Huawei Watch Fit 4 review: Budget smartwatch with outdoor appeal

Greatest Costs As we speak: Huawei Watch Match 4

The Huawei Watch Match 4 sees the tech model replace its most cost-effective smartwatch, which additionally may be its most likeable.

Whereas it lacks the luxurious watch supplies of the Watch Match 4 Professional, Watch Final 2 or the richer well being smarts discovered on the Huawei Watch 5, the Match 4 takes loads of options from these costlier Huawei smartwatches. That does nonetheless make it a horny and extra reasonably priced bundle.

These new options embody the addition of free full color maps, improved GPS help, new well being and wellbeing monitoring smarts and new watch faces.

I used to be an enormous fan of the Watch Match 3 and had fun with the pricier Watch Match 4 Professional, so my hopes have been excessive for the Watch Match 4 going into this assessment.

Design & Construct

• Accessible in 4 colors
• Slimmer case design than Watch Match 3
• Nonetheless waterproof as much as 50 metres

Huawei made huge adjustments with the design of the Watch Match 3, so for the Watch Match 4, it’s actually about refining the great work it achieved final 12 months.

Mike Sawh

You’ve nonetheless acquired a fairly compact sq. case, which is available in a single 43mm dimension. So it doesn’t comply with within the footsteps of the Watch Match 4 Professional’s clearly Apple Watch Extremely-inspired design.

That case now options softer curves and it’s the kind of change that offers the Match 4 an immediately extra elegant look. It’s additionally a contact slimmer in comparison with the Match 3, which helps to create a sleeker profile.

The case is comprised of aluminium alloy just like the Match 3’s case to offer it some heft, however simply sufficient. The only button and digital crown now appear to take a seat extra flush with the case as properly, which once more helps to supply an total extra pleasing look.

When you had expectations you’d be lacking out on the high-grade look of the Match 4 Professional, I feel Match 4 is a pleasant smartwatch to put on.

Mike Sawh

Flip the watch over and together with the optical sensor that you just’ll drop the round charging cradle onto, you’ll spy that the strap is a detachable variety.

There’s a fluoroelastomer one featured on three out of the 4 out there color choices. That’s gray, white, purple and black. You’ll have to seize the gray mannequin to get a nylon strap as an alternative of the rubber one.

Mike Sawh

Eradicating the straps is straightforward and also you’ll have to pay to get extra straps if you wish to change up that look. It’s additionally good to see Huawei go for a standard watch clasp. That makes it a breeze to whip off and in addition stays properly put as properly.

When you’re questioning what you’re lacking out from the Match 4 Professional, ‘Extremely’ look apart, you don’t get sapphire glass for stronger safety in opposition to scratches. The Professional additionally has a brighter AMOLED display and is appropriate for leisure diving.

Display screen & Audio 

• Identical decision display as Match 3
• Brighter show
• Speaker and microphone for Bluetooth calls

Huawei doesn’t budge from the display kind, dimension or decision it supplied on the Match 3 for the Match 4.

That’s a 1.82-inch, 480 x 408 decision AMOLED panel, that may be saved on 24/7. The massive change is with brightness. It’s moved from a display with a most brightness of 1500 nits to 1 with 2000 nits.

Mike Sawh

On the entire, the show is nice. Sure, there’s some noticeable black bezel surrounding the display, which I want was slimmer, nevertheless it fortunately doesn’t eat an excessive amount of into an AMOLED display.

The display is vibrant, vibrant, affords deep black ranges to enhance viewing angles. You don’t essentially have to set the brightness to most to get a show that’s snug to view in most situations.

One factor I’d point out that I didn’t completely love is that the display doesn’t seem to take a seat flush with the case. It’s been most noticeable when swiping up and down on the touchscreen.

Mike Sawh

On the facet of the watch case, you’ll spy that there’s a microphone and speaker, which helps letting you’re taking Bluetooth-enabled calls or take heed to music out loud.

On each fronts, the speaker is loud. Whereas not providing the crispest and clearest readability efficiency you’ll take pleasure in on a smartwatch, it does supply a adequate expertise to deal with calls.

