Huawei Watch Match 3 evaluation

The Apple Watch is a good sensible software, nevertheless it does not come low cost. The difficulty with strapping an costly wearable to your wrist is that you simply then change into paranoid that you will knock it in opposition to a desk or scratch it in opposition to a wall. It might probably make you want there was a less expensive choice out there that may do a lot of the belongings you needed with out costing an arm and a leg.

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Insert the Huawei Watch Match 3 into the equation. The third iteration of the Watch Fit unashamedly takes its cue from the Apple Watch and provides comparable appears to be like, performance, and options for a fraction of the value. However, does it pull it off? As an Apple Watch proprietor of a few years, I put the Huawei Watch Match 3 by means of the paces to seek out out.

Huawei Watch Match 3

Advisable

A smartwatch that unashamedly bases its design on that of the Apple Watch, and provides plenty of the identical options, too. The Huawei Watch Match 3 has far superior battery life, nevertheless, and a a lot lower cost tag.

Execs

• Nice worth
• Trendy (and acquainted) design
• Nice battery life

Cons

• No NFC payements
• Irritating charger
• Lack of apps

Worth, availability, and specs

Should you’re within the US, there’s some excellent news and a few unhealthy information. The excellent news is the value of this watch may be very aggressive. It prices £140/€159, which is considerably lower than you’d pay for the equivalent-sized Apple Watch SE, which begins at £250/€309. The unhealthy information is that, because of the ban on the sale of Huawei products within the US, they don’t seem to be instantly out there on the market from US firms.

Nevertheless, it’s doable to get your fingers on a Watch Match 3 by means of non-US sources, though you might even see greater pricing and must pay further customs charges. Should you’re outdoors the US, you should buy instantly from the Huawei web site, or by means of websites like Amazon.

The Watch Match 3 is accessible in six shade choices: Black, Pink, Inexperienced, Moon White, Grey (with a nylon cloth strap), and Pearl White (with a leather-based strap). Let’s check out a few of the key specs.

What I preferred concerning the Huawei Watch Match 3

Numerous options at a fantastic value

There’s so much to love concerning the Huawei Watch Match 3. First off, aesthetically, it appears to be like nice. The overly tall design of the Watch Match 2 has gone, changed with a display screen that is just about sq., and appears, let’s face it, virtually precisely like an Apple Watch. The usual watch strap additionally features a conventional buckle, which I discovered to be a lot nicer than the pin-and-tuck fastener on the usual Apple Watch bands. It additionally has extra notches, so that you’re capable of alter the match extra simply.

It is not simply the appears to be like which might be replicated right here. The Watch Match 3 consists of lots of the greatest options of an Apple Watch, together with well being and health rings to attempt to shut, a distant shutter to manage your cellphone digital camera (offered you are utilizing an iPhone or Huawei cellphone), and a stupendous AMOLED display screen with responsive touchscreen controls. The display screen is absolutely vivid too, and simple to learn even in direct daylight.

Battery life is the place the Watch Match 3 stops making an attempt to repeat the Apple Watch. The Watch Match 3 blows the Apple Watch SE out of the water, being rated for as much as seven days of battery life in regular use, in comparison with simply 18 hours on the Apple Watch SE. I discovered that, if something, Huawei’s estimates appeared to underplay how lengthy the battery can final. You possibly can simply go every week between prices with out challenge, and even with the always-on show turned on, the Watch Match 3 was simply capable of outlast my Apple Watch.

There are many exercise choices to select from, together with indoor and out of doors walks, runs, cycles, and swims, in addition to different actions reminiscent of skipping, rowing, or utilizing a cross coach. I attempted an indoor cycle carrying each the Watch Match 3 and my Apple Watch, and the guts price monitoring was normally inside a beat or two throughout each units. There are additionally warm-up and cool-down workouts prompt for every sort of exercise, too.

There is a vary of watchfaces to select from, with some that look nice and a few which might be much less interesting, however there are extra out there to buy by means of the companion app. One of many inventory choices is a extremely intelligent watchface that exhibits a picture of a flower that slowly unfurls its petals as you’re employed in the direction of a well being goal reminiscent of your step rely. It is genuinely motivating, as it is easy to equate the poor state of the flower to your individual bodily well being, supplying you with a better urge to stand up and take some steps. It is one thing I want I had on my Apple Watch as it is a fixed reminder of once you’re too sedentary.

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What I do not like concerning the Huawei Watch Match 3

No NFC funds and a irritating charger

There are a couple of points I had when utilizing the Watch Match 3. Firstly, the bezels are narrower on the sides than on the prime. It is not an enormous deal, however when you discover it you may’t actually ignore it. There’s additionally presently no choice for NFC payments. Because it’s one thing I take advantage of my Apple Watch on a regular basis, I’d undoubtedly miss it if I switched to the Watch Match 3.

One other annoyance is the charger. It is a two-pin charger that connects magnetically to the watch, however the magnet is not notably sturdy. I discovered that it might usually detach once I tried to place the watch right down to cost. For some purpose, it solely suits a method round, too, which makes it much more janky.

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There are some nice well being options, together with Well being Clovers that you simply fill by finishing duties reminiscent of doing a breathing exercise or hitting your step rely. One of many choices is ingesting water, and it is irritating that there isn’t any technique to shortly log your water consumption on the watch; it’s a must to use the companion cellphone app as an alternative. There’s additionally a restricted app retailer, and in case you’re paired with an iPhone, there isn’t any technique to set up further apps in any respect. iPhone customers are additionally unable to add music to the look ahead to offline listening.

Sleep monitoring provides plenty of element, however the outcomes have been wildly completely different from my Apple Watch, which tends to point out me not getting sufficient deep sleep. The Watch Match 3 confirmed me getting loads of deep sleep. It is laborious to say which system is extra correct, so I am taking each with a grain of salt.

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Must you purchase the Huawei Watch Match 3?

Should you’re outdoors the US, and you want the concept of proudly owning an Apple Watch however not the value tag, then you may’t go mistaken with the Huawei Watch Match 3. It appears to be like nice, has respectable efficiency, and consists of plenty of the options you discover in dearer wearables. The battery life can be glorious, which means you may simply go every week between prices.

For the value, it is a fantastic product. Even in case you’re within the US, with the customs charges and transport prices, you are still more likely to see appreciable financial savings in comparison with an Apple Watch SE. There are a couple of gripes reminiscent of the shortage of NFC funds and sub-par charger, but when these aren’t large points for you, then the Watch Match 3 is certainly value your consideration.

Huawei Watch Match 3

Advisable

A fantastic worth Apple Watch various

A smartwatch that unashamedly bases its design on that of the Apple Watch, and provides plenty of the identical options, too. The Huawei Watch Match 3 has far superior battery life, nevertheless, and a a lot lower cost tag.