The Honor Magic Watch 2 is a smartwatch from the Huawei company which was specifically designed for fitness and health enthusiasts. The Honor Magic Watch 2 is an upgrade to the Honor Watch Magic. It comes with both excitingly new and yet refreshingly familiar functions such as stress monitoring features, personalized watch faces, a durable battery life, exercise pace tracking and much more. Notice the deliberate change in semantics. This upgrade secures Honor’s place as one of the go-to brands for luxury wearables.
Selecting the best luxury smartwatch to buy can be somewhat of a herculean task for fitness enthusiasts. There are several brands of smartwatches in the market that any potential customer can become overwhelmed with them. Therefore we have put together this smartwatch review of the Honor Magic Watch 2 for customers to make an informed decision on which smartwatch to purchase.
As we mentioned before, the Honor Magic Watch 2 caters to the fitness needs of even the most critical health and fitness devotee. Some features from the another great product from the Huawei company, the Huawei Watch GT 2, have been adopted into the design of this smartwatch. The result is a savvy smartwatch suitable for the younger generation.
The ban on Huawei smartphones was a major blow to the company and things were looking bleak for the Huawei company and also Honor as its sub-brand. This warranted an aggressive expansion by the company into the wearables market, one which was mostly successful. Interestingly enough, Honor’s wearables have never run Google’s software. Therefore, there’s still room for further improvements for future Honor’s smartwatches.
PROS
- It is water-resistant
- It is an affordable smartwatch
- With the Honor Magic Watch 2, you can connect to local WiFi networks
- It has a great battery life
- It comes with a sleek design
CONS
- It may not be suitable for people who do not exercise much
- Its lifestyle features are limited
- It gets dusty easily
- Not very good music handling.
Things to Consider Before Buying a SmartWatch.
A smartwatch comes with extra features that make it unique from the average wristwatch. Some of these extra features include a touchscreen, an app that can be operated on from the phone and WiFi, etc. The Honor Magic Watch 2 is specially designed for sports. It performs functions such as activity tracking for training and outdoor sports, etc. Some of these features should include; GPS tracking, route tracking, heart rate monitor compatibility, etc. They can be controlled using Bluetooth, WiFi, or an app on the user’s phone.
From the above, one can see that the Honor Magic Watch 2 was designed with the intent of providing for the health needs of fitness enthusiasts. It only comes with few extra features, hence only fitness enthusiasts may benefit from the special features of this smartwatch. However, there are several other smartwatches in the market for anyone not interested in the specifications of the Honor Magic Watch 2.
To ensure that customers purchase the smartwatch best suited to their needs, here are some features they should consider before making a purchase.
- Compatibility
You ought to be certain that any smartwatch you want to buy is compatible with your phone. Hence you have to determine if it is compatible with both iOS and Android. The Huawei Honor Magic Watch 2 is compatible with both iOS and Android devices so you need not fear. It pairs with your phone via the Huawei Health app.
- Brand.
A good smartwatch is as good as its brand. Therefore when searching for the best smartwatch to buy, you should opt for a brand that is well-known and offers some exciting features in their smartwatch. In Malaysia, there are several brands of smartwatches to choose from. Ensure that you have done some research into the brands available before making a purchase. Furthermore, different brands offer different specifications. Some of their products are targeted towards a particular market. So ensure that any brand you choose can cater to your smartwatch needs.
- Budget
The amount you’re willing to spend on your smartwatch goes a long way in determining which smartwatch you will purchase. If you want a cheap smartwatch to buy, then rest assured that you may not get all the specifications you want in a smartwatch. There are several budget smartwatches to buy in Malaysia. Some of these watches come with some new and exciting features for users.
- Features
When buying a smartwatch, you ought to look out for the features provided by the smartwatch. No two smartwatches offer the same features. Therefore, in your selection process, make sure that any smartwatch you buy comes with the specifications that you want in a smartwatch. However, the higher the price you’re willing to pay for a smartwatch, the more features you’re going to get in the smartwatch.
- Design
Another factor you have to consider is the design of the smartwatch. The smartwatch you buy should be able to fit correctly into your wrists. Therefore you should look out for a smartwatch with plenty of holes in its strap. This allows for precise fitting. The color of the watch, the casing, the strap, and so on, are some of the features to look out for in the design of any smartwatch that meets your fancy.
- Battery Life
A good smartwatch should have a long-lasting battery. Therefore you want to be certain how long a smart watch’s battery can last after a single charge. Most Chinese brand smartwatches have a good battery life just like the Honor Magic Watch 2 by Huawei.
- Warranty
The best smartwatch to buy in Malaysia offers a warranty for their products. Some of these brands offer maintenance services and warranties within a specific timeframe. The warranty offered by these brands can be gleaned from the device’s manual.
