Huawei unveiled an all-new device that combines two wearables – a smartwatch and wireless earphones – into one unexpected package.
The no-brainer Huawei Watch Buds will provide users with all the benefits of a smartwatch — being a watch and fitness tracker — while also serving as a handy case for their earbuds. When you want to listen to some tunes, you just have to lift the watch face and take out the buds hidden inside.
While this isn’t the first technology of this kind we’ve ever seen – Lance Olanoff, our US editor-in-chief I checked something very similar in 2020 – Huawei’s creation is still interesting because it comes from a more mainstream brand. Although we’re not entirely convinced he’ll find a place among us The best wireless headphones or Best smart watch lists.
Never lose your wireless earbuds again! They’re on your smartwatch! This is Wearbuds from Aipower. The smart watch is a case and charger. $179. #CES2020 pic.twitter.com/LIKRfYd9zvJanuary 7, 2020
For starters, the earbuds inside Huawei’s Watch Buds sound fairly basic. While we can’t properly judge their capabilities without listening to them, they don’t sound too big – which would limit their audio capabilities and feature set. We don’t expect them to be able to produce amazing bass, nor to come with gadgets like active noise cancellation or particularly long battery life.
Plus, we suspect the watch itself will be practical. Based on the released photos and videos, the whole thing seems kind of huge. It doesn’t seem like the most comfortable gadget to wear on your wrist and certainly isn’t something we’d wear while working out so we can keep track of our fitness goals. We’re also concerned that the two-in-one approach will negatively impact your total usage time – as both devices will rely on the same limited battery power.
All that said, hopefully we won’t have to wait too long before we see this technology in action and can properly judge it. While Huawei imposed a last-minute delay to its winter 2022 product launch (it was supposed to happen on December 2nd), the video below indicates that the device is ready to ship — though where it will be available and how much it will cost has yet to be revealed. All we know is that our US readers will definitely miss the release as the sale of new Huawei products is currently banned.
However, if Huawei’s Watch Buds prove popular, we wouldn’t be surprised if its competitors follow suit. Google already has a separate PixelWatch And the PixelBudsand Apple has it apple watch And the Apple AirPodsso we wouldn’t be surprised to see these or other brands bundle their existing devices into a hybrid device similar to the Huawei Watch Buds.
Need a new fitness tech right now? Check out our picks for The best running headphones Abroad.
