Lenovo launched HW02 Plus fitness tracking band in India this year it is being sold at a cost-effective price of Rs 1,999 on Amazon. The company sent us the review unit and I have been using HW02 Plus for the past couple of weeks. Check out the detailed review of the device.
Design, display and build quality:
Lenovo HW02 Plus comes with simplistic design and is yet beautiful when compared to other affordable fitness trackers in the market. It flaunts a smooth opaque silicone-based cover on the whole body, but at the center, which features the LED display component (with built-in heart rate sensor), it is transparent, so that users can read the biometric information and text messages or call notifications, provided the user has given permission.
The strap comes with a metallic buckle with Lenovo engraving on the outside and two hooks on the downside at the end to firmly hook on to the slots for fastening around the wrists.
The sturdy material also comes with IP67 certification. Therefore, users need not worry about the sweat slipping into the component. They don't need to remove it during a shower or while taking a dive into the swimming pool, but only if it is for a limited time.
[With IP67 certification, the device can survive close to 3 feet underwater for close to 30 minutes]
User-Interface:
Learning Lenovo HW02 Plus features is very simple even for someone using a fitness tracker for the first time. The main component houses 0.42 inch rectangular LED display with a tiny round-shaped protrusion at the bottom, to trigger the display on. The user has to press the same button, to see the information such as the date, time, PAI score (more on that later), number of steps covered, calories burned, heart rate and the battery life.
Also, to make the best use of HW02 Plus tracker, he/she has to install Lenovo Healthy app (available in iOS and Android versions) on their smartphone.
Once installed, open the app and in the top right corner, tap the three lines >>Lenovo Healthy>> update personal information such as height, weight, and weight goal
Later, come back to home page and click 'pai' and set the band mode>> PAI Mode.
Then, set the Resting Heart Rate (RHR) to anywhere between 60-80 and go back, select Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and set it around 160 or less if you want.
What is PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) score?
Unlike other fitness trackers, which only give information about the number of calories burnt, steps count and heartbeat ratings, PAI uses a proprietary algorithm that has been scientifically validated. It gives over-all fitness PAI points based on the combination of the RHR, MHR, age, and gender.
PAI analyzes every movement from slow walking to jogging and high-intensity workouts in a stationary mode such as pumping dumb bells and doing chest fly exercises.
We advise users to keep RHR and MHR above 60 and 160, respectively. The higher the RHR and MHR is set, the harder the PAI value is gotten and most importantly, the user gets a good exercise leading to weight loss.
To keep the user motivated, PAI displays a badge with star whenever he/she goes past the previous highest PAI points scored for the day.
The Lenovo HW02 Plus also comes with a nifty feature to track body movement and if the person hasn't been moved for an hour, it will vibrate with a jumping human icon, reminding them to take a brief walk and keep the body physically active.
Also, the band based on the hand movement and heart rate during the sleep will be able to know how many hours you had deep sleep and light sleep. Users can check the sleep pattern information on Lenovo Healthy app.
Also, the battery life of the Lenovo HW02 Plus is long lasting. I have been using the device for the last two weeks and yet it has 23% juice left in it.
Final thoughts
Overall, the Lenovo HW02 Plus is a fantastic fitness tracker. It is light, durable and we are particularly impressed with the unique PAI reward counting algorithm, which uses heart rate intensity to score fitness points and it is very difficult to fake the scores.
Because some fitness trackers sometimes exaggerate step counts by counting swinging of arms while sitting. However, PAI score is calculated based on the heartbeat rate. In the long run, Lenovo HW02 Plus users are sure to get rewarded with good health.