Specifications of The Honor Magic Watch 2
The Honor Magic Watch 2 comes with some new and retained features from the Honor Watch Magic.
| Display | The screens are 1.2 inches and 1.39 inches for the 42mm and 46mm versions respectively. They are AMOLED displays that reach about 800 NITS in brightness. It displays color well. Users can also use their photos as the wallpaper of the watch through the Huawei Health app. |
| Strap | The strap of the Honor Magic Watch 2 comes in 3 different forms. One is a fluoroelastomer, the other is leather brown and the other is a rose gold Milanese loop. The fluoroelastomer has a rubber-like feel to it. It doesn’t attract dust. The strap also comes with plenty of holes for precise fitting. |
| Screen size | The screen sizes are 1.2 inches and 1.39 inches for the 42mm and 46mm versions respectively. |
| Modes | It allows for about 15 professional workout modes- 8 outdoor and 7 indoor. |
| Sensor | Its sensors are Accelerator, heart rate, gyro, barometer, and compass. |
| Dimension | The 42mm and 46mm versions come in different screen sizes. The 42mm version has a dimension of 41.8 x 41.8 x 9.3mm and the 46mm version has a dimension of 45.9 x 45.9 x 10.7mm. |
| Battery | It is said to have a 455mAH battery that can last up to 14 days after a single charge. |
| Weigh | The 42mm version weighs 29g while the 46mm version weighs 41g |
| Features available | It provides features for stress monitoring, running, swimming, cycling, sleep tracking, 24/7 heart rate monitoring. It also measures VO2 MAX levels. Sleep and heart rate tracking works by default but stress monitoring has to be activated by the user after taking a test. |
| Price in Ringgit Malaysia (RM) | RM 599 for the 42mm. RM 699 for the black colourway of the 46mm version and RM 749 for the leather brown 46mm version. |
Design and Display
The design of the Honor Magic Watch 2 bears a striking resemblance to the Huawei Watch GT 2. This is indeed a good thing because it has a sleek design and a unique look. The Honor smartwatch Malaysia comes in a 42mm and 46mm version. The 46mm version has a flax brown variant and a black variant, each with different prices. The 42mm version in turn comes in two looks_ the Sakura gold and the Agate black version with varying prices.
The casing of this smartwatch is made from 316L aerospace-grade stainless steel. This makes it light and corrosion-resistant. The base of the watch has a contoured outline that makes it very fitting when worn. Still at the base, there are two contact points for charging, that get attached to the watch’s charging dock magnetically.
At the sides of the watch, two buttons are touch-sensitive. The upper button is the home button while the other button can be customized to perform several other functions like opening your contacts, checking notifications, etc.
The watch has a 5ATM water-resistant rating. This means that users of the watch do not have to bother about the smartwatch coming in contact with water. Hence, it can be used for activities like swimming.
Battery Life
Part of the specifications of the Honor Magic Watch 2 is the promise that it can last up to 14 days after one single charge. This is understandable because it comes with a 455mAH battery. The smartwatch charges pretty fast too.
Unique Features
The 46mm version, comes in a 1.39-inch AMOLED display and a 454×454 pixel resolution, and a very high pixel density of 326ppi. Even in broad daylight, I could see the display of the watch very well.
Honor Magic Watch 2 has an internal storage of 4GB, but only 2.3GB is available for use. The internal memory allows for the storage of music. Hence, you can play music with this device with a wireless headset or onboard speaker. It requires about 30-40 secs to transfer a low-quality song of about 3MB. The watch supports the use of Bluetooth 5.1, GLONASS for tracking outdoor sports, and dual-frequency GPS. You can also receive calls with this watch.
Both Android and IOS can connect to this smartwatch. It does this through the Huawei Health app.
Performance and Software
The performance of the Honor Magic Watch 2 is generally satisfactory. The AMOLED display is bright enough. It doesn’t have a permanently-on display mode but you can keep the display on for about 20-minutes. Its ambient light sensor does a wonderful job of adjusting to changes in external lighting. However, when I turned it on, the watch tended to delay when responding to touch inputs.
The heart rate monitoring works okay and it provides a detailed report of your heart rate at each hour of the day.
The software employed by Honor is the Lite OS. This is Huawei’s smartwatch operating system. It provides all the basic functions of a smartwatch but it is not so versatile. Due to this, you can receive notifications from WhatsApp or Gmail but you can only tap on them from the watch. You cannot view your media files, reply to messages or listen to voice messages from the smartwatch. The UI tends to be sluggish especially when it is being started.
All in all, the Honor Magic Watch 2 contains all the necessary features of a smartwatch and fitness tracker.
Connectivity and Compatibility
The Honor Magic Watch 2 works very well with both Android and IOS mobile devices. It connects to these devices through the Huawei Health app.
There is also a provision to connect to these devices via Bluetooth 5.1, dual-frequency GPS, and GLONASS. GLONASS can be used to track outdoor activities. With the 46mm version, users can receive calls unlike with the 42mm version of the smartwatch.
