Huawei Watch 5 review
It's hard to innovate in the wearable space where the feature set has reached maturity already and coming up with something new or useful that has not already been done is rare. With the Watch 5, you get all the features you'd expect from a premium wearable, but this time around, Huawei has doubled down on the health monitoring aspect of it all.
The Watch 5's claim to fame is the improved accessibility of the health monitoring features. Instead of digging into menus and apps, you just hold your finger on the sensor for around a minute, and the watch will complete your full checkup for the day, potentially alerting you of any irregularities that may need medical attention.
We've been using one since the event, and we are ready to share our thoughts on how good it is in real life. Table of Contents: Design
Display
X-Tap sensor
Software
Battery life
Verdict Design
Our unit is a 46 mm version and comes in Purple, which has a case made out of titanium and has a composite strap in a matching color. It certainly looks great and sits well on larger wrists.
If you fancy a smaller watch, the Watch 5 is also available in a 42mm version, but be aware that this one not only has a smaller face but also a smaller battery inside.
The 46mm Watch 5 we have for review weighs only 58 grams, so despite its relatively large size, it's not a heavy device. The stainless steel models are a bit heavier.
The titanium body is paired with sapphire glass, which is as premium as materials get in the smartwatch industry. The spherical glass not only looks awesome, but it's also quite impervious to scratching. Display
We noted the dome design of the screen, but it is not new – Huawei introduced it in the Watch 4 series, and here it features the same LTPO AMOLED with a 1.5' diagonal and 466 x 466 px resolution.
One improvement the company made is the brightness – it is rated at 3,000 nits, which is the highest for a Huawei wearable (technically on par with the Watch Fit 4 Pro, announced at the same event).
Huawei boasts a crowd-sourced library of watch faces available in the Huawei Health app. These faces are generally divided into three categories based on power efficiency. Unfortunately, all the cool-looking designs with moving objects and animations consume a lot of power.
At least some of the faces are designed so that tapping the sensor on the side activates the animation - a cool gimmick, if nothing else. X-Tap
Now that we've mentioned the new sensor, let's get into details about what it does and how it works.
We attended a special meeting at Huawei HQ in Shenzhen, where product directors provided extensive information about this sensor. Rico Zhang, President of Wearables, explained that while the Huawei TruSense System (the array of sensors on the back) is accurate, it's not as quick and precise as the company desires.
X-Tap is not a clickable button, at least not in this generation of wearables. It is a combination of three sensors: the first detects pressure from the fingertip, which is 10 to 50 times more accurate than wrist-based measurements, almost as precise as a medical device. The second is a glass-coated ECG (electrocardiogram) electrode that transmits signals from the finger more quickly.
The third is a PPG sensor (photoplethysmogram) - an optical sensor that detects changes in blood volume, similar to those clamps medical personnel use on our fingers to measure SpO2 and heart rate.
That's all for the theoretical part. In practice, the Watch 5 can provide nine health-related readings by pressing the sensor for 60 seconds through the Health Glance feature. A strong press for three seconds from anywhere in the menu activates the app – first, it requires 30 seconds of direct contact for ECG measurement, followed by another 15 seconds to capture SpO2, heart rate, stress, and more.
The third step is to cough into the watch. The wearable records the audio, analyzes it, and provides a respiratory check feedback.
The three steps of Health Glance
All these health checks are already available in older Huawei wearables. The difference is that they are all gathered in one mega-app, which also provides a new health metric – HRV or heart rate variability. This is the latest and trendiest feature, which analyzes the regularity of the intervals between each heartbeat.
High HRV is considered healthy, while low HRV can indicate stress or potential health issues. An important reminder: the Huawei Watch 5 is a smart gadget, a stylish accessory, and a tool for quick health metrics; however, it is not a medical device. Software & Hardware
Huawei Watch 5 features Health Insights, which should not be confused with Health Glance. This feature is available only in the Health app and provides intelligent analysis of sleep, stress, and health advice while tracking trends. You need to wear the watch for an extended period of time for the feature to work accurately.
