HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro Review: The Ultimate Kids’ Smartwatch?

TL;DR/At a Glance:
The HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro is a premium kids smartwatch with a 360-degree rotating detachable display that transforms into a standalone camera. It features dual-band GNSS tracking for pinpoint safety, 4G LTE video calling with AI noise cancellation, and parental controls via the HUAWEI FamCare app. The Pro version retails in Malaysia for RM1599, while the standard variant is RM999.

So, you have a kid or have kids and you’re worried about them. Maybe not all the time, but quite enough, like when they’re at school and you cannot reach them, or when they hang out with friends and you just want to know they are safe.

Well, you can give them a phone call, but there has to be a better option, right?

HUAWEI has just made one: the HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro, a smartwatch built specifically for kids with precise positioning, dual cameras, video calls, and more. Let’s dive into the details to see if it’s the right choice for your family.

What’s in the Box?

Other than the watch itself, here is what comes inside the packaging:

• Adjust link and spring bar (nicely wrapped)
• Protective case and a lanyard (which serve a very unique purpose we will explain later)
• Proprietary USB charging cable
• SIM ejector pin (yes, you can actually put a nano-SIM inside this watch, which is incredibly rare for a watch within this price range)
• Quick start guide

First Impressions: An 11-Year-Old’s Reaction

Before diving into the technical specifications, we wanted to see how the target audience actually feels about the device. We handed the watch to 11-year-old Isaiah Rohan Symons to get his raw, unscripted reaction:

Adam: “Does it fit well?”

Isaiah: “Yes, it does.”

Adam: “Go through whatever you see on the watch and just give me your exact emotions or what you think it is.”

Isaiah: “There’s a camera… It’s a camera! It’s a camera, man. Okay, so you can like take pictures and type stuff. Steps: zero out of 800. Gallery… It’s 31°… Okay, so this is like a phone, but better!”

That reaction right there is the real review—everything else is just context. Let’s walk through why this watch makes kids light up and why parents should be paying close attention.

Design and Build Quality

The HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro is easily one of the most interesting looking kids’ products we have ever seen, sporting a rugged, almost sci-fi aesthetic.

The Pro version comes in both Black and Purple, featuring a 3D bamboo hard silicon strap paired with a high-gloss metal bezel that has a durable hard coating. It looks and feels incredibly tough—which is exactly what is needed given how rough kids can be with their belongings.

The watch body is 13.44mm thin with a 46mm span, making it compact enough to fit smaller wrists comfortably. One minor detail to note is that the watch release clasp is quite secure and not the easiest to take out with thicker adult fingers, but this is by design since it was engineered for smaller hands.

A Display That Flips and Rotates

The screen is where things get really interesting. It features a 1.82-inch AMOLED display that is bright, sharp, and easy to view even under direct outdoor sunlight. Thanks to HarmonyOS 6, the overall navigation and touch response are incredibly fluid.

Unlike most smartwatches, the display sits horizontally rather than vertically, acting like a tiny landscape screen on the wrist. This industry-first design makes a massive difference: video calls look natural, photos look better, and on-screen text is much bigger and easier to read.

The clean user interface uses large fonts and simple icons, ensuring even younger children can navigate it without parental assistance.

But the real showstopper is that the screen flips up and rotates 360 degrees.

“What in the musical camera photo is this, bro? Oh my god, it rotates. Oh my god, it actually rotates!” – Isaiah

Your child won’t even need a manual to figure it out; they can naturally flip and rotate the screen to find the perfect camera angle without twisting their arm into an awkward position.

The Detachable “Pocket Camera” Mode

On this Pro version specifically, the watch head is completely detachable. By rotating the watch head to the side, you can pop it out of the wrist strap, clip it into the included protective case, and attach the lanyard.

Just like that, it transforms into a standalone detachable pocket camera. Your child can wear it around their neck, explore their surroundings, and capture memories like a proper little photographer. Kids love having ownership over their gadgets, and this form factor delivers exactly that.

Class-Leading Safety and Positioning

For parents, the most critical question is always: “Where is my child right now?“

The HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro offers a massive hardware upgrade over competitors by utilizing dual-band Wi-Fi and dual-band GNSS for positioning. While standard single-band receivers only read one signal, dual-band reads two, offering vastly superior signal strength and positioning accuracy.

