Huawei’s Watch 5: A New Wave of Health Tracking or Just a Pretty Purple Face?
Huawei is making waves in the smartwatch market with its latest offerings, the Huawei Watch 5 and Fit 4 Pro. While the Watch 5 boasts innovative health-tracking features, particularly its fingertip sensor, the Fit 4 Pro aims to be the ultimate companion for cyclists. But do these devices live up to the hype, and are they worth considering if you're outside the US?
One of the most talked-about features of the Huawei Watch 5 is its new “multi-sensing X-TAP technology.” This innovative approach incorporates a sensor on the watch's side that allows users to measure EKGs, blood oxygen, and arterial stiffness directly from their fingertip. According to Huawei, this results in a 10 to 50 times improvement in signal quality. This allows for faster blood oxygen readings (in just 10 seconds) and enables a comprehensive “one-tap health glance” feature providing key health metrics in 60 seconds. While the actual utility of this feature is up for debate, it's definitely a conversation starter.
Beyond the X-TAP sensor, the Watch 5 offers improvements over its predecessor, including new gesture controls, a brighter display with thinner bezels, and improved battery life. The device supports cellular connectivity and works seamless with both Android and iOS devices.
However, Huawei's design choices have also sparked controversy, especially concerning the purple titanium variant. Huawei claims it achieved an “exact purple with an opaline effect” through “advanced methods.” Some have said that the purple is more of blue-gray color.
The Huawei Fit 4 Pro, on the other hand, targets fitness enthusiasts, especially cyclists. Huawei touts innovative materials used in the design like sapphire glass and aviation-grade aluminium combined with a titanium alloy bezel. The smartwatch has offline maps, a new barometer, and more health-monitoring capabilities.
The Fit 4 Pro's standout features include offline maps access (useful for backcountry cycling), improved altitude data via a new barometer, and comprehensive health monitoring, including heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiratory rate. Additionally, it boasts a large battery capacity for extended use, making it ideal for long training sessions and travel.
Unfortunately, due to ongoing US government restrictions, the Huawei Watch 5 (and likely the Fit 4 Pro) will not be officially available for sale in the US. This is a significant limitation for American consumers interested in Huawei's smartwatch technology.
Overall, the Huawei Watch 5 and Fit 4 Pro offer interesting features and sleek designs, but the actual worth relies on your location and needs. Will the X-TAP sensors of the Watch 5 truly revolutionize health tracking, or will they become a gimmick? And can the Fit 4 Pro dethrone the established leaders in the cycling smartwatch market?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! What features are you most excited about in smartwatches, and what brands do you trust for your health and fitness tracking needs?
