Verdict
Though they ’re not fit for every situation or scenario , the Huawei Eyewear 2 specs are bare audio solutions for those await to ensnare their font and keep their ears undefended . Light sound escape and some software quirks aside , they ’re a upstanding choice for a very specific person , only made better if your oculist make them yours . They ’re just still a little too expensive .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Huawei is no stranger in the wearable world . With watches and earbuds to congratulate their phones , it makes sense for the technical school monster to tinker with eyewear . But does this new duo of specs do enough to guarantee its price rag in an increasingly private-enterprise category ?
The Huawei Eyewear 2 lenses are , as you may probably evidence from the name , far from the company ’s first rodeo . And while they ’re nowhere near as feature - fertile as we ’ve impudent eyewear can be thanks to theRay - Ban Meta Glasses , they ’re a decent effort in the Mary Leontyne Price range and a solid improvement over the last . There ’s still room for improvement , however .
Let it be get it on that these particular skeleton are n’t out there to replace your preferred cans at family or your physical exertion earbuds . They can accept your prescription lens , but that ’ll likely cost a pretty penny at your oculist .
alternatively , they ’re a fashion accessory in the true sense of the Book today – a largely unneeded piece of technical school that you might apprize at the right present moment .
Design and fit
The aim and paroxysm of the Huawei Eyewear 2 is , in my view , fundamentally stark . uncommitted in a flimsy silver aspect and the slightly boneheaded sinister frames I test , they ’re smart and inconspicuous , looking as much like a pair of premium specs as I can think .
As someone who does n’t require glasses but always gets compliments while tire them , they ’ve give me a reason to switch my look without feeling like some sort of fraud .
Somehow , they ’ve even managed to be the most prosperous pair of frame I ’ve ever worn ( which is , admittedly , few ) , with plenty of flex if you have a boastful noggin than I. The business organisation was that the system of weights of the tech inwardly ( including a battery ) would have them push down on the bridge deck of my olfactory organ . No such painful sensation ever came .
I ca n’t say the same about the various large stigma chassis I ’ve owned to block out blue light over long days spent at the desk .
There ’s no easy mention of water resistance , but I can speak to experience and say these will stand up to a bit of rain just all right . And if you ’re concerned , the collapsable prism case is well-heeled to snarf into your air pocket and surprisingly strong when pitched back up .
Throughout a weekend away from home , I bust them in the hotel , in the restaurant for breakfast , around the city , and back at the gin mill for dinner party . I wholly forget I was wearing them for the bulk of the trip , only being remind by the odd beep when accidentally caressing them while endeavor to domesticize my hair in a storm .
But then I ’m reminded that my spot is relatively unequalled . I rarely use myAirpods Produe to a poor fit , headphones always finger like they ’re squeezing my skull and position undue imperativeness on my ears , and I do n’t demand to wear meth . For that , the unmortgaged plastic lenses on these comfortable audio - enable flesh are unadulterated .
There ’s no acknowledgment of these frames being able to take another pair of lenses on any official documentation I was given . In fact , it was intemperate to bump evidence of them even existing for a while . Had it not been for another reviewer substantiate that you may , I ’d have assumed that Hauwei was market these to those with good - pure vision who just wanted to depend “ sophisticated . ”
The included manual certainly did n’t say how to put your own lens system in here , but I ’m reassured that an optometrist can figure it out for you . require to pitchfork out the additional substance to have them be viable wearables for a huge part of the population makes the already high price tag even harder to justify , though . It ’s swings and roundabouts with these .
Had they at least ship with adaptative photochromic lens ( or electrochromic , like the Ampere Dusk ) for usance in the summer sun or for long days in the office , I ’d have been afflict . alternatively , they ’re not quick to go out of the box for most . Not outside of the gloomy winter months or nights out , at least .
The way they are now , come Spring , I can still easy see myself pass on for my shades and AirPods over these despite the relatively uncomfortable scene . It was n’t rare for me to come down at peace with them on , either . The temples are a little thickheaded , but they ’re still more comfortable on a pillow than most earbuds .
Smart features
My first impression of the Huawei Eyewear 2 were n’t great . With the included manual being in Chinese and the example not make a monolithic amount of sensory faculty , it was unmanageable to get things up and execute .
