The Huawei Watch Fit New and the OPPO Watch Free are two new fitness trackers that were announced recently in China. Both wearables share a similar design, one that was actually pioneered by the Huawei Watch Fit released in 2020. Apart from looking alike, the two devices also have identical features but try to differ in their own unique ways.
If you are planning to pick up a fitness tracker, there is a chance these two are on your shortlist. To know which one is better, here is a comparison pitting them against each other.
Design
The two smartwatches are very similar in their appearance with subtle differences. For instance, the Huawei Watch Fit New has a physical button on the side of its frame for operation alongside support for touch input. While both are made from similar materials – a plastic frame and silicone straps – Huawei’s watch has the advantage of being available in more colors than the OPPO Watch Free. However, the latter’s leather-like silicone strap may be more appealing to buyers.
Another factor to be considered under design is weight. Both are pretty light but the OPPO Watch Free is the lighter one at 32.6 grams (NFC version is 33 grams) while the Huawei Watch Fit New weighs 34 grams. Most people will not be able to tell the difference seeing as the difference is very minute.
Technically, this category should be a tie, but Huawei gets an extra point for coming up with the design.
Display
Both fitness trackers have the same 1.64-inch 280 x 456 AMOLED display with 2.5D glass on top. Neither of the two fitness trackers mentions having protection for the display but we believe there should be a degree of protection against scratches.
Users will be able to choose from more than 300 different dials on the Huawei Watch Fit New while OPPO says there are more than 100 dials to choose from. While that is fewer than what Huawei offers, OPPO adds the option to generate a custom dial for your watch using a photo of your outfit.
Activity Tracking
The Huawei Watch Fit New has 97 sports modes while OPPO says the Watch Free can track more than 100 different physical activities with support for automatic detection when running, walking, or working out using a rowing machine or elliptical bike. OPPO’s fitness tracker can also track jump rope workout, a mode Huawei plans to add to its wearable via an OTA update.
Both fitness trackers have built-in running coaches but the Huawei Watch Fit New has the upper hand with its built-in GPS and animated workouts that show you how to perform certain exercises.
Health Tracking
The two fitness trackers have a heart rate sensor for 24 hours heart rate monitoring, a SpO2 sensor for blood-oxygen-level monitoring, and sleep tracking. OPPO also adds snoring detection which is an important metric to determine how well a user sleeps. Huawei, on the other hand, includes stress tracking along with guided breathing exercises to help you relax. There is also a menstrual cycle reminder on the Huawei Watch Fit New that will estimate menstruation and ovulation dates.
Other Features
The Huawei Watch Fit New has NFC and thus can be used to make payments and also for commuting (bus and subway pass). There is also a built-in AI assistant for controlling compatible smart home appliances.
The standard version of the OPPO Watch Free doesn’t have NFC but has support for Alipay and WeChat payment. There is a version with NFC that will let you add your bank, bus, and subway cards for contactless payments. It also has the Breeno AI assistant built-in with support for an offline mode.
Both fitness trackers support app alerts, music playback control, call and message alerts, and have a find-my-phone feature. OPPO adds a special eSports Mode that automatically redirects notifications to the wearable when playing a game on compatible phones such as the Find X3 series and Reno6 series.
Battery life
The OPPO Watch Free has a 230mAh battery capacity that OPPO claims will last up to 14 days depending on the usage. Huawei’s fitness tracker has a 180mAh battery capacity of and its battery life is stated to be 10 days in typical usage mode.
Price
The Huawei Watch Fit New is priced at ¥799 (~$124) while the OPPO Watch Free is priced at ¥549 (~$85) for the standard version and ¥599 (~$93) for the NFC version.
Conclusion
The two fitness trackers are not only similar in terms of design but also have corresponding features. However, differentiating ones such as the eSports mode on the OPPO Watch Free and the animated workouts as well as built-in GPS on the Huawei Watch Fit New can sway buyers to choose one over the other.
Another major difference is the price tag. The Huawei Watch Fit New costs about $30 more than the OPPO Watch Free NFC version, and for folks who are on a tight budget, they will prefer to pick up OPPO’s fitness tracker.
One advantage Huawei has is experience in the wearable space, an area OPPO can still be considered a greenhorn. Huawei has been making smartwatches and fitness trackers for years and has been able to fine-tune features across models. We should expect better tracking on the Huawei Watch Fit New in addition to having a companion app that is well put together. Bearing this in mind, only a usage-based comparison can tell which fitness tracker provides the better experience.
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