Sports bracelets Huawei Band 4 and Honor Band 5 Sport presented in Russia

Design and ergonomics

The design of the next bracelet from Huawei, as always, is distinguished by elegance and laconicism. The rectangular flat screen has smooth corners. The display is surrounded by a plastic insert, which ensures a smooth transition from the screen to the module and from the module to the strap.

Huawei Band 4 is sold in 3 colors: Graphite Black, Pearl White and Amber Sunrise.

As for the watch faces, there are only 3 main screen options available on the bracelet. But don’t forget that the application has about 60 more watch faces.

The bracelet is small in size and weighs only 24 grams, which makes it convenient for everyday wear. The strap is made of high-quality silicone rubber and does not rub your hand. The strap has a large number of holes, so it can be adjusted to fit any wrist. The buckle clasp allows you to securely fix the bracelet on your hand.

Fitness bracelet design

The sports bracelet has remained virtually unchanged in appearance compared to its predecessor. It is made in a rectangular shape with a round touch-sensitive Home key under the screen. The gadget is practically not felt on your hand thanks to its weight of 23 grams and a comfortable rubberized strap that does not rub your hand, but at the same time ensures a secure fit of the watch on your wrist. By the way, it is replaceable, which means that if necessary, you can easily find a replacement for it. It is pleasant to the touch and has enormous adjustment capabilities, making it suitable for the hand of any person.

There are two versions of the device - NFC and regular. A version without NFC has gone on sale on the international market, as it works exclusively in China. The capsule is quite large, which is due to the use of a 0.9-inch diagonal screen. It is covered with glass, not plastic, which increases strength and makes it scratch-resistant. With careful handling, the display will retain its original appearance for a long time.

The design of the Honor Band 4 fitness watch is a cross between sports and business style. They go equally well with sportswear and a business tuxedo, and you can buy the bracelet in black, red, blue, yellow or pink.

Display

The 4th version of the Band from Huawei has a TFT display with a resolution of 80x160 pixels, although the same Huawei Band 3 Pro has an OLED screen with a resolution of 120x240 pixels. Most likely, such reductions in characteristics are caused by the desire to make the bracelet more affordable. But don’t forget that this is just Band 4 and it’s unreasonable to compare it with the Pro version. Let's wait for the release of Band 4 Pro.

The display itself is color and touch-sensitive, color reproduction is good - the colors are rich. Of course, if you look closely at the image, you can see individual pixels, but this does not affect the overall picture.

During the day, on the street and in a lit room, information from the screen is easy to read, there is enough brightness. There are no problems with reading text in sunny weather.

Separately, we note the 2.5D glass that covers the surface of the display. This fact not only increases the strength of the screen, but also reduces its wear.

Screen

Unlike previous models, Honor Band 4 is equipped with a bright color display that immediately attracts attention.

The screen resolution is 240 x 120 pixels, diagonal - 0.95 inches, technology - AMOLED. For such a miniature size, this will be enough for the picture to be clear and rich.

Chinese engineers have solved the persistent problem with screen brightness - here it can be adjusted on a scale from 1 to 3. This is very good, because by default such bracelets are almost blinding at night, and in sunny weather nothing is visible on the screen. It’s also convenient that in the settings you can activate the function of dimming the brightness at night (from 21:00).

As for the main screen, at the time of testing and writing the review, Honor Band 4 had 5 types of designs available for every taste and color. Let's hope that future software updates will introduce other design options, as was the case with its predecessor.

Functional

Available functions:

• Receive and view notifications
• Workout Tracking
• Weather reports
• Counting steps taken and distance in kilometers
• Number of calories burned
• Sleep monitoring
• Sedentary reminder
• Continuous heart rate monitoring
• Alarm
• Turn on the screen by raising your wrist
• Setting Goals
• Finding a smartphone
• Notification about smartphone disconnection from Bluetooth
• Smartphone camera control (only available for Huawei and Honor smartphones)

Initially, the bracelet did not support the smartphone player control

, but in the latest update this flaw was corrected, which greatly improved the position of Huawei Band 4 in the smart gadget market, given its low cost.

