Honor has announced the Watch 6, the latest in a series of effectively priced, supremely multifunctional smartwatches designed to go head-to-head with devices from Samsung, Google, Apple and more. What sets the Watch 6 apart is some truly impressive battery life, as well as sleek and distinctive case and strap design.
Available in Shadow Black and Twilight Brown – the latter with a matching tan strap – Honor Watch 6 features increased water and dust resistance and now has the ability to be operated with wet hands. This ties in with the expanded fitness and health modes, ranging from swimming to squash.
All modern smartwatches will go far, far beyond simple step tracking. The Honor 6 is pitched at the hyperactive, with over 120 supported sports, covering every conceivable activity including the intriguing and timely ‘Professional Football’. Delve a little deeper into the list and you’ll find aerobic favourites as well as forms of dance, water sports and even fishing.
The data that comes out depends on the data that goes in, of course. The Watch 6 splices its sensor data with location data, so movement can be synced with information about exertion, heart rate, etc. For activities like trail running, the watch can supply an AI running coach as well as information about the topography of the trail, thanks to the onboard AccuTrack dual-band six-star GPS.
Honor Watch 6
Other activities generate different reports. Professional Football Mode is more likely to be used in a Sunday League, but it’ll still produce a post-match summary that shows heat and trajectory maps that show where you’ve been on the pitch throughout the game. Badminton fans can analyse their strokes and swing speed, as well as where their shots are going, and so on.
Classic dials are available
The downside to this data-driven mindset is that your stats will be locked up within the Honor Health eco-system. It’s no better or worse than the many alternatives, especially considering the large amounts of information that have to be conveyed, from stress levels to heart health, sleep quality to blood oxygen, body energy to temperature, as well as a 60-second health check mode. It’s a portal to an infinitely deep world of life-hacking and self-actualisation, with breathing guides, sleep music and many more ways to interact with the device.
As well as some more eccentric options
Better data means more time with the Watch 6 on your wrist. To accommodate near-constant wearing, Honor has given the watch a sizeable 980mAh battery (the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has a 599 mAh battery), which in turn delivers a maximum battery life of over a month. In practice, the longevity was definitely something we noticed, especially when the most efficient watch faces were selected.
As is the way with smartwatches, the face can be switched from magnificent to monstrous with a few swipes and taps and there’s no shortage of illegible, OTT watch faces available through the app. A few more refined and tasteful options would have been welcome, especially ones that paired with the graphic approach of the Honor Health app.
In terms of hardware, Watch 6 has a case formed from recyclable aluminium alloy. It weighs in at a negligible 41g, although the battery size and 1.46-inch AMOLED screen mean the case is a hefty 46.5mm across. The conventional Shadow Black finish is joined by a more traditional Twilight Brown combo, which pairs well with classic dial faces (if you can find a good one.
Honor Watch 6 is a competitive entrant into the do-it-all smartwatch sector (look for introductory price offers that undercut the official RRP as well). It’s an evolution rather than a revolution, but if you’re all-in on a data-driven active life, Watch 6 is an excellent companion.
Honor Watch 6
Honor Watch 6 with brown leather strap,￡249.99, with black fluoroelastomer strap, ￡229.99, Honor.com, @HonorGlobal