HUAWEI has a strong performance in the global smartwatch market, thanks to its diverse range of devices that cater to various health and sports tracking needs at different price points. The company aims to build upon this success by launching several new products, including the HUAWEI WATCH 5. This smartwatch stands out with its classic design, high-quality materials, and innovative X-TAP sensor, which promises more accurate health readings compared to traditional wrist sensors. After wearing it daily, tracking my workouts despite a recent meniscus surgery, and comparing some of its measurements with medical-grade equipment, I've found a mix of impressive capabilities and a few limitations. Does this titanium-crafted smartwatch strike the right balance between elegance and functionality for you and your particular requirements? Read this review to find out:
HUAWEI WATCH 5 comes in an elegant black cardboard box
Taking everything out reveals the WATCH 5, its charging cradle, which features improved fast charging compared to previous models from the same company, the quick start guide, product safety information, and the warranty card. The version I received for testing also has a small box with spare elements that allow you to lengthen the bracelet if your wrist is thicker than average. These elements are available for all the HUAWEI WATCH 5 versions with a titanium or steel strap.
All the items you find inside the box
I enjoyed the unboxing experience offered by the HUAWEI WATCH 5. It comes in a stylish package that makes you feel good about the product you’ve just bought. However, before using it, you should charge the smartwatch.
The new X-TAP sensor is on the left side
HUAWEI WATCH 5 features a bright AMOLED display with a resolution of 466 × 466 pixels and a local peak brightness of up to 3000 nits. Its size is 1.5 inches on the 46mm variant, and 1.38 inches on the 42mm variant. Thanks to the LTPO 2.0 tech inside it, the display’s refresh rate can adjust dynamically based on usage, dropping as low as 1 Hz when necessary to extend battery life. The display is protected by sapphire glass, offering greater scratch resistance than other types of glass. HUAWEI has made the display border thinner than on the Watch 4 and increased the screen-to-body ratio to 82.5%.
Do you like the new display?
There are no buttons on its right side. However, if you look carefully, there’s a speaker under the frame that you can use for phone calls. The HUAWEI WATCH 5 also features a microphone and eSIM support, so you can answer calls on it without your smartphone around. We also get Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. A welcome improvement is that the WATCH 5 provides both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless connectivity. Most smartwatches can use only the 2.4 GHz frequency band.
There are no buttons on the right side
On the back of the smartwatch, you find the other sensors, which can now measure your heart rate variability (HRV), alongside your average heart rate, blood oxygen level (SpO2), skin temperature, stress level, sleep quality, and respiratory health.
Most of the sensors are on the bottom of the smartwatch
For those curious to know the complete list of sensors available on the HUAWEI WATCH 5, this smartwatch also features an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, an ambient light sensor, a barometer, a temperature sensor, and a depth sensor. An important upgrade over its predecessor is that the WATCH 5 features IP68 dust and water resistance, and it can be used underwater up to 5 ATM and dives up to 30 meters in depth.
On the software side, you should know that the WATCH 5 is powered by HUAWEI’s HarmonyOS version 5.1, which works with Android, iOS, and HUAWEI devices. To use this smartwatch, you must install and configure the latest version of the HUAWEI Health app.
Design-wise, HUAWEI has a tradition of offering the same smartwatch in multiple sizes and materials. This time, they didn’t make versions for men and women. Instead, they opted for different sizes and materials. As a result, the WATCH 5 is available in the following versions:
All the sizes and color options for the HUAWEI WATCH 5
All these models have the same features and hardware. However, their battery capacity differs based on their size (867 mAh for the 46mm variant and 540 mAh for the 42mm variant), while the pricing varies based on the materials used in their manufacturing. As a result, the most expensive model is the 46 mm silver version, which uses titanium for both the smartwatch case and the strap. The cheapest versions use a fluoroelastomer strap (black and green).
I’m testing the HUAWEI WATCH 5 46 mm silver version, which uses titanium for both the case and the strap. The WATCH 5 weighs 58 grams without the strap, and 102 grams with it. Models without a titanium or steel strap are lighter. For example, the purple 46mm version with a composite strap weighs just 83 grams. According to HUAWEI, the 42mm variants weigh just 48 grams without the strap.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 has a stylish design inspired by classic watches. The materials used for this smartwatch are of excellent quality, and the new fingertip sensor is an interesting addition. After looking at it and reading its specifications, it’s evident that this smartwatch is created for people who care about an active lifestyle and want an elegant fitness device made from durable, high-quality materials. If you want to know more about its specifications, visit its official product page: HUAWEI WATCH 5.
