Personal review about Huawei TalkBand B1
Wearable electronics, namely smart watches, have not given me peace since last year. In the sense that my peace was violated by the desire to purchase such a device at my disposal in any case when it came to my eyes.
The favorites were Samsung Gear Fit for its original design, excellent functionality, compatibility with my devices (Note 2, Note 3, Note 4). My birthday was coming up and it was decided to make myself a gift in the form of a smart accessory. And here I was faced with the problem of choice. It seems like Gear Fit is already there, but I stumbled upon the TalkBand B1 on twitter for local PR people who praised the device. I read the first reviews, studied the functionality, looked at the characteristics. In the end, the choice fell in favor of TalkBand because of its autonomy, the presence of a headset and a sleep tracker.
After several weeks of active use I want to share my personal experience. Since impressions are purely individual, they may not coincide with the opinion of other users and, especially, the device manufacturer.
Since I replaced the first bracelet, I will begin my story right away from the second copy.
')
Strict futuristic (modern, for whom it is convenient) design. The black color of the performance does not look defiant on the hand, it does not hurt the eyes, it does not attract much attention (until the call arrives, later I will sign for something like this).
Since the bracelet is worn with the screen up, then for most people, working with a worn bracelet will not cause discomfort - the strap itself is quite thin. What can not be said about the screen itself and, in combination, the headset. Noticeably thick device that is not weakly sticks out from under the clothes. Lovers, like me, wear the watch with the screen down (strap up), this state of things will retrain to wear the watch in the old fashioned way - with the dial up.
The screen of the bracelet is slightly bent and covered with some kind of plastic or glass, I have not yet scratched it. Oleophobic coating is not provided, because The screen is not touch. In bright light, the information is quite difficult to see, let's see what will happen in the summer.
The size of the strap come in 2 versions. In the “Dream”, which we sell this device in Kostanay, only one size was delivered with the first batch - the largest one. How are things with the availability of the size of the situation now - not interested. I tighten the strap until it stops (such a thin brush). For this reason, be careful when buying - first try on a gadget.
The bracelet is divided into 2 parts: the strap and, in fact, the headset, which in combination also the heart of the entire smart bracelet stuffing. The headset is separated from the press of one button on the strap itself - quickly and conveniently, after several attempts it is done easily. In the place of the seized headset-brain in the strap, a dimple remains to be gaped - such is the construction, this is normal and explainable.
The headset is mounted in the ear due to the loop. This loop is easily removed and can be replaced with another in size, complete with a bracelet there are only 3. After several attempts, you can quickly choose the one that fits your ear size. Here it is necessary to mention the fact that this loop is made of very soft rubber (to the touch), so during exercise in the ear, the headset is kept rather weakly and tends to fall out. If you watched a video on YouTube about the bracelet, where the main character on the run answers the call and continues to run with the headset in your ear, and hoping that you can do it, you have to warn - the headset may fall out. Proven personal experience. Of course, this is individual and in some cases there will be no problems with this. When buying, you can insert a headset and check this point - run around the store, I definitely recommend warning the seller-consultant about this intention, so to speak, "just in case of a fireman."
TalkBand is positioned as a fitness bracelet. Fitness components here 3:
- Pedometer;
- Accounting for calories burned;
- Smart alarm clock + sleep tracker.
All of them show brief information on the bracelet screens, which are switched by the button. There are 4 of them: the current time * click on the button * number of steps completed * click on the button * calories burned * click on the button * time spent in Morfei’s embrace (in hours + minutes) * click the button * again.
