Huawei’s wearable series is one of the best selling product categories for the tech giant, and this week it has launched two new smartwatches: a very sleek and premium one in the mold of a classic timepiece with an innovative all-in-one health sensor, and a second watch with industry-best battery life but unfortunately, looks just like the Apple Watch Ultra.
The more premium watch, named the Huawei Watch 5, comes in two sizes: 42mm and 46mm, and both screens are covered with a curved sapphire crystal glass that blend seamlessly into the stainless steel frame. There’s also the option for a titanium frame on the larger model.
The display is absolutely top notch for a watch: an LTPO 2.0 AMOLED panel that gets up to 3,000 nits of brightness. Although the curved glass does reflect light more so than a flat watch face.
There is a new touch sensor on the right side of the frame that the company has dubbed “Huawei X-Tap.” The sensor features an ECG electrode and a PPG sensor and can conduct real-time blood-oxygen level readings.
The sensor’s design is quite clever: it supports taps, swipes and physical presses. A press with the finger will begin what Huawei calls the most comprehensive health metrics check from a smartwatch yet. After the press, you keep the finger placed on the sensor for 30 seconds while its ECG and PPG sensor check your cardiovascular health. Then after that, the watch will request you take deep breaths and cough out loud twice. Its microphones will record that data and, apparently, analyze your respiratory health.
Now, how accurate is all this? The Huawei Watch does pop a notice before every test saying these results are for reference only, and not really meant to replace going to the doctors, or detect heart attacks. This is the same notices that Apple Watch also shows, by the way.
The Watch Fit 4 Pro, meanwhile, doesn’t have this X-Tap sensor, but it comes with a 1.82-inch AMOLED display in a rectangular frame. Huawei actually managed to slim the body to 9.3mm (compared to last generation’s 9.9mm) despite adding more sensors, including one to detect air pressure at high altitudes.
Unfortunately, the Watch Fit 4 Pro will look, at least to the eyes of my friends and I, just like an Apple Watch Ultra. I am always wary when a Chinese brand releases products that resemble too much like an existing Apple product due to the stigma and snark that usually come with it. Personally, I’d rather my Android phone or watch to look as differently from an iPhone as possible.
Both of these watches have excellent battery life, with the circular Watch 5 able to last five days of normal use and the square-ish Watch Fit 4 Pro able to last 10 days.
They offer a myriad of fitness tracking features that stand out from the norm, including a “Golf Mode” that uses an algorithm to track your swing, or dive mode.
As for pricing, the Watch 5 is priced at £399.99, which converts to a bit over $500, while the Fit 4 Pro is priced at £249.99, or about $330. These prices are not low, but that’s been Huawei’s business model since day one. The company sees itself as a maker of premium luxury tech items, and usually, sales numbers reflect that consumers agree.
