Huawei Watch Match 2 overview

The Huawei Watch Match 2 is likely one of the newest smartwatches from Huawei with an emphasis on trend in addition to health. 

It’s just a little cheaper than Huawei’s personal Watch GT 3 Professional and Watch GT Runner, however can be a bit pricier than the Fitbit Cost 5, and the recently-launched Huawei Band 7. It sits someplace in the identical worth bracket because the running-centric Polar Pacer. 

The Watch Match 2 is due to this fact higher suited in direction of people who find themselves extra eager about mild train or who’re simply beginning a Sofa to 5K-type program, and/or individuals who need a smartwatch that’s one thing of a press release piece in addition to an train help. 

Design and construct

• Light-weight and low-profile
• Single bodily management
• Completely different designs for health devotees and the fashion-conscious
• Basically a refresh of the primary Watch Match’s design

The Huawei Watch Match 2’s design is straightforward but trendy – it’s an oblong case with rounded corners, and a single button on the aspect. 

The watch case measures 46 x 33.5 x 10.8mm, and whereas that’s not as flush to your wrist as, say, the Fitbit Cost 5, the profile remains to be fairly low, that means most long-sleeved clothes ought to slip properly excessive. 

Like the unique Watch Match, it appears to be like extra like a miniaturised cellphone than the likes of the Huawei Watch GT Runner or Polar Grit X Professional, whose round shows and chunky straps mimic conventional watch designs. 

There are three variations of the Huawei Watch Match 2, Energetic, Basic, and Elegant Editions, and it’s straightforward to inform who these are all geared toward. 

The Energetic fashions are constructed from plastic, function silicone straps, and are clearly geared extra in direction of individuals who aren’t prone to thoughts if their watch will get rained on, or caked in a little bit of mud. 

The Basic model options an aluminium physique and a leather-based strap, and is a bit pricier, whereas the Elegant watches are pricier nonetheless, however function a really fetching Milanese mesh strap which fastens with a magnetic strip as a substitute of the everyday buckle. 

The model I used to be despatched was a silver Elegant mannequin, and the magnetic clasp was very nifty certainly. Having mentioned that, the mesh strap did typically transfer round on my wrist a bit throughout runs within the park. Whereas I by no means felt that the factor would fall off, it did make me marvel if the accuracy of the guts charge monitor could be compromised. 

Once more, in case your pursuits lie extra within the route of calisthenics than aesthetics, your selection is evident. It’s good that you simply have a selection as nicely – the unique Watch Match solely got here with one strap possibility and that was silicone, or go dwelling. The straps additionally connect with the case with a click on to launch mechanism, so switching one out for one more shall be no downside. 

No matter which model you go for, the inner elements and capabilities are the identical. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Show and audio 

• 1.74in AMOLED show is vibrant and responsive
• 336 x 480 pixels, 336ppi
• Inner mic helps voice calls over Bluetooth
• Skip music tracks, reply calls, and choose up cellphone notifications

The Watch Match 2’s show is shiny, detailed, and responsive, all of which makes it straightforward so that you can learn messages and motion instructions whether or not you’re mid-exercise or in the course of a gathering. The speaker’s additionally loud sufficient for you to have the ability to simply hear encouragements from the digital coach when understanding, and the speaker mixed with the inner mic helps you to reply and take calls through Bluetooth. 

Huawei doesn’t listing the utmost brightness of the AMOLED show, however I can verify that it’s greater than shiny sufficient for you to have the ability to verify your tempo, distance, time and the remaining when outdoors on a sunny afternoon. 

The 9-axis IMU sensor, comprising an accelerometer, gyroscope, and geomagnetic sensor is intelligent sufficient to detect whenever you’re elevating your arm with a purpose to verify in your vitals, powering on the show so to get a fast take a look at issues. As with the Huawei Watch GT 3 Professional, there’s no option to modify the sensitivity of this tilt-to-wake function, but it surely’s ok as it’s. 

Even should you’ve labored up a sweat, really utilizing the Watch Match 2 is never a trouble, though extra bodily controls might need made this simpler. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Software program and options 

• HarmonyOS 2.1
• Interface may be customised – to a degree
• No NFC assist, so Huawei Pockets doesn’t work

The Huawei Watch Match 2 runs on HarmonyOS 2.1, and presents a consumer expertise much like what you get on watches just like the Watch 3 and Watch GT 3 sequence. 

The responsiveness of the show is complemented nicely by a fairly logical format which affords you a level of customisation, though there are limits to what you are able to do. 

Swipe proper from the house display and also you’ll transfer via a sequence of panels, or ‘playing cards’ as Huawei calls them. These are issues like shortcuts to the SpO2 (Pulse Oximetry) reader software, coronary heart charge monitor, name log, and climate widget, all helpful stuff that you simply’d doubtless need to have shut at hand when exercising. 

However you may’t, for instance, pin controls for primary capabilities, like quantity, or brightness, as playing cards. And when you can add a shortcut to coaching plans you create on the Huawei Well being cell app, you can also’t add a shortcut to any particular exercise routines. 

It’s good to have the ability to customise issues like the looks – I added a flowery artwork deco-type background to mine – however the customisation feels pores and skin deep. 

Different helpful options embrace the Ringing software, which causes your cellphone to ring should you’ve misplaced it, but additionally emits a voice which says ‘I’m heeeere’ in a means that’s under no circumstances creepy. Music controls are easy, however efficient, and each time a textual content message comes via, you’re given the choice of replying with quite a few pre-set responses, or swiping the message away. 

