Your Smartwatch Can’t Do This… But the HUAWEI WATCH 5 Can!

You’ve been told that smartwatches track your heart rate, your sleep, and even your blood oxygen levels. But did you know that those sensors on your wrist might not always be accurate, especially if you’re hiking, sick, or just hairy?  Well, this HUAWEI WATCH 5 still has those sensors, but now you can get a real-time reading with just a fingertip tap on the watch!

And yes, you can even play games on those same sensors too! So, let’s check out why this is not your usual smartwatch.

 

Design & Build Quality

First, let’s talk about the design, because this looks like it belongs in the future. It’s got that sleek, minimalistic aesthetic with a high-end premium finish, which feels just right on the wrist.

This futuristic look is because of the unique front cover that is made of spherical glass. It is beautiful to navigate on, and the screen quality was one of the best that I’ve seen, but at the same time being way more durable, which also complemented the overall look of the watch. 

It has a massive 3,000 nits of peak brightness, so no worries about looking at a watch screen in a super bright sun like here in Malaysia.

Compared to the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 series that I’ve reviewed, it was slim and sporty. But this is bold, sharp, and definitely looks more luxurious, and yes, surely futuristic as well. 

It comes in two variants: a 42mm which I have in White that has a stainless steel case, and the one that I have been using is this bigger 46mm which has an aerospace-grade titanium case, which is in the Purple color.

I know you might be thinking fancy means fragile, right? Especially on how the watch looks. But no, because this HUAWEI WATCH 5 is built to last with durable materials, but keeping the watch lightweight enough for daily use. So, whether or not you’re hitting the gym or just flexing your watch on a date night, it fits right in.

 

X-TAP Fingertip SpO2 & Health Monitoring

X-TAP Technology

Let’s talk about what makes this watch truly different. This is the first smartwatch in the world to feature the multi-sensing X-TAP technology, letting you measure your SpO2 levels using your fingertip on the side of the watch. 

So, there’s no awkward positioning or waiting for your wrist sensors to kick in. Just tap with your finger on the side sensor at the middle button for about 30 seconds, and done.

This works because of the combination of the ECG, PPG, and the pressure sensor from the wrist to the fingertips, which gives a more accurate health monitoring because the fingertip has usually a thinner epidermal layer and has richer artery compared to traditional wrist-based sensors, especially if you have super hairy hands.

Because of this X-TAP technology, it has a better and overall richer signal quality. The reason why SpO2 reading is very important is because if you have any breathing or any heart conditions where your body might struggle to get enough oxygen, this could be a real life-saving feature. As a real-time blood oxygen check, this helps you or your doctor to spot any warnings early. 

But if you’re a hiker or even a mountain climber, you know how thin the air is when you go to higher altitudes, which could mess up your oxygen level. So, this watch will tell you exactly whether or not you should push forward or just take a break before your body actually starts telling you that.

 

Health Glance

Then, it also supports the Health Glance feature that measures 10 health metrics where it only needs about 60 seconds to complete the test using the multi-sensing X-TAP technology.

But for a more complete micro checkup which includes your heart rate, sleep quality, skin temperature, respiration rate, and two new health metrics which are HRV and also emotions. So, it’s like carrying a mini health lab on your wrist. And no, you don’t need a lab coat to use this.

HUAWEI has also thought of a fun way of using this X-TAP sensor by playing the Jump Jump game, which you can download from the HUAWEI App Gallery on the watch. And I have to say that this game is quite addictive, so beware!

 

Personalised Health Insights

But what’s a health tracker without proper insights? Because this HUAWEI WATCH 5 takes all of that raw health data and turns it into personalized tips, from better health suggestions to spotting abnormal heart patterns. So, it won’t just typically just show you numbers, but actual advice that you can act on. 

And because I’ve been wearing this daily for a week, there’s the HUAWEI Health App Summary that will give you a full view of your week’s progress, just like your own wellness dashboard.

