With the democratisation of smartwatches, the popularity of fitness bands among the masses has been in a downward spiral. The first wearable device I remember purchasing was a Xiaomi Band 2, which remained my companion for daily use and exercise routines for a couple of years. But then came my first smartwatch, and then another, and another, and so the fitness band got buried beneath the retail boxes of all those wearables, and perhaps remains there to this day.
In June, Gadgets 360 exclusively reported about the impending launch of the Huawei Band 10 in India, and it indeed made its way to the market a few days later. The fitness band not only arrived as a competitor to the Galaxy Fit 3 but also presented me with another opportunity to try out a fitness band, after prioritising a smartwatch over it for all these years.
The Huawei Band 10 price in India starts at Rs. 6,499 for the polymer case, while the aluminium alloy case is priced at Rs. 6,999. However, it was initially sold at a special launch price of Rs. 3,499 and Rs. 4,199 for the polymer and aluminium options, respectively. At this price point, is the smart band worth investing your money in over a budget smartwatch? Let’s find out in this review.
Huawei Band 10 Design: Function Over Form
- Case Material – Aluminium Alloy
- Colours – Matte Black, White, Green, Blue, and Purple
The Huawei Band 10 features a relatively simple design with traditional smart band aesthetics, yet it is functional in most aspects. It has an aluminium alloy case which feels durable. At just 15 grams, the smart band is certainly lightweight, and it is 8.99mm thin, allowing you to wear it comfortably throughout the day without much discomfort. Even in Delhi’s peak summers, the fluoroelastomer strap material did not cause any uneasiness while wearing the band for prolonged periods.
The Huawei Band 10 is pretty lightweight which makes it comfortable to wear for long periods
The aluminium alloy variant of the Huawei Band 10 is available in five shades: Matte Black, White, Green, Blue, and Purple. I received the Matte Black one for review, and it is the most minimal-looking of the bunch. It is pretty durable too, with no scratches or paint chips at all on the case, even after more than a month of daily use. And speaking of the case, it features chamfered edges, which enhance the overall appeal and appearance.
Huawei has equipped the Band 10 with a single button on the right side of the frame. It can be used to navigate to the activity screen or go back to the home screen. Both straps can be detached and swapped via a release button on each side of the back of the smart band. You can also find the charging pins and the heart rate and SpO2 sensor here.
Huawei Band 10 Display: Does the Job
- Display Size – 1.47-inch
- Resolution – 256 x 402 pixels
- Display Type – AMOLED
On the front of the Huawei Band 10 is a 1.47-inch AMOLED screen with a 256 x 402 pixel resolution, 302 ppi pixel density, and touchscreen functionality. The screen supports swipe and touch gestures for navigation, which is smooth most of the time, without any noticeable lag. The Huawei Band 10 features adjustable brightness settings and remains legible even in direct sunlight.
The screen is rated 60Hz but seldom does not feel like it
While the panel does not have the highest resolution, I did not notice any major pixelation. It also has decent colour reproduction. The refresh rate is one area where I felt the need for improvement. The Huawei Band 10’s screen refreshes at barely 60Hz, which can hamper the otherwise smooth experience. However, at this point, it is just grasping at straws and not a real dealbreaker.
For customisation, there are plenty of watch faces for you to choose from. You can set them up via the companion app (more about that later). It includes classic, multifunction, health-centric, active, number-based, astronomy, and dynamic faces, which can be selected based on the user’s preference. Further, the Huawei Band 10 also stores some watch faces for on-the-go use.
There is also an always-on display feature, which displays the time and other information at all times. However, it massively impacts the battery life. If this is a trade-off that you can live with, then it can be enabled.
Huawei Band 10 Software and Companion App: Easy to Use
- Operating System – HarmonyOS 5.0
- Companion App Platforms – Android 9.0 or later, iOS 13.0 or later
The Huawei Band 10 runs on the company’s proprietary HarmonyOS operating system (OS). Its overall user interface is pretty simple to use and has easy navigation. Swiping up on the home screen opens the notification window, which displays mirrored notifications from your phone. It can display alerts from apps such as Gmail, Outlook, WhatsApp, and many more.
You can see check your phone’s notifications directly from the smart band
Meanwhile, a quick swipe down brings up the quick access window, through which you can set up a timer or alarm, enable the flashlight, toggle sleep mode, adjust brightness, and also open the settings. You can scroll through the carousel of widgets, such as heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, step count, and activity rings, by swiping left or right on the Huawei Band 10’s home screen.
The smart band is compatible with the Huawei Health app, which has an easy-to-use interface. However, it does require you to sign in with your Huawei account. It displays a dedicated health page with metrics such as exercise records, activity rings, heart rate, sleep, blood pressure, and SpO2. Through the exercise window, you can access training plans for various activities, including basic running, half-marathons, indoor and outdoor cycling, walking, and even golf.
The devices page shows your connected Band 10 and allows you to tweak its various settings and download watch faces. Through here, you can also enable the ‘Find Device’ option to locate your smart band if you ever lose it.
Performance and Battery Life: Good and Good!
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Gyroscope, Optical heart rate sensor
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
- Battery life: Up to 14 days
In terms of performance, the Huawei Band 10 does the job 9 times out of 10. There is a boatload of health and fitness-centric features, tailored to different needs and use cases. During my testing, I tried several of them, and all of them delivered decent results.
Heart rate tracking on the Huawei Band 10 closely matches that of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic
For comparison, I wore the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic alongside the Huawei Band 10 when testing the step-count, SpO2, and heart-rate tracking features. The step tracking was nearly identical, with the total number of steps taken throughout the day deviating by 50-60 at most. The same applies to SpO2 and heart-rate tracking, with the results being almost identical.
A notable feature of the smart band is heart rate variability (HRV). It tracks the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to assess stress levels. Leveraging this feature, it informs you when your stress levels are too high, advising you to rest or engage in a workout. The device also features 100 workout modes and various swimming-related options, but I was unable to test them.
There are multiple workout modes to choose from on the Huawei Band 10
The Huawei Band 10 does not offer Bluetooth calling functionality. However, you can still receive and end calls from your wrist when paired via Bluetooth. During my time with the smart band, the connection remained stable, and I did not experience any disconnection issues. You can also use it to set a timer, a stopwatch, and an alarm. Further, the Band 10 can also serve as a media controller and a remote shutter for taking photos.
Moving on to the battery life, which is excellent. The company promises up to 14 days of operation on a single charge. I was able to extract about 13 days of performance when connected to the phone via Bluetooth. However, it decreases drastically when the always-on display feature is enabled. A five-minute quick charge delivers up to two days of usage, while the smart band can be fully charged in about 45 minutes.
Huawei Band 10 Verdict
Should you buy the Huawei Band 10? Read on to find out
The Huawei Band 10 is undoubtedly a compelling option, considering the limited number of smart bands available in the Indian market. It excels at the fundamental functions of a smart band, with accurate health and fitness tracking, lasting battery life, and a robust build. Although there are some noticeable trade-offs, such as a low refresh-rate screen and lack of Bluetooth calling, their omission suggests that the company has prioritised reliable fitness metrics over advanced features, which is what an ideal smart band should primarily focus on.
So, should you buy the Huawei Band 10? Well, if you’re in the market for a new wearable and Bluetooth calling isn’t a priority, consider a budget smartwatch from brands like boAt, Fire-Boltt, or Noise. And I’d definitely consider doing the same myself.
