Huawei Watch Buds Review: A Smartwatch With Earbuds Hidden Inside

Introduction

The Huawei Watch Buds is one of the most unusual smartwatches we have tested recently: a full smartwatch whose front lid flips open to reveal a pair of true wireless earbuds stored inside the case. On paper it sounds like a gimmick, but after initial runs with it, the concept holds up better than expected. Priced at £449 in the UK, it is Huawei’s most expensive smartwatch, sitting above both the Watch GT3 Pro and the Watch 3. There is no US pricing or launch information yet.

This review covers our first-run impressions from a running perspective, along with how the earbuds perform, what the battery life is really like, and whether the premium price makes sense.

Who This Product Is For

The Huawei Watch Buds makes the most sense for people who want their music sorted without carrying a separate earbud case. If you regularly scramble around for earbuds before a run or commute, having them permanently on your wrist is genuinely convenient. It is less appealing if you mainly want a dedicated running watch, since cheaper Huawei options deliver a similar tracking experience, and it is not the right choice if you swim, given its limited water protection.

Design and Build

Our biggest concern going in was thickness. A watch with a hidden earbud compartment has to give something up, and we expected a chunky case. In practice it is not a really chunky watch. The 47mm case measures 14.99mm thick, which is thicker than the Apple Watch Ultra, and it weighs just over 66 grams for the case alone. It is on the bigger side compared with slimmer smartwatches, but it sits reasonably well against other watches around this price.

It comes in matte silver or black case colors with removable 22mm straps, and the design leans more classic than sporty. A single crown button is your only physical control, so you rely heavily on the touchscreen. That 1.43-inch AMOLED panel with 466 x 466 resolution matches the display on the 46mm Huawei Watch GT3 and is very good: vibrant, bright, with accurate colors, and it can stay always-on during workouts if you accept the battery hit.

The front of the case lifts open to release a lid that reveals the bullet-style earbuds, which can sit and charge on either side and be used in either ear. Huawei says the hinge withstands over 100,000 openings and closings, and in our use the buds stayed magnetically secured even during aggressive run testing.

One important trade-off: the watch carries an IPX7 water rating with the lid closed and IPX4 when open, so it is not suitable for swimming or immersing in water.

Run Tracking Experience

From a run tracking standpoint, the experience feels very similar to other recent Huawei watches running HarmonyOS. The UI and interface are familiar, with outdoor and indoor running profiles, running courses and plans that are useful for beginners, customizable data screens, and interval training sessions.

You also get the more advanced running metrics that have spread across Huawei’s lineup, including a running ability index, training load, and recovery information. You can pair external heart rate monitors and sync data to Strava officially.

What is missing: dual-band GPS support seen on some other Huawei watches, and route importing, which we were unable to do during our time with it. Even so, core tracking held up well. Distance, pace, and core running metrics were solid, and heart rate monitoring was fine on steady runs. GPS battery drain was around 3 to 4 percent per half hour, in line with other Huawei watches.

The metal case makes it a little heavier than something like the Huawei Watch GT Runner with its polymer case, and you notice that weight slightly on runs, but it has been absolutely fine in use. Swapping to a sportier strap helps the classic look feel more running-friendly.

Earbud Sound and Controls

Each bud weighs roughly four grams, and despite their small size they have stayed put on both indoor and outdoor runs. Fit is very good thanks to a close seal, with additional ear tips included to fine-tune it, and they are discreet in the ear.

Sound quality is a genuine highlight. Active noise cancellation is very good indoors because of that close seal, and there is an awareness mode plus an EQ with options for voice emphasis or a more balanced profile. There is enough power, a good level of bass, and solid detail. For such small buds, the all-round audio performance is impressive.

Controls are a mix of touch and gesture controls for switching listening modes, playing and pausing audio, handling calls, and skipping tracks. Double taps work fine once you find the sweet spot, but triple taps are challenging while running. The bigger annoyance is that you cannot control volume from the buds themselves; you have to use the watch, which does offer better earbud management features.

Battery Life

Huawei claims three days of use with both watch and earbuds together, and seven days in power saving mode. The earbuds are rated for four hours of music without ANC and three hours with ANC.

In practice, the earbud estimates feel generous. With ANC on, the buds dropped 50 percent after half an hour, so closer to an hour of playback than three. Without ANC you will get better performance, and an hour of running is manageable, but we would not plan on going much further with ANC enabled. The good news is that when returned to the case, the buds charge very quickly.

The watch side performs more in line with expectations, and if you use the earbuds sparingly you can stretch past three days. Overall battery life is shorter than other Huawei watches, which is the cost of the built-in compartment.

Water Resistance Trade-Off

Because of the opening lid design, waterproofing takes a real hit. Other Huawei watches handle swimming up to 50 meters; this one cannot swim and should be kept away from water. We accidentally took it into the shower a couple of times. The watch warns you that the case has been exposed to water and needs drying quickly, and after drying the case with a towel it operated fine both times. Still, this is a compromise you accept for the earbud compartment, and water getting into that cavity is much more troublesome than with a normal watch.

Buying Advice

The Huawei Watch Buds started out looking like a gimmick, but it has won us over somewhat. The design does not compromise the watch badly, the buds stay secure, the sound is excellent, and the run tracking experience feels like the rest of Huawei’s lineup. The problem is price. At £449 it is the most expensive Huawei watch available, and you could buy a cheaper smartwatch plus a separate pair of true wireless earbuds in a small case, getting longer battery life and likely similar audio performance. You are paying a premium for the all-in-one design, and Huawei has executed it elegantly and discreetly. If it were priced closer to other Huawei watches, the argument would be stronger. For runners specifically, we would probably choose a cheaper Huawei watch and separate earbuds, but if the two-in-one concept appeals to you, it works well in practice.

Conclusion

The Huawei Watch Buds is a clever, well-executed design that hides its party trick well. The earbuds sound surprisingly good, stay in place, and charge quickly in the case, while the watch itself offers a familiar and solid Huawei experience with a great display. Battery life and water resistance are the main compromises, and the high price is the biggest hurdle. If you value the convenience of earbuds always on hand, it is a genuinely enjoyable device to use. If you are purely after a running watch, cheaper alternatives make more financial sense.