Huawei’s latest wearable enters an increasingly crowded smartwatch segment by choosing to stand out with its premium build, a refined user experience, and a comprehensive suite of health monitoring. The Watch 5 has a sleek round metal (either titanium or stainless steel) 46mm case that will appeal to those who like larger watches but a smaller 42mm size is also available. The 1.5-in AMOLED display is vibrant and sharp with a peak brightness of 3000 nits, making it easy to read even in bright sunlight. With customizable watch faces and quick release bands, the Watch 5 balances form and function. Overall, the watch looks rather sleek and minimalist without looking overly designed.
The screen and ergonomics
The large display is covered by a durable curved sapphire glass similar to high-end watches for excellent scratch resistance. Comfort during extended wear proves exceptional, with the watch’s lightweight construction and ergonomically curved underside ensuring minimal discomfort during all-day use. The thoughtful weight distribution makes it suitable for both intense workout sessions and professional environments where subtlety matters.
Connectivity features include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, NearLink, and eSIM support. The watch connects to the Huawei Health app on Android and iOS and runs on the HarmonyOS platform. With a 5ATM water resistance, the Watch 5 is suitable for swimming, showering, and unexpected weather exposure. The fluoroelastomer strap that comes in the box feels velvety soft against the skin and suitable for workouts and outdoor activities. Overall it passes the wearability test as a comfortable day-to-day watch.
The watch for those serious about sports and health
The Watch 5 delivers an extensive array of health and fitness tracking capabilities for casual users and serious health buffs. The watch offers advanced monitoring such as precise step counting, comprehensive sleep analysis with REM cycle tracking via TruSleep technology, continuous heart rate monitoring, and real time blood oxygen (SpO2) level measurement. There are over 100 workout modes to choose from including 14 pro-level sports such as freediving, trail running, and golf. Huawei’s TruSport algorithms provide detailed insights into various workouts, from running and cycling to swimming and hiking, offering metrics like VO2 Max, training load, and recovery time. The integrated GPS system provides fast satellite acquisition and accurate location tracking for more precise outdoor activities.
On the left side of the watch between the crown and side button is the X-Tap sensor. Placing a finger on the sensor for 3 seconds can measure several health indicators under the Health Glance feature such as average heart rate, skin temperature, stress, SpO2, ECG, and arterial stiffness detection. The watch generates a health report from all the data.
Battery life, smartphone integration, conclusion
Two battery modes allow users to extend the battery life of the Watch 5. Standard mode offers up to 4.5 days of battery life and 11 days in battery saver mode. Included in the box is a 2nd gen magnetic wireless SuperCharger that can power a day’s worth of use with just 15 minutes of charging time.
For smartphone connectivity, there’s notification management for calls, messages, and applications. The notifications are quickly delivered to your phone with an option for a quick reply on Android. Using Smart Gestures, tapping or sliding the thumb on the index finger twice can silence alarms, manage calls, control music and enable the remote shutter without touching the screen. Music playback controls work smoothly with Huawei’s Harmony ecosystem but integration with other media apps might be a bit iffy.
Overall, it’s easy to recommend the Huawei Watch 5 with its extensive health and fitness tracking, smart productivity features, robust build quality and premium design. Long battery life is another major draw among full-featured smart watches. While third party app support may not be as comprehensive as other smartwatch platforms, it does everything so well given its existing capabilities on the hardware and software side of things. Perhaps the only real rival to this watch are other smart watches from Huawei’s Ultimate, GT, and Fit series.
The Watch 5 is available at the Huawei Store and official Huawei shops in Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok.
