Honor is a spin-off brand from Huawei that we were first introduced to earlier this year, when it launched the cool Honor 5x in North America, along with the Band Z1 fitness band. Now it has announced a second wearable, the Band A1, and thanks to a wonderfully simple, minimalist design, we think it looks fantastic.
The Band A1 was shown off alongside the new Honor V8 smartphone, but at the moment only seems to be destined for release in China. That’s a pain. However, given the international availability of the Honor 5x and the Z1, there’s a chance it’ll arrive in Honor’s online store for purchase anywhere in the future.
Fitness band design may sound like a simple thing to get right, but rarely do we come across one that manages to stay unobtrusive while looking great, and still fulfilling our needs on the tech front. The Band A1 has a simple, single strap design and is made from either silicone or leather. The IP57 waterproof body is hidden from view and made of metal, while overall, the Band A1 weighs only 20 grams. That’s 5 grams less than a Jawbone Up2, already one of the lightest fitness wearables out there.
With the Band A1 on your wrist, it’ll track steps, calories, distance traveled, and alert you to any phone activity using vibrations and a small LED light. At night it’ll track your sleep, and even watches over any naps you may take during the day. There’s also a UV light sensor to help make a decision when to put on sunscreen. Perhaps best of all, Honor says the battery will last about 28 days before needing a recharge. Although it does so using a standard microUSB, this plugs into an irritating proprietary charger.
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How much does the Band A1 cost? The version with the silicone strap is the equivalent of $15, and the leather model is around $30. That puts it in the same area as Xiaomi’s Mi Band, but with a far more pleasing design. Sadly though, at the moment the Band A1 is only headed to China at the end of the month. We’ll keep you updated if the situation changes.
