Image: Sean Cameron / Foundry
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Expert’s Rating
ProsBig displayMostly top rate designSimple to useConsSquiffy sleep trackingNo durability commitmentsCan’t work along with notificationsOur VerdictThe Huawei Band 7 is a trim band that will get lots appropriate. With a wide present, a nice form, easy instrument and first rate converse tracking, it nails the requirements for a reasonably low imprint.
Huawei has regrouped. It was once once on its manner to turned into smartphone ruler of the west nonetheless following political considerations it has now plot its sights somewhere else, and aims to turn exact into a easiest-promoting trim instrument ticket.
The Huawei Band 7 is the firm’s most up-to-date strive to narrate a seat at the tip, focussing on vogue and fitness at a luscious imprint point. But in a sea of competition, and with a reasonably tarnished title, stealing a march isn’t any easy job. Does the Band 7 rep what it takes, irrespective of how low the imprint, to stand above the relief and support revive a flagging ticket?
Rating and create
Slim honest designDecent strap coloration optionsVery lightIn the decade for the rationale that birth of the first ever smartwatches, we now rep viewed several determined product ‘kinds’ arise. Of these, by some distance primarily the most ubiquitous is the trim band’, aka the task tracker. Usually costing below $50/£50, they supply durability and rudimentary aspects primarily geared towards fitness and miniature else. Producers of nearly all stripes rep tried their hand in this bracket, with many trying completely different strategies in the formula.
With the Band 7, Huawei has produced something that is inexpensive nonetheless now not good buy-bucket, top rate without being expensive – and form is a key phase of that.
It’s on hand in pink, crimson, dusky and green, with my overview unit in the latter color. It’s good to rep a miniature of more preference in comparison to great of the cheaper competition, which in most cases easiest supply generic dusky bands.
The instrument itself is made out of a nice sturdy feeling matt plastic, with a single button on the correct aspect and numerous sensors below. At 16g (without the strap) it is gentle on the wrist, and at 9.9mm thick it’ll also peaceful match without anguish below most shirt sleeves, while the strap is a reasonably breathable plastic/rubber composite.
With regards to durability, even though no tall claims are made for affect resistance or scratch resistance, the Band 7 is rated for five ATM of water resistance. This may perchance well per chance also peaceful theoretically indicate this may perchance well per chance also withstand a swim, even though it may perchance well perchance probably per chance must be babied a miniature of on the entire use to handbook clear of damage.
This apart, the case itself feels exact and neatly constructed, and worth the imprint of entry for primarily the most phase. Neat bands are never going to be even handed primarily the most top rate of product categories, nonetheless right here is one who may perchance well per chance pass as a search for on the entire usage as neatly as on a walk.
Sean Cameron
Demonstrate
1.47in screenOLEDAlways-on optionScreen quality is the principle to success of any fitness tracker. Any present archaic wishes to live legible in any lighting fixtures situation, be sizable sufficient to present main knowledge and involving sufficient to read without squinting.
By these highly scientific metrics, the present archaic in the Band 7 is of good quality. That is to narrate that it will get sad sufficient to be archaic at night time, nonetheless moderately gleaming sufficient to fight an especially exact summer season solar. It is sufficiently sizable (1.47in) as in an effort to present a bunch of recordsdata without feeling crowded, and even though it gained’t lift awards for sharpness it is rather legible for primarily the most phase. As an OLED camouflage it gives inky blacks and good difference, even though it doesn’t moderately scenario primarily the most efficient on this point.
An added plus at the imprint point is the presence of an continually on present, which does drain the battery considerably nonetheless is a substantial quality of existence enchancment. It enables the Band 7 to act more as a search for replacement than may perchance well per chance in any other case be imaginable, and is higher than the likes of the Apple Glimpse SE can supply at roughly five times the imprint.
Software and aspects
Huawei’s have softwareNotification alertsWorks with Android and iOSAs a trim band in preference to a smartwatch, the expectations from a instrument point of view are moderately decrease for the Band 7 than they’ll also very neatly be for the likes of an Apple Glimpse. Whereas the latter may perchance well per chance also peaceful be in a job to perform nearly as a mini-smartphone, a smartband’s most main reason is to be aware health knowledge and present the time.
It is a gorgeous surprise to spy then that now not easiest does the Band 7 supply moderately a lot of instrument aspects for the imprint, nonetheless that they are mostly neatly notion by and fleshed out.
The Band 7 runs a custom working plot from Huawei. It isn’t cherish alternatives from Apple and completely different companies that allow apps to be installed, nonetheless as an different has a plot of alternatives that may perchance well per chance easiest be expanded by task of a instrument update screech from the firm itself.
