Huawei Explore 3 Official: The first smartwatch with Harmony OS in review

Huawei Explore 3 Official: The first smartwatch with Harmony OS in review

Flexible The Huawei Explore 3 Official is the most fundamental smartwatch with the Harmony OS working system. The interface looks familiar. Serene aspects of the Explore contain the Huawei App Gallery and LTE. No longer like wearables with WearOS to this level, Huawei does no longer handiest use the Vodafone network.

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Processor

HiSilicon Hi6262

Command

1.43 lag , 466 x 466 pixel 326 PPI, Corpulent-Touchscreen, AMOLED, 60 Hz

Connections

Audio Connections: ?, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Acceleration sensor, Gyro sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Optical coronary heart rate sensor, Barometric tension sensor, Temperature Sensor

Networking

802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4), Bluetooth 5.2 BR+BLE, UMTS: B1/B3/B5/B6/B8/B19 LTE: B1/B3/B5/B6/B7/B8/B9/B18/B19/ B20/B26/B38/B39/B40/B41, LTE, GPS

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 14 x 48 x 49.6 ( = 0.55 x 1.89 x 1.95 in)

Battery

790 mAh Lithium-Polymer

Charging

wireless charging

Working Diagram

Huawei HarmonyOS

Extra aspects

Audio system: ?, Keyboard: 1 button, 1 pushable crown, Huawei Explore 3 Official, Charger(Alongside with charging cable), Fleet Begin Data, Security Knowledge, Guarantee Card, Huawei Effectively being, 24 Months Guarantee, Compatibility: Android 6.0+, iOS 9.0+; eSIM; GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS; 1000 Nits; 5 ATM, waterproof

Weight

64 g ( = 2.26 oz / 0.14 kilos) ( = 0 oz / 0 kilos)

Present: The manufacturer may perhaps probably well additionally use substances from different suppliers including point out panels, drives or memory sticks with the same specifications.

Huawei affords the Explore 3 in two variants and affords them with different offers. The test machine is the Huawei Explore 3 Official Traditional Model. The pinnacle quality titanium case with ceramic on the inside of measures 45 mm x 49.6 mm x 14 mm (~1.77 x 1.95 x 0.55 in). The Explore 3 in chrome steel is smaller and minimally thinner with a diameter of 46.2 mm (~1.82 in) and a thickness of 12.15 mm (~0.48 in). The AMOLED has a diagonal of 1.43 inches on both and has the same decision of 466 x 466 pixels.

The Explore 3 Official’s battery is stronger than the Explore 3’s (450 mAh) with 790 mAh and lasts correspondingly longer: Huawei mentions 5days for the Trim modewhen in contrast to 3 for the Explore 3, and 21 days when in contrast to 14 days for the “extremely-long battery lifestyles” mode. The Explore3 connects to the navigation satellite tv for computer methods GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou, and the Explore 3 Official additionally with QZSS.

Huawei depends on a dual-chipset structure for both so to name up efficiency when fundamental and to require minute strength in in style use. The principle memory has a potential of 2 GB, the info storage 16 GB. Be pleased its predecessors, the most up-to-the-minute Huawei Explore has speakers and a microphone. It is some distance LTE-succesful for the most fundamental time, and Huawei additionally integrates a advise assistant in its fresh working system. Hundreds of hardware entails NFC, and Huawei provides a temperature sensor for health monitoring.

The Huawei look is operated thru the touchscreen and two lateral buttons. The better of the 2 is rotatable as a crown and facilitates scrolling thru menus and training protocols as well to setting alarms.

Huawei’s fresh working system Harmony OS 2.0 is installed on the Huawei Explore 3 Official. Then again, the interface looks familiar. As with the predecessors, you will have the Huawei Effectively being app to residing it up. For iOS, you merely download it from the App Store. On Android smartphones, it may perhaps perhaps be very top to put in the Huawei App Gallery first and then use it to put in the Effectively being app. 

Within the Effectively being app, it is probably you’ll probably well additionally activate the eSIM and Bluetooth disconnection detection, in uncover for you, and configure the settings for health monitoring. It is some distance additionally more uncomplicated to make a selection out the look face thru the app. 30 look faces are preloaded on the Explore, some with customizable issues. More may perhaps even be downloaded from Huawei’s Explore Face Store or constituted of a report.

