Huawei’s new smartwatch may be the best-designed Android Wear device yet, but it could come at a serious price.
Huawei has surprised everyone at MWC 2015, not by announcing a smartwatch, but by announcing arguably the most attractive smartwatch yet – at least, ahead of Monday’s Apple Watch announcement.
But according to a new report, that premium design could come at a considerable cost.
BGR‘s sources claim that the Huawei Watch could command as much a $1,000 when it hits shops. That’s around four times the price of other Android Wear smartwatches.
This price – if accurate – is clearly down to the Huawei Watch’s premium build, which resembles a classic premium watch far more than it does a standard smartwatch. It features a 42mm-thick stainless steel body and a choice of silver, black and gold finishes.
It also has a physical crown button like a normal watch, though in this case it acts as a home button.
There are other signs that this is a step forward from other Android Wear devices like the Motorola Moto 360 and the LG Watch Urbane. For example, it has a 1.4-inch AMOLED display with a sharper-than-usual 400 x 400 pixel resolution, and this is covered by super-scratch-resistant Sapphire glass.
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But underneath its premium facade, this is still an Android Wear smartwatch, with all of the early-stage UI quirks and annoyances that entails.
How many people will be willing to spend £700 to £800 on an Android Wear watch? We’re not so sure, but we might have a better idea of the answer once we’ve seen how the Apple Watch is received from March 9.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
