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Evening Standard
10-07-2025
- Health
- Evening Standard
Huawei Watch 5 review: A sleek, futuristic smartwatch with cutting-edge features
Are smartwatches supposed to look like this? Often they're more function over form – and proudly so. Perhaps it's intentional, so as to impress on passersby that the wearer is a real technophile. The Huawei Watch 5 is a little subtler. What I tried came in a titanium case with a titanium strap (steel and leather are also available), looking nothing like a 'traditional' smartwatch at all, but instead classy and understated. Of course, it's still a smartwatch. Beneath the scratch-resistant sapphire glass, it's brimming with life. Within moments of turning it on for the first time, it was performing an electrocardiogram on me, measuring my arterial stiffness (for which I was required to cough into the watch, poor thing), and checking the oxygen saturation of my blood. It was a little disconcerting, but happily I'm healthy enough (or I suppose I wouldn't be writing this). Within days, the watch and I had got to know each other even better: we went running around South East London, where its bright maps performed well, we hit the gym to test its many workout modes, and it helped me make (crystal-clear) calls just by moving my fingers. This last function is particularly remarkable. Thanks to advanced sensors, the watch is able to respond to movements you make with your fingers and thumb. It can take or reject calls, tell your phone to take a picture (very handy if you've positioned it away from yourself for a selfie) and even turn off your alarm – not all features of this watch are just about relentlessly making you more productive. Other gestures feel intuitive too. Scrolling through the wealth of apps (though there are no third-party ones) is a pleasure, while placing your hand over the screen to turn it off is pleasingly tactile – as if you were soothing a little creature on your wrist. Not all the features work as well as one another. The emotional wellbeing app is an interesting concept – it uses 'stress' data (that is, physical stress, as measured by your heart rate variability among other things) to tell you whether you are one of the three: pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant. At one point during the testing, I was feeling particularly stressed, yet the watch told me I was happy as Larry. One to work on, perhaps.
TimesLIVE
08-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
The future of luxury is hyper-personalisation
I arrived at Huawei's Experience Centre on Banxuegang Boulevard in China feeling slightly jaded. I'd seen countless tech showcases before, each one louder and more frenetic than the last, but as I sank into the rear seat of the Maextro S800, something shifted. It wasn't the plush seat that began to massage my back or the fast wireless charging panel where I could rest my phone, but that without me realising it, the car had anticipated my needs and adjusted itself to meet them before I'd thought to ask. A Huawei staff member tapped the centre screen, and suddenly the front of the cabin fell into a hush. It wasn't only about muting sound, it was about creating an intentional space. My own voice felt clearer, more contained, as though the car were listening. In that moment, I realised I wasn't visiting a showroom. I had stepped into a thesis on luxury. One that doesn't arrive in spectacle, but in softness. Outside the car, the Experience Centre felt more like a curated gallery than a tech hub. Splash screens and guided tours lent it a familiar kind of corporate choreography, but the devices told another story. HarmonyOS 5 powers a large share of Huawei's portfolio in China, but HarmonyOS 6, in developer preview, reveals where this is all going. Instead of juggling interfaces across your phone, watch, laptop and car, the goal is a seamless flow. HarmonyOS 6 will introduce AI agents, cloud-native continuity and improved cross-device logic, all designed to anticipate you without interrupting you. This approach was everywhere, though quietly expressed. The Huawei Watch 5 series builds on the company's deepening investment in health tech. It does the expected things — heart rate, sleep, stress tracking — but adds context over time. The longer you wear it, the better it understands you. The personalisation is practical, not performative. When paired with the right services, it begins to act as a kind of wellness concierge, adjusting recommendations based on your patterns rather than your stats.
GSM Arena
08-06-2025
- GSM Arena
Huawei Watch 5 review
Huawei unveiled the Watch 5 internationally at a dedicated press event in Berlin (recorded here). This year, there is no Pro variant, so the Watch 5 is the company's current flagship wearable. It's compatible with both iOS and Android and there are models with eSIM support too if you'd like to go out without your phone. 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.
Tom's Guide
28-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Act fast! Huawei Watch 5 launch deal slashes £50 off the price and throws in a free strap
Huawei's latest flagship smartwatch is here to do battle with the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Google Pixel Watch 3. And thanks to a launch deal from the Chinese brand itself, you can currently grab the wearable with a bit of a discount. Right now, you can pick up the Huawei Watch 5 with £50 off its £399 launch price with the addition of a coupon on Huawei's UK site. And, as a nice little sweetener, the brand is also throwing in an extra free strap as part of the deal. The Huawei Watch 5 is the Chinese brand's latest flagship with 46mm or 45mm sizings and respective 1.38 and 1.5-inch AMOLED displays. The casing comes in a choice of stainless steel or titanium and up to 4.5 days of battery life. The innovative X-TAP sensor on the side of the case delivers heart rate and SpO2 monitoring and the watch can be fitted with an eSIM for cellular connectivity. This deal knocks £50 off with the addition of a coupon until June 29, 2025 The Huawei Watch 5 could probably fool you into thinking it's not a smartwatch, but a regular analogue timepiece from the days of old. In an age when wearables are leaning increasingly into sporty and rugged aesthetics, the Chinese brand's latest device has a classic and premium design language. That's largely thanks to the circular case coming in a choice of stainless steel or titanium and you can get it in either 46mm or 45mm sizing. The LTPO display is secured behind sapphire glass and boasts an impressive 80% screen-to-body ratio. Huawei's ace-in-the-hole for the Watch 5 is the device's "X-Tap" sensor located on the side of the watch. Placing your finger on it delivers an SpO2 reading in under 10 seconds while the One-Tap Health Glance feature checks over 11 different health metrics (including heart rate variability and skin temperature) in under a minute. Even if you don't plan to use it for sports, there's over 100 sport modes included on the watch and thanks to eSIM support, you can load up hiking or running maps without having to bring your phone with you. This deal makes the device even cheaper for a limited time, and Huawei is also throwing in that aforementioned free strap and five free premium watch faces that would normally cost a total of £24. The Huawei Watch 5 works with both Android and iOS but for those already using a Huawei phone, it's a nice upgrade that's going to be £50 cheaper until June 29 when this offer ends.
