks of battery life, although that’s beneath ‘typical’ situations, whereas I discovered myself getting nearer to 11 days utilization with a bit extra utilization together with retaining the sleep and heart-rate monitoring on.
Charging may be very straightforward with the equipped magnetic dock clipping very securely to the again of the Band 6. The dock has a USB-A plug on it and matches both into a typical USB charging brick, or simply any USB port you’ve got obtainable.
Charging takes about an hour and a half to get to 100%, although you will get a little bit of a high up of ‘2 days use from simply 5 minutes charging time’ says Huawei.
Software and Fitness Tracking
Huawei Health app
The Huawei Band 6 works with the Huawei Health app, obtainable for each Android and iOS.
While the iOS app is offered by means of the iOS app store, the Android app must be both side-loaded, or put in by means of the Huawei App gallery, which additionally must be side-loaded – with each choices obtainable from the Huawei website you discover from a QR code on the facet of the field. It’s not terribly handy for Android customers, but it surely’s a one-off and as soon as it’s put in the model by means of App Gallery updates simply.
The app, as soon as put in may be very consumer pleasant with all of your knowledge specified by a simple to entry style.
I’ve beforehand used GPS enabled Huawei gadgets so you will note beforehand GPS tracked workouts whenever you first login. But you do have the choice of which tiles you see on the principle show, and the order they show, simply faucet the edit button on the backside.
Fitness Tracking
Fitness monitoring is pretty good on the Huawei Band 6. You get correct step monitoring, in addition to an honest coronary heart price monitor that’s on-par with most sensors. You get just a little celebratory notification whenever you hit your step rely, and you may configure further notifications as per your preferences.
Where the Band 6 presents one thing just a little additional is of their 96 exercise modes – 11 are classed as ‘skilled’, whereas 85 are fundamental monitoring. You get the default ‘well-liked’ workouts like Indoor and Outdoor strolling, working, in addition to elliptical, and rowing – which may be robotically detected – and there’s additionally Pool Swimming and Skipping on there which you can begin manually.
In quick, the monitoring is nice sufficient for monitoring your private health, and the auto-detect works fairly nicely…when you allow it (Settings > Workout Settings > Auto-Detect).
Sleep Tracking
As a shift employee I’m at all times very conscious of sleep and the way a lot (or little) I’m getting. The Band 6 retains good observe, and in addition delivers a sleep rating primarily based on the quantity and high quality of the sleep you get.
While the visible report provides you a fast look at the way you slept, you can too get a bit extra in-depth evaluation about tips on how to enhance your sleep. There’s additionally a notes part that will help you extra intimately perceive the sleep report, and discover what you are able to do to enhance.
Notifications, Watch Faces and extra
The Band 6 helps displaying you notifications out of your cellphone which is useful, although does take some fine-tuning.
There’s additionally assist for altering watch face from the pretty massive choice obtainable within the app. Huawei says that builders can submit their very own, and I’m eager to see extra designs made obtainable, however that stated there’s loads to select from and you must discover one thing you want pretty simply.
It’s additionally one thing easy, however I like the timer and alarm entry on the Band 6. It’s straightforward and easy to setup a number of alarms which I take advantage of all through my day and if an organization will get the fundamentals proper, it’s signal all the things else goes to be good as nicely.
Should you purchase the Huawei Band 6?
As a health band the Huawei Band 6 fills the invoice from all angles. It’s useful and tracks each health and sleep metrics in addition to being light-weight however with a shiny and straightforward to learn display screen – plus it lasts you virtually two weeks of use.
The RRP for the Band 6 is just a little excessive at $139, particularly given the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 sells for beneath $80 providing comparable options. The Huawei Band htough has been discounted to round $100 from companions on Amazon, in addition to by means of Mobile Citi and the Huawei Experience Store making it extra enticing.
The Band 6 does embrace a broader vary of sports activities than most bands available on the market, so if you happen to’re extra targeted monitoring that’s positively an element.
Overall although, the Band 6 presents loads on your cash, particularly the brand new bigger show. You can examine the Huawei Band 6 out now on the Huawei website.