Fitness
The fitness features of this smartwatch are top-notch. This device offers 15 professional fitness tracking features_ 8 outdoor and 7 indoor activities. These activities include things like running, swimming, stress monitoring, trekking, cycling, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, etc.
The heart rate monitor is always on 24/7. It checks the heart rate on an hourly basis and shows the result in form of a graph. The sleep tracking feature uses Huawei’s brand TruSleep technology. It records the REM, light, and deep sleep duration. It also possesses a sleep score scale, from 0-100, where the sleep score is rated. The smartwatch can also record on a chart, the bedtime regularity, times awake, average wakeup time, breathing quality, etc.
The stress monitoring feature rates stress on a scale of 0-99. It has to be activated manually for it to function. This activation is done after taking a test that asks you to rate how you feel about some certain twelve statements. The watch measures your heart rate before and duration of the test.
The Honor Magic Watch 2 enables users to choose from thirteen running courses. This includes their intensity level, walking, cycling, swimming, and so on.
Warranty
The Huawei Honor Magic Watch 2 provides users with a warranty of about 1 year after purchase. The warranty information can be gotten from the IMEI Number of your Huawei Honor Magic. No proof of purchase is required to check your warranty status. All you have to do is sign-in on the IMEI.info website and input your IMEI number. All information about your warranty would be made available to you after this.
SPEC
- The Honor Magic Watch is durable and has a sleek design
- It makes use of the Lite OS as its software, an operating system of Huawei.
- Its battery is 455mAH and it can last for about 14 days after one single charge.
- It has an internal storage of 4G
Other Unique Features
To personalize your experience with this smartwatch, you can select from the watch faces that are preinstalled. If not, you can also download them.
When I used the smartwatch I noticed it also comes with a flashlight feature that comes in handy. The layout of the activity on the screen is not cluttered but very well arranged. For women, there’s a new feature that helps them track their menstrual cycle. It is called the Female Cycle Tracker. Herein, they can record their cycle, trace their cycle, and even see their upcoming estimated fertile window. This makes it one of the Best Smartwatch for Women.
Alternatives
Garmin Venu Sq
Pros
- It has good fitness tracking
- Long battery life up to six days
- Good sleep tracking
- Monitors blood oxygen continuously
- Very durable
Cons
- The vibration motor is weak
- The GPS is slow to lock
- The version with music costs $50 more
The Garmin Venue Sq is an affordable smartwatch tailored to the specific needs of fitness enthusiasts. It can measure blood oxygen levels. It tracks the sleep of the user quite satisfactorily and the heart rate.
Its battery doesn’t last as much as the Honor Watch but it lasts for a good six days. It comes with a plastic case and plastic buttons that cause one to think it is cheap. To wrap it up, the Garmin Venu Sq does not possess some of the features of the more expensive smartwatches. However, its fitness-tracking features are quite impressive.
Comparison
- The Garmin Venue Sq is made with a plastic casing unlike Honor Magic Watch 2 that is made with a metal casing
- The battery life of Garmin lasts for about 6 days while Honor’s lasts for about 14 days.
- The Garmin Venu Sq watch offers a menstrual tracking feature. Hence, it is a good smartwatch for women.
- The Garmin Venu Sq has several workout routines preloaded into the watch such as yoga, cardio, strength, etc.
- Garmin Sq has a live track feature that enables you to share your location with a friend when you’re out on outdoor activities. This is not present in the Honor Magic Watch 2.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Pros
- Very good for fitness tracking
- It is very comfortable to wear during workouts and sleeping
- It comes with a running coach
- It has a touch bezel that helps you navigate between menus
- It has an LTE option
Cons
- ECG is only available when the smartwatch is connected to a Samsung Galaxy phone.
- It is somewhat pricey
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a good smartwatch for anyone looking for a smartwatch with all-around features. It is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. It goes for about $249.
It is made with aluminum and stainless steel finishes. It has an inbuilt ECG that enables it to check for possible signs of atrial fibrillation. This smartwatch can integrate with 3rd-party apps like Twitter and YouTube, hence you can interact with these apps.
Comparison
- Samsung Galaxy Watch active 2 uses Samsung Tizen OS as its software.
- It is very possible to transition between apps on your phone and your watch unlike the Honor Magic Watch 2
- It can be charged via wireless power-sharing from some Galaxy phones. This is not obtainable in the Honor Magic Watch 2.
You should check out the above watches if their specifications meet your fancy.
Conclusion
The Honor Magic Watch 2 is a cheap smartwatch to buy that comes with amazing features. If you have a low budget but you’re in search of a good smartwatch to buy then the Honor Magic Watch 2 is for you.
Men and women who are passionate about fitness would find this device of tremendous help in their fitness journey. There are other non-fitness features provided by this smartwatch and they all make for a good user experience. The Honor Magic Watch 2 can be checked out from here.
