Chinese telecoms giant Huawei stepped into the smart watch market in the UK yesterday with the launch of the Huawei Watch, an Android Wear device compatible with both Android devices and Apple’s iOS.
Priced from £289 to £599, the 42mm Huawei Watch goes on sale today instore and online at Selfridges and through Huewai’s own online store, vMall, and Google Store. The smart watch will be rolled out to other retailers from the end of November.
Huawei launched the watch at London’s Mondrian Hotel overlooking the Thames at an event in partnership with GQ, who hosted a panel discussion with fashion vlogger Jim Chapman, Chris Sanderson, Co-Founder at LS:N Global, and Amy Lou, Director, Global Brand Management at Huawei, discussing the overlapping fields of fashion and technology.
The watch is based on Google’s Android Wear operating system and features a 1.4inch full-colour, high contrast AMOLED screen, touchscreen and a single physical button at the two o’clock position. The watch is constructed using stainless steel (with black and gold PVD coatings on some models) and sapphire crystal glass and is available with a host of metal bracelet, including mesh, and leather strap options.
Huawei’s software offers a range of 40 selectable watch dials, with many traditional watch styles as well as more modern, esoteric designs.
Richard Jones, technology buyer at Selfridges, said: “At Selfridges, we are dedicated to providing customers with a full range of premium products that help improve every aspect of their lives. Watches are an important part of our jewellery range and adding new premium smart watches, such as the Huawei Watch, to this offering is the natural next step for us. We are confident that the Huawei Watch, with its premium, classic design, will be a popular item with our customers.”
