Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro review: It’s great, provided you can get past one thing

The last time I wore one of Huawei’s Watch Fit series smartwatches, it made me a bit angry, so how have I felt wearing the latest Watch Fit 4 Pro? I’m no longer angry because the new model has so much going for it, however I still can’t help but be frustrated that it still looks the way it does. But how will you feel wearing and using Huawei’s new health-focused smartwatch? Lets go into some detail.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: design

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a wonderful curved case which blends into both the rear panel and the glass over the screen, making it look modern and classy, while staying extremely comfortable on your wrist regardless of which strap you choose for it. The Digital Crown is delicate and precise, the Double Tap gesture is shockingly accurate, and the watch faces are all expertly designed.

Why am I reviewing the Apple Watch Series 10? Because the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro looks extremely similar, and therefore deserves to be directly compared. Now all you need to know is it’s not as curvy, the watch faces are nowhere near as mature, and it only comes in one size. The straps have a proprietary fitment (a bit like the Apple Watch’s system), and the crown on the side of the mostly flat case is enormous, red, and unmissable.

The introduction of a Pro model to join a regular Watch Fit 4 comes as no surprise, as now Huawei has its own Apple Watch Ultra 2 competitor in the range. What makes it Pro? It has sapphire crystal over the screen, which gets brighter than the non-Pro Fit 4, and the case has a flatter design that’s 0.2mm thinner and a few grams heavier. I’ve worn the Fit 4 Pro 24-hours a day for a week now and it has been fine, but it never disappears on my wrist like the Apple Watch does. Huawei remains a company that understands design and has often applied this expertise to wearables. The Watch Fit 4 Pro is not its finest hour, and although there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the design, I’d like it a lot more if it looked like its own thing.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: health tracking and Huawei Health app

The Watch Fit 4 Pro uses Huawei’s TruSense System which features upgraded sensors and new algorithms to measure 60 different health indicators across six body systems. This joins a heart rate sensor and an electrocardiogram (ECG), it tracks blood oxygen and sleep along with heart rate variability (HRV), measures skin temperature, and you can track more than 100 different workouts. There’s also a barometer, GPS, and 3D golf course maps.

This is a comprehensive, feature-packed, data-filled piece of health tracking equipment. I may not like the design, but there’s no question it’s a great partner to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. Workouts are found by pressing the lower button on the case, and some menus can be scrolled through using the crown, plus there’s little need to head to the app because so much information is squeezed onto the screen. A word of warning: Huawei’s voice coach is activated by default, and it will yell “workout started!” along with interval data to everyone around you unless you turn the volume down beforehand.

Workouts return masses of data, ranging from average speed and stride, to aerobic training stress and recovery time. Graphs include pace, altitude, and cadence, plus a GPS map of your route. Your daily activity is shown differently on the watch and in the app. The watch uses a bar graph, but in the app you can select Huawei’s unique “Clover” layout, which is fun and unique. The app uses blocks on the main screen to highlight key stats, and a tap shows more information. All these blocks also appear as tiles on the watch, but unfortunately there’s a limit to the amount able to be shown.

Huawei has simplified its app installation process for Android. Previously it was necessary to install the Huawei App Gallery to get Huawei Health, but now the app can be downloaded from Huawei’s website, shortening the process considerably. The app has run without a problem on the CMF Phone 2 Pro, but it’s not the best introduction when within seconds of using the app, there’s a big pop-up telling you all about the Health+ subscription service. Don’t worry, you can get everything you really need from the app for free, and it’s mostly just niceties you have to pay for.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: Is it accurate?

I have worn the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro along with the Oura Ring 4 and the Whoop 5.0 fitness band. I’ve tracked daily movement, sleep, and a few workouts with all three, so how do they compare? Very favorably, and for many the Watch Fit 4 Pro will be all the fitness wearable they’ll need. All three recorded the same sleep data, including HRV and blood oxygen, and the in-app graphs and data presentation is superior to the Whoop 5.0’s app.

All three also returned basically the same data when tracking an outdoor walk, but again, the Watch Fit 4 Pro’s app makes viewing and understanding the data faster and easier than the Whoop, and it’s more in-depth than the Oura app. The design is perhaps overly colorful in places, but it’s all highly readable. I still prefer the Oura Ring 4’s app for basic everyday health and wellness tracking, but the Watch Fit 4 Pro is far better at tracking exercise and workouts, and would actually make a great partner device to the smart ring if you don’t want to wear the Watch Fit 4 Pro overnight.

None are medical devices so the feedback and advice given tends to be quite general. The Huawei Health app is filled with different shortcuts to advice, plans, medals, and subscription features like sleep music and breathing exercises. The app can appear overwhelming due to the endless options, made worse by all of the Watch Fit 4 Pro’s controls and customization options are also inside the app. It takes a while to get used to it, but it’s packed with data.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: controls and features

The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is controlled using the touchscreen, the rotating crown, and a single button to quickly access workouts below it. This can be customized and also has the option to add a double press shortcut too. The HarmonyOS operating system is similar to Google’s Wear OS with a series of tiles showing information, and swipes up and down the screen to show notifications and quick settings. It’s smooth and responsive.

I’ve used the smartwatch connected to an Android phone, and it does take some work to ensure all notifications are delivered and the app isn’t put to sleep in the background, but Huawei does make an effort to guide you through the process. It’s not as seamless as using a Galaxy Watch 7 with a Samsung phone, but it’s easier than connecting and setting up a Xiaomi smartwatch with an Android phone. Notifications have been reliable, but they aren’t interactive unless you connect to a Huawei phone.

The massive clown nose on the side of the Watch Fit 4 is a rotating crown, but it’s oddly hobbled in the software, as it does scroll through some menus, but it doesn’t open the notification or quick settings screen, nor does it scroll through the additional details on the different tile screens. It means you use it far less than you would on an Apple Watch, for example.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: Battery and charging

Battery life has been excellent. Even wearing the Watch Fit 4 Pro 24-hours a day and tracking sleep, plus a workout each day, the battery has lasted for nearly five days on a single charge. This is with all the health features active. It has longer battery life than the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Galaxy Watch 7, and about equal to the OnePlus Watch 3 and the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5.

However, it’s less than the advertised 10 days of battery life, which may only be obtained by deactivating some health tracking features. The Watch Fit 4 Pro is charged using a proprietary wired puck, and it takes an hour to fully recharge.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: price and availability

Huawei does not sell its products in the U.S., but the Watch Fit 4 Pro is available to buy in the U.K.. It costs 250 British pounds, or about $330, and there’s a choice of three finishes — black, green, or blue — each with a matching strap.

The price represents good value considering the materials used and the amount of health tracking technology inside, along with the excellent battery life. An Apple Watch Series 10, Galaxy Watch 7, and OnePlus Watch 3 all cost more.

Should you buy the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro?

The trouble with making a smartwatch that looks like another, very prominent one, is it becomes a talking point for all the wrong reasons. Companies like Nothing have proven unusual designs can work in mobile tech, and the many round smartwatches available are almost all unique enough that they have their own identity. The Pixel Watch 3 isn’t going to be mistaken for the Galaxy Watch 7, for example.

The derivative design hurts what is otherwise an excellent health and fitness tracker. The Watch Fit 4 Pro has great battery life, the app is well designed and informative, and HarmonyOS on the watch itself is versatile and reliable, plus it works with both Android and iOS. It’s sensibly priced too, and is durable enough where it can be worn in tough sporting environments without concern. The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is really good, I just wish it didn’t look like an Apple Watch. If you can get past that, it’s a great purchase.