introduction
The Huawei Watch Fit 2 made its world debut in May at a glamorous event in Milan, where we also saw the Watch GT 3 Pro and the Mate Xs 2 foldable smartphone. We’ve already reviewed the flagship wearable, and now we’ve also gotten to to spend some time with the Fit.
It has a 1.74 “AMOLED display, heart rate, SpO2 and stress monitoring, as well as support for 97 different sport modes. Huawei offers it in three styles, with our Elegant solution in Silver Frost with a magnetic metal strap. The 20mm strap itself is standard and easily replaceable, but we loved the overall look, so we found no reason to look for alternatives.
Design and build
Huawei Watch Fit 2 has a rectangular body and an extraordinarily thin bezel on all four sides. It is quite compact, it fits halfway between smartwatches and smart bands. The manufacturer has equipped it with a single flat button on the side and a touchscreen, which is the only way to navigate – you can’t scroll with any rotary buttons.
The watch is extremely light – around 30 grams without the metal band. But even the included one is still barely felt on the wrist. However, people who don’t want to take off their arm hair may have minor issues with the strap that borrows the design from medieval chain mail with tiny circular elements woven into each other.
Huawei Watch Fit 2
The back side has the health sensors and the big disappointment: two pogo pins for the proprietary charger. That’s right, Watch Fit 2 doesn’t support wireless charging, so you have to bring another cable. Huawei has decided to go for a magnetic option which can be a hassle due to the fact that the magnet attaches to the metal frame and strap instead of the actual pogo pins.
Software
The UI is Harmony OS 2.0, essentially what Huawei has been using in its wearables for the past couple of years. The operating system is adapted for the rectangular screen, which means that the menu is only in a list: it is not possible to have all the apps and features on one screen, floating next to each other like the GT 3 devices .
Downloading Huawei Health is essential for Watch Fit 2 to function properly. Thankfully, we had no problems connecting the wearable device to any of the phones we tested, and the app can also be downloaded from a browser. We should mention that while Huawei Health is available on Google Play, the company recommends downloading it from its AppGallery repository as it has a more up-to-date version. In fact, the version currently available in the Play Store does not yet support the Watch Fit 2.
Huawei Watch Fit 2 supports 97 sport modes, one more than Huawei Band 7. We specifically asked company executives about the difference between the band and the watch because both segments have floating boundaries. The Fit 2 is equipped with GPS, unlike the strap, which means it can track a run, swim or bike ride on its own and doesn’t need smartphone assistance for that.
Notification delivery is reliable, although Huawei has trouble displaying emojis and they appear as an asterisk, especially if someone has reacted to an Instagram story. However, they are easy to manage and navigate. Additionally, Watch Fit 2 comes with weather updates (which are pulled from your phone), sunrise and sunset times, and moon phases.
Battery life
Huawei Watch Fit 2 has a 292 mAh battery. It can last up to 10 days on a single charge with AOD off and some health monitoring features off.
In real life scenarios, Watch Fit 2 lasted us eight days, especially if daily activities are involved. Rotating the AOD halves it. Plus, each preloaded watch face comes with its own AOD design, so at least you get a little extra style to make up for the lost drag.
The aforementioned proprietary charger comes in the retail box and has a USB on the other end. A 50% charge takes 30 minutes, while 0-100% takes about 80 minutes.
Verdict
Huawei offers the Watch Fit 2 as a stylish solution for city dwellers who want a fashion accessory that can also display notifications and health tracking. We loved the selection of straps available and the quick connectivity and communication with the smartphone.
We also liked the audible fitness animations for those who prefer to work out while staring at their wearable. The GPS is reliable enough for any occasional jog and their weekly 5km run.
Watch Fit 2 prices are € 150 / € 180 / € 230, depending on whether the user chooses a fluoroelastomer band, a classic leather band or the style choice we tested. As always, Huawei offers a lot of freebies and other discounts so that the price can give you not just a nice wearable device, but a portable scale or speaker in most markets. Sounds like a solid deal to us!
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