Huawei Band 7 in the test: competition for the Xiaomi Mi Band?

After its presentation in May 2022, it quickly became clear with the Huawei Band 7 that this fitness tracker did not offer too many innovations compared to its predecessor, the Huawei Band 6. However, it’s helping the Chinese manufacturer further cement its foothold in the affordable fitness tracker market. However, the devices have not (yet) achieved cult status, as is the case with Xiaomi.

price and availability

In terms of price, Huawei is on par with both the previous model and the competition. As of January 2023, the Huawei Band 7 is available from various online retailers such as Amazon, Media Markt and Co. for a price of 45 to 50 euros. Huawei itself also sells the device in its online shop, but mostly at a suggested retail price of 59 euros.

In addition to the Huawei Band 7 itself, the fitness tracker also comes with a charging cable that comes with a USB plug on one side and a proprietary, magnetic charging connector on the other. Huawei also throws the usual “paperwork” (guarantee certificate, etc.) into the box.

design and processing

The design of the fitness tracker remains the same as its predecessor. It’s the same rectangular shape, once again reinforced by a plastic body. In addition to the large display on the front, the case houses a number of sensors (including the heart rate and SpO2 sensors) and a magnetic charging connector. On the right side we also find a single button.

We remain quite convinced of the workmanship. The advantage of the well-made plastic case is that it is significantly lighter than a case made of aluminum or stainless steel. Together with the silicone wristbands, the manufacturer ensures that this device is comfortable to wear. This is not limited by the rather rudimentary buckle method that Huawei chooses for the device.

What caused us some problems in the test was the way the straps were attached to the case, because the metal pin responsible for this is sunk so far into the case that a long fingernail was needed to press it and detach the straps from the case. Reattaching the straps was even more difficult – also due to the mechanism. The device is available in four colors: black, dark green, pink and red.

Furnishings

Setting up the Huawei Band 7 is a bumpy start: The version of Huawei Health available in the Play Store is not the latest version, since Huawei is no longer able to trade with US companies due to a US embargo – and therefore also not with google. To set up the tracker, you need the version of Huawei Health, which is available for download as an apk file on the website.

Once you have installed the app and granted all the necessary permissions, you can start the setup process. In and of itself it’s not that complicated, but it wasn’t exactly intuitive. We often had to take a look at the device settings ourselves, for example to disable battery optimization so that all notifications arrive on time. We can imagine that this could become a problem for many less experienced users.

You also need a Huawei account for the setup, which can be set up free of charge during the setup process. The setup is only possible with the Huawei Health App with an Android or iPhone.

screen

Let’s take a look at the display. It’s not that difficult, because the tracker is now on our wrist and the display is the first thing we see when we raise our arm. It is a 1.47-inch rectangular OLED panel with a brightness of around 450 cd/m2. Overall, it’s a huge strength of the device.

Because the panel is extraordinarily bright, has a good resolution and, thanks to OLED technology, shows perfect black levels and high-contrast colors. The viewing angles are very stable and also allow viewing from the side – this works quite well even in direct sunlight. The only thing we missed: A brightness sensor that would automatically adjust the display brightness to the environment. But that’s bearable at the low price.

Something new compared to its predecessor: you can now set up an always-on display. It’s a dimmer, low-power display that’s always on – meaning you no longer have to lift your wrist to see the time. However, this function sucks a lot on the battery. More on that later.

service

The tracker is operated via the touch display. A swipe down from the start screen opens the settings panel, to the right and left you can see the individual function panels. The notifications open as soon as you swipe up. In an app, go back to the previous menu by swiping right.

Additionally, there is a button on the right side of the case that you can use to either switch from the home screen to the app menu or, if you’re already in an app, return directly to the home screen. If you hold the button longer, you get the option to turn off or restart the device. The controls are intuitive, but it takes a few days to get used to – especially if you’re switching from a crown smartwatch to the Huawei Band 7.

functions

In this area, Huawei’s fitness tracker scored exceptionally well in the test. The features that the Huawei Band 7 brings with it go far beyond the standard functions of a fitness tracker, such as measuring heart rate and oxygen saturation, counting steps, displaying notifications and controlling music playback on the cell phone.

With the Huawei Band 7 you can record 96 different sports. Six of these sports are tracked more precisely than all the others – so more data is collected. This is the case with jogging and swimming, among other things. In addition, the Band 7 supports the recording of sleep and stress. Unfortunately, we still miss a GPS function. This means that you have to take your smartphone with you for workouts outside.

And otherwise? Especially in the app we find a lot of features such as weight monitoring, an individually created AI training plan, different workouts with the corresponding videos, different watch faces and designs for the always-on display as well as a community and settings for the fitness tracker. With Healthy Living you get a daily graphic representation of your activity goals in the form of a flower.

However, some of the features (such as the workouts with video) are hidden behind a paywall. Huawei offers a “Stay Fit Plan” for around eight euros a month. This includes a nutritional analysis for food, music to fall asleep to, breathing exercises, intermittent fasting and a snack assistant with which you can scan and record your food. The first three months are free. By the way: Telephone calls are not possible with the device, there is no microphone and no loudspeakers.

How well does the tracking work?

In the test, the Huawei Band 7 delivered a very good result in terms of tracking accuracy. We used a Google Pixel Watch, which was five times as expensive and developed by Google in cooperation with Fitbit, as a comparison device for measuring steps and heart rate as well as for recording activities. The deviations in the step counts were in the low double-digit range, and there were usually no differences in the pulse. The situation was similar in sleep tracking, the recorded sleep phases, which can only be viewed in the app, largely corresponded to the Pixel Watch.

The watch recognizes light and deep sleep as well as REM phases. The software also gives you tips on how to improve your sleep quality. The automatic recording of training such as jogging or cycling worked quite well in everyday life, after a recognized workout start, all the necessary information is automatically shown on the display.

battery life

We rate the battery life of the fitness tracker as acceptable. The manufacturer gives a battery life of around two weeks as a reference value. We were never able to reach these numbers in the test – with moderate use without continuous SpO2 measurement, the tracker lasted around nine days. If you activate all features and the always-on display, the battery life dwindles to just three full days – that’s bad, but still bearable. In the test, the battery charged from 5 to 100 percent in one hour.

Huawei Band 7

editorial rating 7.0 reader ratings

4 reviews

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Huawei Band 7: data sheet

Here you will find the technical data for the Huawei Band 7. You can easily compare the size, weight and other properties with other products.

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