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Huawei raises the bar on wearables at Berlin launch
Huawei's latest product launch in Berlin was themed 'Fashion Next'. Huawei says it is blending high-tech with high fashion, revealing a bold new direction for its wearables line-up. I got an early look, and it's clear: this isn't just iteration; it's ambition. Watch 5 Hands-on with the Huawei Watch 5 in Berlin. Picture: Noel Campion The star of the show was the Huawei Watch 5. On the wrist, it feels every bit as premium as it looks. Offered in two sizes (42mm and 46mm), the watch combines aerospace-grade titanium with 904L stainless steel and sapphire glass. The finish is exceptional, polished, refined, and ready to compete with the best from Apple or Samsung. But the real innovation is inside. Huawei says the new TruSense System and Multi-sensing X-TAP technology are designed to improve health monitoring. You can now run fingertip-based checks that are faster and reportedly more accurate. I tested it with a few quick readings, including heart rate, SpO2, and stress levels registered within seconds, without the delay or fluctuation you sometimes get with other smartwatches. Gesture interactions include 'Double Tap' and 'Double Slide', which are surprisingly responsive. I tried skipping tracks and launching apps hands-free, all with consistent accuracy. It's intuitive and adds real value for users who might be mid-workout or have their hands full. Huawei claims this watch isn't just a fitness tracker; it's a full-spectrum health device. From my early first impressions, that's not just marketing speak. With improved sensors, a robust build, and seamless software integration, it's clearly built for users who want more than daily step counts. Visually, the watch is stylish, but I don't think the design language will appeal to everyone. Exclusive colour options like purple and sand gold stand out without being loud, and the build materials suggest longevity. This is not a smartwatch you'll want to hide under a sleeve. Watch FIT 4 Series Next up, the Huawei Watch FIT 4 and FIT 4 Pro. If the Watch 5 is about blending style and substance, the FIT 4 series leans further into the sport-driven, active lifestyle segment. These wearables are light, thin (just 9.3mm for the Pro), and designed to be unobtrusive during activity. The aviation-grade aluminium body, titanium alloy bezel, and sapphire glass make it feel surprisingly premium for the price. Fitness tracking has taken a big leap, including water sports tracking and a new air pressure sensor for outdoor training. New sports modes like pro-level trail running, deep diving (up to 40m), and advanced golfing metrics set this apart from generic fitness bands. Huawei was keen to highlight that daily recharging is a thing of the past. The watches are clearly aimed at travellers and endurance athletes, where plug access is not always guaranteed. The TruSense system is also onboard here, ensuring consistency in health and fitness data across the lineup. The Watch 5 and Watch FIT 4 Series are fully compatible with Android and iOS devices. FreeBuds 6 Huawei also introduced the FreeBuds 6, its latest open-fit earbuds. I didn't get to try them during the event, but the specs suggest an open sound stage with hi-fidelity streaming. Huawei's dual-driver set-up should ensure a crystal clear sound. Although the FreeBuds 6 have ANC, the open design means performance will not be as good as buds that have silicone tips. The redesigned 'droplet' shape looks cool and should feel comfortable in your ears. These feel tuned for people who want decent audio performance without the isolation of in-ear buds. MatePad Pro 12.2 Rounding out the launch was a quick look at the MatePad Pro 12.2, Huawei's latest tablet aimed at creatives and professionals. The headline feature is the new Tandem OLED PaperMatte display. Bright, vivid, but with excellent anti-glare and anti-reflection treatment, it's a huge step forward for users working in various lighting environments. I tried it with the Huawei Glide keyboard and stylus during the demo. The stylus slots and charges within the keyboard dock, keeping everything compact. Combined with an upgraded Huawei Notes app, the MatePad Pro feels like a genuine productivity machine, not just a media tablet. Whether sketching, typing, or multi-tasking with split screen, it held up without lag or awkward UI limitations. Huawei's approach here is all about ecosystem integration. Pair it with your watch, your buds, and your phone, and everything links smoothly, which makes the hardware more than the sum of its parts. Pricing and availability Huawei Watch 5: from €450, available to pre-order now via the Huawei Store. General release: May 26, 2025. Watch FIT 4: €170; Watch FIT 4 Pro: €280. Both models are available for pre-order now and ship on May 26. FreeBuds 6: €160, available to purchase now. MatePad Pro 12.2: €849 (12GB/256GB with keyboard, €999 PaperMatte Edition, 12GB/512GB with Keyboard). Release date to be announced. Read More CMF Phone 2 Pro: A budget phone that punches above its price