Clickable:
Detailed information on each screen can be viewed in the company's TalkBand application, which is downloaded from the Play Market (for iOS devices, you need to search in the AppStore). I strongly advise you to immediately install this application, because through it, in addition to the information displayed by the bracelet, the TalkBand firmware is updated. After launching, the application will show several plates with information about the capabilities of the bracelet and ask you to enter a couple of biometric data, namely gender, age, weight and height. You can even put the avatar. The application will also ask you for your average daily activity: steps taken and calories burned. After that, each time you start the application, the program will synchronize with the bracelet, receive data and draw graphics. The application, in its current version, looks very nice and informative, all data is displayed on the main screen. With swipes you can view the received information from the bracelet for previous days. There are settings where at any time you can change your user data, change the average physical load. In the settings of the bracelet you can see the level of the current charge and set the following settings:
- Reminder of activity. The bracelet on certain days and time will be a vibration to ask for some movement. Just waving the bracelet in the air will not work, the bracelet will not catch it;
- Smart alarm clock, about it below;
- Alarm on events. You can set up to 5 alarms. For example, you need to remember to drink pills: choose the time, the days of the week for which you need to repeat it, and the name of the event. After that, at the selected moment, the alarm will vibrate and display the name of the event on the screen;
- Notification of theft. As soon as the connection between the bracelet and the smartphone is broken, the smartphone will begin to heart-rending. The function can be disabled. When the option is off, the bracelet will vibrate twice in any case when the signal from the smartphone is lost;
- Reset the bracelet data to factory settings;
- Check the update firmware bracelet.
In order, I will describe how each of the tracker components in my bracelet works.
Pedometer. The easiest task. Count the steps of the device learned for a long time. I personally tried this feature on the Nokia N97 using a special application. The same functionality is also available on a working smartphone - Samsung Galaxy Note 4, in the SHealth application, which I turned off after buying TalkBand.
My daily daily route: home - work - home (lunch) - work - home. The smartphone’s pedometer counted about 9,500 to 10,000 steps. The bracelet has 8000. Of course, there is an error. But the fact is that the bracelet does not take into account all the steps. Let me explain, if you display the number of steps and walk, then the bracelet will not always count them. Sometimes he thinks that nothing happens, I can’t explain it differently. In the application, you can see at what time and how many steps are completed, the distance covered and how long it took.
Calories burned. How the bracelet calculates this figure I do not know. Given that the bracelet can only count the steps, then surely the rate of calories burned is calculated from the steps taken.
Sleep tracker and smart alarm clock. This is the main reason why I decided to take it TalkBand. I have to admit that the smart alarm function does not work for me. More precisely, even so, it worked for me only once, almost immediately after the purchase and never again made itself felt.
How a smart alarm clock works in a bracelet: according to the accelerometer reads the sleep tracker reads what stage of sleep the person is in. You specify the bracelet at what time you need to get up, for example, 08:00 and specify an additional period of time before waking up, in which the bracelet can wake you up. You can set 10, 20 or 30 minutes. In other words, if you set a 30-minute period, the bracelet will look for an easy stage of sleep for these half an hour and wake you up with a light and pleasant vibration just before 08:00, for example, at 07:48. This is how a smart alarm clock should work. In my case, it does not work that way. Those. the alarm clock vibrates exactly at 08:00. Recently, it works quite randomly, it can start to wake up at 08: 10/08: 15. It can be assumed that at the specified 30 minutes before 08:00 I have a deep sleep stage and the alarm just waits for it to end. But the testimony of the tracker program of the deep sleep stage is not observed in this period of time.
With such a problem, I'm not alone, unfortunately. In the forum topic w3bsit3-dns.com, people are faced with the same situation and hope that updating the firmware of the bracelet will fix the problem. When to wait for him and whether something will change is unclear. For this reason, I advise you to additionally set an additional alarm clock on your smartphone, in the old manner.
The sleep tracker also shows the time when a person falls asleep, the total duration of sleep and, as already mentioned, the sleep phases, their sequence and time spent in each of them in a beautiful and informative graph. One reservation, if you decide to read a book or watch a movie lying down, the bracelet will consider that you have already begun to sleep. In order not to knock down sleep statistics, I advise you to remove the bracelet from your hand at such moments.
Data from the tracker can be shared on social networks, the application takes a screenshot of the main screen and sends it to the selected program.