After download the Huawei AI Life app – which you wo n’t find on the Google Play Store – setup was n’t particularly unmanageable . The walkthrough did a hapless job of explaining every potential tap - and - chute motion , but I could at least turn on the specs and get my telephone hooked up via Bluetooth with a satisfying connection .
Thankfully , the app was n’t needed for much else ; which is estimable pay it soon decided the Huawei Eyewear 2 was n’t connected despite my telephone piping sound through it just okay .
There are mount to enable firing effects that you wo n’t see , should n’t want anyone else to see , and will at long last diminish battery life .
Then there ’s the Morning Greeting place that would have whispered an unnecessary “ Hello ” into my ears had the nomenclature place setting exercise , a firmware update button that also did n’t work , and various motion control condition assignments like tap , swipe , and three - finger hold that , gratefully , did run for audio playback and call direction .
There were times when the gesture controls , like tapping , take multiple endeavour to trigger , but they were few and far between . And with the machine - mute sensor present that the Ampere Dusk chic sunglasses decided to go without , you could always scald them off if they refuse to shush when you need them to .
Above all else , call tone is excellent . You ’re still going to risk a quiet cafe inadvertently eavesdropping on your byplay if you do n’t turn them down , but hearing and being hear as I walk down a route in lunchtime traffic ( again , in the rain ) worked well .
I did n’t struggle to hear my cooperator , and I did n’t feel like I had to try heavily to be pick up . The two mike on the bottom of either arm pick me up better than nigh any pair of headphones or earphones I ’ve ever used while out and about .
My iPhone did n’t nonpayment to the specification when accepting the call the first fourth dimension , and there was quite a holdup in manually switching , but once matter settled , the experience was without issue . There ’s a setting in the companion app to mechanically conform intensity base on ambient background sound , but it ’s hard to swear .
Just call back that these are n’t Alexa - equipped specs like theAmazon Echo Frames , nor are they tv camera - fit out like theRay - Ban Metaspecs . You wo n’t be taking pictures on these , nor will you get to beam content to built - in screens like with the productiveness and amusement - focused Xreal Air 2 Pro frames .
you’re able to call up your phone ’s AI assistant or have your favourite Maps app interpret out direction , but that ’s not dissimilar to your distinctive audio answer .
Audio performance
Audio via bone conductivity through four total speakers on the Huawei Eyewear 2 is a mixed bag , count on the context . In optimum conditions , they ’re amazingly hearty . outdoors by a road or in a busy surroundings , however , they get going to struggle a little .
They ’re not loud enough to fight back against large background noise , and without the form of peaceful noise cancellation you get from plugging your capitulum with bud , there ’s not much hope . Against a busy road , they ’re useless , turn them into fiddling more than a very expensive couplet of non - prescription lens system .
At home or when just out for a walk , they ’re a neat option to break potentially uncomfortable headphones for hours on end while pad along . Given the nature of bone conductivity , there ’s plenty of potential drop for audio recording leak out from the skeleton , but someone on the other side of a quiet elbow room will struggle to hear much at a volume that ’s utterly ok for your own listening experience .
At those mid - range volumes , audio is plenty potent enough to be enjoyed . It ’s not quite an audiophile experience , but Huawei never claims it to be . Instead , it ’s good to view these frames as a convenient way to mind to your distinctive play list when you ’re just after background racket without blocking out the sound of the creation around you . For podcasts , they ’re empyrean .
Back in the app , you’re able to assign elements like song skip to a swipe on a specific side of the frame , eliminate the need to utilize asmartwatchor reach for your phone to hush the unappreciated sneak attack of a male child band playlist . The configurations tab even has smart features like don detection and automatonlike volume readjustment , but there ’s no EQ congeal to help fine - line the audio experience .
This is n’t the good way to experience a fresh track from your favourite creative person . The timbre can feel a little thick . After all , you ’re listening to them through your skull . They ’re just not suited to the same situations as your clearer arse and other audio solutions . Sneaking some songs in at your position cubical , though ? You ’ll feel like James Bond .
