Hs-on: You probably can’t afford the best-looking Huawei tch

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Published 2 Sep 2015

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’ve seen a ton of Android ar smartwatches hit the scene, but none have been as stylish or as accommodating as the Huawei tch.

en we went hs-on with it in Barcelona earlier this year, it was one of the best looking Android ar devices we had ever tried on— frankly, it still is. Now, Huawei has announced that it’s finally ready to sell its watch, has exped the lineup to include a few new styles, pricing that mirrors the Apple tch’s. 

A style for almost everyone

Thus far, it’s been pretty frustrating being an Android ar-wearing woman. The available watches either completely overpower my tiny wrist with their size or hardly match anything I have in my closet. I don’t imagine I’ll have that issue with the Huawei tch.

huaweiwatch styles Masaoka

The Huawei tch comes in six styles, each is a little more expensive than the one before it.

Huawei has announced six different watch styles for the tch, starting at $350 topping out at $800. But despite the variety, they’re all very much designed to match the style of what’s en vogue in the regular watch world.

The six models include: a black leather b, a stainless steel chain link b, or a stainless steel milanese loop b with a stainless steel watch; a black ion-plated b with a black ion-plated watch; a brown leather b or a rose gold-plated chain link b with a rose gold-plated watch. l six of the watch models are customizable each b can be easily removed with a built-in clasp, so there’s no need for watch tools. 

huaweiwatch onflo

The rose gold on rose gold Huawei tch is classy from afar up close.

Naturally, I loved the priciest watch of the bunch—I found the $800 rose-gold-on-rose-gold to be the most stylish. I loved the way it paired with my blazer, it looks more professional polished than, say, the rose gold tch Urbane with its brown leather b. But I’d probably have to opt for the cheaper, black leather b with a stainless steel watch, as that’s the one that fits my budget.

And that’s the bummer of the Huawei tch: I can’t justify the $800 expense for something I’d use as mere jewelry for less than two years. The pricier versions of the Huawei tch are the nicest to look at, but they’re expensive enough to alienate some diehard Android users who want something fashionable but can’t easily afford it.

etty stard Android ar

huaweiwatch charging Masaoka

The Huawei tch charges on a smaller magnetic charging pad. 

en I first heard the details of the Huawei tch, I thought it sounded just like every other Android ar watch out there. It runs on a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor 512MB of RAM, comes with 4GB of storage so you can load up your own music on a run (or a brisk walk, because who wants to run with such an expensive accessory on their wrists), features a 300mAh battery pack, which Huawei says comes with “patented battery saving technology” that will last you up to two days. I’m interested to see if the Huawei tch can outlast the other Android ar watches that have also promised us a longer battery life.

huawei watch ios

The Huawei tch offers iOS 8.2+ support. 

One of the best features of the Huawei tch isn’t even a feature they’ve added themselves. announced iOS compatibility with its Android ar devices earlier this week the Huawei tch is on the list (in fact, it’s the featured product). If your ione-using friend is running iOS 8.2 up, they can pair it with one of Huawei’s six watch models to sync messages, notifications, calendar events.

The Huawei tch is so much more watch-looking than the Apple tch. This might bode well for Huawei in the end, since Apple users are used to dropping gobs of money on product.

A Fashion Statement

huaweiwatch rosegold Masaoka

That rose-gold-on-rose-gold Huawei tch. Ain’t she a beaut?

Huawei wants Android ar users to see the Huawei tch as “a timeless piece…a fashion statement.” It’s succeeded. I wear the Urbane from time to time, but the Huawei tch feels like something worth donning every day. The only bummer is that it’s not an expense that I can justify. 

The first four Huawei tch styles are all for pre-order today will start shipping on September 17, while the rose-gold variants—which you might as well start saving up for now—will be available later this year.