Software program & Options 

• Works with Android and iOS
• Fast message replies and document voice memos
• Watch faces with customized stickers 

As I discovered after testing the Watch Match 4 Professional, what you get in options and basic really feel of the software program isn’t far faraway from the Watch Match 3.

Mike Sawh

It’s nonetheless working Huawei’s HarmonyOS, which gained’t offer you all the pieces the Watch GT or Huawei Watch smartwatches supply. Components just like the consumer interface and interactions with the Huawei Well being app are related.

I’ve been utilizing it with each an Android telephone and an iPhone. Essentially the most notable options that aren’t out there throughout each platforms are the lacking music participant help and Petal Maps mapping on iOS and the distant digital camera shutter mode you miss out when paired to an Android telephone.

Mike Sawh

This can be a smartwatch that neatly shows telephone notifications with scope to fireside off fast replies. It offers you the power to make Bluetooth calls as talked about.

When you go for the gray model Match 4, this may get you NFC for contactless funds. Help isn’t out there in all nations the place you may decide up the Match 4, nevertheless.

Mike Sawh

You’ve got entry to what I’d name a lighter model of Huawei’s AppGallery app retailer. A rummage round reveals there’s not an enormous quantity of apps to obtain. I discovered ones like a Spotify controller and air high quality monitor app most helpful, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly a extra scaled-back expertise in comparison with pricier Huawei smartwatches.

Watch faces are an enormous play for Huawei on the Match 4. Basically, Huawei does a very good job of providing sturdy high quality preloaded faces.

There are many good ones on supply on the watch and within the Huawei Well being app. There’s extra to be discovered within the Watch Face Retailer, simply be ready to pay for them.

Health & Monitoring 

• New dual-frequency GPS
• Offline maps and import routes
• Monitor emotional well-being

In relation to health and well being options, there are some fairly important updates to the Match 4.

Mike Sawh

Firstly, Huawei has moved from a single to dual-band GPS to supply the newest in positioning know-how and enhance outside exercise monitoring. There’s now additionally a barometer to higher measure elevation for hilly adventures.

Huawei even in some way manages to supply sufficient storage to allow you to pack on color maps. You can even import routes with navigation in tow to assist get you to your vacation spot.

For these not that fussed about occurring hikes or having fun with higher GPS efficiency, it’s additionally added new well being and basic wellness monitoring options. Now you can monitor coronary heart price variability measurements to supply extra detailed insights into your stress ranges.

Whereas it misses out on the Professional 4’s ECG sensor and Huawei’s newest TruSense sensor setup and a few richer mapping options for golfers, there’s loads right here to make the Match 4 a strong monitoring companion.

Mike Sawh

I examined the brand new dual-frequency GPS – often known as twin band on different watches – in opposition to two different smartwatches with related help. The Watch Match 4 carried out properly total. Distance monitoring and metrics like tempo have been usually very related in checks.

It was an identical story for coronary heart price monitoring, each throughout train and for steady monitoring as properly. I’d say that enabling the extra detailed coronary heart price monitoring setting within the Huawei Well being app helps to get extra dependable steady coronary heart price information.

It’s additionally good to see you may pair exterior coronary heart price sensors in case you don’t belief that information for all actions.

Mike Sawh

The mapping and navigation help is fairly good on the Match 4 and a little bit of a rarity to seek out on a smartwatch at this worth.

Downloading and syncing areas on the Huawei Well being app can take a while. As soon as accomplished and synced to the watch, supported sport modes will allow you to swipe to see these properly detailed maps, use the crown to zoom out and in of maps and affords a helpful route again mode.

For sleep monitoring, I’ve been sporting it alongside one other smartwatch and two different dependable sleep-tracking good rings. I usually noticed related sleep scores, sleep length in addition to recognising the instances I’d fallen asleep and woken up the next day. I additionally noticed related information for the seize of REM sleep levels and coronary heart price throughout sleep.

Mike Sawh

Nonetheless, issues get clunky and overcrowded once you’re wanting over the high quality particulars of your sleep information within the Well being app. This could possibly be mentioned for different areas of the app. There’s a bit an excessive amount of bloatware.

