Honor Band 5 fitness tracker review. Better than Xiaomi Mi Band 4?

 

For relatively little money today you can get a very decent fitness bracelet with a color screen and good functionality.

 

The Honor Band 5, announced this summer, definitely fits this description. Let’s take a closer look at the new product…

 

External inspection and first acquaintance

 

Honor Band 5 belongs to the class of fitness bracelets with a color screen and a built-in optical heart rate sensor. There is no GPS receiver here.

 

The delivery package does not stand out as anything special. In addition to the device itself, the box contains a USB cable, a charging dock and a set of documentation.

 

 

The device is quite compact, and a color screen is placed here to display various information and control the device.

 

Additionally, we note that our copy is a version intended for sale in Europe. Compared to the very common “Chinese” Honor Band 5, there may be differences in some nuances.

 

 

At the moment, there are three strap color options: black, like ours, as well as blue and pink.

 

In terms of tactile sensations, Honor Band 5 leaves a positive impression (the body of the central capsule is made of plastic). The gaps are minimal, everything is done neatly. There are no complaints here.

 

Thestrap is quite soft and comfortably secures the device to your hand. Thanks to a wide range of holes, both adults and children can wear such a device.

 

 

 

The Honor Band 5 is not as fast to put on as the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 with its “clip”, but the strap definitely won’t unfasten on its own.

 

On the inside of the rubber ring that presses the end of the strap, there is a kind of “tooth”. It is recessed into the holes on the belt, which allows it not to slip and stay securely in place. It’s very nice to see such attention to detail.

 

 

Touch screen. The controls are extremely simple.

 

A single tap will select a menu item, a swipe up or down will change menu items, a swipe to the right will take you back one step, and a tap on the ring at the bottom of the display will take you to the home screen.

 

 

The bracelet is not afraid of getting into water. There is even a swimming pool workout mode

 

To fully use Honor Band 5, you must install the Huawei Health application on your smartphone and connect the device viaBluetooth.

 

Features not related to fitness, training and health

 

The main focus of Honor Band 5 is on features related to fitness, sports training, and health.

 

But in reality there are not so many functions of the bracelet that complement the smartphone.

 

Let’s note them separately:

• dropping an incoming phone call;
• display messages and notifications from various applications on the screen;
• a warning about a broken Bluetooth connection (if you forget your smartphone, then, having received such a signal, you can return and pick it up);
• control the music player, change the volume (not all applications are supported, you need to check compatibility. The function was added in the latest update);

 

 

• camera shutter release control (indicates compatibility exclusively with Huawei Honor. It must be said that in our case, even using the corresponding smartphone, we did not find the function. Perhaps this is a “feature” of our European Honor Band 5);
• smartphone detection (will help detect a smartphone if it is within range of the Bluetooth signal).

 

Screen and OSD

 

The Honor Band 5 fitness bracelet has a 0.95-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 240×120 pixels. Yes, this resolution is not very impressive by modern standards, but for a screen of this size it is absolutely enough.

 

 

The brightness is adjusted manually (there is no light sensor). In maximum mode there will be no special problems even when used in the sun.

 

A separate setting can be used to automatically dim the screen brightness at night. By the way, a very useful function.

 

The colors of the display are rich and vibrant. Thanks to AMOLED technology, black areas in the image remain truly pitch black.

 

You can turn on the screen by pressing the circle or, if the appropriate setting is selected, by turning the hand towards you, as if you were watching the time, like on a regular watch.

 

Recognition of such a gesture works reliably.

 

The image is displayed on the screen for only a few seconds (about 4). Always on mode is not provided. In the menu, however, you can find an item for one-time activation of 5 minutes of continuous operation. After this, the display will turn on again for only a few seconds.

 

Touch controls have average sensitivity. For such a device, perhaps this is for the best. The screens of modern smartphones are clearly more responsive.

 

The amount of data displayed on the bottom of the main screen depends on the selected “watch face”. This can be either a regular time display or additional information about the number of steps, calories burned, distance traveled, day of the week, and weather information.