Sports modes

The bracelet is rich in sports operating modes:

• Running outside
• Running on a treadmill
• Walking outside
• Walking indoors
• Bike
• Exercise bike
• Ellipse
• Rowing machine
• Free workout

For each exercise, the user can set his own goal, upon reaching which the fitness bracelet will notify you via vibration. You can also set intermediate sections to reach the goal, which will also be marked with a signal.

Notifications

It is possible to notify about SMS messages, messages from any messengers and social networks, letters to e-mail. Moreover, the bracelet not only notifies you about the message, but also displays its full text.

This tracker does not solve the problem of old fitness bracelets from Huawei: if you have more than 10 notifications, you cannot fully read new messages until you delete the old ones.

Huawei Band 4 also notifies you of incoming calls. You cannot pick up the phone through the fitness bracelet; you can only reject the call.

Sleep tracking

The bracelet detects sleep phases and diagnoses 6 types of sleep problems. Perfect for those who often lose their routine or have problems falling asleep.

As for the phases of sleep, Band 4 most accurately recognizes light sleep, REM phase and deep sleep. This is why the tracker produces one of the most detailed sleep statistics on the fitness gadget market. The bracelet accurately determines sleep time, gives an assessment of its effectiveness in points and recommendations for improvement.

The application provides statistics of your sleep not only for the current day, but also for the past week/month/year. By the way, Huawei Band 4 analyzes not only night sleep, but also daytime sleep.

The fitness bracelet has 1 smart and 3 regular alarms.

Pulse measurement

A single pulse check takes approximately 45 seconds. The heart rate monitor uses TruSeen 3.5 technology, which is highly accurate.

Continuous heart rate monitoring can be activated in the application settings. There you can also set a heart rate threshold, after exceeding which the bracelet will notify you (it is also possible to set a lower threshold).

Features currently available to Band 4 users:

• Date and time display;
• Automatic heart rate measurement;
• Tracking activity indicators throughout the day - counting the number of steps taken, mode for running, swimming and other sports;
• Sleep tracking using TruSleep technology. The wearable gadget can determine the sleep phase and provide recommendations for improving it;
• Calculation of distance traveled and calories burned;
• When paired with a smartphone, you will see information about missed SMS and calls, including from social networks;
• Smart alarm clock;
• Timer, stopwatch and weather forecast;
• Possibility of remote control of the camera on the phone;
• Smartphone search function;
• NFC, although the module currently only works in China.

Interface

To unlock the screen, just press the touch button or rotate your wrist. To go to the menu you need to swipe up or down. Menu listing can be done by swiping or by turning your wrist. With a single tap on the screen you can open a specific menu item. The button under the display is touch sensitive and is responsible for the “Go to Home Screen” action. Swiping to the right is responsible for the “back” action.

When you press the main screen once, a window pops up with information about the activity of the Bluetooth connection, charge level and current weather.

Available menu items:

• Walking (number of steps taken, distance, calories burned, time spent physically active and number of warm-ups)
• Pulse (single real-time heart rate measurement)
• Sleep (number of hours and minutes of last sleep)
• Workouts (you can select 1 of 9 available types of activity, set training goals and alerts during the activity)
• More (timer, stopwatch, dials, smartphone search, brightness, system)
• Messages

Accuracy of work

Pulse

At rest, heart rate is measured with high accuracy. The maximum error was 2 beats/min, which is less than 3%. During aerobic exercise, when the exercise intensity is average and there are no sudden increases in heart rate, the heart rate error can increase to 7-10 beats.

It is also worth noting that when constantly measuring heart rate, Huawei displays the data with a slight delay. This became clear after testing the bracelet simultaneously with the chest sensor.

Steps

To count steps, there is a 3-axis accelerometer, which does not filter out false positives well. Therefore, the bracelet can take into account amplitude movements of the hands for steps. Alas, this problem cannot be solved without a gyroscope.

To determine the error of the pedometer, I decided to take several walks, here are their results:

• Walked 100 steps, bracelet showed 105
• Walked 200 steps, bracelet showed 213
• Walked 1000 steps, bracelet showed 1061

Thus, the pedometer error is less than 7%, which is an excellent result, considering that the tracker does not have a gyroscope. But it is worth remembering that the measurements were taken during a walk, and not during everyday activities.

