Huawei band A2: A good smartwatch under £30

The Huawei Honor Band A2 was recommended to me by a work colleague. Seeing the images online, it looked too simple; however, at £30, I decided to take the risk. I can buy 9 Honor Band A2s for the cost of one Apple Watch, so I wasn’t expecting much.

First impressions

Turning it on for the first time, I was struck by the simplistic design. Huawei opted for a PMOLED screen. This sips on energy and looks good even in direct sunlight. This might seem like a step back but makes it very easy to view the screen in direct sunlight.

You can change the texture and colour of the band. Unlike some watches, it feels very comfortable. At 22g, it is lighter than most sweet packets. As a result, it was very easy to forget that I even had it on.

Walk through any town centre and you will see heads bowed over phones. We unlock our phones even though there are zero notifications. We jump at every vibration. I wanted to see how using a smartwatch could help reduce the time I spend on my smartphone.

Day-to-day use

Huawei’s budget smartwatch has a relatively limited set of features. Swipe up to check your heart rate, monitor sporting activity, or find your phone. So long as your phone is connected to the smartwatch via Bluetooth, you can tap to make it play a loud noise. This was incredibly useful because I frequently forget where I last put my phone. The smartwatch will even pulsate if your phone goes out of range.

By default, the screen is off. It automatically detects if you flick your wrist to check the time. Alternatively, you can simply tap the screen to wake it up.

The first few weeks using this smartwatch, I found myself using my phone less and less. Any notifications go straight to the smartwatch. I can swipe them away, or do a mental check to reply later. I can also decline calls by swiping them away.

I work in an office environment; therefore, it isn’t always convenient (or acceptable) to check your phone. I am able to keep my eye on my work while staying updated on what is going on with my phone. Plus, I found that people didn’t notice it was a smartwatch. Checking notifications is as quick as checking the time.

Unlike my other devices, I don’t have to think about charging it. The battery lasts 2 weeks on a single charge. However, if you turn Bluetooth off and use it as a regular watch, the battery life will double.

Final thoughts

The comfort and lightness of the Huawei Band A2 make it good even as a normal day-to-day. As a smartwatch, this is great value for money. Sure, it isn’t packed with features like the Apple Watch. However, it also costs 10% of the price.

When I first got this smartwatch, my intention was to upgrade to a more expensive oe later on. However, it does the basics very well. If you are in the market for a smartwatch, the Huawei Band A2 won’t let you down.

Check out the giffgaff store for a great phone to go along with the Huawei Band A2.