"Watch Buds" by Huawei includes planar magnetic earbuds and touch controls on the skin

Huawei's Watch Buds are intended to function as a charging case, discreetly integrated within a stylish smartwatch design.

Huawei has addressed the inconvenience of carrying a charging case for wireless earbuds by integrating it with a smartwatch. The Watch Buds, the Chinese manufacturer's latest offering, features an earbud charging case and a smartwatch combined into one device. The watch runs on Huawei's proprietary OS, making it compatible with both iOS and Android devices and provides all the basic watch features, including a health suite that measures blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and sleeping patterns.

The device has a sleek design with stainless steel accents and a full-grain leather strap. To access the earbuds, users can push on the watch face to open the trapdoor-like chamber, and the buds are magnetically attached to the cover. The buds are simple in design and do not have any stem or fin for extra support, but they are extremely lightweight, coming in just under 4g. The Watch Buds come with a three-day battery life, which includes charging the earbuds regularly.

The Watch Buds incorporate a planar diaphragm system that utilizes internal magnetics to generate sound by pushing and pulling a thin film. While planar magnetic headphones and IEMs are known for delivering exceptional audio quality, it remains to be seen if the Watch Buds, which are tiny in size, can match that level of performance. Fortunately, the software plays a significant role in optimizing the sound output, thanks to Huawei's ear canal analysis feature that adjusts the audio based on your ear structure.

One of the standout features of the Watch Buds is the integration of "auricle touch controls," which allow you to control music playback and take calls with a simple tap on the skin around your ear. This feature, which we previously saw on Sony's Linkbuds, is a game-changer, as touching the buds themselves can be inconvenient. Additionally, the buds don't have a specific left or right orientation. Instead, they rely on momentum tracking to detect their location in your ears and adjust the audio accordingly.

Huawei has opened pre-orders for the Watch Buds in Europe, with the official launch slated for March 1. It's currently unclear if the product will be available in other regions.