Synchronization with the application MyFitnessPal is declared, but after connecting the bracelet to the MyFitnessPal account, the data was not synchronized. Maybe it's just me.
The bracelet can be connected to multiple devices simultaneously. Tested on 2 Samsung smartphones. The bracelet received calls from both devices. It did not work to connect the bracelet to the working Sony Acro S, but this is most likely due to the experimental firmware on it (Lollipop).
I do not know what version of Bluetooth works on the bracelet. Let me explain: on the official website of Huawei on beautiful pictures and a description of the modes of operation of the device, it is said that the bracelet operates with the latest version of BT - 4.1, but if you look at the technical characteristics of the bracelet itself on the same page, then it clearly states what is BT 3.0.
I requested information from the official site - I did not receive a response. Asked on Twitter (@HuaweiDevice) - likewise, silence. Strange situation.
The bracelet keeps in touch with the smartphone within 3.5-4 meters in buildings (apartment, office, gym). In open spaces, the distance is not measured. When the connection is broken, the bracelet will give out 2 vibrations and will show on the screen a crossed-out BT icon.
Connect the bracelet to your smartphone via NFC. This is convenient, but not necessary. Implement a function that may be needed only once, as for me, unnecessarily. You can always connect via BT, even if it takes several manipulations longer.
The bracelet works with my use for about 4-5 days, depending on the intensity of voice calls received. Talkband charge can be viewed on the main screen, but it is quite difficult to identify it using this icon, since the change step is too big. Detailed and percentage charge can be viewed in the settings of the bracelet with the companion application.
The bracelet is charged pretty quickly - 1.5-2 hours. What is convenient, you can charge a bracelet wherever there is a USB connection. The bracelet does not need to be connected to the charger. Just remove the cap from the strap and insert it into the laptop. The cap-cap has a tendency to jump off the strap, and the entire water-tightness of the bracelet is immediately zero. Therefore, I recommend checking his condition before immersing the bracelet in water.
It works properly, the sound passes in both directions decently. It was not such that the interlocutor asked me to switch to the normal microphone of the smartphone, as is usually the case when talking on the phone on the speakerphone. There is a noise reduction function.
When you receive a call, the bracelet screen displays the name of the caller. Sometimes he displays the number, i.e. The contact from the phone book is known, but the bracelet still does not display the name. If the contact name is displayed, then Cyrillic is supported.
It was fun enough at first to watch when you take a call to the bracelet, and people around you do not immediately understand what is happening and what is happening. Wow-effect definitely available. Plus, it is very convenient to answer calls while driving a car, although I do not advise doing this - for some time you have to translate the view from the windshield to the wrist.
You can also listen to music through the headset, but the activity is not pleasant, because Such a headset was clearly conceived not for music lovers, that's fair.
Last, but not least, the function of the bracelet is the display of the current time. By pressing the button, the screen will show time for 10 seconds and then go out.
Information can be displayed on the screen using an accelerometer, but this requires skill and is not very convenient. It is necessary to keep your hand horizontally, then turn your wrists with the screen away from you and back towards yourself. It must be done quite clearly and quickly, otherwise the focus will not work. The same movement can switch bracelet screens (time, steps, calories, sleep, time).
In general, Huawei TalkBand B1 pleases. This is the first device that combines so many functions at once. Suppose the device contains flaws and flaws, but this, I hope, will be corrected in subsequent iterations. The bracelet performs its direct functions: a headset, a pedometer, an alarm clock (albeit not so smart).
The desire to spend money on a bracelet is purely individual and depends on the needs. Someone is ready and there is a need. Someone has the means, but the benefits of TalkBand will not feel.
From similar devices there are Sony SmartBand and Gear S / Neo, etc. which also have a built-in headset, but they output the sound of a conversation to the built-in speaker, i.e. others will hear your conversation too. Agree, a dubious pleasure.
