Joining Google's Android Wear 2.0 party, Huawei launches Watch 2 & Watch 2 Classic

2016 may not have been a great year for the smartwatch segment, but with the arrival of Android Wear 2.0 from Google, other tech companies are joining the party and rolling out their contribution to the market.

HTC, who unveiled a smartwatch last in 2015, is back with Huawei Watch 2 and Watch 2 Classic with Android Wear 2.0.

Launched at Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, the Huawei Watch 2 comes in two models - a 'Classic' version and a sportier variant christened 'Huawei Watch 2'. The Huawei Watch 2 is a rugged-looking Android Wear 2 device that's IP68 water and dust resistant. With a round 1.2-inch face and interchangeable bands, the brand new smartwatch tracks your steps, measures your heartbeat and offer you a pretty extensive running experience.

Huawei also wants to customise your workout plan like running, cycling with Watch 2, which comes with exclusive fitness focused software features like Huawei's 'Fit' feature. The sportier version is also beefed up with a built-in speaker, providing music while you work out.

With a 1.2 AMOLED screen, gorilla glass, a 390x390 pixel resolution and 768MB of RAM, both variants are loaded with a 420mAh battery. They both feature a new 'watch mode', which is basically a low power mode, allowing the watch to last for 25 days.

Powered by the Snapdragon 2100 chipset and a 4GB of onboard storage, both the phones are loaded with sensors including GPS, NFC for Android Pay and a heart rate sensor.

However, LTE is available only on the Huawei Watch 2, which is made of plastic in order to accommodate its LTE antenna, making it look bulkier than the Classic. The sportier version can be used to send texts, take calls and more.

On the other hand, the Classic watch comes with a metal chassis and features a hybrid leather band which has leather on top and jointed rubber on the bottom making it look good whilst being durable and flexible.

However, unlike LG Watch Style and Watch Sport, the smartwatches don't feature any sort of rotating crown and are controlled completely by the touchscreen.

The Huawei Watch 2 has been priced at $350 and will be first available in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and China starting this March. It will launch in the US, UK, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, The Nordics, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, India, South Africa, Poland, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and UAE in April and in Malaysia in May.