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HUAWEI watches have been able to hold their own in the expanding market of smartwatches. Today, we're taking a look at two of its latest ones: the HUAWEI WATCH 5 and HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro.
Despite offering the usual bells and whistles of a smartwatch, they're both catered to different audiences. One's for the stylish lot of us, and the other is for the sporty lot of us. Let's dive in.
First, looking at the HUAWEI WATCH 5, we're talking about a sporty watch with quick health diagnostics at the ready
As the latest addition to HUAWEI's line of flagship smartwatches, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 feels premium and looks futuristic.
Its spherical sapphire glass screen is encased in a stainless steel case that gives it its metallic shine. While the unit in this review is a 42mm variant with a stainless steel case, you can also choose to upgrade it to an aerospace-grade titanium case with the 46mm variants.
The 42mm watch weighs about 48g without the strap, so it fits snugly on my wrist without feeling overly bulky — a perk for someone who doesn't quite enjoy the bulkiness of some smartwatches.
In terms of strap colours, the 42mm variants come in white (that's this one), beige, and sand gold. The 46mm variants, on the other hand, come in black, purple, and titanium.
Regardless of the strap, the watch face itself has a particular charm to it that's similar to what you'd find on analogue watches, partly thanks to its round but not flat frame. It has a 1.38-inch AMOLED screen with a peak brightness of 3000 nits, so it's still visible in direct sunlight.
Looking at the software, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 runs HarmonyOS and offers both Android and iOS support. Using the watch requires a separate download of the HUAWEI Health app to unlock health analytics, watch faces, and more.
The watch can also support TNG eWallet transactions. Once your TNG eWallet account has been linked, the watch can display your QR code at the point of purchase for convenient transactions.
It also supports hand gesture actions like double tapping to answer calls, control music, and turn off alarms. As it has eSim connectivity, you can still take calls and send messages without needing your phone.
The highlight of the watch would be its X-TAP sensor, designed to carry out quick health checks no matter where you are
To launch it, simply hold the X-TAP sensor at the side of the watch face for three seconds. You will then be guided through three stages of tests: cardiovascular, basic health, and respiratory.
The feature measures nine key health metrics, including your stress and oxygen levels, arterial stiffness, and heart rate variability (HRV). The health check can be done relatively anywhere, apart from the last test that requires you to record yourself coughing — an awkward affair in the office!
As far as battery levels go, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 lasted about five days before needing a charge. Even then, it only took an hour to get a full battery.
Now, on to the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro
First of all, this watch is beautiful. Speaking as someone who likes the look and feel of round, not-too-bulky analogue watches, I was sceptical of the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro's (or the other ones on the market, actually) rectangular face. But the watch was simply too pleasant a sight not to give it its due credit of being a stylish fitness watch.
Weighing 30.4g without the strap, the watch is comfortable to wear and aesthetically pleasing (depending on your watch face, lah). The above unit is the blue variant, but it also comes in green and black.
The watch face is 44.5mm x 40mm wide and only 9.33mm thick. Again, this watch isn't too bulky either. The mid-frame is made out of aluminium alloy, with a titanium alloy bezel and a sapphire glass watch face.
We're also seeing the same 3000 nits brightness on its 1.82-inch AMOLED screen. Practical use-wise, the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro also has TNG eWallet compatibility, hand gesture controls, and call and messaging functions.
The watch has excellent battery life as well, lasting about five full days of average use. A single charge took slightly more than an hour, but given its extensive battery life, it's a short charging time to wait for.
The HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro comes with new workout modes and health monitoring features
For the runners (couldn't be me, sorry), it has a new trail running mode, which has offline maps, segment-based navigation, and even alerts if you're going off course.
Also new are a freediving mode of up to 40m and a golf mode for detailed golf course maps and an AI caddie.
We're also seeing a new ECG Analysis function that measures sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, ventricular premature beats, and atrial premature beats in adults.
Health indicators like oxygen levels, sleeping behaviour, and cardiovascular health are calculated and summarised in a Health Summary on the Huawei Health app.
New to the HUAWEI WATCH FIT series is the particularly fun yet exposing Emotional Wellbeing function, which measures your mood throughout the day. Should you find you're too stressed or anxious, the watch can even guide you through breathing exercises with haptic feedback.
Regardless of you being a stylo mylo or a healthy person who exercises, the two watches are pretty decent additions to the market
The price for the HUAWEI WATCH 5 starts at RM1,799, and the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 Pro goes for RM999.
You can find out more about the watches on HUAWEI's official website.