There are plenty of well being options on board that aren’t medical-grade well being options. Now you can see well being insights, which seems to be at information together with coronary heart price and sleep to assist detect any irregular adjustments in information tendencies. I truly discovered the emotional well-being function essentially the most fascinating and greatest introduced of the well being and wellness monitoring options.

Mike Sawh

This goals to plot your adjustments to your emotional state all through the day primarily based on data reminiscent of coronary heart price and stress. It’ll then show nice, impartial or disagreeable moments in your day, with shortcuts to respiratory workouts and train modes to assist enhance your temper.

In true Huawei trend, there’s a dizzying quantity of options to get your head round. Amongst them are some actually excellent ones and options that provide a pleasant tackle related options on different smartwatches.

Battery Life & Charging

• As much as 10 day battery life
• As much as 7 days in heavy utilization 
• 4 day battery life in always-on show mode

The battery life said for the Watch Match 4 is strictly the identical because the Watch Match 3, however that’s not a foul factor.

That’s wherever from 7 to 10 days. It is dependent upon how usually you’re utilizing options like GPS, dealing with Bluetooth calls, receiving notifications and the way usually you’re activating the show.

Mike Sawh

I discovered that the Watch Match 4 Professional may get by means of every week, so long as you don’t have the display set to always-on mode and it’s an identical story for the Watch Match 4.

Stick with the raise-to-wake for the display, and it’s acquired extra possibilities of attending to every week. When you decide to maintain the display on always, it does endure the form of each day battery drop that can get you underneath every week.

When you can forgo dwelling with the display on always and stay with out essentially the most superior sleep monitoring or most detailed steady coronary heart price monitoring, you’re extra prone to rise up to that most 10-day battery life.

Whereas I don’t love that it makes use of a proprietary cradle, it’s a minimum of a sturdy one which’s not simple to overlook amongst different cables. It should cost the Match 4 in 75 minutes from flat, so a minimum of it’s moderately fast once you do run our of juice.

Value & Availability

The Huawei Watch Match 4 is at present solely available for purchase within the UK and Europe. There aren’t any particulars on availability within the US.

It prices £149, which makes it barely costlier than the Watch Match 3 at launch (£139.99) and now you can decide up the older Watch Match 3 for £99.99. 

That Watch Match 4 Professional compared prices £249, in order that’s a large leap in worth. You should buy it from Huawei in addition to the likes of Amazon and Argos.

With a sub-£150 price ticket, that’s placing the Huawei Watch 4 up in opposition to finances smartwatches like Xiaomi Watch S4 (£129.99), the Amazfit Lively 2 (£149.90) and the likes of the Garmin Venu Sq 2 (£149.99).

Verify our record of one of the best finances smartwatches to see our high 10 suggestions.

Do you have to purchase the Huawei Watch Match 4?

The Huawei Watch Match 4 is an excellent worth smartwatch with a powerful slant on its health and outside monitoring prowess.

When you take a look at different smartwatches that price an identical amount of cash, there isn’t actually a smartwatch that’s doing a considerably higher job in comparison with Huawei.

As an improve from the Match 3, I feel you’re getting a good quantity additional in alternate for somewhat bit more cash. Given how rapidly Huawei reduces its smartwatches, I’d anticipate the Match 4 to develop into even higher worth within the not-too-distant future.

When you’re weighing this up in opposition to the Watch Match 4 Professional, then I’d consider the Match 4 like Huawei’s Apple Watch SE. It’s cheaper, but nonetheless offers you most of the similar qualities, together with a design that’s very neat and tidy.

I’d say that is nonetheless arguably Huawei’s most interesting smartwatch, as a result of it competes significantly better with the competitors round it.

If you’d like a finances smartwatch that appears good, has a vibrant and shiny display and sufficient smartwatch options, with loads of health and well being ones, then that is properly price .

Specs

• Accessible in black, gray, white and purple
• Aluminium alloy case
• As much as 10-day battery life 
• Suitable with Android and iOS
• Microphone and speaker 
• 1.82-inch AMOLED show
• 5 ATM waterproof ranking 
• NFC (gray model solely)
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Twin-frequency GPS