If you haven't been living under a rock in the last couple of years, you have surely noticed that more and more objects are getting "smarter": first came the television set but nowadays you wouldn't be surprised to see smart toothbrushes as well. Some of the most popular smart objects are smartwatches: these easy to wear gadgets range from simplistic fashion accessories with a couple of features to complex technology that lets you do quite a lot of things. The Huawei W1 is is somewhere in between these two extremes, but it has a lot to offer. Read our review to see what can you do with it:

Unboxing the smartwatch

No matter how much they are rising in popularity, smartwatches can still be considered luxury objects: most of us can go on about our daily lives without one, and smartwatches are something of a more premium gadget to own. The designers at Huawei did their best to show off this premium feeling on the smartwatch's box too. First we get to see a simple black cube, with the words "Huawei Watch" engraved on it: it is a really high quality box, made of premium materials.

The cube's upper part can be taken off to reveal another, smaller black cube. This one can be opened, the W1 is inside on a leather holder. The whole assembly has a really high quality feel, almost everything is made out of leather.

There are two metallic pins besides the watch: you can use these to take out the middle part, under which there is the charger and some papers like the quick start guide, warranty and safety information and so on.

The Huawei W1 comes in a very high quality box with minimalistic design and is accompanied only by the necessary accessories like a charger and a user guide. The unboxing experience is a very good one, the black box can be a nice decoration on your shelf, while you wear the smartwatch.

Design and quality

The Huawei W1 Watch comes in a total of six basic variants, depending on what color and strap material you prefer. There are three editions with leather straps (black, brown and a more sportish black) and three with steel bracelets (silver, gold and black). These all come with a matching timepiece color, that can be silver, gold or black.

It is good to know that Huawei offers another, special edition made especially for the ladies. This has Swarovksi Zirconia pieces around the watch, comes in rose gold color, has blue or white leather straps and some other minor design changes that make the watch more shiny and "lady-like".

Besides the special edition, most other Huawei Watches have quite a modest and minimalistic design, which make it look more like an elegant watch than a shiny, flashy accessory that can be used to show off with.

Of course the one with the gold color bracelet is a bit more extravagant, but we had the silver steel edition for testing, which is one of the most balanced ones in terms of design.

This comes with a steel bracelet, that is a favorite of many, as it is much more durable than a leather strap. Of course it has its downsides too, as sometimes it can be a bit cold and you will most probably need the help of a watch repairman to adjust the bracelet's size to properly fit your wrist.

The main feature of the watch is, of course, the timepiece that has a diameter of 1.65 inches or 42 mm and houses a 1.4" AMOLED display covered with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. We must say it is a real beauty: the screen has a really good contrast ratio and it is easy to read even in bright sunlight. The timepiece itself is a bit thick (11.3 mm or 0.44 inches), but it's not too heavy, not even with the steel bracelet, so it won't be a strain to wear.

The special rose gold edition is a bit different, as its timepiece is a bit larger, as it has a diameter of 1.73 inches (44 mm) and it's 0.49 inches (12.45 mm) thick. It's also good to know that besides the Swarovski Zirconia pieces it's also plated with rose gold, so that's not only a color name in this case.

No matter which edition you choose, the features are all the same: the most prominent part of the timepiece is its right side, where there is a single button, placed at 2 o'clock for easy reach and use. This button can be used to dim or turn on the display, and turn the smartwatch on or off, but most features will be accessed via the touchscreen.

The left side of the smartwatch is completely empty, but you might notice a couple of interesting things on its bottom. First, there is a connector for the charger, which connects magnetically and fits the smartwatch perfectly - you might even say that it looks good on the smartwatch. The second feature is a small green LED, which is an optical heart rate monitor that measures your heart rate directly on your wrist, without the need for a separate band.

If you would like to see the official specifications of this smartwatch, go to this page: Huawei Watch - Specifications.

The Huawei W1 smartwatch has a very modest, stylish design and comes in several color and bracelet variants so it can suit everyone's needs. It works great as a fashion accessory, has a minimalistic look and few controls, thus it won't be confusing for anyone. The timepiece is a bit thick, which makes it look swollen, but it's not heavy, so wearing it won't be a strain for your wrist.

Read the next page of this review to learn more about the smartwatch experience offered by Huawei W1 and read our verdict.