Frustratingly, on condition that the Watch Match 2 doesn’t function an NFC sensor – and due to this fact doesn’t assist NFC funds – there’s nonetheless a Huawei Pockets icon on the Watch Match 2’s menu. You may launch the app, however all it’ll do is immediate you to finish the set-up course of on the Huawei Well being cell app. Which you gained’t be capable of full, as a result of… the Watch Match 2 doesn’t function an NFC sensor. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Health and monitoring

• 97 exercise modes
• Plan and handle routines with the Huawei Well being cell app
• Takes a few minute for the GPS to lock
• Train information may be exported as GPX, TCX, and KML information

Huawei has added a variety of exercise guides to the Watch Match 2, principally centred round working, strolling, biking, and swimming, however there are additionally applications designed to trace your efforts on cross trainers and rowing machines. Whereas there’s no program particularly for issues like yoga or lifting weights, you may nonetheless file train instances and your coronary heart charge as a generic ‘different’ exercise routine. 

For essentially the most half, you’ll doubtless be recording exercises on an ad-hoc foundation, or choosing from quite a few pre-set programs, starting from the mild ‘Run/Stroll-Main’ to the extra intense ‘HIIT Run’.

You may plan out longer routines in better element through the Huawei Well being apps (iOS, Android). These have easy layouts, and are straightforward to navigate. In addition to performing as a dashboard from which you’ll be able to search for day by day step counts, and drill down into issues like sleep knowledge.  

The Huawei Well being app helps you to share outcomes of your efforts, both within the type of a JPEG, which is sweet for social media bragging, or within the type of GPX and KML information, must you want to share your routes with different folks on platforms which may settle for these information. You can too offload coronary heart charge, energy burned, and cadence within the type of TCX information, if you wish to use this knowledge elsewhere. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Battery

• Good longevity
• Costs shortly
• Magnetic charging cable is fiddly

Huawei says that you simply’ll get between 7-10 days’ value of energy off of a single cost, and based mostly on my observations, I’d say that’s an correct estimate. 

It relies upon drastically on what you’re doing. For those who’re understanding each different day, you’re prone to want to succeed in for the charging cable sooner, however should you’re not exercising as continuously, you’ll be capable of go additional on a single cost. 

For instance, after 8 days, together with a full working week, 1 exercise, and 1 stag weekend, I used to be on 9% battery. 

The equipped USB-A charging cable is just a little fiddly to hook up with the underside of the Watch Match 2, and doesn’t simply keep in place. As is typical of most smartwatches, there’s no mains adapter within the field, simply the cable. 

Utilizing a 2013 MacBook Professional’s USB port, I used to be capable of get to 55% charged in half an hour, and 97% in an hour, taking about an hour and ten minutes to completely cost up. 

Utilizing a Huawei SuperCharge 22.5W mains adapter scavenged from an outdated Huawei P20 Professional overview unit, I used to be capable of go from empty to 87% full in half an hour, taking 53 minutes in complete to cost up from flat. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Value and availability

The Huawei Watch Match 2 is that can be purchased now, immediately from Huawei. 

On Huawei’s UK website, the Energetic Version is priced at £130, whereas the Basic Version fashions are £160. The most costly Elegant Version fashions value £190. 

You can too choose up Energetic Version and Basic Version fashions from Amazon UK, which is promoting them for £129 and £159, respectively. There’s additionally presently a deal on at Amazon which sees you getting both model of the watch with some Huawei FreeBuds 4i bundled in, for £189.98, and £219.98 every. 

At the moment, solely the Energetic Version variations of the Watch Match 2 are listed on Huawei’s Australian website, but it surely’s not doable to purchase immediately.

As an alternative, consumers ought to head to Auptimal, which is promoting the Energetic Version Watch Match 2’s for AU$299, and the Basic Version with the white leather-based strap later within the 12 months, or MobileCiti, which has inventory of Energetic Editions solely, for AU$298.

Amazon Australia lists each Energetic Version and Basic Version variations of the Watch Match 2, however was out of inventory on the time of writing. 

U.S. pricing and availability info was not obtainable on the time of writing. 

Verdict 

The Huawei Watch Match 2 is a great-looking and easy-to-use smartwatch that’s geared in direction of well being monitoring, and comes with some helpful further options, such because the cellphone locator and Bluetooth calling. With the most costly possibility priced at beneath £200, it’s extra inexpensive than some rivals. 

Whereas there are lots of choices, you’ve gotten much less management over the health knowledge than you’d with different smartwatches, which could frustrate some, however these after a smartwatch which appears to be like nice and will help folks kick begin a brand new health regime, it’s a really compelling provide. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 46 x 33.5 x 10.8 mm
• Weight: 30g
• Water resistance: 50m (5ATM waterproof)
• Show: 1.74in AMOLED
• Decision 336×480, 336ppi
• Case: Polymer and metallic, with plastic, leather-based or Milanese mesh straps
• Connectivity: A-GPS;Bluetooth 5.2 and Bluetooth Low Vitality (BLE);
• Charging: Magnetic charging Kind-A USB cable;
• OS: HarmonyOS 2.1
• App assist: Huawei Well being app helps iOS 9.0 or above, Android 4.4 or above