HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 Review: When style meets fitness

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Design

Display

Software

Fitness and tracking

Battery

Conclusion

Pros and Cons

HUAWEI's wearable portfolio has become bigger (and better) recently. If you're looking for a premium smartwatch, the company offers the excellent Watch GT3 Pro (don't miss our review!) On the other end of the spectrum, HUAWEI offers the Band 7 for those simply looking for an entry-level wearable with decent fitness tracking.

Last but not least, the company offers the Watch Fit series for those who want a combination of both. HUAWEI introduced the Watch Fit 2 back in May 2022, and while it's not the newest option on the market, it's still one of the best for its combination of price and features.

I've been using the HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 for a few weeks, and I'm very impressed. Are you wondering what sets the HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 apart from the competition? Find out in our full review.

Design

The first thing that you'll notice when you take this smartwatch out of the box is its unique size. It's not as chunky as other smartwatches, but it also is not as small as a fitness band — it's somewhere in between, and I absolutely love it.

The display (more on this later) is big enough that you can easily see all the important information at a glance, but it is also not so narrow that you have to bring it closer to your face to read what's written on the screen.

It is also quite light, coming in at only 40 grams. When I switched back to my Apple Watch Series 6 after using the Watch Fit 2 for two weeks, the Apple Watch felt bulky. The HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 is sized just perfectly. Overall, it's a good-looking watch that's comfy and unobtrusive.

When it comes to style, the Watch Fit 2 is available in three colors – an Active Edition ($155 / £130) that is similar to last year's model with silicone straps, a Classic Edition ($190 / £160) that features leather straps, and an Elegant Edition ($225 / £190), available with either a Premium Gold Milanese Strap or a Silver Frost Milanese Strap. The latter two, Elegant and Classic Editions, feature an aluminum frame, while the cheaper Active Edition comes with a plastic casing.

HUAWEI sent me the Classic Edition Nebula 'Gray' variant of the Watch — at least that's what it says on the box. In reality, this hue looks like a mix of gray and brown. Apart from the color — I wish it was a bit browner — the leather feels very premium, and I didn't notice any scratches on the metal casing after two weeks, either.

The watch is rated water resistant to 5ATM, which means you can wear it to the beach or in a shallow pool without worrying much. While I didn't test it in water, I extensively used the watch during workouts, and sweat didn't seem to damage the leather much.

However, if you're wary of sweat or water affecting the straps, you can always change the straps using the new mechanism HUAWEI has developed for the Watch Fit 2. There are two buttons on the back side of the watch; pressing them releases the strap, and you can easily change them depending on your planned activity (or budget).

Display

The HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 packs a big 1.74-inch AMOLED panel. It is 18% larger than the first-gen Watch Fit. While the bezels aren't super skinny, the watch boasts a high 72% screen-to-body ratio. You can make it look even more premium by slapping a dark watch face on it.

Like I said before, the display is sized just right. You can read all the information very clearly, and the colors are punchy too. The screen is also bright enough to let you check your notifications and workout analysis in direct sunlight.

There's an always-on mode that displays limited information while the watch isn't being actively used, but obviously, enabling it results in more battery drain.

For those who don't want this feature, HUAWEI includes the familiar raise-to-wake functionality that activates the display when you tilt your wrist to look at the screen. There's also a 'tap-to-wake' feature that wakes up the display when you, well…, tap it.

Software

The HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 runs the company's HarmonyOS 2.1 real-time OS. The initial setup was a little disappointing as the watch had to be updated four or five times before it could be used.

But once that's done, you're presented with easy-to-use software. It offers simple touch controls and a single button to return to the home screen from applications, and will be familiar to anyone who's used HUAWEI's Watch GT series. The side button can also be used to trigger the voice assistant through a long press, though this only works when paired with a HUAWEI smartphone.

Swiping right from the home screen reveals 'HUAWEI Cards.' These widgets allow you to access essential information, such as your current blood oxygen level, heart rate, stress level, or even the weather, just with a swipe. You can also customize which cards are enabled and their order inside the HUAWEI Health app.

