Huawei Watch D is a watch that will measure your blood pressure. But everything has a price [TEST]

It’s hard to disagree with the fact that Huawei can make smartwatches. The Chinese manufacturer has been accustoming us to the fact that smart watches can be not only comfortable and technologically advanced, but also extremely elegant and made of the highest quality materials.

And I admit that I like this approach very much. I appreciate smartwatches, which at first glance do not differ from classic timepieces. And models such as the Huawei Watch GT 2, Watch 3 Elite or GT 3 Pro are a great example of this and are suitable not only for the gym, but also for a suit.

Now, however, a watch has come to my wrist that is definitely different from all the ones I have had the opportunity to test so far. The Watch D model has two functions that we will not find in the vast majority of watches on the market – the ability to measure blood pressure and perform an ECG test from the wrist (but about them in a moment).

Huawei Watch D photo BP

Appearance and comfort

The first thing that distinguishes the Watch D from the watches I use every day is the (almost) rectangular case. Huawei did not try to make this model look like classic timepieces and use materials such as titanium or sapphire glass to protect the screen. The case is made of black aluminum and is quite large (51 x 38 mm), but not overly thick (13.6 mm). It is also quite light (weighs 40.9 grams). The case is attached to the wrist by an unnaturally wide strap (30 mm), which in turn is made of rubber (fluoroelastomer), and the bottom is lined with a material that is pleasant to the touch.

Huawei Watch D may not impress with its appearance, but it has a good quality AMOLED screen with a diagonal of 1.64 inches (resolution 456 x 280 pixels), which is pleasant to use. Everyday wearing of Watch D is not a problem and I could easily endure from morning to evening with a watch on my wrist. This model is not an ideal solution under a shirt cuff (if it fits under it at all), but it works very well with less formal clothing.

Features and daily use

The Watch D interface is painfully similar to what we know from most other Huawei watches. Their owners will therefore not have to change their habits. The control of the smartwatch is traditionally done using the touch screen and two side buttons, and the menu is clear and intuitive. The whole thing works quite smoothly (which Huawei had problems with in the past).

Traditionally, we have many health modes to choose from (headed by pressure measurement and ECG, which will be discussed in a moment) and sports (there is of course GPS). There were also classic functions, such as a heart rate monitor, blood saturation measurement, skin temperature, stress meter, weather forecast or moon phase. It’s not perfect though. It lacks several elements and functions that are quite useful on a daily basis – a barometer and altimeter, Wi-Fi, a loudspeaker for answering calls and the ability to pay with a smartwatch.

Huawei Watch D photo BP

The downside is also the aforementioned width of the rubber strap, under which the skin of the hand sometimes sweats. For this reason, every now and then I had to take my watch off for a few moments and not put it on at all when sleeping. The bottom of the strap, made of a water-absorbing material, also makes using the device after a stay at the pool or gym uncomfortable.

Blood pressure and ECG measurement

I deliberately did not mention the blood pressure measurement and the possibility of performing an ECG test earlier, because these are two functions that are a definite distinguishing feature of the Watch D (although the ECG measurement itself was already present in the Watch GT 3 Pro model). Huawei designed this watch model with them in mind, so I decided to devote a separate paragraph to them.

It is because of the measurement of blood pressure that such a strap appeared, which spoils the comfort of using the smartwatch a bit. Inside it (or more precisely between the rubber strap and the material fragment) there is an airbag hidden, which – thanks to a miniature pump in the watch – is responsible for the pressure on the wrist during blood pressure measurement. The feeling is very similar to the one we experience when examining a dedicated device on the arm.

In the set with the watch, we get straps in two sizes (M and L) and a ruler that allows you to measure the circumference of the wrist. It is very important to choose the right belt and adjust its length. The blood pressure measurement itself takes several dozen seconds and requires almost no preparation (apart from taking a sitting position and placing the wrist at the level of the heart). All instructions are displayed live on the screen.

Huawei Watch D photo BP

Huawei boasts that the watchu D’s pressure measurement function is medical device certified and very accurate. They can confirm that the results of measurements taken one after the other are very repeatable, and the Watch D’s indications almost coincide with the indications of the upper arm blood pressure monitor that I had at hand.

The second advantage of Watch D is the ECG measurement function. To use it, just put your finger on the bottom button of the watch and do not move for half a minute. The device is said to be able to detect problems such as atrial fibrillation, which should be a signal to go to a doctor for specialist tests. Luckily for me, all results were normal.

Health app and measurement results

We can see the shortened results of all measurements from the watch screen, but much more possibilities are offered by the Health app for smartphones, with which all watches of the Chinese manufacturer are connected. There, traditionally, we will find a lot of facts and statistics about movement, sleep, heart rate, oxygenation or blood pressure, etc.

Blood pressure and ECG – Huawei Watch D results photo BP

Of course, there were also the results of ECG measurements, which are also presented in a graphical, eye-pleasing form. By the way, it is worth mentioning that the watch allows you to take blood pressure and ECG measurements in guest mode, and the results of these measurements are not saved (and do not “spoil” our statistics).

Summary and price

Huawei Watch D showed itself from a very good side and it is difficult for me to find any major flaws. Of the previously untouched things, I can praise the battery, which – despite very active use and frequent pressure measurements – was enough for about a week of work. It is a pity that there were a few less important functions (I suffered the most from the lack of the ability to answer calls from the watch), which some people often use.

Of course, the presence of the most important one, i.e. blood pressure measurement, is paid for by an oversized, slightly uncomfortable strap, and Watch D does not look as good as, for example, Watch GT 3 Pro, but the purpose of this watch is also different. Here, the greatest emphasis was placed not on the appearance, but on the presence of medical functions.

Huawei Watch D photo BP

However, Huawei declares that it does not dedicate the device mainly to people with cardiac problems, but to all users who want to take care of their health by regularly checking it. The Chinese manufacturer, based on research he commissioned himself, says that as many as 11 million Polish women and men live with hypertension, and another 7 million with high blood pressure. And hardly anyone gets tested regularly. I Watch D is here to help change that.

Unfortunately, you have to pay dearly for the ability to perform these measurements anywhere and anytime. Huawei priced the Watch D at PLN 1799, which – in my opinion – is a bit exaggerated. PLN 100 cheaper you can buy Watcha GT 3 Pro, which has more possibilities and looks great, and for PLN 2199 the same model is already sold in a set with a titanium bracelet. However, no other Huawei smartwatch will measure blood pressure, and this is the main bargaining chip in the case of the Watch D I am testing.