First connection

To pair the device with a smartphone for the first time, you need to connect it to a power source, that is, remove the strap and insert the module into the USB connector, the tracker will turn on:

Once the following screen appears, you can begin connecting to your phone:

To interact with the fitness bracelet, you must install the Huawei Health application on your smartphone. The first step is to register an account in the application, and only then pair it with the bracelet.

To pair, you need to go to the “Devices” tab and select “Add”, then select “Smart bracelet”, after which the database of available devices will be updated and Huawei Band 4 will appear among them - click on it, then click “Pair”. On the tracker screen, confirm the pairing notification - you're done.

After pairing, the bracelet will automatically set the Russian language, time and date.

Honor Band 4 or “a worthy replacement for MiBand 2?”

Good evening. Today in the review we will talk about the Honor Band 4 fitness bracelet. This bracelet was purchased to replace the already outdated MiBand 2, which had several significant shortcomings for me, but more on that later. The recommended price for the bracelet was stated at the presentation as $29. At the moment the price on Ali is about $31-35. The bracelet arrived to me quite quickly. Since at the start of sales this bracelet is sold out very quickly, the sellers apparently do not have time to pack it properly. The packaging of the product is clearly not suitable for a gift.

I ordered the bracelet with a black strap. Now there are straps of other colors on sale, but I haven’t seen any other type of straps.

Contents
The package is completely standard for this type of device - instructions (entirely in Chinese), with a QR code for downloading the Huawei Health application - charger - USB cable - the bracelet itself - several stickers with barcodes

charging connection

Specifications

Huawei Health app for Android 4.4 +/iOS 8.0+ Bluetooth:4.2 Screen: 0.95 inches AMOLED color touch screen with a resolution of 240 x 120 pixels, the
screen is protected by glass
-Functions- Call: Shows the name of the caller , you can turn off the vibration on the bracelet or reject the call completely Heart rate measurement: Continuous heart rate measurement with 1 second update, infrared night sleep detection mode Messages/Applications: shows messages and notifications. There are 2 scrolling screens for text, the ability to select any application for notifications. Sports: Time, calories, steps, distance, pace, swim style selection, workout selection. Alarm: At a certain time or smart alarm, vibration Sleep: Automatic tracking, schedule in the application. Convenience: automatically turns on the screen when you raise your wrist, inactivity reminders, etc. For swimming: IP68, waterproof and can work in water up to 50 meters deep or 5 ATM (swimming or showering in non-hot water), shows swimming time and calories Working time: light use 14 days, scientific sleep 6 days Sensors: 6-axis inertial sensor, separate PPG sensor, infrared detection sensor Dimensions: 23g, strap 126mm + 95mm, main body 43mm x 17 .2 mm x 11.5 mm

The bracelet sits very comfortably on the hand. It looks quite stylish, but at the same time strictly. On the front side, the outline of the button is clearly visible, which perhaps somewhat spoils the appearance. It is approximately the same size as miband 2, which is a rather small bracelet.

more photos from miband 2

The bracelet strap has 17 holes and the girth varies from 126mm to 221mm. Strap material: silicone. It is quite soft, the clasp is reliable, sometimes even too reliable, sometimes it is difficult to remove due to the bend on the clasp stick. In previous versions, the strap was attached to the bracelet with screws, but sometimes the fastening points cracked. The new version switched to plastic latches. On the back you can see charging contacts and a heart rate monitor.

The screen is the main advantage of this bracelet. It is very beautiful and bright. There are 3 brightness modes, personally I use the weakest one. At any brightness level, the screen is clearly visible in the sun. There is a function to reduce brightness at night. The screen is touch-sensitive, the menu is scrolled by swiping up and down. To enter or exit a specific location, swipe left and right. At the moment, on the latest firmware there are 3 different “desktops”. On the second and third desktops, tap on the screen to show charging, connection to the phone and the presence of notifications

tap on the screen

On the first desktop, the screen displays the time in large numbers, the date (month, day, day of the week), icons for connecting to the phone are displayed in the upper right corner (white icon for Bluetooth connected, gray for disabled), notifications, charging, number at the bottom. in steps, the weather is displayed in the upper left (it only works if the application on the phone can find the location using GPS and then transmits the weather to the bracelet, otherwise there is no way (!), the temperature shows the correct one).