 

Gesture Controls & Smart Features

As for the next feature, honestly, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did, as this HUAWEI WATCH 5 has smart gesture controls. And here is how it works.

You can do a double tap using your thumb and index finger to end third-party calls like WhatsApp or Zoom. You can even snooze your alarm for about 10 minutes, take a remote photo using the camera shutter, and even play or pause your music. 

But if you want to get even fancier, you can use the double tap and slide to go to the other options like the menu, like turning off your alarm. And once you slide your fingers, you can select to either skip the music track or either go forward or backwards.

Where to activate? Just hit the “Settings” on the watch, go to the “Hand gesture”, and switch on the “Detect smart gesture controls”. 

So, if your hands are full, for example, if your right hand is eating banana leaf rice and your left hand is holding coconut water – yeah, no worries about that. I know that this sounds like a novelty feature, but it’s something that you might think that you do not use, but once you use it, you can’t go back. 

And oh, if you want to pay for that banana leaf rice, if your hands are all dirty and all tied up, you can use Touch n Go QR Pay too. But don’t forget to wash your hands here.

 

Battery Life & Compatibility

A feature-packed watch like this usually comes with daily charging, right? But in true HUAWEI fashion, this one does not. This is because the battery life ranges between 4 and 1/2 days under the standard mode or up to 11 days under the ultra-long battery life mode, depending on how hardcore or if you work out very often like me. 

Of course, the battery overall usage will definitely differ accordingly. But yes, just like a lot of the recently released smartwatches from HUAWEI, it is compatible with HarmonyOS, Android, and iOS devices as well. So, you don’t have to switch ecosystems to enjoy every feature of this watch.

 

Durability & Smart Lifestyle

When it comes to daily use, this holds up like a champ. Just like the previous video review of the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 series, it’s got all the essentials that you expect for a smartwatch, like receiving and replying messages directly with their integrated keyboard inside. 

But my favorite is still the ability to have your NFC card access into the watch as well. This feature has stuck to me to a point where I just can’t go back to any other smartwatch after using this.

And oh, here’s something that you can also really enjoy or is also a little fun, because you can even listen to your favorite Malaysian radio stations directly from your HUAWEI WATCH 5 thanks to the Syok app. Similar to the Jump Jump game mentioned earlier, just head to the App Gallery on the watch, search for Syok, install it, and you’re good to go. 

And what’s great is that you can play the radio station directly on the watch speaker. So, you can even adjust the volume using the watch crown. And yes, the speakers were also quite loud as well.

Then, there are 100+ sport modes too, where there is a 40-meter free diving and trail running with outdoor maps. Besides the 15,000+ free global golf course maps as well, there’s even a 3-month free trial for the Health+ app membership to get even better insights into your overall health and your workout too.

 

Verdict

So, here’s the deal. The HUAWEI WATCH 5 is not just a good-looking smartwatch. It is a very good health tracker, a smart assistant, and a gesture-controlling powerhouse. With the world’s first X-TAP multi-sensing technology, this gives you more accurate health monitoring, 10 different health metrics, gesture navigation, long battery life, and that sleek futuristic build. 

If you’re looking for something that looks different than any other smartwatches out there, something that genuinely moves the needle in overall smartwatch innovation, then the HUAWEI WATCH 5 is absolutely worth considering, especially with a starting price of only RM1,799. 

And as always, I will leave all the links below, including the current promo of getting a FreeBuds 5 and also the 3 months free trial on the HUAWEI Health+ membership as mentioned earlier. 

But if you want something different, check out my recent video review of the HUAWEI WATCH FIT 4 series over here.

 

🛒 Get the HUAWEI WATCH 5 at the links below:-

HWS : https://tinyurl.com/2z8npsd4
SHP : https://tinyurl.com/22x8b8by
LZD : https://tinyurl.com/ye39s3ev
TT : https://tinyurl.com/2s9vrux5