Honor Earbuds 3 Pro And Watch GS 3 Are Wearables With Hidden Health Talents
Honor has unveiled its latest true wireless earbuds, and a new analog-inspired smartwatch, both with new health-tracking features. In addition to cutting the cord, the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro can also keep track of your temperature, while the Honor Watch GS 3 has an eight-channel heart rate monitor baked in. Both were announced alongside the Honor Magic 4 and Magic 4 Pro smartphones at Mobile World Congress 2022 today.
Honor
The Earbuds 3 Pro debut a new coaxial dual-driver design, which the company claims is an industry first. That combines an 11mm dynamic driver with a piezoelectric ceramic tweeter. The result, Honor says, is more bass and improved treble, while also keeping power consumption low.
Honor
The new driver is paired with a special rear cavity cover, which – like the front cover – is designed to reduce in-ear pressure. It also integrates a new sensor, tracking temperature while the earbud is in place. Exactly what might be done with that data, Honor isn't specifying, though it does suggest it could be useful for broader health monitoring.
ANC and smarter connectivity
There's active noise cancellation, with automatic switching between levels depending on ambient sound conditions, and an AI Equalizer Adjustment system that tweaks EQ according to ear shape, among other factors. As for connectivity, there's Bluetooth 5.2 with support for dual device connection and a low-latency gaming mode.
Each earbud should last for up to six hours of music playback, Honor says, with the case providing sufficient charge to take that total to 24 hours. A 65% charge can be carried out in just 10 minutes, while a five-minute charge is good for up to two hours of music playback. The case itself charges via USB-C or Qi wireless.
As well as a white version, the Earbuds 3 Pro will also come in a metallic gray finish, better distinguishing you from your AirPod Pro-wearing friends. They'll be priced at 199 euro ($228) when they go on sale later in 2022.
A smartwatch with analog style
Smartwatches that look like analog timepieces aren't new, but Honor's Watch GS 3 gets closer than most to its inspiration. Just 10.5mm thin – albeit not including the sensor area – with a polished 316L stainless steel body and 3D curved glass atop its circular 1.43-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, it weighs around 44 grams without the strap.
Three finishes will be offered. Ocean Blue sees a silver watch paired with a blue kappa calfskin strap, while Classic Gold combines a gold body with a brown strap. Midnight Black has a black body with a matching black fluoroelastomer strap. All three use standard, 22mm bands, for easier replacement.
The display is 466 x 466 pixels and can crank up to 1,000 nits of brightness. The whole thing is also water-resistant to 5ATM, plus it has GNSS and Bluetooth 5.0 for connectivity with a smartphone.
As with many smartwatches, the big focus here is health tracking. There's a 24/7 heart rate monitor with an eight-channel photoplethysmography (PPG) 5.0 sensor; Honor says that, combined with its AI Heart Rate Engine, it's up to 97% accurate. There's auto-detection for six different workout types and over 100 types in total. The Watch GS 3 will also show 12 animated fitness courses and 44 fitness motions to help perfect form.
The Honor Watch GS 3 will be priced at 229 euro ($262) for the Midnight Black model, and 249 euro ($285) for the Ocean Blue and Classic Gold. They'll be released later in 2022.