Fortunately, for primarily the most phase this isn’t a scenario, as the offered instrument is moderately fully fleshed out. As well to the anticipated suite of fitness and health tracking alternatives there’s a torch option, the capability to ping your phone if it is lost, alarms and more. Even though the likes of the Apple Glimpse supply alternatives for song regulate and more, right here is a instrument focussed easiest on the requirements, with a couple of extras thrown in for good measure.
Sean Cameron
Notifications can additionally be obtained on the Band 7, and given the dimensions of the camouflage they’re easy sufficient to read even though they can’t be interacted with in any meaningful manner. I examined the search for with iOS and with Android, and chanced on no factors or bugs when interacting with either.
Interactions with the instrument are fully made by the medium of the touchscreen and the aspect button. The button wakes the instrument and opens numerous menu alternatives, while the total lot else is handled by swipes on the present. There are glaring drawbacks to this vogue, offering bodily controls enables more of the present to live usable while you are it, on the different hand in practice I almost at the moment obtained archaic to this regulate way discovering it to now not be a scenario.
Changing search for faces and the cherish is handled by the Huawei Health app, which is mostly neatly-featured even though I used to be once dismayed to spy a proliferation of paid search for faces on hand. While you happen to are giving this to a miniature of 1 or teen as a reward, this may perchance well per chance also very neatly be something to high-tail looking out for (no pun intended).
Performance and fitness
A miniature laggy96 sport tracking optionsGood for runnersIn general operation, the instrument on the Band 7 works neatly and without anguish. I didn’t skills many delays in swiping by the interface, even though opening optimistic aspects (i.e. the dread perform) on the entire introduced on a miniature delay – even though right here is to be anticipated given the imprint point. It was once never an obstacle to usage.
With appreciate to fitness, the Band 7 can video display heart rate, SpO2 ranges, can be aware sleep, gives assisted-GPS for runs (that manner it has to link to your phone to plot your route) and has 96 separate workout alternatives, preserving at the least all of the fundamentals. A extremely main caveat to the above is that while it may perchance well perchance probably per chance well compose measurements, these will never be as appropriate as a appropriate scientific instrument and as such any readings wishes to be indignant a pair of grain of salt.
This is terribly appropriate of those knowledge areas that are a miniature of more grand to create an acceptable image of. I chanced on that sleep tracking for occasion was once a miniature of skew-whiff, reporting swish sleep at times the set apart this was once patently faux.
Happily, outside tracking proved to be moderately appropriate, carefully following our route on numerous long walks by areas of patchy geographical region connectivity. As a , right here is a band that will swimsuit avid runners neatly in particular.
Even though this isn’t a instrument that may perchance well per chance supply the identical excessive level of precision in tracking and monitoring as a couple of of the increased slay competition, it additionally is accessible in at a section of the imprint. As such, this may perchance well per chance also absolutely be sufficient for folk fascinated by fitness, if now not elite athletes.
Sean Cameron
Battery existence
Two week claimRealistically appropriate four daysCharge cable in boxOf the entire claims that Huawei makes regarding the Band 7, its quoted battery existence is among the many grandest. Per the agency, it is imaginable to stand up to two weeks of usage without too great effort.
This may perchance well per chance also absolutely be imaginable if the instrument is left in a drawer with nothing to create for that size of time, nonetheless the identify was once positively now not reflective of our experiences. With the continually-on-present active and notifications incoming, I chanced on that I may perchance well per chance procure by a exact 3 days of usage before it was once time to stride in. By deactivating these (and subsequently taking away functionality from the instrument) I may perchance well per chance stretch another 3 to 4 days on common.
Whether you will desire to deactivate a lot of those aspects for battery produce can be a subject of non-public preference, on the different hand we suspect that most can be in a job to derive a balance that suits their wants.
Rate and availability
The Huawei Band 7 is on hand now straight from Huawei in the UK for costs initiating at £49.99. Four coloration alternatives are on hand: Wasteland Inexperienced, Graphite Sad, Nebula Purple and Flame Crimson.
That you just may perchance perchance also procure it from Huawei, Argos, Amazon, and Currys.
Verdict
There are a lot of completely different trim band alternatives on the market this day, from shrimp scale Chinese producers by to sizable names cherish Garmin and Fitbit, every person wants a gash of the pie. In difference tricky competition, the Huawei Band 7 gives higher than sufficient to stand out.
With good looks, sturdy building, a wide present, first rate battery existence, exact converse tracking (for primarily the most phase) and uncomplicated instrument it makes a tall first impression. Missing any roughly scratch or topple resistance, moderately squiffy sleep tracking and a couple of completely different niggles protect it from appropriate greatness, nonetheless for the imprint it is higher than good sufficient. While you happen to are procuring for a first rate imprint trim band this day, the Huawei Band 7 may perchance well per chance also peaceful be shut to the tip of your listing.
Specs
Huawei OSHuawei Health app1.47in OLED displayAlways-on option96 fitness/sports trackedAssisted GPSHeart rate monitorSpO2 trackingSleep tracking