 

 

 

It must be said that a large selection of different watch faces downloaded from the Huawei Health application appeared only in one of the firmware updates some time after the release of the bracelet.

 

By scrolling up or down, you can select the item you are interested in (workout, heart rate measurement, message, device settings, etc.).

 

In a separate item “More” you will find the start of a stopwatch, a timer, you can set the brightness, select a “dial”, set a signal to search for a smartphone and some other settings.

 

Health care

 

Traditionally for non-professional fitness trackers, Honor Band 5 determines heart rate using an optical sensor. The area on the skin is illuminated with LEDs and a special scanner determines the current pulse based on changes in blood flow.

 

How accurate is this method and can the data obtained be trusted?

 

Modern optical sensors are indeed capable of very accurate pulse detection. For enthusiasts this will be absolutely enough. And for those who play sports very seriously or professionally, we can recommend using devices with special chest strap sensors.

 

As it turned out,the optical heart rate sensor used in Honor Band 5 is not quite ordinary. In training mode (running, cycling, etc.) the usual LED backlight is used.

 

But during normal use of the bracelet, the pulse sensor is illuminated by infrared illumination invisible to the human eye.

 

The manufacturer calls the sensor used TruSeen 3.0.

 

Two advantages are noted. This method is more economical in terms of energy consumed. At night, working LEDs can interfere, which is eliminated with infrared illumination.

 

With normal everyday wear, Honor Band 5 will prompt information about the number of steps, calories, and distance traveled.

 

Continuous heart rate monitoring is also available (switched on separately). In this case, the frequency will not be displayed on the screen. You can analyze the accumulated data later in the Huawei Health application itself.

 

 

Separately, the manufacturer “advertises” its sleep assessment mode, even calling it TruSleep scientific sleep monitoring.

 

If you leave the Honor Band 5 on at night, you will get information about the duration of sleep, different phases, etc. But what is more noteworthy, the result will be analyzed to provide various recommendations to improve your sleep quality and overall health.

 

 

In individual menu items you can make a one-time measurement of your current pulseand blood oxygen level

 

It is curious that measuring oxygen levels in the blood was added only in the latest firmware version of the European Honor Band 5. Band 5 bracelets for the Chinese market had the function earlier.

 

 

Determination of oxygen levels in the blood is also the main difference between Honor Band 5 and its predecessor Honor Band 4.

 

The manufacturer immediately warns about the “toy-like” nature of this function. This is not a replacement for professional devices.

 

We play sports and train with the Honor Band 5 fitness tracker

 

The bracelet provides several options for sports: running, running on a treadmill, walking, walking in the gym, cycling, exercise bike, swimming in the pool, rowing machine, elliptical trainer, free workout.

 

Depending on the selected option, the tracker will offer to set different goals, frequency of signals, etc. It also analyzes the collected data and displays information on the screen in different ways.

 

 

For example, by activating the “Bicycle” mode, the speed will be additionally recorded and displayed. Considering that the Honor Band 5 has a GPS receiver, the data is taken from the smartphone’s satellite receiver.

 

Accordingly, if you choose to exercise on an exercise bike, the speed will no longer be used.

 

Another example is swimming in a pool. Honor Band 5 not only can record the number of “pools completed,” but also determines your swimming style and the efficiency of your strokes.

 

Frankly, I wasn’t lucky enough to try the bracelet in the pool.

 

It seems that a very high level of implementation of fitness functions can be attributed to the advantages of this device.

 

Huawei Health app

 

To work with Honor Band 5, you will need the proprietary Huawei Health application. It is compatible with iOS (Apple iPhone) and Android platforms.

 

With its help, the smartphone and the bracelet interact, configure, as well as collect and analyze fitness data obtained using the Honor Band 5.

 

In terms of convenience, quality and organization, the Huawei Health app as a whole deserves praise.

 

 

In the main sections you can watch your physical activity, analyze your workouts and sleep quality, and set fitness goals.