We examined the smartwatch alternately with a Honor Scrutinize 20 and the iPhone 12 Official. The iPhone does no longer improve the download of paid look faces, so the quantity there is diminished from about 1,000 at Android to real over 100. Besides, the tune app handiest connects with Huawei’s tune streaming provider Huawei Song at Android to this level. When opening the app with the iPhone, the message “Huawei Song is currently no longer on hand with iOS” looked – which no decrease than offers hope for an change.

The preloaded instruments contain an fright clock, stopwatch, compass, barometer and a advise recorder. Hundreds of apps may perhaps even be downloaded thru Huawei’s app gallery. This may perhaps increasingly doubtlessly use a whereas except the App Gallery can compete with the retail outlets of Apple and for WearOS. Huawei marketed the mute sparse offer with the apps from kicker and Tagesschau, which includes the podcast “Die Tagesschau in 100 Sekunden”. In step with Huawei, the Explore supports mobile payments in combination with the Stocard app, which is additionally on hand in the retailer.

Furthermore, we realized a shopping checklist, a translator, just a few mutter apps, and the game Infinity Loop among others in the app gallery, and it perceived to us that just a few apps had already been added all thru the test duration. By the style, the see Strava, as viewed on the screens under, became once mute unsuccessful all thru the test duration, as became once the see Spotify. Then again, the tune widget that appears all thru exercises can adjust the currently active tune player on the smartphone; that may perhaps probably additionally be Spotify.

The Explore shows the app overview optionally as a listing or grid. Within the test, it in general took several faucets except the tapped app opened. The crown enlarges or reduces the grid, and it helps scrolling in the checklist peek. The haptic feedback that the vibration motor generates when turning the crown may perhaps even be disabled. The bottom button opens the coaching app in its factory pronounce; alternatively, it is probably you’ll probably well additionally keep one more app to it. Holding it down or swiping to the true on the conceal opens Huawei’s Celia assistant with data regarding the climate. Horizontal gestures in different direction inaugurate 4 widgets from the health and mutter residing one after different. A widget for Huawei Song became once mute lacking in the test duration.

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The Explore receives messages thru the linked smartphone and, not like its predecessors, additionally shows emojis under the fresh working system. It does no longer showcase the corresponding app icon for all notifications, as may perhaps even be viewed in a WhatsApp message under. Incoming WhatsApp calls are additionally displayed.

Telephony thru the integrated eSIM became once attainable thru the multi-SIM-succesful rates of 1&1, O2, Vodafone and Telekom at market inaugurate. Users who attain no longer install an eSIM profile can develop calls thru the linked smartphone, equipped it is inside of fluctuate. A name may perhaps even be initiated thru the Contacts app or from the name checklist and may perhaps probably well either be made thru microphone and speaker or thru a Bluetooth headset linked to the look. This worked smoothly with the Huawei FreeBuds 4 but must work real as successfully with different headsets.

In step with Huawei, the sensors detect a descend and originate an emergency name independently. You’ll probably be in a location to additionally originate it manually by pressing the crown 5 instances.

A protracted press on the bottom button opens Huawei’s advise assistant Celia. It additionally optionally responds to the advise uncover “Hey Celia”; the conceal already had to be activated for this in the test.

Celia calls up the climate and takes over some tasks: For instance, she units the fright clock, prompts the flashlight, starts a name and translates texts into different languages. It did not reply questions regarding the American president or the European soccer championship all thru the test.

The sensors of the Huawei Explore 3 Official count the steps, decide the gap and the different of floors climbed consistent with the meters of altitude climbed. The optical pulse sensor measures the coronary heart rate and blood oxygen saturation all the design thru the day if desired and determines the results of stress consistent with the coronary heart rate variability. Be pleased the Fitbit Sense, the Huawei Explore 3 Official additionally measures skin temperature. While Fitbit handiest measures it at night and handiest shows modifications when in contrast to outdated nights, Huawei’s fitness tracker measures it around the clock and plots the temperature on a exact chart.

The charts may perhaps even be considered on the look and in the dashboard of the Effectively being app, which additionally shows the growth over time. On the iPhone, the Effectively being app may perhaps even be linked with Apple Effectively being, and on Android with Google Match.

We review coronary heart rate and oxygen saturation in ten measurements with a medically licensed pulse oximeter. We did not sight any discrepancies. The Huawei tracker deviates by a most of 3 share aspects when measuring oxygen saturation, and the common deviation is 2 share aspects.

