In addition to the launch of the Magic 6 Ultimate smartphone and the RSR Porsche Design model, Honor unveiled two new wearable devices at its big event in China.
The most interesting is the Watch GS 4, which comes with upgrades that address two of our biggest problems with its predecessor. The company also announced the Honor Band 9, which we will talk about in more detail later.
In our review of the Honor Watch GS 3 in 2022, we were disappointed by the lack of NFC and support for iOS devices, but these are both fixed on the GS 4.
It’s compatible with devices running iOS 11 or later (and Android 9 or later) and should be able to make contactless payments thanks to the addition of the NFC chip. However, we’ll have to wait to see if it comes to the UK and which banks support it, with no sign of Google Pay.
It’s also unclear whether a third-party will be available on the smartwatch, as it uses Honor’s proprietary operating system rather than Wear OS.
Elsewhere, the Watch GS 4 boasts impressive specs and features, including a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with 466×466 (326ppi) resolution, housed in a 316L stainless steel body.
Three colors are available: Starry Sky Exploration, Galaxy Shuttle and Jasper Astrolabe (names translated from Chinese), the latter having a gold-plated case. They are all 10.5mm thick with two buttons on the right and have a waterproof rating of 5ATM.
You also get some impressive battery life claims, with its 14 days looking to rival the Xiaomi Watch S3 announced at MWC. Other hardware specs include Bluetooth 5.0, 4GB of storage, a built-in microphone and speaker, a dual-band antenna, and a heart rate monitor.
The watch can also track your sleep and stress, measure your blood pressure, and detect atrial fibrillation. It supports more than 100 sports modes.
Available now in China, the Honor Watch GS 4 costs between CNY999 (£110/$140) and CNY1,199 (£130/$165) depending on which model you choose. These converted figures are rarely accurate when it comes to European prices, it is believed.
We hope to see it launch globally soon, including in the UK.
Honor Band 9
The Honor Band 9, the latest in a long line of inexpensive bands, addresses that ever-present need for option in the budget fitness tracker market.
This year’s model comes with a 1.57-inch rectangular AMOLED touchscreen with a 60Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 402 × 256 for a pixel density of 302 ppi.
It is mounted on a polymer fiber case in purple, black and blue colors with silicone or leather straps. Like the Watch GS 4, it has a 5 ATM waterproof rating and is compatible with devices running iOS 11 and Android 9 or later.
You get Bluetooth 5.3 as well as optional NFC for payments (with the same banking caveats as the Watch GS 4) and the Band 9 can track heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, blood pressure blood pressure as well as the detection of atrial fibrillation and monitoring of the menstrual cycle.
The Honor Band 9 supports 96 different indoor and outdoor sports modes and can apparently last up to 14 days with typical use. However, this drops to 10 days with heavy use.
Honor sells the Band 9 with NFC for CNY 299 (£32/$40) or CNY 249 (£27/$35) for the model without NFC. It is now available in China and we are hoping for a global launch.
With the Watch GS 4 and Band 9, are you among the best smartwatches and fitness trackers? Time will tell us.
