After the presentation a few days ago, the time has come for our test of the new Huawei Watch Fit 5. Smartwatch that combines advanced health and fitness features with a trendy design, with up to 10 days of battery life and integrated contactless payments.
Let us therefore analyze in detail all the features and performances of the new Huawei Watch Fit 5.
Design and packaging
The Watch Fit 5 adopts a rectangular case design, in recycled aluminum alloy, with a plastic back where we find the sensors for monitoring our health. We continue with the 1.82-inch display, with fairly thick frames (2 mm) and protected by a lithium-aluminium-silicate crystal. On the right we find the clickable crown, useful for power and navigation within the user interface, and a physical button that can be customized by the user. The left side is, however, dedicated to the microphone and speaker for calls and notifications.
We continue our analysis with the strap, unfortunately equipped with a proprietary fastening, available in two materials: nylon or fluoroelastomer (synthetic rubber).
Waterproof and lightweight smartwatch (27 g, without strap) and with fairly compact dimensions (42.9 x 38.2 x 9.5 mm), with a case available in five variants to suit all tastes: grey-green, purple, green, white and black.
Finally, the package includes the magnetic charger with USB-A port and a quick guide.
Technical characteristics
Below are the technical specifications of the Huawei Watch Fit 5:
- Display: 1.82″ Amoled, 480 × 408 pixels, 347 Ppi, Always On, 2,500 nit peak brightness
- Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, ambient light, continuous heart rate, barometer, temperature, fall detection with automatic SOS
- Connectivity: NFC, Bluetooth 6, GPS
- Audio: Microphone and speaker for hands-free and notifications
- Battery: 471 mAh
- Operating system: HarmonyOs 6.0
- Compatibility: Android 9.0 or later, iOS 13.0 or later
Operating system, user interface and health monitoring
On board the Watch Fit 5 we find the proprietary HarmonyOs operating system in the latest version 6. A swipe from top to bottom allows quick access to the settings with the possibility of accessing functions such as Do Not Disturb mode, managing the brightness (including automatic) of the display and battery monitoring. A swipe upwards allows access to notifications with the ability on Android to reply to messages, but not to Google emails, with emoji, customizable preset text and touch keyboard with T9. Notifications which, unfortunately, remain as unread on smartphones even if they were displayed on the watch.
A swipe to the right allows access to the most used apps, while a swipe to the left allows quick access to numerous functions divided into various tabs that can be managed by the user: rings for monitoring physical activity (steps, distance, calories, etc.), emotion and stress monitoring, a tab that contains various information such as heart rate, a tab dedicated to weather, agenda, calls, music, training menu and moon phases.
All apps are, however, accessible by pressing the crown. Among the numerous applications available we remember the one for the analysis of arrhythmia (risk of atrial fibrillation) and the Health Insights app which offers a complete health analysis.
It also complements the sleep tracking app with respiratory abnormality detection. We also remember the apps for calls and contacts, the breathing exercises for stress reduction and the numerous watchfaces, including interactive ones and with animations and videos, which can be downloaded via the dedicated app which we will analyze later.
Additional applications can be downloaded via smartphone using the App gallery. It is a small store without famous apps, but with useful software that allows, for example, the management of Spotify, Google calendar events and more directly from the smartwatch. For navigation functions we recommend the Petal maps app.
Finally, let’s remember NFC payments via Curve Pay: by loading your cards on the Huawei app you can pay directly with the watch.
Workouts
We continue with the section dedicated to training with over 100 supported sports modalities, including skiing and yoga. Smartwatch with automatic walking, running and cycling recognition. As for this sporting activity, Watch Fit 5 monitors virtual power, estimating Watts without a potentiometer, based on speed, slope, altitude and weight. Furthermore, it is possible to transform the smartphone into a cycle computer by receiving real-time data from the smartwatch.
The other sports are also very well looked after with a lot of information provided. For example, in running we find cadence, vertical oscillation, ground contact time, balance and much more.
Huawei Watch Fit 5 introduces the Mini-Workout mode, an innovative way to stay active, ideal especially for those with little time available. No tools or dedicated spaces are required. Thanks to a cute companion, an interactive panda on the dial, you can quickly perform short exercise sessions, from 30 seconds to several minutes. We also mention the integrated training, warm-up and stretching plans.
Finally, there is the possibility of synchronizing data with external platforms such as Strava and importing routes from apps such as Komoot.
App for smartphones
The Watch Fit 5 is accompanied by the Huawei Health application for Android and iOS mobile devices, downloadable via the QR via used on the smartwatch and not present in the stores.
Application, in Italian, easy to use and very feature-rich, which allows you to view in detail all the data collected by the smartwatch, also accompanied by useful explanations on the information provided and clear graphs.
There is also the possibility of starting a workout directly from your smartphone, even accompanied by voice messages, and a rich section dedicated to smartwatch settings with the possibility of also downloading new dials (most of them for a fee).
Finally, the subscription section of the app (59 euros per year) which includes courses with video and audio, training plans and more.
User experience and price
Our opinion on the Huawei Watch Fit 5 is decidedly positive. Watch that boasts high autonomy: up to 10 days of light use. In our tests, with active health monitoring 24 hours a day and some sporting activity carried out, we reached around 5-6 days (without always-on display). Rechargeable battery in approximately 60 minutes.
Excellent rating on the screen, high definition, bright and with natural colours. Positive opinion also on the performance, with a software that is always fast and reactive, and on the GPS. Speakerphone is sufficient. The functions dedicated to monitoring our health are rich and precise, with an excellent section dedicated to physical exercise. Watch with good build quality, comfortable to wear thanks also to its low weight.
Too bad for limited interaction with notifications and for a store that isn’t very rich in apps.
Smartwatch also available in the Pro variant with larger display, more robust construction and more features for monitoring health (e.g. ECG and arterial stiffness) and sports activities (e.g. golf).
Finally the price of Huawei Watch Fit 5 equal to 199 euros.
Find out more on Amazon on offer for 139 euros
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