IFA 2015: Huawei Watch timed for Android and IOS

Huawei has unveiled the first smartwatch from a smartphone maker to be compatible with both IOS and Android.

Huawei this week officially introduced the new Huawei watch at a media event preceding the IFA trade show in Berlin.

The watch sports a “classic design inspired by Swiss timepieces” and is intended to bridge “the gap between fashion and technology”. It enables users to stay connected with notifications of calls, texts, instant messages and emails.

Huawei provided the following product information:

Crafted to meet the expectations of the fashion conscious user, including a fully circular 1.4-inch touch-sensitive AMOLED display, coated in scratch-proof sapphire crystal (the favoured choice among Swiss watch manufacturers) and a cold-forged stainless steel frame, its design embodies the space where fashion meets technology.

The watch is 42mm in diameter – the traditional dimension for wristwatches – with a unique design with its crown located at the two o’clock position.

The watch comes in a three different colours including rose gold, stainless steel and black and the ability to select from a variety of bespoke watch face designs, across a range of classic, luxury, business, feminine, modern and simple aesthetics.

There is also a choice of straps including stainless steel mesh, stainless steel links, rose gold, and black-plated stainless steel links, and brown and black leather. The straps are easy to change and users can fit any watch strap with 18mm width lug interface.

Sporting technology

The Huawei watch is a perfect exercise companion with a heart rate sensor to measures heart rate and the 6-axis motion sensor can track activities including walking, running, cycling and mountain climbing. It is also able to download music for offline playback via Bluetooth, which can also link up to wireless headphones.

The watch is powered by the latest version of Android Wear, which for the first time supports both Android and iOS devices. Music can be started with voice commands and users can search for destinations and navigate there using the same voice actions. Locating missing phones has never been easier than with the watch’s “find my phone” function.

While the watch sets the bar from a technology standpoint Huawei is teaming up with international fashion photographer, Mario Testino to produce a campaign featuring American supermodel Karlie Kloss and one of the world’s top male models, Sean O’Pry. This is the first time that Huawei has worked with these fashion icons to convey its vision of a world where fashion and technology converge.

Benjamin Norton, Wearable Design Expert at the Huawei Consumer BG, said: “Today, consumers are rarely content with just staying connected; they are looking for a premium smartwatch that is technologically innovative. When designing this watch, we were keen to combine the best in technology and innovation with premium materials and a classic look and feel. With the sapphire crystal and circular watch face, we feel that the Huawei watch has achieved this.”

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer Business Group, said: “Huawei is dedicated to continually innovating and creating new products to suit our consumers’ needs. This first smartwatch in our wearables family has been designed following extensive research and demonstrated consumer demand for smart wrist wear. The Huawei watch is unique within the market with its premium look and feel and classic design, combined with superior smart technology, which allows users to stay connected on the go. No doubt, wearable devices will remain one of the most significant trends in the device industry, and by leveraging Huawei’s technology and innovation, Huawei Consumer BG aims to be a leader in the wearable space.”

South African availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.