Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro review – it can easily replace a much more expensive watch

As soon as I finished testing the Watch 5, I replaced it with the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro, or rather, I tested them simultaneously for a while. Even with last year's Watch Fit 3 (there was no Pro version at the time), I was surprised by what you get for a good €150. The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is €100 more expensive, but for good reason. The materials (titanium, sapphire) from which the watch is made are of higher quality and more durable, some advanced functions have been added, such as ECG and HRV, the screen is even more transparent and clear, and just like the Watch 5, you can also make contactless payments with the Fit 4 Pro.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro price and specifications

• Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro: €279 (black), €289 (blue and green)

Also available are basic versions of the Huawei Watch Fit 4 from €169. With purchase (until June 30th), you also get FreeBuds SE 2 headphones.

Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro - prestige or unoriginality?

I agree with last year's design. The resemblance to the Apple Watch will appeal to some users, while others will complain about the lack of originality. But they've added a few of their own touches. The sides are flatter, and the microphone between the button and the crown stands out a bit. Is that enough to give the Watch Fit 4 Pro its own identity? Maybe, judge for yourself.

The watch has two buttons on the right side. The upper one is a rotating crown (with a slight green tint on the test model), which is used to scroll through menus and also has a built-in haptic motor, and the lower one is a flat button for quick access to selected functions. What is special is that the lower button also serves as an electrode for performing ECG measurements. When in contact with a finger, an electrical circuit is completed with another electrode in the crown, which allows recording of an electrocardiogram.

I received the green version for testing with a nylon strap that you can freely swap with other 20mm straps. For the other versions (with rubber straps), I'm not entirely sure if changing straps is as easy.

The titanium frame and sapphire crystal not only protect the watch but also give it a touch of prestige, while 5 ATM and IP68 water resistance ensure it can withstand swimming or showering without worry. The watch even has an EN13319 diving rating and can withstand free diving to a depth of 40 m, which is not a given even for much more expensive watches.

The AMOLED display is exceptional

The display is definitely the highlight of this watch. The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro has a 1.82-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 480 x 408 pixels and a density of 347 ppi, which means a sharp image with excellent details. The colors are vivid, the contrast is deep (as expected for AMOLED), and above all, the exceptional brightness is impressive, which goes up to 3000 candelas (nits), just like the Watch 5. This is the highest I've seen in this class so far, and on par with the most expensive watches on the market. Readability is excellent even in bright sunlight, and the high brightness also helps when you turn on the flashlight.

The screen is protected by sapphire glass, so there is no need to worry about scratches in everyday use. A thin titanium edge wraps around the screen, which further protects it and visually emphasizes it. The user experience with the screen is very pleasant. The surface is smooth and responsive to touch, and movements through menus and screens are fluid. The rotating crown allows you to browse sections or adjust the volume in an intuitive way, while providing a slight haptic vibration, which improves the feeling of precision when operating. The always-on display is already a standard addition on smartwatches, and waking the screen with a twist of the wrist is also available.

When you select a dial, the system will sort them according to their usage. You can use the keyboard to respond to messages (not available for iOS users), which was missing in previous years.

Athletes will be thrilled

Inside the watch is a bunch of advanced sensors that Huawei has combined into what it calls the TruSense system. This integrated system covers heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂), heart rhythm (ECG), respiratory rate, heart rate variability (HRV), stress level, skin temperature, and air pressure.

The sensors are located on the bottom of the watch and in the side buttons (for ECG) and work in synergy with smart algorithms in the operating system to provide the user with a holistic view of their fitness and health.

Accuracy? Almost at the level of medical equipment or 98-% accuracy. Deviations are imperceptible and the measurements can help you to possibly detect some early symptoms. If you notice anything unusual, consult a doctor.

