Huawei watch finally makes global debut

A Huawei smartwatch is displayed during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March. [Photo/Agencies]

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the Shenzhen-based electronics giant, is kicking off global sales of its flagship wearable on Wednesday at an industry expo in Berlin, a full six months after the device's debut.

The long-awaited move, however, means the Chinese company is already well behind its much-vaunted rival the Apple Watch - the not-so-perfect gadget which experts still suggest has a strong lead in the sector.

The Huawei Watch, running on Google Inc's tailored operating system for wearable devices known as Google Wear, is believed to carry a price tag of over $350.

According to a listing already on Amazon.com, the entry-level product features a stainless steel face with a black leather strap, with its most expensive version featuring a gold-plated stainless steel panel and band.

The latest addition to the smartwatch market will be available in developed markets including the United States, Germany and Japan, according to the company's twitter account.

The device is unlikely to enter Huawei's home turf, and biggest market for its smartphones, for some time, however.

Because not all Android Wear features are available on the Chinese mainland, its launch could cause a headache for Huawei, according to Wang Jingwen, an analyst at industry consultancy Canalys China.

The good news is Google says the Android Wear will be compatible with Apple Inc's iOS system, meaning iPhone users will have no problem linking the watch with a smartphone.

"Huawei needs to build in localized features for China, so losing Android Wear functions will not cause damage to product function," Wang said.

"The Android Wear is not enough for Huawei in China."

Motorola, now a Lenovo Group Ltd subsidiary, also planned to start selling its wearable Moto 360 on the Chinese mainland last year, but crippled Android Wear functions have left a launch date undecided.