• Indoors: Using the SIM card cellular signal provides excellent tracking inside schools, shopping malls, and buildings with thick walls.
• Outdoors: The dual-band GNSS filters out interference from tall buildings, reduces tracking drift, and eliminates false location reports.
• Adaptive Positioning Algorithm: The watch learns your child’s frequent locations over time, steadily improving tracking accuracy.
• Multi-Level Mall Positioning: Expected to launch via an update around October, this will eventually allow parents to pin down which floor of a shopping mall their child is on.

How it compares to the competition:

The standard competitor in this space, the imoo X10, only features single-band Wi-Fi and single-band GNSS. The dual-band hardware on the HUAWEI Pro model represents a massive real-world difference in positioning accuracy.

The Parent Companion App: HUAWEI FamCare

Parents can manage the entire watch experience using the HUAWEI FamCare app, which is fully supported on both Android and iOS (iPhone).

Key parental control features include:

• Safe and Dangerous Zones: Set designated geofences and receive instant notifications when your child enters or leaves them.
• Health and Emotion Monitoring: Track your child’s heart rate and emotional state 24/7, powered by a built-in PPG optical heart rate sensor.
• Approved Contacts List: Restrict calls so your child can only communicate with trusted, pre-approved contacts. All unknown numbers are automatically blocked.
• Class Mode: Silence notifications and disable interactive features during school hours so your child can stay focused in class.
• Content Filtering: Built-in safeguards protect your child from accessing harmful content.

Staying Connected: Clear Video Calls & SOS

The watch features high-definition video calling, allowing you to see your child’s face, expressions, and immediate surroundings in real time. This is incredibly helpful if a child ever gets lost in a crowded theme park or shopping mall.

During our testing, the call quality was exceptionally clear, and more importantly, the watch features AI Noise Cancellation – a feature completely missing on the imoo X10. This ensures that even in noisy school corridors or crowded public spaces, background noise is filtered out so you can hear each other clearly.

Additionally, the watch supports global 2G, 3G, and 4G bands, meaning you can stay in touch even during overseas family holidays or school trips.

Instant SOS

In an emergency, holding down the side button for five quick presses triggers an immediate SOS call and sends an automated SOS alert message with their location. There are no complicated menus or passwords required—just five presses. Children can also use the watch to send quick text messages, voice notes, emojis, and photos to keep in touch throughout the day.

Dual Cameras (5MP + 13MP)

This is where the device stops being just a tracking tool and becomes a gadget kids genuinely love using. It features a 5MP front-facing camera and a 13MP rear-facing camera.

• Ultra-Wide Front Lens: The 5MP front camera features a 110-degree wide-angle lens—the widest in this category. It easily fits groups of friends into a single frame without requiring anyone to lean awkwardly backward.
• Sharp Low-Light Performance: Both cameras utilize a multi-frame noise reduction algorithm, maintaining sharpness and minimizing blur even if your child is moving or shooting in low-light settings.
• Storage Capacity: Equipped with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, the watch can hold roughly 5,000 photos. By comparison, the imoo X10 only offers 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (half the memory and storage of the HUAWEI).
• Creative Tools: The camera app includes 6 shooting modes, 14 kid-friendly filters, and over 100 special effects and stickers for custom DIY editing.

Durability, Water Resistance, and Battery Life

The watch holds IPX8, IPX9, and 2 ATM water resistance ratings. While it isn’t rated for swimming, it can easily survive handwashing, rain, and shallow water splashes.

The battery lasts for approximately 32 hours—comfortably covering an entire school day and night combined. When you do need to charge, it supports 1.5C fast charging, which tops up the battery to 50% in just 20 minutes. A quick plug-in before school is all it takes to get them through the day.

Social and Smart Features

If your child encounters another friend who has a HUAWEI KIDS watch, they can simply shake hands to instantly add each other as friends. They can share contact cards, participate in step-count leaderboards to keep active, and use a built-in smart assistant for basic daily tasks.

Verdict & Pricing

If you have been looking for a safe, reliable alternative to giving your child a full smartphone, the HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro is an absolute home run. It gives your child the independence they crave while giving you absolute peace of mind. The positioning accuracy is class-leading, the dual detachable camera setup is incredibly fun, and the AI noise-canceled video calling is a true game-changer.

Pricing and Availability:

• HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Pro (Detachable Dual Camera): RM1599
• HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 (Non-Detachable Camera): RM999

During the initial launch period, purchases include promotional gifts worth up to RM808, which features:

• 1 year of HUAWEI Care+ (worth up to RM489)
• 1-year APAC warranty (worth RM319)
• A complimentary Panda Plush (available on a first-come, first-served basis)

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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