Screen in the sun in comparison with miband 2 (on hb 4 the third brightness mode is selected, the weakest). At a right angle, the miband can show something, but from the side the image disappears completely. On hb4, an amoled screen becomes visible on the side, which gives off a blue tint.

Additional Information

Menu items

more menu

The bracelet can store up to 10 notifications. Each notification can store two full screens of text. And here the problems begin... Problem one. The bracelet in the notification menu starts to slow down very much if there are a lot of messages. Problem two. The bracelet does not show which application the notifications are coming from (the same miband was able to show it with an icon at least.” The SMS says who the message is coming from. It is possible to set a timer right on the bracelet for any time (it’s not very convenient to press the desired time, but it’s quite possible)

You can also start a stopwatch

When you raise your hand, the screen can automatically turn on, and you can also switch the menu with hand movements.
When a notification arrives on the bracelet, the screen does not automatically turn on, which is a problem for me. When you make a call, the screen lights up and writes the name of the caller. You can tap on the screen to turn off vibration, or swipe to reset the call. Synchronizing Huawei health
To use the bracelet with your phone, you need the “Huawei Health” application and Android 4.4 +/iOS 8.0+. Overall the application is well made. The connection with the phone is maintained well, but if it breaks, it automatically connects. There is a schedule for sleep, various recommendations and percentages. The alarm clock works normally, the vibration is sufficient, perhaps a little weaker than in miband2, but it feels good. I have questions about the smart alarm clock; it sometimes works strangely (it starts waking you up immediately 20 minutes before). You can keep a weight chart. There are plenty of settings for different workouts, with GPS tracking and the ability to continuously record your heart rate. There are many settings.

more screenshots

There is a "Do not disturb" mode. You can set the time, the ability to turn on the screen by gesture, turn off notifications, and the bracelet will not vibrate until it is worn on your hand

Autonomy
The bracelet holds a charge about the same as its previous version.
The manufacturer claims 14 days of charge (namely use, not battery life) without using a heart rate monitor and TruSleep. Using these functions, the bracelet lasts about 6 days; I think the heart rate monitor consumes most of the charge. Personally, my bracelet worked for 12 days, I receive about 100-200 notifications and calls a day, and sometimes I set timers. Summary pros
- good screen, bright, does not fade in the sun - information is conveniently provided (quite large messages can be read, weather availability) - many functions without using a phone (various workouts, timer, stopwatch) - fairly good battery life.
ps - 6-axis accelerometer, allows you to better count steps, and can also determine your swimming style in the pool. Quick triggering of a hand raising gesture to view the time. cons - no third-party applications - the manufacturer is slow to fix problems - the bracelet is very slow in the message menu if there are a lot of them - the screen does not light up when a notification arrives - the weather appears only if the GPS in the phone is working.

Application

The app is divided into 3 main screens: health, exercise and devices. The Health tab shows cards with information about activity, heart rate, sleep and weight. When going to the card, the user opens full statistics for the day, week, month or year. The “Exercise” tab allows you to launch one of the training modes, and also contains many tips and recommendations for physical activity.

The "Devices" tab displays gadgets connected to the application. When you select a Huawei Band 4 fitness bracelet, the following information appears: the bracelet’s charge level, load data (steps, distance, calories), as well as a large number of settings items:

• Dials
• Trouble-shooting
• Huawei TruSleep
• Sedentary reminder
• Continuous heart rate monitoring
• Alarm
• Do not disturb
• Notifications. Here you can configure the list of applications from which notifications will come
• Weather reports
• Bluetooth disconnect notification
• Function settings
• Activate the screen by raising your wrist
• Rotate your wrist to switch menu options
• Software Update
• Reset

Huawei Band 4 Pro review

The Honor Band 4 Pro gadget contains an elegant, modern design that can easily suit both men and women. Many different functions, while being small in size and weight. Before purchasing, you can familiarize yourself with all the capabilities, configuration and features of the bracelet.

Equipment

The bracelet is sold in a special package, on the front side of which there is an image of the bracelet itself, and on the back side the main characteristics are indicated. Inside the box the following equipment is assembled:

• instructions for using the gadget (but, unfortunately, only in Chinese);
• small charging cord – microUSB cable;
• standard charger;
• the bracelet itself.

