“Smart watches do not surprise anyone.” It’s hard to disagree with this, the more interesting are solutions such as Huawei Watch D. It could be another smart watch without any interesting things, but one technical solution in it radically changes the impression of the device!
Intrigued? That’s it! More on everything below. By the way, there will be quotes from the doctor in the text, I asked for comments on the key feature of the device.
Characteristics
- Screen: 1.64 inches, AMOLED, 456 × 280 pixels, 326 PPI, light sensor, Always On support.
- Health: pedometer, heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter, stress level, sleep phase tracking, skin temperature measurement, blood pressure measurement.
- Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, optical heart rate sensor, temperature, pressure, Hall.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, GPS.
- Battery: 160 mAh.
- Dimensions: 51×38×13.6 mm, 40.9 grams.
- Protection: IP68.
Appearance and ergonomics
Brutalism. This is the first thing that comes to my mind when I take the watch out of the box. And a very impressive weight is the first thing I feel when I pick up the device. The aluminum alloy body is strict and concise. Screen with a slight 2.5D effect. In general, the case is very impressive in size, but more on that later. From the end, a pair of keys: the Home button opens the menu or returns to the main screen, and the Health button opens the function configured for it. Yes, it’s essentially a customizable hotkey.
The bracelet is surprisingly wide and impressive. By the way, there are already two of them in the set, in size L and M.
The watch is protected according to the IP68 standard, which means that it is not afraid of dust and moisture. But the manufacturer does not recommend going to saunas, hot showers and swimming for a long time with them. Keep this in mind.
The screen is relatively small and has very wide bezels, although the default theme tries to take up all the space and expand the display visually, placing everything on the very edge of the display. And the frames are not visible here, for which thanks to the excellent black color of the AMOLED matrix. Rich colors and a pixel density of 326 PPI also add to the pleasant user experience. And, by the way, there is no lack of brightness. There is support for watch faces, some are already built-in, but you can download it through the proprietary Health app from the manufacturer.
I, as a person who has been using Huawei Watch Fit for a long time, was pleasantly surprised by the easy migration to a new watch. You simply change the paired device and all measurements and settings are transferred to the new watch. Comfortable.
The Watch D also supports the themes from Watch Fit, as they have, in fact, the same Harmony OS operating systems. There is also a light sensor, so that in the dark the watch will not blind you, and in the bright sun you will not have to peer.
All menus work smartly, I did not notice any noticeable slowdowns. Navigation is also simple and similar to devices in this class. I already mentioned the buttons, there are also swipes in the arsenal. From top to bottom – quick settings. From bottom to top, notifications. The only thing I would like is to be able to adjust the interface scaling. By default, there is a very large font and many menu lines (especially with long Russian words) are constantly scrolling in automatic mode.
Inflatable bracelet
And finally, the main feature!
I’m delaying the moment, but it’s time to tell you about the most interesting. The fact is that Huawei Watch D has a blood pressure measurement function! You have probably seen such devices that are worn on the shoulder or wrist, inflate and give out your blood pressure.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Russia and worldwide. Arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease are diseases in which lifestyle plays an important role. Healthy blood vessels are the key to a better quality of our life.
Well, the magicians from Huawei have added the function that blood pressure monitors usually do to smart watches. Bravo! You ask: “And what, the watch inflates something?”. It’s like that. The wide bracelet has a cuff that just inflates when you press the pressure gauge.
Technically, everything is very coolly implemented: the main design is a silicone bracelet with a folding clasp. Yes, there is no need to hit the right groove every time you take off your watch. Under it is a cuff that just inflates when you activate the pressure measurement. It is attached to the body with a special clip, because it is important to block air leakage here! Inside the watch case is a micropump, which pumps air into the “pouch”. After that, the sensors come into play and give actual readings.
What is blood pressure (BP) and why measure it?
Our heart works properly, pumping blood throughout the body (including through its own vessels), and blood pressure is an indicator that can assess the state of the cardiovascular system using improvised methods. In simple terms, this is the pressure that blood exerts on the walls of blood vessels, the upper (systolic) – during the period of contraction of the heart muscle, the lower (diastolic) – during the period of relaxation. I’ll make a reservation right away that it is not necessary for healthy people to regularly monitor it, but it is useful to know your “working” pressure.
Here I, of course, marveled at what the technology had reached. And everything is done very high quality, all the details are inserted with a pleasant effort, they sit tight. This I found out when I changed the bracelet and cuff to a different size.
What else can a smart watch do?
After all, the function of blood pressure, although technically the most important here, is how smart watches support many other functions: measuring the pulse, measuring the level of oxygen in the blood (pulse oximeter), measuring skin temperature, monitoring sleep phases with a smart alarm clock and measuring stress levels. This is not to mention the entire gentleman’s set of related features: various workouts, route track recording (GPS built-in), breathing exercises, a flashlight (the screen lights up bright white), music control and a remote shutter button.
By the way, many of the parameters are measured constantly. And here you can say, they say, yes, the clock will be discharged in a couple of days. But no! Suddenly, Huawei, in addition to a large body, awarded their device with a very tenacious battery. In the first week of use, they “ate” 90% of the battery. Yes, I rarely used tracking, I know that it eats a lot, but all other measurements were active and worked constantly. As they say, my respect.
And yes, if you don’t need all this extensive functionality, you can turn something off from the active mode of operation and measure it manually only when you need it.
In conclusion, about the main interface for communicating with the watch – the Health app from Huawei. Through it, the watch is paired with a smartphone, and a more detailed observation and analysis of the parameters that the watch itself collects. Here you can also customize a lot for yourself by arranging the menu tiles in the right order. And by clicking on each separately, you can see the detailed graphs and draw the necessary conclusions for yourself. Right there in the menu there is a part of the clock settings (for example, turning off music control) and a gallery of dials.
Review
Yes, there are controversial points here. So, for me, music control is not a necessary feature at all, it can even be turned off in the application settings. And the watch lacks some pretty and stylish dials. Yes, there are a lot of them in the local gallery (and some of them are paid, yeah), but sometimes it is very difficult to find something pleasant there. And the default theme does focus on measuring blood pressure.
But how many different possibilities in this device will please even a sophisticated geek and a person who really needs all these functions. I am also pleased with the fact that the watch allows you to customize everything for yourself. You can hide some screens, choose the workouts that are relevant to you. Well, disable those features that you do not need.
Well, the main question is whether to buy Watch D? Before answering, it is important to understand that all such devices are non-medical equipment, and no matter how hard the manufacturers try, they will not give absolutely accurate readings from which conclusions can be drawn. But! Such devices clearly show the dynamics, and if you analyze your sleep, daily routine and loads in general, then such devices will definitely be useful. Also with measuring blood pressure, if this topic is relevant to you, but you are not ready to carry a separate device, then during the day the watch will help you monitor pressure and be alert.
Pros:
- the widest range of functions;
- measurement of blood pressure;
- quality of materials;
- battery life.
Minuses:
- all measurement results are for informational purposes only;
- a lot of scrolling menu lines.
May not like:
- not a very large display with a large body;
- device weight.
Source: Trash Box
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
