Honor Watch 5 Smartwatch Review

Less than a year ago, we tested the Honor Watch 4 — a smartwatch with the ability to make and receive calls, constant SpO2 monitoring, full water resistance, GPS, and a moderate price. Now, the manufacturer has released a new version with a redesigned look and a larger screen: the Honor Watch 5. We examined the improvements. Source: official Honor website

The watches are sold in two color options: gold and black. Some online stores also mention a green variant with a leather strap and a significantly higher price, but it is currently out of stock. There is no choice in terms of technical features: the flash memory capacity is 4 GB in all cases, and the LTE option is not offered. The starting price at launch is 14,000 rubles, which is the same or even less than that of the Honor Watch 4. Considering that the ruble has significantly depreciated over the year, this is good news.

Technical Specifications

Let’s look at the new model’s technical specifications, conveniently comparing them with the previous model.

The main differences are visible here: the screen has become larger (with the same resolution as before), and the battery capacity has slightly increased. But it’s clear that these are just external characteristics.

Configuration and Design

Since we tested an early sample, it arrived without a box or accessories. However, according to available information, there will be no differences from the previous generation model: inside the box, aside from the watch itself, there is only a small booklet with documentation plus a charging device with a USB-A plug, identical to last year’s.

The watch itself has undergone certain changes, but the overall appearance — in the style of the Apple Watch — has been maintained. A year ago we wrote about the fourth version: “The only thing that clearly distinguishes the Honor model from the competitor is the absence of a round button-wheel Digital Crown.” Well, now that distinction is also gone — the elongated button has given way to exactly such a wheel, the functionality of which is identical to what we have seen from other manufacturers, meaning that in addition to pressing it, you can scroll through menus, text on the screen, and so on.

The body is made of aluminum, has strongly rounded corners and edges, a striking curvature of the glass (2.5D), and an externally identical strap attachment to the body as the Apple Watch (in fact, it’s not entirely the same, but more on that later).

An important feature: the increased screen. Instead of 1.75″, we now have 1.85″, and although the resolution remains the same (which means the pixel density has dropped), such a step is worth welcoming, as any millimeter of usable area is especially valuable in the case of a miniature device. By the way, this is a common trend: other manufacturers are also trying to increase the size of the display on watches and bands.

Another change: the strap has become much more convenient — both in terms of the clasp and, most importantly, in terms of its attachment to the body. In last year’s model, it wasn’t easy to understand how this was organized; now everything is intuitive and simple: we press the buttons, pull the halves out with a pleasant click. And we reattach them just as effortlessly.

Another thing is that, as before, this attachment is individual, and therefore, it will not be possible to use straps from third-party manufacturers, which is, of course, a downside. Nevertheless, the included strap is universal in size and pleasant to the touch, with the characteristic velvety feel of the silicone material. And, by the way, it does not have the brand’s advertising inscription, which bothered us in the Honor Watch 4.

As before, the watch is equipped with a speaker and a microphone for phone calls. The speaker is located on the right side, under the round button. The microphone, accordingly, is on the left edge. During a conversation on the watch, the volume can be adjusted using the round button, but we recommend turning it up to the maximum right away, as it will be poorly audible otherwise.

Regarding the button, we have already mentioned it, but we will note that in the test model it did not always respond to presses. Perhaps this is indeed a feature of the sample and the commercial model will not have this issue.

Summarizing the design description, we can note that it has become objectively better and more practical (larger screen, rotary button, more convenient strap attachment), but the appearance of the model is now even less distinctive.

Screen

The watch is available in a single size — with a conditionally rectangular 1.85″ screen. The resolution is 450×390, which gives 322 pixels per inch. Let’s test the screen using our methodology.

The front surface of the screen is made of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties are slightly better than those of the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflections is weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen. The outer surface of the watch screen has pronounced oleophobic (oil-repellent) properties (which are noticeably better than those of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a slower rate compared to regular glass. The measurement of maximum brightness was conducted in flashlight mode. It is equal to 1030 cd/m². Considering the excellent anti-glare properties, such brightness will allow one to discern the image on the watch screen in conditions of strong backlighting (clear day outside). There is a function of automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor. According to subjective observations, this function works adequately.

In the graph of brightness dependence on time, significant modulation is determined at a frequency of 120 Hz, and if desired, a stroboscopic effect can be identified in some images during rapid movement of the clock relative to the eyes. However, in practice, flickering is not detected during normal use, as the phase of modulation varies across the screen area. The figure below presents the dependencies of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) for the average brightness value:

This screen uses an OLED matrix — an active matrix on organic light-emitting diodes. A full-color image is created using subpixels of three colors — red (R), green (G), and blue (B) in equal amounts, as confirmed by the fragment of the microphotograph:

For comparison, one can refer to the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The spectra are typical for OLED — the regions of primary colors are well separated and appear as relatively narrow peaks:

The color temperature of the white field is approximately 7800 K, and the deviation from the spectrum of an absolute black body (ΔE) is about 3.6 units. The color balance is acceptable. Black is simply black from any angle. It is so black that the contrast ratio is not applicable in this case. With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the white field is excellent. The screen is characterized by magnificent viewing angles with much less brightness drop when viewing the screen at an angle compared to LCD screens; however, at larger angles, white takes on a slight blue-green tint. Overall, the screen quality is very high.