Features and Functions

The fitness tracker is quite multifunctional, as for a regular bracelet. And in terms of characteristics, it is not inferior to gadgets with a similar purpose. The bracelet is equipped with an Applo 3 processor. The volume of built-in flash memory is 16 MB, RAM is 384 KB. Compatible with iSO and Android operating systems. Bluetooth connector – 4.2.

The language in which the menu will be displayed depends on the OS language of your smartphone. You can also control the bracelet through an application on your Huawei smartphone.

Functions that the fitness tracker performs:

1. Monitors heart rate continuously. At night, when there is minimal movement, the infrared sensor helps track the accuracy of the measurements. For maximum accuracy, the sensor size has been increased. In case of heart rhythm disturbance, the bracelet lets you know by showing a notification;
2. Sleep monitoring using TruSleep technology. Using this technology, the tracker monitors sleep, alerting you to disorders such as insomnia or simply a change in sleep phases. And then gives recommendations for eliminating violations;
3. Diagnostics while swimming. During swimming, the bracelet reads the following indicators: swimming speed, intensity of strokes, number of calories burned, distance, and displays the average value of strokes over the distance traveled over a certain time;
4. Takes measurements and records all changes in indicators during physical activity;
5. Phone search function. A convenient feature for absent-minded people. When the function is activated, the phone begins to emit a familiar ringtone;
6. Timer and stopwatch;
7. Alarm;
8. Screen activation function by raising your wrist.

Case design and strap

If you compare the bracelet with its previous version – Honor Band 3, then visually they are similar. But there are still differences. In the new version, the touch button is surrounded by two silvered circles. Also, the latest version has a strap in the form of a buckle clasp, while the previous version had a rivet clasp - we see a significant difference. The strap itself is made of high quality rubber, and the clasp is made of plastic. There is also a trench for fixing the free edge of the strap. The length of the strap is enough for a wrist circumference of up to 20 cm. The strap has an engraved decorative mesh, which gives it a grooved feel. The case color comes in two types: black and dark blue. The case can be detached from the bracelet itself. They are connected with special latches. Bracelet with a waterproof case.

Autonomy

When fully charged, the fitness bracelet can work for about 14 days in standby mode, 9 days with the heart rate and sleep monitoring functions disabled, and without activating the screen by raising your wrist, and if you decide to use the bracelet’s functionality to the fullest, you can count on 6 days of work.

Huawei Band 4 does not require a charger, since the bracelet module itself is a USB connector. To charge the tracker, just disconnect the strap (this is done by pressing the button on the inside of the bracelet) and insert the module into the USB connector on the computer or in the adapter.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Huawei Honor Band 4 bracelet wins in the following points:

• Protection – from dust, water and scratches
• Functions – six modes available
• Screen – curved, color
• Battery – 17 days of operation
• Design – removable strap

The shortcomings include a non-working NFC module and the lack of a navigation system. Camera controls are also limited - only for Huawei phones.

Summarize

The functionality of the bracelet does not have any innovative solutions; it is completely identical to the top-end trackers from Huawei and Honor of the latest generation, and in some places it is even inferior to them (for example, Band 4 does not have a “swimming” mode). But if we compare it with competitors from other manufacturers, then it can easily be placed in a leading position, if only because of its low cost and new charging method.

By the way, the USB connector built into the capsule itself for charging the device can really be considered a unique feature, since there are no such innovations in either the Honor Band 5 or the Huawei Band 3 Pro.

I would also like to note the design - it seems to me that it is one of the best fitness bracelets on the market. You can wear this tracker with any type of clothing.

Overall, this is a good fitness bracelet, the pros of which clearly outweigh the cons.

Who shouldn't buy

We would not recommend switching to Huawei Band 4 for those who already own Honor Band 5 or Xiaomi Mi Band 4. Still, this fitness bracelet is inferior to both competitors in both functionality and technical components (we are talking about the display).

The device is also not suitable for pool swimmers due to the lack of ability to monitor this activity. If you are one, then take a look at the special rating:

The best fitness bracelets for swimming