Huawei’s TruSeen 4.5+ PPG sensor works successfully in day after day use and all thru exercises with low fluctuations. We additionally keep the PPG sensors to the test all thru an interval mutter with short modifications. Huawei’s optical coronary heart rate word does no longer apply the rapidly enlarge in coronary heart rate as rapid as a chest strap with an electrical coronary heart rate word. That’s no longer uncommon and is more a success with sports watches love the Garmin Venu 2s. The indisputable truth that the Huawei sensor does no longer attain the heights here either is due to this of the rapidly modifications. All the design thru a running mutter, recording high coronary heart rates became once no downside for the Huawei sensor.

There became once no strength nap all thru the test duration, however the fitness look would story it consistent with Huawei. The app shows the course of the sleep phases and evaluates their piece in the total sleep time as well to the nightly respiratory rate. Coronary heart rate and oxygen saturation are no longer included in the sleep log.

Huawei’s mutter app affords greater than 100 sports modes and an extra 13 running lessons for newbies and developed runners. The Explore automatically acknowledges walking and running (indoors or inaugurate air) as well to coaching on the faulty trainer and rowing machine and asks the person if he or she wants to open up a mutter. For walking, the ask got here after about 1 km (~0.62 miles). This first kilometer became once additionally included in the total distance on the terminate, but became once lacking in the route recording, which handiest started from then on.

Within the Running (out of doorways) coaching mode, it is probably you’ll probably well additionally compete with a “trim companion” and either allow it to residing a fastened gallop or automatically residing your outdated most titillating efficiency. All the design thru the mutter, the Explore then retains you urged regarding the lead or hurry. The next Explore screens illustrate the coaching point out all thru running with an activated trim companion.

The next smartphone screens showcase a log after a speed. All diagrams may perhaps even be enlarged and overlaid with different curves if the smartphone is become to landscape format as in the penultimate conceal.

To procure out about your physical fitness, you no longer want to inaugurate the mutter logs first: The fresh coaching load as well to the urged recovery time and VO2max are equipped straight by the Exercise Space app.

Within the test, the Huawei Explore 3 Official realized the design rapid when it became once mute linked to the smartphone at startup. The see the GPS signal took considerably longer when the smartphone became once no longer shut by before all the pieces up of the mutter.

All the design thru an mutter of the coaching app with route recording, it is probably you’ll probably well additionally use the inspire-to-open up navigation familiar from the Huawei Explore GT 2 Official. It is some distance attainable that Huawei will soon inform its navigation resolution Petal Maps to the Explore. We realized an “Offline Blueprint Navigation” from a Third-celebration supplier in the retailer, but we did not test it.

To search the GPS accuracy, we conducted the above terrain speed in parallel with a Garmin Venu 2s. The Huawei Explore manages nearly 300 meters (~328 yards) greater than the Venu 2s alternatively, zooming into the map unearths just a few swerves where Huawei’s sports tracker provides just a few meters because of this of short GPS drifts. The next screens showcase two of them. The blue line above shows the pretty real tune of the Garmin look.

After a firmware change, which must stabilize the GPS among pretty a form of issues, we repeated the test on the same tune. The GPS drifts repeated, albeit at a different space.

The battery of the Explore 3 Official has a potential of 790 mAh. Huawei specifies a most runtime of 21 days for the strength-saving mode “Extremely Prolonged Battery Lifestyles”, which it would additionally attain. In this mode, Huawei deactivates mobile data, Wi-Fi, and some apps love the App Gallery, among others. Then again, many issues continue to speed, such as health monitoring thru the PPG sensor and mutter recording. The mobile telephone app is lacking, but incoming calls can mute be current and made thru the Explore. With a ideal potential of 5%, the battery mute lasts for 6 hours in the in style mode, the “Trim Mode”. The “Extremely Prolonged Battery Lifestyles” mode extends the ideal runtime to 25 hours with small functionality. Getting back from strength-saving mode requires a restart.

In “Trim Mode,” the battery lasts as much as 5 days. As with different wearables, the runtime shortens vastly if you occur to activate the continually-on point out. If you occur to then additionally salvage a dwell dial with a transferring background, the battery potential runs out even faster. Within the test, the battery barely lasted longer than a day in this sort of scenario with active use with one hour of GPS use and some short mobile telephone calls. In apply, it is due to this of this truth valuable to search out a factual compromise between runtime and using the comfort aspects.

