Fitness bracelet with integrated headset - Huawei TalkBand B1

Photos of the interior

Huawei has many Chinese manufacturers is not only the size but also the fact that they are trying to rethink the concept of products to come up with something new. Sometimes they have it coming out, sometimes not – but the products always have their own character, they have unusual features.

It happened with a fitness bracelet, the company decided to combine in one device just two. What happens if you add to your bracelet conventional Bluetooth-headset and kill two birds? Let’s look at the resulting product – TalkBand B1.In the market of smart wristbands for fitness is not so many companies that have established themselves as trendsetters. It may be noted Jawbone, FitBit, Nike (already go out of this niche), perhaps the company Withings, which is aiming at products FitBit, and hundreds of products from all others. When I’m talking about hundreds of products, it’s not artistic exaggeration, last year, only lazy people do not create their own versions of sports bracelets and doing it on such a scale that at some point I had to give up the devices with unpronounceable, but such poetic Chinese name . “Fragrant strip on your hand” – roughly translated as the name of our bracelets, “- says the girl from an unknown Chinese company that was trying to enter the Russian market. Had to abandon the test, as she thought that my arm will hang something fragrant, causing me to fits of laughter. And the price of $ 15, and if wholesale, we can and ten!

Normal, at first glance, a bracelet, it is available in a large number of colors.

Rubber bracelet, a bracelet size, and it is quite comfortable for large hands, unlike many other devices. On a small hand clasp have tightened, but in this particular problem will not. All comfortable.

Look at the front of the bracelet, you can see the big button. By clicking on it, you release the headset body, and in your hands will be a familiar wireless headset. Its specifications are pretty good – Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, 90 mAh battery that supports up to 2 weeks or 7 hours of talk time, two microphones with noise reduction. Screen 1.4 inch OLED, galbée, one line – the text of a light color. There is a built-in vibration is.

Protection standard IP57 – it is possible, in theory, this headset and swim. I did not try, the more that the water “steps” are ignored, and other functionality not provided. Respond to calls in the water also will not work, as it is necessary to disclose the “body” of releasing a headset, and then disappears like smoke protection.

Before using the device, it is necessary to charge it. Cable is built into the strap, insert it into the USB-port of the computer, wait 30 minutes – battery is fully charged. By cons I’ll take that closing cap is always coming off and hanging out, it is made uncomfortable.Batteries enough to use the device for 10-12 days as a bracelet, but everything else depends on the number of your calls. Stated 7 hours as a headset is quite achievable.

Let’s start with a simple – pairing with your phone or tablet can be carried out using NFC, one-touch, and the device is already connected.In order to take into account your steps, you must install the appropriate program (Android).

As usual, specify your weight, height, sex, and more on the basis of these parameters is adjusted pedometer. Unlike its competitors, then there is no cloud service, the social component – can not compete with their friends, to see who was much, which makes the device less interesting and fun. For pragmatists it will not be an obstacle, but there is another thing that will stop them – counting steps occur very strange way. Comparing the figures TalkBand with FitBit One, Withings Pulse, I saw that during the day they are different in the smaller side for at least 10 percent, and sometimes the difference comes to 20 percent. A typical example – took about 20 000 steps and TalkBand shows about 16 000 readings lie often enough.

In addition to the steps, you can see how much you slept. Decided to check closely how accurate these readings. Compared with the Withings Pulse – also a huge discrepancy. Why as a reference, I’m taking these devices? The answer is simple – they have already been tested on thousands of people and have been compared to other, if there is measurement error, it is minimal. But TalkBand muddles data, and very strong. For example, slept half of the day, I almost tossed, slept soundly. But the bracelet felt that day people can not sleep, and take into account the 15 minutes of REM sleep. This is a very strange approach, which eliminates all the value fitness component of this bracelet. In Huawei so often the case – the beauty of ideas leveled its implementation.

On the side there is a small key, it can be used to scroll through the information on the screen – the default is always shown in the first screen is a clock, immediately the battery icon and BT. The second screen – is the distance in meters (the height of the stairs and there is), then the screen with the burned calories, and finally, the data on your sleep. All very basic.

But if from the point of view of fitness bracelet has a problem, maybe they do not have a headset? To begin with, that the construction of nesting dolls made using a very soft pad earphone – it is extremely inconvenient. Anyway, in my ears it seemed quite out of place, always have to adjust themselves to stick it right. During a call, the headset can see the caller’s name or number. Openwork font, it slowly scrolls.Headset vibrates at hand, which is very good. If your phone is set up so that he pronounces the name of the caller, then the speaker will hand him talk. Heard it as bubnezh sounds funny.

Use Case Bracelet as headsets was very difficult. During an incoming call you have to detach the headset inserted into the ear and then start a conversation. While driving is not worth it to do, as dangerous and uncomfortable. During walking it also looks like juggling classes, especially if one hand is busy – and it happens so often. That’s an extra step when you have to release the headset, spoils the whole concept – it turns out somehow contrived.

In Europe, this bracelet headset worth 90 euros, in our part of the price will be about appropriate. What can I say about this product? The idea at the level of theory is very attractive and unusual, no one was doing anything like it. But at the first attempt to use this product you understand that it is inconvenient and is unlikely to be popular even in very small circles. Developers charmed originality of approach, turned a blind eye to the fact that it is impossible to use. And this is a serious disadvantage – not worth it to create a product for the sake of the product, perhaps, it was necessary to think about the users and their real and not imaginary convenience.

Fitness bracelet with integrated headset - Huawei TalkBand B1