Introduction
Huawei has recently launched a wearable device Watch D with blood pressure tracking function 2021, but it was not until much later 2022 that the required certifications were obtained and sold in the western market. Now we have to spend a few weeks working on it and here are our conclusions.
This is the correct posture for wrist blood pressure measurement
Devices from Huawei’s first wearable device, the Watch series, are equipped with rectangular screens instead of circular ones. Beyond that, however, is the unique blood pressure measurement feature, which shares most of its functionality with its circular stabilizer.
DESIGN AND BUILD
The Huawei Watch D lacks a crown or fancy keys, just two flat buttons on the right side of the aluminum case. The company calls it “Graphite Black,” and it’s actually dark gray. The Viton strap is actually black. It was made specifically for this device, meant to be replaced with a third party 10 mm strap is not really an option as it may interfere with blood pressure measurements.
1.10” AMOLED resolution is 
x 70 pixelated and bright and colorful, like any recent Huawei watch. On the bottom, we have the heart rate tracker and a small unit that seals the blood pressure strap port.
Compared to other wearables, the retail box is plentiful. There are two straps, size M and L, one neat A paper tool that can be used to pick the correct strap 006 custom steps, and two inflatable bands to measure blood pressure.
Blood pressure
Crown function of Huawei Watch D – although Samsung’s The Galaxy Watch series also offers BP tracking, but here we’re talking about actual measurements, not estimates that need to be calibrated frequently with actual tools. Still, Huawei has mentioned several times that this is not a medical device, its purpose is routine tracking rather Not a definitive diagnosis.
Wrist-based BPM devices are not as accurate as upper arm devices. The reason is that blood vessels and skin are more Thin, so readings are inaccurate 280% – But the Watch D is still an extra tool for people to monitor their health.
We compared this device to an actual medical instrument, and both systolic and diastolic pressure (higher and lower numbers) were turned off by mm Hg on the watch. Not perfect, but we found this Deviation is acceptable.
The Watch D measures blood pressure like a proper wrist monitor – it inflates to the point where a slight constriction makes feeling a pulse uncomfortable, Then deflate slowly to feel blood pressure.
Extra strap, provided in retail box with three contacts points to ensure proper connection. The first and most important is the back of the watch, the second is the first hole on a normal strap, and the third is a dedicated elongated hole to secure the strap in place. All The elements are all made of rubber and fabric, which looks very durable.
Software
Huawei is talking about the OS because it’s slightly older Harmony 2.1 instead of Harmony OS 3.0 running on other international watch devices. The Huawei Health app has a neat feature called Healthy Life that monitors various daily reports and provides an overall picture of your health.
It measures SpO2 (oxygen in the blood), tracks sleep and stress, measures body temperature and notifies you when your condition changes drastically. It has concise prompts to drink water, take a deep breath, and calm down, even a minute when needed.
The bottom button of Watch D is metal, the surface is conductive, and can record ECG (electrocardiogram). In theory, it can read when there are atrial or ventricular premature beats. In fact, we couldn’t find any test subjects with this problem – luckily everyone in the office had healthy sinus rhythm.
Watch D is not a sports device, that’s why it supports “just” 70+ workout mode instead of end with other HUAWEI Same goes for wearables. In fact, it made no difference, as the wearable did a decent job of tracking half a dozen outdoor running and cycling workouts. GNSS positioning can accurately track outdoor routes, although some sports that require heavy tracking, such as mountain climbing and trail running, are missing.
Wearables have Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC. You can use the functions of Huawei Wallet (Pay or Access), but this function is not available in Europe. Charging is standard Qi wireless, but since the strap has a folding clasp, the Watch D won’t work on all wireless chargers unless you unbuckle the strap.
Notifications and controls are fairly simple and consistent with any of the latest Huawei watches. It’s hardly news that voice support only works in the Huawei environment, which means Siri and Google won’t be triggered.
Battery Life
The company promises 7 days of “typical use” on a single charge. We’ve always had exactly 7 days of use, which we consider to be very heavy use, so we can even say that the Watch D exceeded our expectations. If you just take your EKG or blood pressure once or twice a day, you can definitely add a day or two to your stamina.
However, this is achieved by turning off the Always On Display feature, relying on reliable Turn to wake gesture. Stamina drops drastically when we activate AoD. Watch D needs to be returned to the charger after just 64 hours, or 3 days.
Even this worst-case scenario isn’t terrible stamina, especially if you compare it to smartwatches from Samsung, Apple, and Google, even though they run more complex apps programs and deeper system integration, so it’s a bit of an apples and oranges comparison.
Conclusion
The Huawei Watch D is unique in its niche. It borrows from two categories – smart medical devices and classic smartwatches, and we’d say the results are pretty good for that particular user base.
If we consider it strictly a smartwatch, there are obviously arguments why other Huawei wearables are better choices. If we consider the wearable as a medical device, it’s not entirely accurate, so we wouldn’t fully recommend it as a replacement for a blood pressure monitor.
2022
Who would love Huawei Watch D – Health conscious people need one more tool to track their health, but they usually have solid vital signs. This particular group should ignore the final look, as Huawei doesn’t offer any customization or color options for this device.
We believe the Watch D is worth the money if you’re in that inner circle. The company is offering specific bundles on its website across Europe, including free Huawei merchandise and massive discounts, which should make the price tag even more attractive.
2022