Huawei affords two strength-saving alternate suggestions in the look’s battery settings: One deactivates the continually-on point out and different turns off the arm-elevating gesture feature that prompts the purpose out. Over three days of utilization became once carried out all thru the test by turning on the Always-on-Command and switching off the arm-elevating activation feature. The utilization of the smartwatch in this form became once additionally more visually fine than if the purpose out had been completely on, as a colourful dial had already been chosen for this case.

The Huawei Explore 3 Official is charged thru an inductive charging adapter. No longer just like the Explore GT 2 Official the adapter does no longer have a USB-C port, but is firmly linked to the cable for connecting to an everyday USB port. Huawei states a comparatively long charging time of nearly 3 hours. That matches our ride in the discipline test, where it took around 2 hours 50.

Pros

+ LTE

+ Top quality offers

+ Utter assistant

+ Comparatively few restrictions in strength-saving mode

+ Expandable

Cons

Aloof ragged app providing

Every so often did not reply to the touch

Test device provided by Huawei
Take a look at machine equipped by Huawei

From the person’s level of peek, the Huawei Explore 3 Official’s handling and interface have no longer ceaselessly changed when in contrast with its predecessors. Then again, the mobile connectivity is a broad change. Users who attain no longer need it because they in general have their smartphone with them anyway would no doubt have cherished to save just a few Euros here; on different hand, those who’re undecided attain no longer want to weigh up the surcharge and the useful added price love with the Apple Explore.

The Huawei Explore takes a broad step ahead with the App Gallery and the mobile module.

The several two innovations, the adjust of capabilities thru Huawei’s advise assistant Celia and the App Gallery, are additionally sure if you utilize a smartwatch intensively. The retailer does no longer have noteworthy to present in the in the intervening time, and we are in a position to handiest hope that this would probably well additionally change in the foreseeable future; it is probably you’ll probably well additionally indubitably procure just a few titillating apps.

We additionally look the battery lifestyles as sure. Since the flexibility-saving mode does no longer restrict the functionality noteworthy, the look may perhaps even be ancient for several days in this mode. Here, the Huawei Explore 3 Official is additionally better than the Galaxy Explore 3. We are weird to search around what this would probably well additionally undercover agent love ultimately, since Samsung is additionally about to change its working system from Tizen to Wear.

The indisputable truth that nothing regarding the Huawei Explore is de facto innovative, but Huawei quite implements ideas which have been known for a protracted time, particularly from Apple, is no longer reprehensible, but needless to whisper fuels the discussions between the followers. One predicament of the review pattern became once the on occasion unhurried response. If you occur to first want to faucet an app several instances to inaugurate it, and here is repeated several instances, it spoils the fun of the wearable. Huawei mute has to enhance that.

The RRP for the test machine (Huawei Explore 3 Official Traditional Titanium Gray 49mm, Brown Leather-essentially based Strap) is 499 Euros (~$593). Huawei included the FreeBuds Official free of price except the terminate of the test. The the same rate income additionally applied for the rob at Amazon (DE). The least pricey fresh model is the Explore 3 Active Unlit in 46 mm with fluoroelastomer strap at 369 Euros (~$438).

Linked Articles

Huawei Explore 3 Official Traditional (Explore Series)

Inge Schwabe

Editor of the usual article: Inge Schwabe – Senior Tech Author – 118 articles printed on Notebookcheck since 2017

I on the starting place earned my pocket money by submitting paper records and earned my first salary by destroying them: For years I have supported digital transformation processes in both dapper and small IT projects. With two efficiently accomplished levels, in Pc Science and Technical Communications, I managed to mix my abilities with my passion for writing. I have written articles for connect, c’t, Mac & I, and the Microsoft and Samsung portals. With Notebookcheck, I on occasion lunge my design of business inaugurate air into nature so I can keep fitness trackers and smartwatches to the test beyond the confines of my desk.

Ninh Duy

Translator: Ninh Duy – Editorial Assistant – 185202 articles printed on Notebookcheck since 2017

My major responsibility as an editorial assistant is affirming the Library piece, which aggregates critiques from different publications and channels. Besides, my day-to-day breakfast is Notebookcheck’s long checklist of fresh declare material, which I comb thru to make a selection out the most titillating issues for translation from English to French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch.”

Inge Schwabe, 2021-07-10 (Update: 2021-07-10)

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