As the fitness band craze continues to bloom across the world, the industry continues to evolve with products that do more than just track your steps per day and calories burned. Devices are now coming to market that measure your heart rate, show you incoming messages and even allow you to take calls from them. This last feature is one that drove me nuts the first time I saw someone use it, and it is the one reason why the TalkBand B1 from Huawei Devices is something that everyone should add to their short list of devices to consider.
Starting out, the TalkBand B1 doesn’t look much different than any other band on the market. The strap is comfortable, yes sturdy. The clasp is also very strong and links in well to the band. The buttons are solid, easy to push and give plenty of feedback when pressed. The USB charging port is built into the band itself and is covered by a rubber tip. I personally would have reversed the port so the rubber edge pointed in, but after about a minute of wearing it, you almost forget that it is there.
The fit of the band for people with larger wrists could be an issue, but the sizing drops down to a very small size for those with tiny wrists. Overall, the fit and comfort of the TalkBand B1 is very nice.
Fitting on the wrist isn’t the only part to measure on the TalkBand B1. You also have the added bonus of popping out the primary interface and using it as a Bluetooth ear piece. Just a quick push of the release button and the TalkBand B1 becomes a full fledge in-ear Bluetooth receiver. That’s not where the TalkBand B1 stops though. On top of handling your voice calls and reading you your text messages (if your handset allows it,) it also has a few other notable features.
First off, by linking the device to your Android 4.2 or later powered cellphone, you can get a daily tracking of all the information that the TalkBand B1 collects. These figures include: number of steps taken, number of hours slept, distance travelled and time taken doing so, calories burned, and details on your sleep cycle. These are viewable in a daily, weekly or monthly format in easy to read charts and graphics. While it doesn’t collect all of the data that some of the competition does, the TalkBand B1 does collect plenty of data to get you started on a life to better fitness.
As you start to look at the functionality of the TalkBand B1 and who it is aimed for, it becomes more apparent that this is not a device for the Ironman athlete or the long distance cyclist. The TalkBand B1 is aimed squarely at the person that wants to establish healthier habits by walking more and sleeping more consistently. The gentle reminder to get up and move at the interval you program into the TalkBand B1 is yet another reason why it is a good fit for the average user.
By taking the fitness band craze down a notch and making it accessible to the every day person, Huawei has made the TalkBand B1 one of the best fitness items for the average user. The easy to read display and simplistic operation make it a no brainer for even the most tech challenged individuals. Yet the fitness tracking App and ability to take calls make it a powerful addition to just about anyone’s workout gear. The Huawei TalkBand B1 definitely has the right marketing team behind it when they use the tag line, “Enjoy a balanced life.” Everything that the TalkBand B1 does for you encourages just that, balance.
As someone that never “got” the fitness band craze, I didn’t think I would be the person that would be right to review this particular item. The fact that it doesn’t work with my primary Windows Phone device and that I don’t like wearing watches pretty much doomed this from the start. What I found after wearing it for just a week though, surprised me immensely. I want to wear this device and I was willing to carry a different handset to use it was even scarier. I will just say this, for me, the TalkBand B1 is the perfect fit for my lifestyle. I want something that reminds me to move,
The Huawei TalkBand B1 is available at many retailers, or from Amazon by clicking the link below.
Amazon Link: Huawei TalkBand B1
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