Huawei introduced its first ever smartwatch with integrated earbuds, known (not so creatively) as the Watch Buds, back in December of last year. Today, we have found out that the two-in-one product has already received an approval by SIRIM, indicating that a Malaysian launch could happen very soon.
As usual, we discovered the Huawei Watch Buds listing in the organisation’s database through MCMC’s Check Your Label app. The entry revealed that the product (model number SGA-B19) received its approval just last month on 20 January 2023. While this may suggest that a local launch for the device is imminent, it is still not known when that would happen as Huawei has yet to make an official announcement.
For the Watch Buds itself, the smartwatch half measures at 47 x 47.5 x 14.99 mm, and features a circular 1.43-inch AMOLED colour touchscreen with 466 x 466 pixel resolution. Attached to the display is a stainless steel case, and 22 mm leather straps that are available in black or brown colour options. Also onboard are numerous sensors including for heart rate, bone conduction and more, which are used for its built-in health and sports tracking features.
Of course, the biggest highlight of the smartwatch is the hidden compartment that stores the integrated earbuds. This approach differs from other similar devices, such as the AiPower Wearbuds, which stores the audio devices on the side of the watch instead. On the Watch Buds, pressing the button on the right of the wearable will flip open the upper half of its case. The buds themselves are revealed to be magnetically attached underneath the display, where it will be charged when not in use.
The Watch Buds’ audio half sports a bullet-like design for both sides, featuring full-range planar diaphragm units as well as touch controls that lets you manage playback and so on by tapping either the earbuds, or even on your ears’ front or auricles. It also comes with active noise cancelling (ANC) technology, and three different ear tip sizes which are included in the box. In terms of water resistance, Huawei notes that only the earbuds are rated at IP54 while the watch itself doesn’t.
As for battery, the company says the entire device is only capable of lasting up to three days when used regularly. While not completely terrible, this duration is still a far cry from most smartwatches and earbuds that are available in the market. On their own, both buds are said to be able to last up to 4 hours of playback with ANC off, and up to 3 hours with the feature activated.
Like we mentioned earlier, Huawei has yet to announce the launch date for the Wear Buds in Malaysia. The same can be said for its pricing, but for your reference, the two-in-one device recently launched in Europe at EUR 450 (~RM 2,129).
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