Pairing the HUAWEI WATCH 5 with your smartphone
After the initial setup, you should check for firmware updates and install those available. HUAWEI has a good track record of fixing bugs through early post-launch updates. During my testing, using a beta version of HUAWEI Health and a prerelease firmware, I noticed that the SpO2 tracking during sleep didn’t work for a couple of nights, and I had to restart the smartwatch to get it working. Bugs like this one are likely to be fixed soon after the product is available in stores.
The HUAWEI Health is well organized into sections and focuses on presenting a lot of data in a friendly visual manner. Most of your time will be spent in its Health section, where you see detailed metrics about your health and activities. You also have a dedicated Discover section where you can explore the features included in the premium HUAWEI Health+ subscription.
The HUAWEI Health app is easy to use
You can manage your smartwatch, install watch faces, and configure its tracking sensors in the Devices section. The options you get are easy to understand, and the level of personalization is excellent. Many users are going to appreciate the multitude of watch faces available. There are several good-looking ones preinstalled on the HUAWEI WATCH 5, and you can access a wide variety of free and paid watch faces through the HUAWEI Health app.
You get plenty of watch faces for the HUAWEI WATCH 5
The apps preinstalled on the HUAWEI WATCH 5 are varied and work reasonably well. One aspect I didn’t like is that many of them require you to agree to their privacy terms manually. You don’t have a global terms and privacy policy that you can accept or refuse; you have individual policies for each of the smartwatch's most important apps and features. Therefore, the first few days of using the WATCH 5 involved going through way too many prompts about privacy terms and conditions.
You'll encounter many prompts
While HUAWEI’s third-party app ecosystem remains inferior to alternatives from Apple and Google, it has seen some improvements. For example, the company is actively working on adding NFC payments to its smartwatches. With the HUAWEI WATCH 5, people should be able to make NFC payments in European countries like Poland and Germany, with the list slowly extending over time.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 comes with many useful apps preinstalled
There are two features I appreciated a lot about the HUAWEI WATCH 5: its ability to work with Wi-Fi 6 networks, which allows for much faster updates and less time waiting to install a new watch face or app, and its eSIM support. You can use this smartwatch to make phone calls without your smartphone, and that’s quite useful. However, you won’t be able to enjoy good quality conversations unless you are in a quiet environment. Its speaker and microphone can’t handle noisy environments well. But that’s to be expected from a smartwatch.
You can take calls on the HUAWEI WATCH 5 due to its eSIM support
The smartwatch is easy to use and navigate, and the screen visibility is awesome even outdoors, in direct sunlight. HUAWEI has introduced smart gesture support in a couple of its preinstalled apps. While they can be handy, I didn’t feel the need to use them regularly. The touchscreen and the side buttons should be enough for most people.
Those who enjoy outdoor activities will be happy to learn that the HUAWEI WATCH 5 provides offline map support. They can download maps before going out, and then use them to track their routes, draw routes they want to use, and so on. I found that Petal Maps is a well-designed app that has no trouble competing with alternatives from Google and Apple.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 offers support for offline maps
According to HUAWEI, the 42 mm version of the WATCH 5 can last up to 3 days on a single charge (without using the always-on display) when operated in standard mode. The 46 mm version can last up to 4.5 days. HUAWEI’s new fast charger is designed to charge the 42 mm version in 60 minutes, while the 46 mm model can be fully charged in 90 minutes.
The 46 mm version lasted 4 days and 15 hours during my testing, which is slightly better than the company’s promises. While this kind of autonomy isn’t bad, other smartwatches, including many from HUAWEI, can deliver more.
Battery life is reasonable
Fortunately, the charging speed has improved thanks to HUAWEI's new wireless charger. I used a 33W smartphone charger, plugged the cradle in, and measured the time it took to charge the HUAWEI WATCH 5 from 0% to 100%. In just 20 minutes, the smartwatch charged up to 25%, and it took 86 minutes to reach a full charge. This is a positive result, and I’m glad to see advancements in smartwatch charging technology.
