{"id":3446,"date":"2018-10-20T00:32:02","date_gmt":"2018-10-20T00:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/huaweis-watch-gt-has-no-time-for-androids-wear-os\/"},"modified":"2018-10-20T00:32:02","modified_gmt":"2018-10-20T00:32:02","slug":"huaweis-watch-gt-has-no-time-for-androids-wear-os","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/huaweis-watch-gt-has-no-time-for-androids-wear-os\/","title":{"rendered":"Huawei&#8217;s Watch GT has no time for Android&#8217;s Wear OS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div property=\"articleBody\">\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width lead\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-image-replace\" alt=\"Watch GT\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/8D8E\/production\/_103883263_67da0de1-80d3-434a-9168-e150c87c1bab.jpg\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\"\/><span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">Huawei<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    The Watch GT can run for up to a month between charges but lacks an app store<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"story-body__introduction\">Huawei has decided not to use the wearable-tech version of Android in its latest smartwatch, opting instead for an in-house operating system.<\/p>\n<p>The company said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huawei.com\/minisite\/liteos\/en\/\" class=\"story-body__link-external\">decision to use Lite OS<\/a> had been taken in part to maximise battery life.<\/p>\n<p>It marks a setback to Google&#8217;s Android-based Wear OS, which ran Huawei&#8217;s last two generations of smartwatches.<\/p>\n<p>The Chinese company also unveiled a smartphone with a unique wireless power facility.<\/p>\n<p>The Mate 20 Pro can:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">be recharged without having to be plugged in<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">wirelessly power other compatible devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"story-body__crosshead\">Extended life<\/h2>\n<p>Android dominates the smartphone market, accounting for about 85% of all shipped handsets, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idc.com\/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS44240118\" class=\"story-body__link-external\">according to IDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, its dominance did not extend to smartwatches, the market research company said. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                 <span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">Huawei<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    Huawei unveiled its new devices at a press conference in London<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>None of the five top-selling smartwatch brands currently uses Wear OS and it is installed on only 10.3% of all smartwatches shipped within the July-to-September period in Western Europe, according to IDC&#8217;s data.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, Apple, Fitbit, Samsung and Garmin are among those to have adopted proprietary platforms. Now, Huawei is doing the same for its Watch GT.<\/p>\n<p>Lite OS had previously been used by Huawei to power a more basic fitness tracker. In addition, it has been licensed by others to power smart doorbells, internet-connected letterboxes, streetlights and smart energy meters, among other products.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                 <span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">Huawei<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    Huawei&#8217;s previous Watch 2 smartwatches were among the bestselling Wear OS devices<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Huawei said one benefit of its move was to make use of Watch GT&#8217;s new &#8220;dual chipset architecture&#8221;:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">a low-power-consumption section for simple tasks, including sleep analysis<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">a more battery-hungry segment for complex activities, such as providing sports coaching tips<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And the device now offered three modes with differing battery life:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">up to 30 days if the smart capabilities were limited to showing notifications received via a smartphone and monitoring the user&#8217;s heart rate <\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">at least two weeks if sleep analysis is also provided, in addition to a total of 180 minutes of active exercise-tracking<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">22 hours if all the sensors were turned on and the screen kept lit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The timepiece is compatible with both iOS and Android handsets.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                 <span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">CCS Insight<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    Huawei&#8217;s Watch GT has less functionality than Apple&#8217;s Watch Series 4 but is about half the price<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;Huawei has been very clear that it wants to compete more with Fitbits and Garmins than true smartwatches with their own [data] connectivity,&#8221; said Marta Pinto, from IDC.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It said it has surveyed what people do with a watch and has tried to cover the things people actually use.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She added that one benefit of offering more limited abilities was that the Watch GT&#8217;s price was lower than its predecessors &#8211; between \u20ac199 (\u00a3174) and \u20ac249, depending on the design.<\/p>\n<p>Smartwatch owners typically use fewer apps on any of the various platforms than had once been forecast. But one industry-watcher suggested Huawei&#8217;s device could be too limited.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The battery life is massive but will that make up for the lack of [the social fitness network] Strava on there?&#8221; asked David McQueen, from the consultancy ABI.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can&#8217;t even play music from it. It&#8217;s quite a dumbed-down device. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Perhaps people don&#8217;t want a smartphone on their wrist with all the applications that involves &#8211; but you still need the key ones.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"story-body__crosshead\">Ultra-wide photo phone <\/h2>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                 <span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">Huawei<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    The new handsets feature three cameras on their rear plus a flash<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The new Mate 20 handsets are powered by Android 9 but have several distinguishing features:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">the Pro version introduces wireless reverse charging, which allows its relatively high-capacity 4,200mAh battery to be used to recharge other devices that share the Qi power-transfer standard<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">an &#8220;ultra-wide angle&#8221; lens has been added to the back of the models, joining the wide angle and telephoto options included last year<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">machine-learning techniques are used to automatically select the best lens for each shot and to offer new effects, including the selective colourisation of video images in real time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Unlike the company&#8217;s recent P20 Pro, however, there is no dedicated monochrome camera as Huawei says it no longer needs one to enhance image detail.<\/p>\n<p>Business users are being targeted by the ability to wirelessly link the handsets to Bluetooth-enabled screens for presentations.<\/p>\n<p>And the Pro model offers both a fingerprint sensor beneath part of its screen as well as a depth-sensing facial scanner.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                 <span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">Huawei<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    The handset can make the background appear in black-and-white while keeping the subject in colour while filming a video<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s expensive, but Huawei is pitching this to a niche market &#8211; the business sector &#8211; which is still growing, while the consumer smartphone market in Europe is declining,&#8221; said Ms Pinto.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Companies have had to adapt to the EU&#8217;s new GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] privacy law, which has discouraged the use of bring your own devices to work.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Many of the details had leaked in advance. <\/p>\n<p>But the company did have one big surprise: the Mate 20 X. The model has a 7.2in (18.3cm) display &#8211; larger than some tablets &#8211; a companion stylus and a 5,000mAh battery. <\/p>\n<p>In addition, the device has a snap-on games controller and is being pitched as an alternative to Nintendo&#8217;s mobile console, the Switch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><\/p>\n<p>                 <span class=\"off-screen\">Image copyright<\/span><br \/>\n                 <span class=\"story-image-copyright\">Huawei<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\"><span class=\"off-screen\">Image caption<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"media-caption__text\"><br \/>\n                    Huawei boasted that gamers would be able to play with its largest phone for twice as long as on the Nintendo Switch<br \/>\n                <\/span><br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The basic model of the Mate 20 will cost \u20ac799-\u20ac849, the Pro model \u20ac1,049, and the X \u20ac899.<\/p>\n<p>Huawei overtook Apple to become the world&#8217;s second bestselling smartphone brand in the April-to-June quarter, behind Samsung.<\/p>\n<p>But it is as yet unclear whether the Shenzhen-based company can achieve its goal of selling more units than its Californian rival for 2018 as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Having a few useful differentiators to what else is on the market should help,&#8221; said Mr McQueen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Mate 20 is obviously targeting Samsung&#8217;s Galaxy Note 9 but I don&#8217;t see why it shouldn&#8217;t challenge Apple&#8217;s XS Max too.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology-45812609\">Source<\/a> by <a href=\"\">[author_name]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image copyright Huawei Image caption The Watch GT can run for up to a month between charges but lacks an app store Huawei has decided not to use the wearable-tech version of Android in its latest smartwatch, opting instead for an in-house operating system. The company said the decision to use Lite OS had been &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}