The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is the first in the Watch Fit family to allow ECG recording. Using built-in electrodes (in the side button and on the back of the watch), it can measure the electrical activity of the heart and detect possible rhythm disturbances (such as atrial fibrillation). The measured ECG (30-second recording) is displayed in the Huawei Health application on the phone, from where you can also export it and show it to your personal doctor. In addition to the ECG, Huawei has added an arterial stiffness measurement function, which we know from their more expensive models. This function also uses a combination of ECG and PPG sensors. With a short measurement, in which the watch sends tiny electrical signals through the body, it estimates the pulse wave velocity, which is an indirect indicator of the elasticity of the arteries.

For sports and activity enthusiasts, the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro offers over 100 sports modes. All the classic activities are covered: running (outdoors and on a treadmill), cycling (outdoors, indoors), swimming (in the pool, open water), walking, hiking, rowing, skiing, and the like, as well as much more specific activities from ballet and martial arts to e-sports and even hang gliding, although I always wonder about the usefulness of the latter.

In addition to the classic information, you will also receive more customized measurements after your workout, such as the asymmetry of the load between the left and right legs during running, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and more. These were measurements that we used to only get with specialized devices, but they are increasingly appearing in classic smartwatches.

The built-in GPS receiver supports dual frequency bands (L1 and L5) and multiple satellite systems for the most accurate positioning. I compared it with the GPS of the Watch 5 and the Huawei Pura 70 Ultra and the results are comparable. The signal search speed is also very fast.

You can load GPX files onto the watch to navigate a pre-defined route. A colored line map with terrain outlines is drawn on the screen. Offline maps and a connection to the Komoot and Strava apps are also available.

Contactless payments are expected to be available soon

NFC payments, like those on the Huawei Watch 5, should be available soon, or when the watch goes on sale on June 2. To use it, you will need to install a Quicko wallet, in which you will top up your prepaid card.

The range of apps has expanded. You can use Petal Maps for navigation or a dedicated Google Maps app. You can also download a simple Google Calendar app, and you can manage Spotify music via a third-party app or through the system music manager. The same goes for YouTube Music.

Unfortunately, you can't connect your measurements to other platforms, such as Google Fit or Apple Health. If you're used to having all your workouts and health stats in one place (in Google Fit, where data from multiple devices converges), you won't be able to do that directly with the Watch Fit 4 Pro.

The watch has about 1.5 GB of space for music files, which is enough for about 300 songs in MP3 quality.

Among other handy smart features offered by the Fit 4 Pro, it is worth mentioning the remote camera shutter (you can trigger your phone's camera and take a picture via the installed app, which is useful for group photos), Find My Phone (your phone will make a sound to make it easier to find), weather forecast, calendar and reminders from your phone, and screenshot. A new feature is also voice memo: you pick up the watch, say a note, and the watch saves it as an audio or text recording.

You will use it for at least 7 days before a meeting with the outlet is required

Huawei managed to fit a 400 mA battery into a case that is only 9.3 mm thin. This in itself does not say much, what is more important are the results that the battery achieves in practice. Although it did not last me 10 days, as Huawei promises, I still needed the socket only after 6-7 days, which is an excellent result. The measurement is based on using GPS for one hour a day, two workouts, continuous health and sleep monitoring... With more intensive use of GPS and the always-on screen, I expect the battery to last for about 5 days, which is still a very good result.

Huawei Watch 4 Fit Pro supports wireless (Qi) charging, the charger is included in the box. Charging takes approximately 60 minutes.

You get everything you need for half the price

The Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro is definitely an impressive step forward for the Fit series and can easily replace many more expensive smartwatches. It offers a top-notch display (both in terms of image quality and brightness), premium materials (sapphire glass, titanium), and a whole host of advanced health and sports features that we previously only expected from the highest-end devices. At the same time, it maintains excellent battery life, which is one of the key advantages over the competition.

It's hard to get close to perfection, but the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro comes very close. The price is justified considering the feature set and build quality. If they really do enable contactless payments soon, it will really have everything a regular and more experienced user needs.