 

A separate item includes settings related to the bracelet.

 

 

If desired, the data is synchronized in the cloud and you will not lose the accumulated information when changing your smartphone.

 

Usage impressions, battery life and comparison with Xiaomi Mi Band 4

 

By and large, there are no serious complaints about Honor Band 5. Both the bracelet itself and the application pleased with the stability and quality of work.

 

The accuracy of measurements of heart rate, number of steps, distance traveled, and sleep duration is quite decent. At least for non-professional use it is definitely enough.

 

But you can nitpick a little…

 

However, turning on the screen for just a few seconds is not always sufficient. I would like to be able to increase this time, for example, to 10, 30 seconds.

 

In sports mode, some data on the screen appears very small. To just check the time, you have to look closely. This is not very convenient, and it is also unsafe when cycling or running.

 

 

Data on the current heart rate and speed during training are displayed with some delay (several seconds).

 

It would be very cool to synchronize heart rate data with specialized sports applications like Runtastic, Strava, but this is not possible.

 

It is noticeable that the manufacturer is constantly working to expand the functionality of the device.

 

In various early reviews, Honor Band 5 was criticized for its limited set of dials and lack of control over the smartphone’s music player, but all this has already been corrected with new firmware.

 

Unlike Xiaomi Mi Band 4, you do not need to remove the strap to charge Honor Band 5, which is definitely a better solution.

 

Band 5 is installed on the docking station, which in turn is connected to USB.

 

 

 

The battery life of Honor Band 5 depends on the load. This can be up to two weeks with normal use without constant heart rate monitoring, and approximately 5 to 7 days with frequent exercise and heart rate monitoring.

 

Honor Band 5 is a direct competitor to Xiaomi Mi Band 4. The bracelets are similar in characteristics and price.

 

They use displays identical in size and resolution.

 

On the Mi Band 4 side, there is a gain in the capacity of the built-in battery (135 mAh versus 100 mAh

 

Honor Band 5) also has a more modern version of the Bluetooth interface. Xiaomi Mi Band 4 has Bluetooth 5, and Honor Band 5 has Bluetooth 4.2.

 

Mi Band 4 also works a little better with smartphone application notifications.

 

But Honor Band 5 boasts a more interesting heart rate sensor and a convenient charging method without removing the strap.

 

And, more importantly, judging by the reviews, Honor Band 5 has a generally more interesting implementation of functions related to fitness and sports functions.

 

Conclusion

 

Honor Band 5 is able to please a wide variety of users.

 

This is an excellent toy for lovers of various mobile gadgets, and a really good assistant for healthy lifestyle enthusiasts.

 

Do you run in the mornings or evenings, or ride a bike? Band 5 will definitely make the process more fun.

 

 

The big advantage of Honor Band 5 is also its very affordable price.

 

The closest competitor to the Honor Band 5 is the Xiaomi Mi Band 4. Both devices are very attractive options for fitness trackers at the end of 2019 and it is not easy to make a clear choice between them.

 

Honor Band 5 (CRS-B19S) specifications

Screen:	0.95”, AMOLED, color, touch
Screen resolution:	240×120 px
Heart rate sensor:	optical built-in
GPS receiver:	no
Battery capacity:	100 mAh
Wireless interface:	Bluetooth 4.2
Additional features:	Measuring blood oxygen level
NFC:	no
Dimensions:	43×17.2×11.5 mm
Water resistance:	5 atm (50 m)
Supply contents:	bracelet, charging dock, USB cable, documentation
Supplier:	Representation of Honor in Ukraine
Price:	$38

Rating:

+ good balance of features and cost

+ bright color screen

+ fitness and sports functionality

+ no need to remove the strap to charge

+ interesting optical heart rate sensor

+ good quality workmanship and materials

+ good battery life

– not the best implementation of application notifications

– you cannot synchronize data with popular profile applications for sports

– there is no option to select the display operating time

– minimal differences compared to Honor Band 4