A branding app for Huawei Watch Buds has been discovered, showing a smartwatch with built-in wireless earphones. This means that a pair of earphones will be inserted into the sides of the smartwatch by default, but why? It turns out that it could be much more useful than it seems.
The trademark application, spotted by LetsGoDigital, was filed on March 28, but it's not the first time Huawei has tried to get the concept of a smartwatch with built-in headphones off the ground. In 2018, Huawei Watch 3 patents showed that the smartwatch was originally intended to include built-in wireless headphones.
It's not the first manufacturer on the table here either, as the DrPhone brand already offers several smartwatches with built-in headphones. However, Huawei could be the first known brand to bring the concept to market.
There is currently no information indicating a release date or an official announcement about the Huawei Watch Buds: a patent cannot be taken as a guarantee that a device will actually hit the market.
Still, we may get a reveal for the ambitious device this year. We also imagine that the Huawei Watch Buds will run on Huawei's bespoke HarmonyOS operating system, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Analysis: what is it for?
The idea of a smartwatch with built-in wireless headphones initially seems counterintuitive. After all, most of the best smartwatches you can buy are incredibly small, and adding a pair of built-in earphones can make the watch a bit bulkier than many might seem.
On the other hand, a pair of built-in true wireless earphones does have its benefits. On the surface, you get a pair of earbuds for the cost of a smartwatch, and while they're perched on the sides of the device by default, you may not need to pair them externally via a smartphone.
It is also possible for the earbuds to charge when they are inserted into the Huawei Watch Buds smart watch. This hasn't been confirmed, but such a feature would also eliminate the need for a charging case to keep the earbuds charged. The downside, then, would be that the smartwatch itself could have a bigger impact on battery life while the buttons are plugged in and charging.
Currently, we are also unable to speak about the audio quality that the buttons will provide. That said, we've been impressed by Huawei's headphones in the past, in particular the Huawei FreeBuds Pro, which had fantastic noise cancellation and decent sound. They're by no means among the best wireless headphones you can buy, but they're a solid buy nonetheless.