In a nutshell: Huawei is reportedly preparing to announce a smartwatch that doubles as a carrying case for a set of wireless earbuds. The combo wearable, branded as the Huawei Watch Buds in a teaser video on YouTube, depicts a chunky smartwatch with a display that flips open to reveal a pair of wireless earbuds tucked inside.

Details are light but in the video, you can make out what appears to be small charging contacts in the cradles that line up with metal points on each earbud.

Presumably, the smartwatch serves as a charging case for the buds when they aren’t being used. The buds attach to the underside of the display with magnets.

Whether or not Huawei’s creation will be a hit with consumers remains to be seen as it faces some obvious challenges. Smartwatch battery life is already at a premium and adding a power-sucking accessory like wireless earbuds is only going to make matters worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfx8Uj_qKnU

While the combo may seem convenient at first glance, it actually limits choice as it only works with the earbuds the watch was designed for. What happens if you lose the buds? Will Huawei sell the buds independent of the watch?

Ultimately, shoppers will have to weigh convenience versus aesthetics and usability. Simply put, how thick is too thick for a smartwatch? Other considerations like the hardware specs of the watch itself must also be considered along with the bundle’s price.

Huawei was set share more details about the wearable during a product showcase on December 2 but has since postponed the event. No reason for the delay was given but some believe it could have to do with Covid-related restrictions in China.

Huawei is one of five Chinese tech companies on the receiving end of a sales and importation ban by the Federal Communications Commission. The agency said the ban against Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hikvision and Dahua would protect the US from unacceptable national security risks. That said, even if Huawei does announce the Watch Buds soon, don’t expect them to surface stateside.

Image credit: Huawei Central