Since our experience at Pickala Golf Club in Helsinki, we’ve been evaluating the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro. This latest generation of Huawei’s smartwatch offers a sleek, stylish design and a comprehensive suite of features. It’s particularly well-suited for health-conscious users, providing extensive tracking capabilities, building upon Huawei’s established strengths in sleep monitoring.
The Design
The design inspiration is evident – the Apple Watch. The Watch Fit 4 Pro’s case measures 44.5 × 40.0 × 9.3 mm, offering a comfortable viewing and tactile experience without feeling overly large. The lightweight design, at just 30.4 grams, is partly attributed to its sporty nylon Velcro strap, which allows for quick and easy adjustment. This strap, available in three colors, is made of breathable material that dries relatively quickly, making it suitable for sweaty workouts and water activities. However, for optimal comfort during sleep, particularly after showering, a quick-drying metal link might be preferable. The nylon strap’s design also offers a practical benefit: it’s less likely to scratch children during playtime. While the long-term wear and tear and potential fading from sun exposure remain to be seen, we will be monitoring this aspect during extended use.
The screen is protected by sapphire glass, and during our three-week testing period, which included workouts, playtime with children, and sleep, we observed no scratches or wear. The 1.82″ AMOLED display is impressive, providing excellent clarity in all lighting conditions, even bright sunlight. The pixel density of 347 ppi and a brightness of 3000 nits contribute significantly to its performance in direct sunlight.
Features of the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro
As detailed in our initial impressions article, Huawei’s optical sensor button implementation on the side is effective, mirroring a design choice seen in the Apple Watch. This design offers several advantages, primarily enhanced measurement accuracy due to the higher concentration of blood vessels in the fingertips compared to the wrist. In our tests, the watch’s oxygen saturation meter (SpO2) produced identical readings to a medical-grade Beuer fingertip meter. The side button design also improves accessibility for users with longer nails. Furthermore, the pressure-sensitive nature of the button allows for expanded functionality, such as simpler downloadable games.
Huawei has a strong track record in sleep tracking, arguably leading the market. While its measurements may be slightly more generous compared to devices like the Withings Sleep Analyzer, it’s important to consider the different methodologies: the Huawei Band is worn on the wrist, while the Sleep Analyzer is placed under the mattress. The watch accurately tracks different sleep stages and remains comfortable to wear during sleep. A notable software enhancement is the provision of more specific advice to improve sleep quality, including recommended bedtimes and suggestions such as warm foot baths to stimulate nerve endings and promote restorative deep sleep.
The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro also includes ECG functionality and arterial stiffness measurement, previously encountered on the Withings Body Comp scale. The watch’s measurements, taken via the fingertip, tend to be slightly more generous than those from the scale (approximately 10% higher). However, the difference is not significant, and a slightly higher reading may be preferable for users concerned about stress and health anxiety.
HRV Performance
We were particularly interested in evaluating the HRV (Heart Rate Variability) functionality. HRV measures the variation between heartbeats; a higher variation generally indicates better nervous system flexibility and recovery ability. While an ECG should appear consistent at first glance, precise timing between heartbeats can suggest potential heart issues, while excessive irregularity may indicate arrhythmia. HRV is measured in milliseconds (ms), and a typical range varies based on fitness level. Untrained adults often fall within 25-50 ms, while well-trained individuals may range from 50-100 ms. Strategies to improve HRV include prioritizing sleep and recovery, practicing breathing exercises and yoga to reduce stress, and engaging in moderate training. Overtraining can negatively impact HRV. The Fit 4 Pro requires seven days of continuous wear, including sleep, to generate an HRV value. This requirement presents a challenge, as seven days is nearly the battery life limit with active features. Additionally, the continuous wear commitment doesn’t guarantee a value; we obtained values for two weeks, but not for a single week. Future improvements could include the ability to measure HRV in the morning via a longer ECG, enabling a more readily available average.
For golfers, the watch provides features such as downloadable maps of major golf clubs, offering real-time information as you navigate the course. The watch incorporates a gyroscope, accelerometer, and barometer, among other sensors. We intend to provide further impressions of the golf features in future updates.
In addition to the above, the watch includes a microphone and speaker for making calls when your phone is nearby. However, it lacks space and support for SIM cards/eSIM, meaning it cannot function as a complete phone replacement.
Summary: Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro
The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is a compelling device, offering a stylish, lightweight, and premium feel. However, some limitations exist. Huawei’s app ecosystem is more constrained than that of competitors like the Apple Watch. iOS users may experience reduced functionality, such as limited built-in keyboard support due to iOS restrictions on third-party app control. Syncing with Huawei Health and Apple Health is straightforward, but integration with Google Fit is less seamless (though possible via services like Strava). Battery life, while generally good, could be improved. The watch can last ten days with smart features disabled, but only 5-6 days with features like sleep analysis enabled. Despite this, it significantly outperforms most smartwatches with single-day battery life (e.g., Apple Watch SE), leaving room for future improvement.
During our evaluation, we’ve grown to appreciate the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro’s smart design and feature set. While it may not possess the timeless elegance of some smartwatches with aluminum links (e.g., the Withings Scanwatch Nova), owning multiple watches for different occasions is a viable option. With a price of approximately SEK 3,000, the watch offers excellent value for its capabilities, making it suitable for both outdoor activities and sleep tracking. While the new features may not warrant an upgrade from the previous model, improvements in battery life and on-demand HRV measurement would make it a must-have. For now, it receives a strong recommendation.
Huawei provided review units for this evaluation. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial independence. Our reviews are conducted independently, with a focus on the needs of our readers and consumers.
