In this review we delve into FIRST smartwatch to feature respiratory checks to give end-users peace of mind when it comes to their lung health, the HUAWEI Watch 4.
The watch features a crown for navigating through the UI and a down button to access the quick side bar that features the user’s most used apps but is also customizable.
Stick around to gaze upon these awesome features, how much the WATCH 4 costs and more!
Read on.
Table of Contents
Design and Construction
Our review unit is the Huawei WATCH 4 in 46mm and it comes in a black or steel watch case. Weighing in at 47g if you already wear watches to begin with, the weight isn’t bad at all, and it’s depth measures 10.9mm thin!
The overall design language and build evokes elegance with its stainless steel case sandwiched by curved glass on top and ceramic at the bottom.
We even get some Huawei Watch branding engraved on the crown used for navigation, which we thought was a nice little touch. The crown also features haptic feedback for a mostly satisfying response to when using it.
Below it is a down button that when pressed features a little sidebar that gives users access to their most used apps, but is also customizable through the settings menu.
Display and Audio
The display that makes the face of the watch is a 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a 74% screen to body ratio, and is housed under 3D curved glass.
It’s a nice and beautiful little panel, that provides deep blacks with good contrast and brightness, perfect for when using outdoors.
The watch also features its own speakers and obviously it won’t knock your socks off or fill a room. But it is subsequently louder than the WATCH GT series.
OS, Apps and UI
For software, the Huawei WATCH 4 comes with HarmonyOS v4, and overall the experience has been pretty phenomenal with access to the AppGallery to download apps straight from the watch, in combination with the beautiful display and UI animations.
There’s no doubting how anyone can be dumbfounded with how intuitive it is to use this classy-looking smart watch.
And before end-users start thinking they don’t even have a Huawei phone running on HarmonyOS to pair with the watch; For both Android and iOS users, the Huawei Watch 4 ensures a seamless and integrated experience.
Note that users will lose some functionality like being able to use the watch as a trigger for your phone’s camera, when not paired to a Huawei device.
Smart Health Management Features
At the heart of the HUAWEI WATCH 4 is its wearer’s well-being.
Featuring respiratory checks within its Health Glance feature, a breakthrough in wearable tech.
Alongside that, the WATCH 4’s Health Glance feature also automatically tests for ECG (electrocardiogram), Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen (SpO2), Stress, and Skin Temperature, totaling to five tests or measurements in one go.
Which if you ask me, gives the watch user peace of mind in regards to when to schedule that next check-up with their doctor.
Respiratory Check Feature
The respiratory check comes at the tail-end of Health Glance measurements, in this post-pandemic era, it’s perfect for high-risk individuals, as the assessment gives good insight into lung function, offering objective indicators like respiratory rate.
It’s done so buy recording yourself coughing three times, and once done users get an overview of all the results from the tests using the Health Glance feature.
Sleep Health
As you drift into the night, the Huawei Watch 4 brings about TruSleep 3.0. A feature that ensures users perceive their sleep quality better (and it totally works!)
Admittedly, as someone who hasn’t had the best sleeping habits in about 3 months now, I love this sleep tracking feature!
It breaks down the total hours you’ve spent asleep, giving users an overall score and insights into how long they’ve spent in the NREM and REM states (Non-Rapid Eye Movement and Rapid Eye Movement states of sleep.)
And overall just like the aforementioned smart health features, this gives the user a good sense of awareness in regards to their wellbeing and in this case, how good their slumber’s been!
Real-time Health Notifications
All that plus the convenience of being able to stay ahead of your health with real-time notifications. From blood-oxygen levels dropping to irregular heart rate and ECG measurement reminders
– the Huawei Watch 4 keeps you informed, making your health a priority.
100+ Workout Modes
And of course, Huawei hasn’t forgotten about those healthy fitness nuts out there, the HUAWEI WATCH 4 offers more than 100 workout modes – from outdoor and indoor running to cycling, jump rope, boxing, and even golf or swinging at the driving range, there’s no way users can’t find their sports on the watch.
And with dual-band, five-constellation positioning, those outdoor routes for running, cycling, and even hiking are tracked with precision.
Connectivity
Another cool thing about the Huawei Watch 4 is its support for eSIM technology, allowing it to be a standalone device, untethered from the user’s phone.
To activate, once the watch is paired to their device, jump into the Huawei Health app and select eSIM management.
From here, select “One number, two devices” this feature allows the user to keep their eSIM in their phone and paired to the watch at the same time. Granting WATCH 4 users the ability to leave their phone behind when going on a run, since the watch still gets access to data connectivity for GPS navigation and even the ability to stream music from Spotify!
At the time this was written, the One number, two devices feature is exclusively for Globe Postpaid eSIMs and an update should be rolling out for Smart in the future. But in hindsight, Smart Prepaid eSIM’s already have access to the standalone eSIM option.
On top of all that, the WATCH 4, should also be getting the ability to pay with QR via GCash in a future update as well.
Battery Life
The HUAWEI WATCH 4 charges up from 0 to 100% in about an hour with Wireless SuperCharge.
It packs a 530 mAh lithium ion cell and boasts 3 days of battery life in Smart mode and 14 days in Ultra-long Battery Life mode.
It’s also worth mentioning that with an eSIM paired to the watch, we’ve noticed the battery life lasting around 1-2 days instead, so we recommend users charge their WATCH 4 up every other night before going to bed if they have it set up like this.
Alternatively they can also remember to switch to Ultra-long Battery Life mode or turn off data connectivity when not in use, to save a little more juice throughout the day.
Final Thoughts and Pricing
So with everything said and done, some of you may already be wondering “Who is the Huawei Watch 4 for?”
Starting at PHP 22,999, it’s a classy-looking smart timepiece with a large variety of different watch faces and innovative health monitoring features, perfect for those who want a good sense of awareness towards their wellbeing, all in a convenient package.
It’s for those who prioritize style and convenience.
And for 23K, it really isn’t too shabby for a product that will continue to be supported with cool updates down the line like GCash QR payments and a wider range of eSIM support to compliment your existing daily smartphone, whether it be HarmonyOS, Android, or iOS powered.
What we LIKED:
- Smart Health Features
- Overall build
- Display
What we LIKED LESS:
- Battery life with eSIM
- Can’t use as a remote camera trigger with non Huawei device
HUAWEI WATCH 4 (46mm) specs:
1.5 inches LTPO AMOLED color screen @ 466 x 466 pixels, PPI 310
Stainless steel watch case
Black Fluoroelastomer Strap
Dimensions: 46.2 mm × 46.2 mm × 10.9 mm
Wrist Size: 140-210 mm
Weight: Approximately 48 g (strap excluded)
Home Button (Rotating Crown) and Side Button
530 mAh battery
Wireless charging
Speaker Support
Microphone Support
Water-resistant Level: 5 ATM, Dive (up to 30 meters)
NFC Supported
Bluetooth 2.4 GHz, supports BT5.2 and BR+BLE
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Compass
Optical heart rate sensor
Ambient light sensor
Barometer
Temperature sensor
ECG sensor
Depth sensor
Compatibility: Harmony OS, Android 6.0 or later, iOS 13.0 or later