I want to believe that such a review, albeit a confused one, will help someone with a choice.
The favorites were Samsung Gear Fit for its original design, excellent functionality, compatibility with my devices (Note 2, Note 3, Note 4). My birthday was coming up and it was decided to make myself a gift in the form of a smart accessory. And here I was faced with the problem of choice. It seems like Gear Fit is already there, but I stumbled upon the TalkBand B1 on twitter for local PR people who praised the device. I read the first reviews, studied the functionality, looked at the characteristics. In the end, the choice fell in favor of TalkBand because of its autonomy, the presence of a headset and a sleep tracker.
After several weeks of active use I want to share my personal experience. Since impressions are purely individual, they may not coincide with the opinion of other users and, especially, the device manufacturer.
Since I replaced the first bracelet, I will begin my story right away from the second copy.
')
Appearance
Strict futuristic (modern, for whom it is convenient) design. The black color of the performance does not look defiant on the hand, it does not hurt the eyes, it does not attract much attention (until the call arrives, later I will sign for something like this).
Since the bracelet is worn with the screen up, then for most people, working with a worn bracelet will not cause discomfort - the strap itself is quite thin. What can not be said about the screen itself and, in combination, the headset. Noticeably thick device that is not weakly sticks out from under the clothes. Lovers, like me, wear the watch with the screen down (strap up), this state of things will retrain to wear the watch in the old fashioned way - with the dial up.
The screen of the bracelet is slightly bent and covered with some kind of plastic or glass, I have not yet scratched it. Oleophobic coating is not provided, because The screen is not touch. In bright light, the information is quite difficult to see, let's see what will happen in the summer.
The size of the strap come in 2 versions. In the “Dream”, which we sell this device in Kostanay, only one size was delivered with the first batch - the largest one. How are things with the availability of the size of the situation now - not interested. I tighten the strap until it stops (such a thin brush). For this reason, be careful when buying - first try on a gadget.
The bracelet is divided into 2 parts: the strap and, in fact, the headset, which in combination also the heart of the entire smart bracelet stuffing. The headset is separated from the press of one button on the strap itself - quickly and conveniently, after several attempts it is done easily. In the place of the seized headset-brain in the strap, a dimple remains to be gaped - such is the construction, this is normal and explainable.
The headset is mounted in the ear due to the loop. This loop is easily removed and can be replaced with another in size, complete with a bracelet there are only 3. After several attempts, you can quickly choose the one that fits your ear size. Here it is necessary to mention the fact that this loop is made of very soft rubber (to the touch), so during exercise in the ear, the headset is kept rather weakly and tends to fall out. If you watched a video on YouTube about the bracelet, where the main character on the run answers the call and continues to run with the headset in your ear, and hoping that you can do it, you have to warn - the headset may fall out. Proven personal experience. Of course, this is individual and in some cases there will be no problems with this. When buying, you can insert a headset and check this point - run around the store, I definitely recommend warning the seller-consultant about this intention, so to speak, "just in case of a fireman."
Fitness component
TalkBand is positioned as a fitness bracelet. Fitness components here 3:
- Pedometer;
- Accounting for calories burned;
- Smart alarm clock + sleep tracker.
All of them show brief information on the bracelet screens, which are switched by the button. There are 4 of them: the current time * click on the button * number of steps completed * click on the button * calories burned * click on the button * time spent in Morfei’s embrace (in hours + minutes) * click the button * again.