How long it takes to charge the HUAWEI WATCH 5
Using the HUAWEI WATCH 5 is a generally enjoyable experience. The preinstalled apps are sufficient for most users. However, the smartwatch experience and app ecosystem are not particular strengths of HUAWEI devices. Fortunately, the company offsets these weaknesses by providing excellent health tracking features. But more on that on the second page of this review.🙂
HUAWEI WATCH 5 measures HRV
Another standout feature of the HUAWEI WATCH 5 is its ECG capabilities. Using the X-TAP sensor on the side, you can quickly make an electrocardiogram, which is useful in identifying irregular heartbeats (called arrhythmias), signs of previous heart attacks, or signs of blocked or narrowed heart arteries. The WATCH 5 is certified as a medical device for its ECGs. This feature is available in many European and Asian countries, and even a few in Africa and South America.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 is certified as a medical device for ECG readings
While the HUAWEI WATCH 5 lacks medical certification for features other than ECG, I wanted to double-check its accuracy by comparing it to a professional pulse oximeter with a medical certification valid in the European Union.
I was pleased to see that the WATCH 5 and the pulse oximeter frequently agreed, reporting the same heart rate and blood oxygen level. When they did not align, I noticed that the pulse oximeter detected changes in heart rate first, followed by the WATCH 5 a second later. Additionally, the discrepancies were minor when the SpO2 levels differed; for example, the pulse oximeter reported 97% while the HUAWEI WATCH 5 indicated 98%. However, after a few seconds, they began aligning with each other. This demonstrates that the X-TAP sensor delivers greater accuracy than the sensors on the back of the smartwatch, making it an excellent tool for individuals looking to monitor their heart health.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 was almost as good as a certified pulse oximeter
The sleep tracking offered by the HUAWEI WATCH 5 is well designed. I like how each sleep report is structured and the amount of data it offers. Each morning, you get a sleep score, data on your sleep stages, deep sleep continuity (I was happy to see that mine improved, as I had problems with it for a couple of months), average HRV during sleep, average SpO2, and respiratory rate.
You get a lot of data about how well you sleep
In my view, the most useful part of each sleep report is the analysis and recommendations section. HUAWEI monitors trends like the hour you fall asleep and provides insights that can help you improve your health and well-being. For example, I’ve learned that my recent trend of going to sleep after midnight can weaken my immune system, and I should take action.
The sleep analysis is very useful
Many users are also going to appreciate the Health Glance feature, which allows them to get an on-demand health overview in just 60 seconds. At the end of that time, they’ll receive a report with nine indicators that were evaluated by the HUAWEI WATCH 5: their average heart rate, HRV, blood oxygen level, stress, skin temperature, ECG, arterial stiffness, respiratory capacity, and sleep breathing interruptions. It’s a great tool when you know you have heart health problems that need constant monitoring, or you want to ensure that you identify potential health issues before they become problematic.
Health Glance can provide a quick evaluation for nine health indicators
The HUWEI Health app can also be used to log your water and food intake and gain a comprehensive view of your lifestyle and wellbeing. Adding the food you eat takes a bit of time, as HUAWEI’s database isn’t as thorough as I would have liked. Luckily, you can quickly scan packaged foods with your smartphone's camera and add their nutritional information in the app. HUAWEI can then use this data to help you create a Stay Fit Plan, which considers your weight goals and provides guidance for when and how to work out, what you should consider eating, and how much. However, you need to pay for a HUAWEI Health+ subscription to take advantage of this functionality.
HUWEI Health+ can provide you with a Stay Fit Plan
The waterlogging feature is quite basic. You can only use it from your smartphone to enter the number of glasses of water you’ve drunk. Unfortunately, it doesn’t allow for custom glass sizes, and you cannot edit or remove the data you’ve entered. For example, if you accidentally press the Drink Water button twice, there’s no way to undo the last entry. While few people track their liquid intake, I’ve found it important and beneficial for my health. HUAWEI could help users understand its significance by providing an improved waterlogging system and communicating its benefits. Personally, I noticed significant improvements in my blood tests once I started paying attention to this aspect of my daily routine.
