Decoding differences: Huawei Band 9 vs Band 8

Looking to get in shape or upgrade your existing fitness tracker? Huawei has you covered with two compelling smart bands, but deciding between the Huawei Band 9 and Band 8 can be a bit tricky. If you prioritize both style and functionality in a lightweight, budget-friendly package, this side-by-side comparison will help you pick the perfect Huawei band for your needs.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

Officially launched today, the Huawei Band 9 brings subtle improvements to the table. We’ll delve into these upgrades and compare them to the already-established Band 8.

Key takeaways

There’s very little difference between these two devices. The Huawei Band 9 offers slightly upgraded sensors and health tracking features compared to the Band 8, potentially making it worthwhile if those specific improvements are important to you. However, if you just need a solid fitness tracker with smartwatch functionality at a great price, the Huawei Band 8 remains a compelling option.

View on Huawei; View on Amazon (Band 8).

Jump to

Hardware
Technical specs
Features
Price
Bottom line

Huawei Band 9 vs Band 8: Hardware

Look & feel

Both the Huawei Band 9 and Band 8 share a similar design philosophy. They prioritize the “classic” fitness band look, with a sleek and lightweight rectangular form factor. However, there’s a subtle evolution in design philosophy between the two models.

The Huawei Band 9 uses durable polymer materials and features a glossy gilded bezel that adds a touch of elegance and robustness. In contrast, the Band 8 is crafted from skin-friendly TPU material, emphasizing comfort and wearability. Size-wise, both bands are comparably slim and lightweight, making them suitable for all-day wear, although the Band 9 shaves off a fraction in dimensions so offers a slightly more refined profile.

Functionality-wise, each band features a single physical button along the side. This, in combination with the touch-display, allows you to easily navigate menus, wake the device, and return to the main home screen.

Display, colour options, water resistance

Visuals are handled by a vibrant AMOLED color 2.5D display present on both the Band 9 and Band 8. They both boast a 1.47 inch display with a 194 x 368 pixels resolution, providing clarity and detail for all displayed content. So no difference on this count.

The same applies to water-resistance. The duo offers a 5 ATM water resistance rating. This means they can withstand being submerged in water up to 50 meters, making them suitable for swimming and showering.

Finally, the Huawei Band 9 offers more variety with its color options. It introduces Lemon Yellow, Light Pink, Electric Blue, Sand White, and Stellar Black. The Band 8 stays classic with Emerald Green, Magic Night Black, Cherry Pink, and Vibrant Orange.

Sensor technology

The Huawei Band 9 boasts a slightly more advanced sensor array compared to the Band 8. It includes a 9-axis IMU sensor which has an accelerometer, gyroscope, and a magnetometer. This magnetometer could potentially lead to more accurate tracking in specific applications. Both bands include an optical heart rate sensor and an ambient light sensor.

When it comes to GPS and connectivity, both the Huawei Band 9 and Band 8 rely on connected GPS, meaning they use your smartphone’s GPS for location tracking. They don’t have built-in GPS. For connecting to your smartphone, the bands feature Bluetooth 5.0 and BLE. Unfortunately, neither the Band 9 nor the Band 8 include NFC functionality for contactless payments (outside their home market of China) or the ability to store music directly on the device.

Battery life

As far as battery life, the duo performs well offering up to 14 days on a single charge. However, it’s important to note that this is a maximum estimate based on typical usage patterns. The two week life includes continuous heart rate monitoring with TruSleep turned off at night. Switch this on and you can expect around 9 days between charges. Keeping the display always on reduces battery life to just 3 days.

For those in a hurry, a quick five-minute charge is remarkably efficient, providing up to two days of usage. This is particularly convenient for users often on the go.

Huawei Band 9 vs Band 8: Technical specs

Here’s a detailed tech specs comparison table for the Huawei Band 9 and Huawei Band 8:

Huawei Band 9 vs Band 8: Features

When it comes to health and fitness tracking, the Huawei Band 9 and Band 8 offer all the essentials. They track your activity, heart rate and SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) levels. They’re also equipped to monitor your sleep patterns, helping you understand the quality of your rest and offering tips for improvement. Standard stuff these days.

The bands excel at tracking a vast array of sports modes, likely covering all your favourite activities. Whether you’re into running, swimming, cycling, or more niche sports, you can rely on both bands to monitor your workouts and provide valuable metrics to analyze. Additionally, connected GPS functionality enriches outdoor exercise experiences by mapping routes and tracking distances with the help of the user’s smartphone, a feature equally available in both bands.

The Huawei Band 9 elevates the health and fitness tracking experience with a few things. First there’s its 9-axis IMU sensor, offering comprehensive motion detection across a wide range of activities. Plus there is more robust sleep tracking capability with Huawei TruSleep 4.0 (versus 3.0 on Band 8). Finally, Band 9 includes TruSeen 5.5 health monitoring (versus 5.0 on Band 8) and pulse wave arrhythmia analysis, ensuring a more holistic approach to health management.

Smartwatch-type features

Beyond their core health and fitness functions, both the Band 9 and Band 8 offer several smartwatch-like features. You can receive notifications for calls, messages, and app alerts directly on your wrist. Both bands allow you to control music playback on your connected smartphone and offer remote camera control for convenient photo taking. Additionally, features like weather forecasts, alarms, timers, and a ‘find my phone’ function enhance their daily usability.

Also, unlike some options out there, these bands play nice both with Apple and Android phones. So no worries as far as compatibility.

Huawei Band 9 vs Band 8: Price

Official pricing for the Huawei Band 9 has not yet been revealed. However, considering the Huawei Band 8 debuted at around $60, it’s reasonable to expect the Band 9 to launch within a similar price range. Since there aren’t any major hardware upgrades, a significant price jump would be unlikely.

Huawei Band 9 vs Band 8: Final thoughts

The Huawei Band 9 and Band 8 demonstrate a continuation of Huawei’s commitment to providing capable fitness wearables at an accessible price point. While the changes between the two bands are subtle. The Band 9 packs an enhanced sensor array, with its 9-axis IMU, while improvements to sleep tracking and overall health monitoring round out the upgrade. Little change as far as design.

If your needs are more basic, the Huawei Band 8 still represents excellent value for money. Particularly as its price will come down now. You’ll get core fitness tracking, essential smartwatch features, and that long-lasting battery life in a comfortable and stylish package.

Buy the Huawei Band 9 if:

• You want the most advanced health and fitness tracking Huawei offers in this form factor.
• The additional insight from the magnetometer is important for your activity tracking.
• You value a slightly more premium design aesthetic.

Buy the Huawei Band 8 if:

• You want a no-frills, reliable fitness tracker at a competitive price.
• You don’t need the absolute latest in health tracking tech.
• You prefer its color options.

View on Huawei; View on Amazon (Band 8).

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