While this smartwatch already comes preloaded with a number of appealing watch faces, you can download over 200 third-party watch faces from the app. A long press on the home screen lets you quickly switch between them.

Other software features include Tap-to-Transfer, which allows you to transfer images from your phone to the watch (as watch faces) with just a simple tap, plus a ring tool that plays a voice saying 'I'm heeeere' so you can locate your phone.

One thing that I found interesting about the Watch Fit 2 is that it doesn't support third-party apps — and I think it's a good thing. Honestly, the watch is already loaded with a gazillion features, and I doubt you'll feel the need to install third-party apps. The lightweight OS is also pleasantly free of hiccups or lag.

Finally, one of the big differentiators from the previous generation is that the HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 supports calls over Bluetooth. Though this may seem trivial, it makes for a much better experience — especially when you're driving, and your car doesn't have a good microphone. What's more, you can even answer WhatsApp and other VoIP calls on the watch — something that most modern Android and Apple watches can't do (yet).

Fitness and tracking

In line with its name, the HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 emphasizes fitness. The watch supports 97 sports modes, and automatically recognizes seven types of workouts, including Outdoor run, Indoor run, Outdoor cycle, Indoor cycle, Pool swim, Open water swim, and Jump rope.

During workouts and sports activities, the watch keeps track of all vital metrics, from blood oxygen levels to heart rate zone targets. One of the unique features of workout tracking with this smartwatch is that it shows animations and provides pre- and post-workout stretches, making them very engaging.

And while we're on the topic of workout tracking, the watch also comes with a built-in GPS to map your outdoor runs. I went running with just the watch on to test this functionality (who runs without their phone anymore, right?), and the Watch Fit 2 was able to track the run pretty well. However, it took a few minutes for the watch to get a GPS lcok and start tracking the run.

And then there's HUAWEI Health. This app not only allows you to set up and control your smartwatch but also presents your workout data in an intuitive way. It's available in the Google Play Store for Android — though HUAWEI recommends downloading it from its own AppGallery — and in Apple App Store for iOS. If you want, you can also get super-detailed data analysis of your workouts and share the results directly on various social media platforms.

As someone who isn't interested in getting this much detailed data about my workouts and fitness, this felt a little overwhelming, but I can see how it would benefit those who want a broader picture of their body fitness and health.

Battery

HUAWEI wearables are known for their ability to last weeks on a single charge — despite their small batteries — and the Watch Fit 2 is no exception. It comes with a 292 mAh battery cell, which HUAWEI claims can power the Watch Fit 2 for a whole week, even with heavy use. I found this to be true.

During my time with the watch, it lasted seven days on a single charge with all the essential health-tracking features, such as continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, stress monitoring, sleep tracking, and healthy living reminders turned on. If you work out every day, heavily rely on GPS, and keep the always-on display mode enabled, you might have to plug it in every four to five days.

While the battery life doesn't match the larger Watch GT series, fast charging makes up for it. A quick five-minute top-up is more than enough to get you through a full day of use while a charge takes just twenty minutes, and a full 0-100% charge takes about odd 50-60 minutes.

The Watch Fit 2 charges using an included, proprietary USB Type-A magnetic charging cable, which unfortunately, isn't the best design. The magnetic connector with pogo pins isn't very secure, so you'll have to pay attention when charging the watch since it's easy to dislodge.

Conclusion

So, is the HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 a good fit? Absolutely! It achieves exactly what it sets to do. From the gym to the office, this watch / fitness band hybrid can be worn anywhere.

And when it comes to features, the Watch Fit 2 hits it out of the park. Fitness tracking is extremely accurate. HUAWEI has also managed to cram many of the features found in its premium smartwatches into this smaller, lower-weight, and wrist-friendly wearable — without sacrificing design or cost.

While we would love some to see additional features such as third-party apps and NFC support for contact-less payments, the HUAWEI Watch Fit 2 gets plenty right for the price.