The water logging could be better
Last but not least, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 can assist women in tracking their menstrual cycles, providing estimations about their periods, ovulation, and fertile times. A Cycle Calendar app is available on the watch and a dedicated section within the HUAWEI Health app. Additionally, women can receive recommendations for more suitable exercises and workout plans with adjusted intensity that take the onset of their menstrual period into account.
With the addition of HRV metrics, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 has gained feature parity with its competition from other brands. Therefore, it has all the necessary features to be a great companion for monitoring your overall health. In my experience with it, health tracking is a strength of this product, and it’s especially useful to people who need to keep an eye on their heart health.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 can track many sports and activities
During my time with the HUAWEI WATCH 5, I tracked various activities, including one outdoor cycling session, several outdoor walks, numerous indoor cycling workouts, and multiple strength workouts. Unfortunately, I had meniscus surgery a couple of months ago, and that limited my ability to engage in my usual outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, or running. As a result, my testing experience wasn't as extensive as I would have liked.
When I used the HUAWEI WATCH 5 to track outdoor activities, I found that it connects quickly to GPS satellites and offers a relatively good tracking precision. However, GPS tracking consumes a significant amount of energy. Therefore, if you plan to track a long cycling session or an all-day hike, it's best to ensure that the HUAWEI WATCH 5 is fully charged before you head out.
HUAWEI WATCH 5 offers relatively good GPS tracking precision
At the end of each workout, you get plenty of data that’s relevant to the activity you’ve performed: a map with your route, details about your pace, workout segments, average speed, distance, elevation, and descent, charts about your heart rate during the workout, aerobic training stress, VO2Max, and more. People who are interested in sharing their activities can also use Dynamic Tracking to turn their workouts into social media memories.
The details you get at the end of an outdoor activity
When using the HUAWEI WATCH 5 for indoor workouts, I was frustrated by its inability to connect to other equipment, such as stationary bikes, which could provide additional data. Another limitation is that you can’t edit workouts. For instance, I wasn't able to input the distance I cycled on the stationary bike, which would have allowed the HUAWEI Health app to calculate my average speed. Additionally, during strength workouts, I couldn't input the weights I was using or edit the number of repetitions for each activity. As a result, after each indoor workout, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 only provided me with the same basic data for different activities: it only displayed my heart rate during the workout and its duration. These limitations make it less suitable for serious athletes engaged in indoor sports, as they require access to more performance-related calculations and the ability to provide input to the tracking made by their smartwatch.
Tracking indoor sports offers pretty much the same data, no matter what you do
On the upside, the HUAWEI Health app can be synchronized to share data with popular platforms like Komoot and Strava, which helps extend its usefulness. And since I’m talking about positives, I appreciate the coaching plans available in HUAWEI Health. You get a mix of both free and paid features. For example, HUAWEI offers several AI-based running plans that can be useful to help you start a running routine, as well as a few free basic fitness courses. If you want more, you can pay for a HUAWEI Health+ subscription, which gives you access to a wide variety of training courses, including ones created by celebrities. HUAWEI WATCH 5 users receive a free 3-month membership with their device, and after this interval, they can choose whether they want to pay for a monthly or yearly subscription.
HUAWEI Health+ unlocks many courses, guided meditations, breathing exercises, and more
To keep you motivated, HUAWEI created a series of challenges and medals to reward your performance and help you maintain a healthy routine. While this system isn’t as advanced as those offered by other brands, it’s sufficient to assist you in achieving your goals.
Who doesn't like medals?
HUAWEI WATCH 5 is generally effective at tracking sports activities, particularly outdoor ones. However, serious athletes will need a smartwatch that can connect to other devices or allow them to edit their workouts to include more data. Unfortunately, this smartwatch lacks those capabilities, which limits its usefulness. Nevertheless, it compensates for this shortcoming by offering a well-designed HUAWEI Health+ subscription. If you activate it, you can use it for free for the first three months and gain access to a variety of workouts led by renowned coaches, guided meditations, breathing exercises, and a Stay Fit Plan to maintain your health and well-being at an optimal level.
HUAWEI WATCH 5: Who is it good for?