The health-related Health Insights can be found in the Health tab of the Health app, and yes, Huawei could work a little harder on naming. Technically, anyone with the v15.1 iteration of the app can find their insights, but the analysis is based on the advanced tracking of TruSense, meaning only the Watch 4, Watch GT 4, and the Watch Fit 4 Pro can join the Watch 5 in providing the detailed analysis.
Health Insights
We loved the Gesture Control on the Watch 5, which is new for Huawei. Unlike other companies, we have two gestures that work with a limited number of apps - which might not seem like enough, but at least it functions seamlessly.
The gesture of tapping the index finger against your thumb acts as an Okay button, while swiping the thumb across the side of the index finger switches modes. The apps that support these gestures are Calls, Music, Alarm, and Remote Shutter (the latter available only on EMUI-powered Huawei phones). Gesture control
Everything else that HarmonyOS 5 offered in previous wearables is also available in the Watch 5 – over 100 sports modes, including detailed information for trail runners and golfers, step-by-step navigation powered by Petal Maps, comprehensive ECG, Arterial Stiffness, and others.
The Watch Number series, as the premium model, also includes eSIM support. For the feature to function optimally, the Huawei Watch 5 needs to be supported by the carrier.
This wearable series also offers extensive third-party support and can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi 6 (65 Mbps max). While all these advanced features significantly drain the battery, Huawei introduced Dual Battery Mode.
Switching between Standard Mode and Ultra-Long Battery Life Mode takes no more than 3 seconds, a major improvement from the Watch 4 series, which took about 30 seconds. Activating the second mode disables several features – eSIM support, anything X-Tap related, step-by-step navigation, and any installed third-party app. Battery Life
Huawei often does not disclose the battery capacity of its wearables. We can confirm that the capacity of our 46 mm unit is 867 mAh, while the 42 mm version is 540 mAh.
The Watch 5 offers wireless charging, which technically works with any Qi charger, but it's not that straightforward. The design of the watch and the straps often makes it difficult to place the wearable down on a flat surface.
We attempted to charge the Watch 5 with an older wireless charger puck, but this device supports 10W fast charging, which is best provided by the CW05 charger included in the retail box. We charged the Watch 5 from 0 to 100% in approximately 90 minutes, which aligns with Huawei's advertisements.
Using any other charger can significantly affect the charging time, which can range from 100 to 200 minutes, so we recommend sticking with the original one.
A single charge in Standard Mode lasted about 100 hours, or roughly four days. With Always-On Display activated, battery life decreased to three days. Things became intriguing when we switched to Ultra-Saving Battery Life Mode.
Theoretically, we could exceed 10 days, but this would require disabling features like heart rate, SpO2, stress, and sleep tracking. In typical usage, we achieved up to seven days, though this was without any physical activity tracking. Adding just 90 minutes of exercise weekly reduced battery life to five to six days. Utilizing AOD capped our usage at four days.
Fortunately, the battery recharges quickly. We recommend charging the wearable daily or every couple of days for about 30 minutes—perhaps during a regular shower. This approach would ensure the Watch 5 remains nearly constantly active without compromising tracking. Verdict
The starting price of the 46 mm Huawei Watch 5 is €449 for the Stainless steel models, while the Titanium models (our Purple unit included) are priced at €549. This is actually cheaper than its predecessor, which is quite impressive, especially considering the new hardware and software.
Huawei typically bundles its wearables with other devices and services. The Watch 5 in Germany comes with Freebuds 6i, one additional fluoroelastomer strap, and an extended three-year warranty, all at no extra cost.
Users in Spain can also receive a discount on a weight scale (€10 instead of €50), while customers in Poland can get the FreeArc at a 33% discount.
The Huawei Watch 5 is a remarkable device that all wearable enthusiasts, both new and experienced, should consider. It boasts impressive battery longevity, a wide array of applications and features, and exceptional durability.
Additionally, the watch is aesthetically pleasing, comfortable to wear, and delivers excellent performance – it encompasses virtually everything one could desire from a high-end smartwatch. If you don't absolutely need all the premium features, you could look into the Watch Fit 4 Pro, which we also reviewed recently.
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