Honor Band 7 has a thinner body & more premium build

Honor Band 7 was announced earlier this morning at an event in China. The wearable comes with similar specs as the predecessor generation, but a thinner body and more premium build.

The sixth generation of the company’s activity band was released internationally in early 2021 and in China a few months earlier. So it was well due for an upgrade.

In our hands-on review we found the wearable ticks a lot of boxes. It has a very nice 1.47 inch AMOLED display, accurate heart rate tracking during exercise, detailed sleep statistics and decent two-week battery life. Typically retailing for around $50, Band 6 represents excellent value for money.

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A firmware update in December 2021 expanded its functionality to allow for all-day SpO2 monitoring. Previously the device only allowed on-demand readings.

Having said that, there are a few negatives. This includes the lack of built-in GPS and advanced performance stats. Also, it may be the trend but a large display might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Honor Band 7 – a large display, two week battery life but no built-in GPS

We knew Band 7 was coming because a filing for an Honor-branded fitness tracker was added to the US Federal Communications Commision (FCC) database in early December. It was safe to assume that this was Honor Band 7 considering the company does not have any other fitness bands in its arsenal of devices.

The upgrade this time around seems to be the more premium build. You get something that is made of high-gloss metal whereas before the case was made of TPU material. This ensures a more premium look. The wearable is also slightly thinner than before.

You still get the large AMOLED display. It measures a massive 1.47-inches and comes with 2.5D curved glass protection. The screen supports 221 ppi. There’s a single physical button on the right.

Beyond that this was an iterative update. The identical sensors are on-board as before but probably upped to the next generation. This should ensure improved tracking systems for sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen and menstrual cycle detection. The number of workout modes comes in at 96. Still no built-in GPS so you’ll need to tap into your smartphone for that.

Honor Band 7 can keep going up to two weeks with typical usage and 10 days with heavy use. This is impressive considering large displays are power hungry. Top-ups should not take long due to the device’s fast charging ability.

Finally there’s a bit of smart functionality thrown in. The wearable supports contactless payments, there are music playback controls and the thing can help you take photos from a Bluetooth 5.2 connected phone.

For now, Honor Band 7 can only be picked up in China at a price of 249 Yuan (around $35). Pre-orders start today with official sales due to commence on January 6th. The wearable is offered in three colour options including Rose Pink, Cedar Blue, and Magic Night Black. International availability should follow soon.

Honor Band 7 vs Band 6: What’s the difference?

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