Clickable:
Detailed information on each screen can be viewed in the company's TalkBand application, which is downloaded from the Play Market (for iOS devices, you need to search in the AppStore). I strongly advise you to immediately install this application, because through it, in addition to the information displayed by the bracelet, the TalkBand firmware is updated. After launching, the application will show several plates with information about the capabilities of the bracelet and ask you to enter a couple of biometric data, namely gender, age, weight and height. You can even put the avatar. The application will also ask you for your average daily activity: steps taken and calories burned. After that, each time you start the application, the program will synchronize with the bracelet, receive data and draw graphics. The application, in its current version, looks very nice and informative, all data is displayed on the main screen. With swipes you can view the received information from the bracelet for previous days. There are settings where at any time you can change your user data, change the average physical load. In the settings of the bracelet you can see the level of the current charge and set the following settings:
- Reminder of activity. The bracelet on certain days and time will be a vibration to ask for some movement. Just waving the bracelet in the air will not work, the bracelet will not catch it;
- Smart alarm clock, about it below;
- Alarm on events. You can set up to 5 alarms. For example, you need to remember to drink pills: choose the time, the days of the week for which you need to repeat it, and the name of the event. After that, at the selected moment, the alarm will vibrate and display the name of the event on the screen;
- Notification of theft. As soon as the connection between the bracelet and the smartphone is broken, the smartphone will begin to heart-rending. The function can be disabled. When the option is off, the bracelet will vibrate twice in any case when the signal from the smartphone is lost;
- Reset the bracelet data to factory settings;
- Check the update firmware bracelet.
In order, I will describe how each of the tracker components in my bracelet works.
Pedometer. The easiest task. Count the steps of the device learned for a long time. I personally tried this feature on the Nokia N97 using a special application. The same functionality is also available on a working smartphone - Samsung Galaxy Note 4, in the SHealth application, which I turned off after buying TalkBand.
My daily daily route: home - work - home (lunch) - work - home. The smartphone’s pedometer counted about 9,500 to 10,000 steps. The bracelet has 8000. Of course, there is an error. But the fact is that the bracelet does not take into account all the steps. Let me explain, if you display the number of steps and walk, then the bracelet will not always count them. Sometimes he thinks that nothing happens, I can’t explain it differently. In the application, you can see at what time and how many steps are completed, the distance covered and how long it took.
Calories burned. How the bracelet calculates this figure I do not know. Given that the bracelet can only count the steps, then surely the rate of calories burned is calculated from the steps taken.
Sleep tracker and smart alarm clock. This is the main reason why I decided to take it TalkBand. I have to admit that the smart alarm function does not work for me. More precisely, even so, it worked for me only once, almost immediately after the purchase and never again made itself felt.
How a smart alarm clock works in a bracelet: according to the accelerometer reads the sleep tracker reads what stage of sleep the person is in. You specify the bracelet at what time you need to get up, for example, 08:00 and specify an additional period of time before waking up, in which the bracelet can wake you up. You can set 10, 20 or 30 minutes. In other words, if you set a 30-minute period, the bracelet will look for an easy stage of sleep for these half an hour and wake you up with a light and pleasant vibration just before 08:00, for example, at 07:48. This is how a smart alarm clock should work. In my case, it does not work that way. Those. the alarm clock vibrates exactly at 08:00. Recently, it works quite randomly, it can start to wake up at 08: 10/08: 15. It can be assumed that at the specified 30 minutes before 08:00 I have a deep sleep stage and the alarm just waits for it to end. But the testimony of the tracker program of the deep sleep stage is not observed in this period of time.
With such a problem, I'm not alone, unfortunately. In the forum topic w3bsit3-dns.com, people are faced with the same situation and hope that updating the firmware of the bracelet will fix the problem. When to wait for him and whether something will change is unclear. For this reason, I advise you to additionally set an additional alarm clock on your smartphone, in the old manner.
The sleep tracker also shows the time when a person falls asleep, the total duration of sleep and, as already mentioned, the sleep phases, their sequence and time spent in each of them in a beautiful and informative graph. One reservation, if you decide to read a book or watch a movie lying down, the bracelet will consider that you have already begun to sleep. In order not to knock down sleep statistics, I advise you to remove the bracelet from your hand at such moments.
Data from the tracker can be shared on social networks, the application takes a screenshot of the main screen and sends it to the selected program.
Synchronization with the application MyFitnessPal is declared, but after connecting the bracelet to the MyFitnessPal account, the data was not synchronized. Maybe it's just me.
