Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Honor’s new fitness tracker really does look fantastic

Honor is a spin-off brand from Huawei that we were first introduced to earlier this year, when it launched the cool Honor 5x in North America, along with the Band Z1 fitness band. Now it has announced a second wearable, the Band A1, and thanks to a wonderfully simple, minimalist design, we think it looks fantastic.

The Band A1 was shown off alongside the new Honor V8 smartphone, but at the moment only seems to be destined for release in China. That’s a pain. However, given the international availability of the Honor 5x and the Z1, there’s a chance it’ll arrive in Honor’s online store for purchase anywhere in the future.

Recommended Videos

Fitness band design may sound like a simple thing to get right, but rarely do we come across one that manages to stay unobtrusive while looking great, and still fulfilling our needs on the tech front. The Band A1 has a simple, single strap design and is made from either silicone or leather. The IP57 waterproof body is hidden from view and made of metal, while overall, the Band A1 weighs only 20 grams. That’s 5 grams less than a Jawbone Up2, already one of the lightest fitness wearables out there.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

With the Band A1 on your wrist, it’ll track steps, calories, distance traveled, and alert you to any phone activity using vibrations and a small LED light. At night it’ll track your sleep, and even watches over any naps you may take during the day. There’s also a UV light sensor to help make a decision when to put on sunscreen. Perhaps best of all, Honor says the battery will last about 28 days before needing a recharge. Although it does so using a standard microUSB, this plugs into an irritating proprietary charger.

Related: Smart, redefined. Check out the Huawei Watch here

How much does the Band A1 cost? The version with the silicone strap is the equivalent of $15, and the leather model is around $30. That puts it in the same area as Xiaomi’s Mi Band, but with a far more pleasing design. Sadly though, at the moment the Band A1 is only headed to China at the end of the month. We’ll keep you updated if the situation changes.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Honor gets a new start in life after embattled Huawei sells off the brand
honor 9x hands on news features price specs logo

Huawei has sold the Honor technology brand in an effort to ensure its survival. Huawei and Honor have both been hit by component supply restraints due to the U.S. government’s continued restrictions, with Huawei saying it has been “under tremendous pressure” recently.

All Honor business assets have been sold to Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology Co. Ltd, and when the sale is final, Huawei will not be involved in the business or decision-making process at the new firm.

Read more
Outdoorsy Honor Watch GS Pro pays homage to G-Shock’s tough watches
honor watch gs pro hands on features price photos release date front

Why did Honor choose to name its latest rugged smartwatch the GS Pro? I’ve not seen any official comment, but the instant I put it on my wrist, it became obvious. The GS moniker must be a subtle homage to Casio’s G-Shock range, right? After all, this is an oversize watch that will withstand a bit of a beating, comes in a variety of colors, and doesn’t fit under my shirt cuff. Sounds very G-Shock to me.

I’ve spent a couple of days wearing the Watch GS Pro to see if it deserves to take up my valuable wrist real estate
Design
Don’t even think about putting the Watch GS Pro on if you have small wrists, or don’t like big watches. It’s seriously large. The case measures 48mm and is a good 15mm thick, while the weight with the strap is 77 grams. Put it up against a G-Shock GA-700 watch and, due to the difference in the way the screen size is measured, the G-Shock’s 57mm case is pretty much identical in size -- and about the same weight too. The thick fluoroelastomer strap may look as if it’s integrated into the lugs, but it’s actually removable. It feels very strong and extremely comfortable, and is soft and pliable straight out of the box.

Read more
Amazon’s new Halo fitness tracker offers body scanning, voice analysis, and more
amazon introduces halo fitness tracker with ai capabilities winter band on wrist 1

Amazon is joining the wearable fitness tracker market in a big way with a new product called Halo. 

Halo is a health- and fitness-tracking wristband that works with a smartphone app and a subscription service. To set itself apart from the crowded world of fitness trackers, Halo will have a suite of artificial intelligence-powered health features, including the ability to measure body fat percentage, analyze your tone of voice, determine how specific conversations can impact stress, and more. 

Read more