Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: a solid smartwatch with a superior bracelet

Huawei Watch 4 Pro review in a nutshell: the Watch 4 Pro is as bulky as it's feature-rich. If you don't mind Huawei's operating system and want a stylish, competent smartwatch, this is definitely worthy of a place on your list.

If you're looking to get one of the best smartwatches on your wrist, it's fair to say there are a lot of choices. Arguably the most popular choice is one of the many Apple Watch models on the market – those only work with iPhones, though. Other options on the market only work with Android phones, with only a handful able to work with both. That's true of the watch we're testing today – the Huawei Watch 4 Pro. So, is it worth your hard-earned cash? Let's find out.

Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: Pricing

The Huawei Watch 4 Pro retails for £550 in the UK (approx. $698/ AU$ 1,045). That's for the model on the titanium bracelet. Opting for the model on the brown leather or blue composite straps will only set you back £499 (approx. $634/ AU$ 950).

Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: Features

The Watch 4 Pro packs a decent spec sheet. The model I have here for review features an aerospace-grade titanium bracelet and case. That's paired with a spherical sapphire glass screen, which covers a 1.5-inch AMOLED screen.

It features an IP68 resistance rating for dust and water resistance. It's also rated for 5ATM of water resistance and is good for 30m of free diving. That should make the watch ready for just about anything you can throw at it.

Battery life is rated at four and a half days, with up to 21 days in Ultra-long battery life mode. Charge time is rated at 90 minutes for a full charge.

One thing this watch doesn't have is access to the Google app store. As with all Huawei products, they use their own operating system and app store. That does mean that some familiar apps won't be available, though there are a lot of alternatives.

Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: Performance

In use, the Watch 4 Pro is impressive. The health tracking functionality is really intuitive and offers deep insights. I particularly like the Health Glance feature. It makes it super easy to get a quick look at your well-being.

There's a great range of workouts onboard too. That includes commonplace ones like walking and running as well as a handful of more unusual ones. There are settings for driving range use and triathlons, for example.

The workouts section also features a section for different running courses. They target different kinds of results like fat burning and aerobic endurance. There's even an AI running coach setting which can learn from your workout habits to create a personalised plan.

The display is really impressive on this watch. It's a 1.5-inch AMOLED panel with an adaptive refresh rate. It's clear and detailed, with smooth motion. That's aided by the sapphire crystal, which is gently domed. It gives the whole dial a 3D appearance which gives faces a real depth.

For me, the standout feature of this watch is the bracelet. It's well-finished and lightweight and feels effortlessly comfortable in use. The real standout, though, is how easy it is to adjust. There's no need for tools to remove links – simply pull the quick-release tab and remove them to fit. It took me about 10 seconds to remove a link for a good fit.

The same can be said for the connection between the case and the bracelet. There, a quick-release button allows you to pull the two apart. It's a really effortless system and should make re-sizing and changing your watch strap easier than ever.

Having handled a wide range of watches, this is something I really hope to see permeate further into the industry. Sizing a watch bracelet can be a painfully tedious process and requires a host of specific tools. This changes that with a brilliantly elegant solution.

One issue I do have is the size, though. At 48mm across, it's positively gargantuan. Plus, with no smaller option in the range, there's no alternative for those with slimmer wrists. In use, I found it to be just barely manageable, and I'd almost certainly opt for a smaller case size if it were available.

Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: verdict 

There's no denying that the Huawei Watch 4 Pro is a good smartwatch. It has a wealth of really great health and fitness tracking, which is the bread and butter of a device like this. Top that off with a beautiful dial and a really impressive bracelet, and it's fair to say this is a quality product.

There are, of course, some caveats. The most obvious is the lack of familiar software. Some will be able to look past that, but others may find it a nuisance. I have to say, in use, it was really no bother, but I don't have any third-party apps which I use regularly. If you do, it might be a little more of a stumbling block.

If you just want a stylish, competent smartwatch, this is definitely worthy of a place on your list. 

Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: also consider

The Apple Watch Series 8 further refines the formula that made its predecessor excellent and is the best smartwatch for iPhone users. The Apple Watch Series 8 can be used for tracking sleep just as well as 'proper' sleep trackers, and the new-and-improved workout metrics and views bring the watch ever so close to being used for running training. Read Matt's full Apple Watch Series 8 review.

The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 is the first smartwatch to use the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chip. It's fast and responsive and works with both Android and Apple smartphones. It might not be as sexy as the Watch 4 Pro, but it's definitely a capable wearable. Read the full Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 review, also by Matt.

If you're an Android user, you can also opt for the Google Pixel Watch or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. Both are excellent in their own right, with Google's first wearable monetising on its Fitbit heritage and Samsung's top dog watch on the expertise of the South Korean company. Read Jennifer's full Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review or Matt's full Google Pixel Watch review.