When you hear the name Honor, you likely think of a prominent smartphone manufacturer. However, Honor is expanding its product range, much like other Chinese companies, by venturing into smartwatch production.
The latest addition to its lineup is the Honor Magic Watch 2. Priced competitively, it boasts several unique features not commonly found in other smartwatches, even those with higher price tags. The Magic Watch 2 offers functionalities such as receiving and making calls, controlling music playback, supporting various workout modes, and more.
At first glance, the smartwatch appears sturdy, and its feature set is extensive. But the question remains: does it justify its price tag? Let’s delve into this Honor Magic Watch 2 review to find out.
Review of the Honor Watch Magic 2:
The Honor Watch Magic 2s comes in two sizes: 46mm and 42mm, catering to both larger and smaller wrist sizes. For those who prefer a more compact smartwatch, the 42mm model is ideal. Each size variant offers a choice between two stylish colors: Charcoal Black and Flax Brown for the 46mm, and Sakura Gold and Agate Black for the 42mm. We opted for the Charcoal Black variant for our review of the Honor Magic Watch 2
Design:
The resemblance between the design of the Honor Watch Magic 2 and the Huawei Watch GT2 is quite striking, but it’s not necessarily a downside. The sleek and premium appearance of both watches is appealing. Crafted from 316L Zeroscape grade stainless steel, the casing of the Honor Watch Magic 2 is not only lightweight but also resistant to corrosion.
The base of the Honor Magic Watch 2 features a contoured design with a small hump housing the heart rate sensor, which surprisingly doesn’t cause discomfort. Additionally, two charging contact points are located on the underside, allowing the watch to securely attach to the charging dock magnetically.
The black variant of the Honor Magic Watch 2 comes with a Fluoroelastomer strap that offers a rubber-like stretch. One notable aspect of this variant is its ability to resist dust, even when used in dusty environments.
The Honor Magic Watch:
Reviews suggest that the leather flax brown variant of the watch is also well-received. Furthermore, with its 5ATM water-resistant rating, the Honor Magic Watch 2 is suitable for swimming. Weighing in at 41g, it’s comfortable to wear and not overly bulky. These design elements contribute to giving the Honor Magic Watch 2 its own distinct identity, setting it apart from other generic smartwatches.
Positioned at an angle on the right side are two tactile buttons that provide good feedback when pressed. However, some users feel that they could have been made slightly smaller to prevent accidental presses due to their size and positioning.
Specs, Attributes, and Capability:
The Honor Watch Magic 2 faces fierce competition in the Indian market, where its longevity hinges on its features and specifications. Running on Huawei’s Lite OS, the smartwatch offers basic functionality but is somewhat limited.
Sporting a 46mm variant, the Honor Watch Magic 2 boasts a vibrant 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a sharp 454 x 454 pixel resolution, ensuring clear visibility without eye strain.
Powered by Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin AI Chip and equipped with 4GB of internal storage (though only 2.3GB is user-accessible), the device’s RAM remains undisclosed. During testing, the smartwatch exhibited occasional sluggishness.
Despite its limitations, the internal storage serves well for storing music files, with a transfer time of around 30-40 seconds for a 4MB track. Supported formats include LC-AAC and MP3.
The Honor Magic Watch:
The Honor Magic Watch 2 impresses with its 455mAh battery, delivering up to 14 days of usage on a single charge. With 15 tracking modes catering to various activities like running, cycling, and sleep tracking, the smartwatch also offers 24/7 heart monitoring, stress monitoring, and VO2 Max level measurement, all of which proved to be accurate during testing.
While heart rate and sleep tracking are enabled by default, stress monitoring requires manual activation. Additionally, the device supports GLONASS for outdoor tracking, Bluetooth 5.0, and dual-frequency GPS, providing reliable connectivity and accurate location tracking.
Functionality extends to receiving calls and playing music through either the onboard speaker or wireless headsets, both of which performed satisfactorily.
Huawei’s proprietary smartwatch platform:
Operating on Lite OS, Huawei’s proprietary smartwatch platform, the Honor Watch Magic 2 lacks versatility compared to competitors like Samsung’s Tizen. Notably, it doesn’t support third-party apps, limiting customization options. The user interface, while functional, can feel sluggish at times.
The accompanying app facilitates automatic data syncing and provides understandable reports, albeit with some concerns about background battery consumption, which requires further investigation.
Physically, the smartwatch features two tactile buttons on the right side, positioned at an angle for easy access. However, their size and placement may lead to accidental presses, warranting slight refinement.
Efficiency in Operation and Battery Duration:
The Honor Watch Magic 2 boasts impressive battery life, a key selling point highlighted by the company on its official website. It’s advertised to last up to 14 days on a single charge, though activating multiple features may reduce this duration. While the speaker quality is commendable, it’s advisable not to push the volume too high to avoid distortion in your favorite music tracks.
Price and purchase links for the Honor Magic Watch 2:
The Honor Magic Watch 2 is currently listed at INR 11,999 on Amazon, but during festive seasons, you can snag it for an even better deal. Last Diwali, it was available for INR 11.5k, indicating that upcoming festive sessions might bring substantial discounts. It’s wise to hold off and wait for the next festive season to grab this smartwatch at a reduced price.
Conclusion of the Review for the Honor Magic Watch 2:
In our examination of the Honor Magic Watch 2, we’ve delved into various factors that make it a compelling choice for consumers. With its impressive specifications, competitive pricing, reliable accuracy, and array of features, the Honor Magic Watch emerges as a strong contender in the smartwatch market, making it a worthwhile investment for potential buyers.
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