On the wrist we can wear smart bands for a few euros, or smart watches that cost a thousand. But what is the right measure? It depends on the needs of the person to whom that wrist belongs, no doubt. Huawei proposes various solutions in this regard, but the The Huawei Band 8, which we tested for this review, seems to us to offer a fairly complete and well-crafted package – for a very attractive price.
The smart watch, which it costs 59.90 euros on the official websiteallows you to keep track of your own physical activities (if you are not a professional), sleep, health. It allows you to receive notifications and manage the audio on your smartphone, to evaluate the weather forecast and to find your device if you have lost it. In short, it seems to us a product designed to give an (almost) complete package at a competitive price. Maybe even for those who have always had quartz watches and want to try the experience of a smartwatch. But is it for you? We help you figure it out in this one Huawei Band 8 review.
Our review of the Huawei Band 8
It seems to us that Huawei has decided to pay attention to the essentials with Band 8, but to do it well. Something we can already see from the smartwatch packaging, which in addition to the device contains two compartments, one for the manuals and the warranty, while the other for the charging cable with two magnetic pins to stick to the watch. No charger, but with the USB-A connection you can use the vast majority of smartphone chargers – or at worst the PC port.
Classic and simple design
The device measures 43.45×24.54×8.99mm, perhaps a little thicker than other competing products. But the very low weight of 14 grams they make sure you barely feel it when you have it on your wrist. Our product is Midnight Blackbut there are also the colors Emerald Green and Sakura Pink.
The rectangular case has glossy finishes on the sides, with a single button on the right. Which feels very solid and makes a firm click when you press it. On the back you will find the magnetic charging pins and the sensors to detect the heartbeat and more. Huawei has done a great job of flattening this area as much as possiblewhich adheres very well to the wrist and is comfortable to wear even for those who prefer to wear their watches tightly.
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High build qualityNot only did the Huawei Band 8 respond well to various abuses as we exercised during this review, but it did so without a scratch or creaking noise. The device can withstand up to 5 atmospheres: we have used it in water without any problems.
For what concern strap, easily interchangeable with buttons below the dial, we have a good slotted band to fit any wrist. Here too it seems to us that Huawei has taken care of the detail.
A display suited to the features offered
Huawei has equipped the Band 8 with a 1.47 inch AMOLED display, with 194 × 368 pixels, PPI 282. The frames are not very thin, but the perfect black of the AMOLED screen allows you not to realize it. The dimensions seem sufficient to us to be able to take advantage of the sports and health features of the Huawei Band 8, but also to Evaluate notifications at a glance – which you will answer on the phone. Not needing keyboards or other advanced features, the small screen is more than enough.
The brightness is unfortunately not adaptive, but the good performance of the battery (also thanks to the Amoled technology and the black-based software) allow turn up the brightness to maximum without too many problems. But as you can see in the photograph above, outdoors, even with the brightness sensor halfway, the images are clearly visible. With the brightness at maximum, you can see well even in the sun (perhaps by tilting the watch slightly).
Lots of health features
Despite its small size, you can keep track of various health assessments directly from your wrist (although, remember, it is not a medical device). You can track the heart rate, blood oxygenation. Huawei Band 8 also monitors the your activities, recording steps taken, time spent standing or sitting, stress.
Even the sleep tracking it seems pretty accurate to us, assessing both your breathing and heart rate when you’re resting.
Huawei Band 8 review: sports and physical activity
When it comes to physical activity, as is often the case, there are a hundred possible sports and disciplines to keep track of – but for many, the watch only shows heart rate and elapsed time. Both are important values to keep in mind while exercising at home, in the park or in the gym. But a “classic” watch and a pair of fingers around the neck to feel the beats could do the same.
But some sports have extra features and are pretty well made. While running, for example, not only can you hold under control tempo, beat (with a colored indicator to understand if you are in the aerobic, anaerobic zone, etc.), pace and distance travelled. But every kilometer you will also have a report of how you have traveled by section of the route. Having no speakerHuawei Band 8 uses the smartphone (or in our case the connected Bluetooth headphones) to tell us the progress, gently lowering the tracks we were listening to on YouTube Music.
However, the built-in GPS is missing: the precise route will be traced only using that of the smartphone.
In addition to running, they also have advanced features jump rope, the rowing machine, the elliptical and several other cardio activities. Also convenient is being able to see times and heart rate while swimming, managing everything with the side button (because wet fingers would be of little use on the screen).
We’re not talking about the level reached by more expensive smartwatches or bands dedicated to single sports, but it seems to us that for those who play sports at an amateur level it is an extra help. You can run, jump, swim or row without it – but having feedback on how you’re doing can help both beginners and those looking to improve performance.
A complete app, even too much
The Huawei Health app, which requires signing in with a Huawei account to work at its best, offers tons of possibilities. Not only can you monitor your health and exercise, but you can also access workouts, nutrition plans, food diaries. And then again AI-guided training sessions and much more. It is more complete than a simple app to manage your device, with some options accessible through subscriptions (the first months are free when you buy Band 8).
There are also many customization options: you can find watch faces, both free and paid, for all tastes. This is an extra service, which however is very welcome: you will have access to the same type of service that you find on the brand’s most expensive smart watches.
There is perhaps some advertising too much, both for the subscription and for Huawei products. But they are not that invasive the service given is great. As you can see in the image, the logs remain active even if you haven’t exercised for a while (or, as in our case, if you haven’t reviewed a huawei smartwatch for a while).
A complete and well thought-out service, even on a low-cost product.
From the app you can also enable additional services, such as Alipay for payments: but the most used ones are missing Google Pay e Apple Paywe fear that few will use NFC to pay.
Autonomy
Huawei had told us that Band 8 lasts an average of 14 days and during our review we had similar timings, even though we often used the device for workouts. Not having GPS, speaker to answer calls and other advanced features certainly helps. But for a band of this range, it’s a very good result.
Huawei Band 8 review: is it worth it?
At the price of 59,90 euro (maybe with some discount during promotion periods), this product offers a good mix of features at an affordable price. All without sacrificing the quality of materials and software.
You can only see notifications and you cannot answer calls, the sports functions are basic and some pluses are missing such as NFC payment with Google. But if you don’t need these things, it’s a good product. Pparticularly recommended if you already have a Huawei smartphone and use the brand’s services.