Technical part
The bracelet can be connected to multiple devices simultaneously. Tested on 2 Samsung smartphones. The bracelet received calls from both devices. It did not work to connect the bracelet to the working Sony Acro S, but this is most likely due to the experimental firmware on it (Lollipop).
I do not know what version of Bluetooth works on the bracelet. Let me explain: on the official website of Huawei on beautiful pictures and a description of the modes of operation of the device, it is said that the bracelet operates with the latest version of BT - 4.1, but if you look at the technical characteristics of the bracelet itself on the same page, then it clearly states what is BT 3.0.
I requested information from the official site - I did not receive a response. Asked on Twitter (@HuaweiDevice) - likewise, silence. Strange situation.
The bracelet keeps in touch with the smartphone within 3.5-4 meters in buildings (apartment, office, gym). In open spaces, the distance is not measured. When the connection is broken, the bracelet will give out 2 vibrations and will show on the screen a crossed-out BT icon.
Connect the bracelet to your smartphone via NFC. This is convenient, but not necessary. Implement a function that may be needed only once, as for me, unnecessarily. You can always connect via BT, even if it takes several manipulations longer.
Autonomous work
The bracelet works with my use for about 4-5 days, depending on the intensity of voice calls received. Talkband charge can be viewed on the main screen, but it is quite difficult to identify it using this icon, since the change step is too big. Detailed and percentage charge can be viewed in the settings of the bracelet with the companion application.
The bracelet is charged pretty quickly - 1.5-2 hours. What is convenient, you can charge a bracelet wherever there is a USB connection. The bracelet does not need to be connected to the charger. Just remove the cap from the strap and insert it into the laptop. The cap-cap has a tendency to jump off the strap, and the entire water-tightness of the bracelet is immediately zero. Therefore, I recommend checking his condition before immersing the bracelet in water.
Wireless headset
It works properly, the sound passes in both directions decently. It was not such that the interlocutor asked me to switch to the normal microphone of the smartphone, as is usually the case when talking on the phone on the speakerphone. There is a noise reduction function.
When you receive a call, the bracelet screen displays the name of the caller. Sometimes he displays the number, i.e. The contact from the phone book is known, but the bracelet still does not display the name. If the contact name is displayed, then Cyrillic is supported.
It was fun enough at first to watch when you take a call to the bracelet, and people around you do not immediately understand what is happening and what is happening. Wow-effect definitely available. Plus, it is very convenient to answer calls while driving a car, although I do not advise doing this - for some time you have to translate the view from the windshield to the wrist.
You can also listen to music through the headset, but the activity is not pleasant, because Such a headset was clearly conceived not for music lovers, that's fair.
Clock
Last, but not least, the function of the bracelet is the display of the current time. By pressing the button, the screen will show time for 10 seconds and then go out.
Information can be displayed on the screen using an accelerometer, but this requires skill and is not very convenient. It is necessary to keep your hand horizontally, then turn your wrists with the screen away from you and back towards yourself. It must be done quite clearly and quickly, otherwise the focus will not work. The same movement can switch bracelet screens (time, steps, calories, sleep, time).
General impressions
In general, Huawei TalkBand B1 pleases. This is the first device that combines so many functions at once. Suppose the device contains flaws and flaws, but this, I hope, will be corrected in subsequent iterations. The bracelet performs its direct functions: a headset, a pedometer, an alarm clock (albeit not so smart).
The desire to spend money on a bracelet is purely individual and depends on the needs. Someone is ready and there is a need. Someone has the means, but the benefits of TalkBand will not feel.
From similar devices there are Sony SmartBand and Gear S / Neo, etc. which also have a built-in headset, but they output the sound of a conversation to the built-in speaker, i.e. others will hear your conversation too. Agree, a dubious pleasure.
I want to believe that such a review, albeit a confused one, will help someone with a choice.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/374537/
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