Interestingly , you’re able to boost the volume of the Huawei Eyewear 2 by cup your capitulum . Huawei even suggested I try this to understand its wordy “ Reverse Sound Field Private Listening 2.0 organization . ” It ’s part of what turn on the phone call mass registration in quiet places , but it ’s a trick you could feasibly practice with a hood or lid in cold or rainy environments to blow up the experience and , realistically , reduce sound leakage a niggling more .
As time plump on , the more I began to fall in dear with the Huawei Eyewear 2 specs , with the sound calibre easy besting some similarly priced option .
splay them on to watch a bit of YouTube on the couch with my phone while my pardner stake on the bounteous screen was effortless . He could n’t find out my videos , but I could still get word and speak to him about his game just o.k. . powerful now , they ’re my favourite style to listen to thing like podcasts .
In the past , I ’d have just elected for sub - optimal subtitles on a softened video or doomscrolled Twitter . At over £ 200 , they ’re still too expensive to justify picking up if you have audio solutions you enjoy already . However , knowing there ’s a way to partake in individual hearing without blocking out the humankind around you is worth reckon .
Battery
One area of betterment Huawei claims with this Modern model is in the barrage fire department , with around 5 hours more run - time than the last yoke thanks to a 30 % large electric battery .
Our experience concur truth to the documentation of these new frame , with 3 - 4 days of light use cover well with the 4 - Clarence Day standby clock time claim . If all switched off , a full charge supposedly lasts a whole month . Precise times calculate on how they ’re used , but 11 hours of solid audio or 9 hours in call option cut well .
I can peck these up off the tabular array after weeks of inactivity , and they burn up directly . I ca n’t say the same about my AirPods .
After juicing them up quick on a Thursday afternoon , it was n’t until the latter half of Sunday that they finally kicked the can . That was with quite piffling audio use , give the noisy environments I ended up in , but they were powered on as I vagabond through aerodrome and novel cities , taking in the sights and sounds .
I was primarily wear them just for the looks at that item , but the beeps and boops of sound presentment rattle my temples assure me that , despite how inconspicuous they reckon , they were almost always power on and ready to take a call or connect to Google Maps to give directions .
Though the charging method is a little clunky , pull off via a proprietary USB - snow adaptor that magnetically link up to touch on both radical , electric charge clock time is great at 50 hour , with every 10 minute of arc on flush net you about 3 hours of audio runtime .
It would have been great to see a USB - vitamin C connecter behind a rubber door or else of another proprietary overseas telegram you ’ll likely struggle to replace and easy forget . Let ’s hope that ’s on the scorecard for the next rewrite .
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Should you buy it?
Even if you do n’t need glasses , the Huawei Eyewear 2 frame face the part and can suit a variety of getup easily . If you do n’t care earbuds , they ’re a versatile via media .
Without adaptative lenses as standard and no onboard cameras or concealed showing , the Huawei Eyewear 2 is n’t much enjoyment outside of dismal days or fourth dimension spent indoors .
Final Thoughts
The Huawei Eyewear 2 frames are a upstanding idea on paper , but their hyper - situational usage case makes them hard to commend to most . Without adaptive lenses as banner , they ’re too expensive for what they offer , especially compare to the camera - equip Ray - Ban Meta sunglasses that retail for not much more .
They ca n’t replace your regular frames without extra cost , replacenoise cancelling earbuds , or convert an on - the - go audiophile away from a consecrate pair ofheadphonesorearbuds . alternatively , they sit in an sticky spot between the two where they ’re best bought after find more suitable , separate solutions for audio frequency and vision .
They front great and feel brilliant to tire out , but with their audio goal applicable only in choice environments , they ’re best seen as a goody and less of a solvent to a wide problem . The onboarding experience need work , and the gestures could be more visceral , but there ’s undoubtedly some deserving to be found here for the right person .
Trusted Score
How we test
When test a couplet of sassy glass , we thoroughly try all the available features , be that audio recording , camera technical school or even smart displays , pass judgment various aspects like performance , stamp battery lifetime and comfortableness .
FAQs
No , the Huawei Eyewear 2 is purely an audio twist .
As strait is routed directly through a connected gimmick like a laptop or phone , there ’s no internal storage on the Huawei Eyewear 2 for local files .
Though there ’s no documentation on resistance rating , with few point of ingress than most phones , the Huawei Eyewear 2 should theoretically have some natural electric resistance to light rainfall and dust .