This smartwatch is a great choice for:- People looking for an elegant watch made with durable materials
- Fitness enthusiasts who track their workouts
- People intending to keep an eye on their overall health
- Those seeking a smartwatch that can make accurate ECGs
Pros and cons
Here are the things I like about the HUAWEI WATCH 5:- Useful health and sleep tracking features
- Introduces Heart Rate Variability (HRV) metrics
- Fast and accurate ECG measurements
- It can be used to track a large number of physical activities
- Has eSIM and Wi-Fi 6 support
- Limited third-party app ecosystem
- It can’t be connected to other fitness gear
- Too many prompts for agreeing to terms and conditions
Verdict
The HUAWEI WATCH 5 looks like a premium smartwatch and comes with a price to match. While its design is similar to the previous model, the WATCH 5 features a new X-TAP sensor, which helps provide more accurate health readings that nearly match medical-grade equipment. This is great for keeping an eye on your heart health. Its battery lasts about four and a half days of regular use, and it tracks health metrics well, now including Heart Rate Variability (HRV). However, if you do a lot of indoor sports, it may not be the best choice since it can’t connect with gym equipment or let you edit your workout details. The HUAWEI WATCH 5 is ideal for those who care about style and are focused on health and outdoor activities. It is particularly useful for anyone worried about heart health, thanks to its medical certified ECG feature. If you don’t need to use many third-party apps (HUAWEI’s ecosystem isn’t as varied as the ones of its competitors) and aren't looking for compatibility with various fitness devices, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 offers an attractive combination of sleek design, durable materials, and reliable health tracking, making it a good option for many users.Unboxing the HUAWEI WATCH 5
HUAWEI WATCH 5 comes in a black cardboard box featuring a big picture of the smartwatch on the top cover. Its design is elegant and minimalistic, promoting only the key brands related to this product. On the sides, you find little printed information. Only details such as the model number, the materials used for the case and the strap, and the device’s serial number. When you open the box, you find other, smaller boxes inside, holding all the accessories that come with this smartwatch, each in its protective packaging.Design and hardware specifications
Design-wise, the HUAWEI WATCH 5 isn’t much different from its predecessor. It has a similar circular design, featuring a rotating crown on its left side and a side button. However, compared to the prior model, it includes a new X-TAP sensor that can accurately record electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG) and measure blood oxygen levels (SpO2).- Larger 46 mm versions:
- With a titanium case: brown, silver, and purple
- With a steel case: black
- Smaller 42 mm versions:
- With a stronger 904L stainless steel (the same material used by Rolex) case: beige and sand gold
- With a lighter 316L stainless steel case: white and green
Setting up and using the HUAWEI WATCH 5
You can set up the HUAWEI WATCH 5 with the help of the HUAWEI Health app, which is available for iPhone, HUAWEI devices, and Android devices. The app is available in Apple’s App Store, HUAWEI’s AppGallery, and Samsung’s Galaxy Store. Unfortunately, Android users who don’t own a Samsung or HUAWEI smartphone need to download the APK file for HUAWEI Health and install it manually. Luckily, the procedure isn’t difficult, and anyone can do it. When you open HUAWEI Health, sign in with your account (or create one, if needed) and add your smartwatch. The app detects it in a few seconds and asks you to pair it with your smartphone, give it the required permissions, set up notifications, and more.Health tracking with the HUAWEI WATCH 5
With the WATCH 5, HUAWEI has improved its heart rate monitoring features by adding Heart Rate Variability (HRV) metrics. These have existed on smartwatches from other brands for quite some time now, and now HUAWEI has feature parity. HRV is measured automatically during sleep, and unfortunately, it’s not shown in a dedicated section in the HUAWEI Health app. Luckily, you can find this data in your daily sleep report and access it from the watch itself. However, the company should further develop this feature by adding a dedicated section and offering users the necessary information to understand how to interpret their HRV metrics and what they mean. For example, few people know that HRV can show you how ready your body is for physical activity. A low HRV may be a sign of overfatigue, and it may be a good idea to rest instead of working out or working too much and exposing yourself to a lot of stress.Sports tracking with HUAWEI WATCH 5
The HUAWEI WATCH 5 can track around 100 types of workouts, including popular activities like running, cycling, and yoga, as well as more niche ones like golfing, boxing, and various forms of dance (latino, jazz, ballet, etc.). To access your favorite activities quickly, add them to your Workout list on the smartwatch.
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