Connection to smartphone

To work with the watch, you need to install the Honor Health app and link it to the watch. Both this process and the app interface are well-known to us from previous Honor watch models, so we will not describe it in detail. Just a reminder that there are four sections here — “Health,” “Training,” “Device,” and “Me.” Of these, in everyday life, you will need the first and, with a stretch, the third.

The software and functional differences of the new model from last year’s version are minimal. There are still “Workouts” (and again we lament that with such a wide range, including various exotic options, there are no ski activities so popular in our country), “Phone” (dialing a number for a phone call via Bluetooth from a smartphone), “Music” (playing music uploaded from an Android smartphone to the watch’s memory; iOS users still cannot use this feature), “Pulse”, SpO2 (measuring blood oxygen levels), “Stress” (determining stress levels based on various parameters).

Next, there are “Breathing exercises,” “Weather,” “Alarm,” “Stopwatch,” “Timer,” “Compass,” “Flashlight” (the watch screen switches to maximum brightness and displays a white field), “Device search” (that is, for the smartphone), “Camera” (control of photo shooting on the smartphone; available also in conjunction with iPhone), “Fitness age” (we wrote about this option in the Honor Watch 4 review, no changes have occurred), “Sleep.” Interestingly, now the watch shows a health report in the morning, considering various indicators, including the results of the sleep itself.

Perhaps the most noticeable innovation is the introduction of comprehensive health monitoring. In 45 seconds, the watch measures such parameters as pulse, SpO2, and stress, after which it displays the result on a single screen. This is convenient since there is no need to measure everything separately, and all these results are saved in Honor Health history.

It is worth noting that the watch still cannot measure ECG, conduct analysis for arrhythmias, and assess vascular elasticity, meaning that overall their functionality is more modest than that of many competitors, and without these options, health checks are certainly not as informative and valuable. However, one should not forget about the comparatively low price of the device.

Let’s highlight a number of interesting interface features. Firstly, there are widgets (which open by swiping from right to left or vice versa). They combine useful information and allow immediate access to the corresponding application — for example, to start a workout.

We also liked the idea of customizing the application menu: you can choose to display icons in the style of Apple Watch, or in neat rows of three icons, or even as a list.

Lastly, let’s mention the cute animated watch faces. It is unlikely that a serious adult man would use something like this, but for girls or children, the options are very charming.

Unfortunately, the installation of third-party applications is not available even for users of the Honor ecosystem. Otherwise, the watch offers the entire familiar set of features: it displays notifications, provides good sound quality during phone calls (but, as mentioned, the volume has to be set to maximum), accurately measures the level of oxygen in the blood (including in automatic mode) and tracks heart rate. We note the presence of a navigation module that allows for fairly accurate route tracking without connecting to a smartphone. Moreover, thanks to the ability to listen to music directly from the watch, you can take only the Honor Watch 5 and wireless headphones with you for a run, leaving your phone at home—without experiencing any deprivation.

Battery life

One by one, manufacturers of smartwatches and fitness bracelets are trying to increase battery life. And while earlier the focus was primarily on functionality and screen size, the emphasis has now shifted, which is logical: functional improvements are becoming increasingly specific, the display area cannot grow infinitely (although, as we see, in the Honor Watch 5 it has increased compared to last year’s model), but extending the usage time from a single charge is quite achievable and necessary.

Recall that the Honor Watch 4 lasted about a week. The new version of the device, however, discharges by approximately 10% per day with fairly intense use, meaning you can expect a total of 9-10 days. The manufacturer emphasizes that the watch features a silicon-carbon battery instead of the familiar lithium-polymer battery, promising a 21% increase in battery life as a result. Well, it turns out to be roughly the case. This is not a record figure (for devices of similar functionality), but it is quite good.

Conclusions

A large, very high-quality AMOLED screen, decent battery life, the ability to make and receive phone calls, protection according to 5 ATM standards, and all of this at an affordable price of 14,000 rubles — these are the main advantages of the Honor Watch 5 smartwatches. Perhaps there are no bright technological innovations or unique options here, and the progress compared to the previous (last year’s) model is quite small. But at the same time, this is a very balanced set of features, complemented by cosmetic improvements and, surprisingly, not affecting the price in rubles, despite currency fluctuations.

We could confidently recommend this device to budget-conscious buyers looking for smartwatches rather than a fitness tracker. The only thing holding us back is the striking external resemblance of the model to the Apple Watch, which has become even more pronounced in the fifth version. However, for some, this might actually be a plus. And in this case, the Honor Watch 5 will not disappoint.