dual use huawei honor band 4 running edition
I am extremely happy and grateful to the Codoon Trend Store for approving my application report after screening, allowing me to gain this valuable experience. This is my second time reviewing a smart wearable product, and this time I bring you the Huawei Honor Band 4 Running Edition.
In my impression, when smart bands first came out, they generally did not have display screens. Such a small gadget, worn on the wrist, felt very plasticky. You couldn't even check the time; for any notifications, you had to look at your phone. I really thought it was redundant to use a band. Initially, I was quite dismissive of them.
The appearance of the Huawei Honor Band 4 Running Edition has redefined my perception of smart bands. One fascinating feature of the Honor Band 4 Running Edition is that it can also be worn on your shoe, which is a major attraction for me. This band can monitor running posture, a function that other bands currently do not have.
The turquoise packaging box is very simple overall, but it doesn't feel cheap!
Opening the box, you see the full set of the band: the wristband, the main unit, the shoe buckle, the charger, and the manual.
The color I received is black and red, with a black upper layer and a red bottom layer. According to the official information, this band comes in five colors: Daring Red, Grass Green, Denim Blue, Energetic Pink, and Star Yellow. The official name for my color should be Daring Red.
The main unit of the band is very lightweight, with a touch button in the shape of a circle that allows you to operate functions and switch interfaces.
The back of the main unit has relevant certification marks.
It features a 0.5-inch OLED black-and-white display screen that can show all status information.
The wristband is made of skin-friendly TPU material, and the buckle uses a classic watch buckle design, making it difficult to slip off even during vigorous activities. The surface of the wristband has a multi-hole design for sweat-wicking and heat dissipation.
The compact charger does not come with a cable. You can charge the band by connecting the metal contacts on the main unit to the metal contacts on the charger.
The shoe buckle, which is used for wearing the band on your shoe, looks like an inconspicuous plastic base. However, it has some intricacies. There is a triangular arrow on the shoe buckle, and inside, there are metal contacts. Align the metal contacts on the main unit with those on the shoe buckle for proper installation.
Before using the Honor Band 4 Running Edition, you need to download and install its accompanying sports app and pair it via Bluetooth. It's very simple; after adding the device, you can view and set various information on your phone. This process is the same as with other brands of bands. Huawei's app is called Huawei Health, and this is my first time using it.
Charging the band will turn it on, and the display screen will synchronize information such as the calendar, time, battery level, and day of the week. The time is automatically synchronized to Beijing time, so no manual setting is required.
The common wrist-worn watch mode is mainly used for monitoring simple daily activities, such as time display, sleep monitoring, sedentary reminders, finding your phone, call reminders, message reminders, call rejection/silencing, calorie consumption, and raising your wrist to light up the screen. In this world, perhaps only a smart band cares more about how many steps you take, how many hours you sleep, and reminds you not to sit for too long than your mom does.
These common features are similar to most bands on the market. The unique highlight of the Honor Band 4 Running Edition is its six-axis sensor, which provides more accurate and realistic step counting. If you were hoping to cheat by shaking the band to top the WeChat step count leaderboard, the Huawei Honor Band 4 will make you say goodbye to cheating and ensure you actually walk.
I won't go into detail about the wrist-worn functions. Here is a parameter information table for your reference. This band supports both Android and iOS systems, so you don't need to worry about compatibility.
Now, let's focus on the foot-worn mode. To test the Honor Band 4 Running Edition, I, who usually only use the Codoon app, had to use two sports apps simultaneously. You need to remove the main unit of the Honor Band 4 Running Edition, thread the special shoe buckle accessory through the back of the shoelaces with the arrow pointing towards the toe, align the metal contacts on the main unit with those on the shoe buckle, and secure it. When you fasten it, the main unit will display a silhouette of a running athlete. There are two ways to start running mode: you can either start it on the Huawei Health app or directly on the main unit, which is convenient when you don't have your phone with you (just long-press the circle button).
A special reminder: make sure the direction of the shoe buckle and the band is correct. Some people might make this mistake when they are in a hurry before running. Don't blame the band if you think you bought a fake one. Unless you use the same pair of shoes every time and keep the shoe buckle on them, you can avoid mistakes. Also, it's important to keep the shoe buckle safe. If you lose it, the Honor Band 4 Running Edition can only be used as a traditional band.
Although I've been running for over three years, I sometimes still feel uncomfortable after running. I used to think it was because I was too tired. Later, through the data monitored by Codoon smart running shoes, I found out that my running posture was incorrect, with severe overpronation and insufficient core strength in my legs. I improved somewhat through leg strength training in Codoon's smart training.
So this time, I used the Honor Band 4 Running Edition to monitor my regular running shoes and see if the data was similar to that of the Codoon smart running shoes. However, I encountered two minor issues during the run. First, the Huawei Health app crashed at the second kilometer. I then enabled the background running power-saving mode, which Android users should understand. This setting prevents app crashes, and the problem was resolved. I ran 12 kilometers in total, but the Huawei Health app crashed again at the 12th kilometer, which was quite frustrating. From start to finish, the Codoon app ran smoothly, so the data results showed significant differences between the Huawei Health app and the Codoon app. The pace, step count, cadence, and stride length were all different. However, the monitoring of landing method, swing angle, landing impact, ground contact time, and overpronation was quite accurate, with little difference from the Codoon smart running shoes data. Overpronation still exists but has improved, and I still land on my heels 100% of the time (the main unit vibrates to remind you from start to finish).
Earlier, I mentioned that the Huawei Honor Band 4 uses a six-axis sensor. Traditional three-axis sensors can only calculate cycles and steps, but the additional three-axis gyroscope senses left-right tilt, front-back tilt, and left-right swing, and accurately calculates distance, length, and angle values. This is the highlight of this band. Although there were errors in this test, it was clearly due to the instability of the Huawei Health app. The analysis and suggestions are supported by the General Administration of Sport of China, so they are credible.
In the next test, I used the Huawei Honor Band 4 paired with Codoon smart running shoes to see if the final data was similar. This time, I ran the same 12 kilometers, and both the Huawei Health app and the Codoon app ran perfectly without any issues. The data provided by both apps was almost identical. My overpronation still exists but has improved significantly. I still need to strengthen my leg core muscles, and I will rely on the Huawei Honor Band 4 to continue monitoring me.
The Honor Band 4 Running Edition also has a waterproof feature, with a rating of up to 50 meters. You don't need to take it off when washing your hands, face, or taking a shower, so there's no need to worry about its waterproof and sweat-proof capabilities.
I've been using the band for over a week now, and the battery has gone from 100% to 75%. This suggests that it can last about two weeks without charging, consistent with the official claim of over half a month of battery life.
In conclusion, as a smart sports band, the Honor Band 4 Running Edition offers fashionable colors, excellent running monitoring, and high cost-performance. If you pursue fashion and love running, the Honor Band 4 is a good choice for you. However, the wristband's silicone material is a bit hard, it lacks a heart rate function, and it cannot sync data to the Codoon app. These shortcomings in smart data generation cannot be effectively remedied. For running experts, this may not be a big deal as they trust their abilities. For beginners, don't worry too much about the data; listen to your body. The innovative dual-use mode of the Huawei Honor Band 4 is still unique in the market, making all your running shoes smart.