Alongside the Huawei P50 Pocket, Huawei has also unveiled another device, namely the Huawei Watch D, and this chunky-looking smartwatch can measure your blood pressure.
That’s something big-name rivals like the Apple Watch 7 can’t do, and Huawei claims it’s accurate to within an error margin of ± 3mmHg.
It achieves these measurements using micro air pumps and airbags, so there’s a lot of tech hidden away here, and as well as blood pressure readings, the Huawei Watch D can also provide an ECG, and monitor your blood oxygen, sleep, and heart rate. It can also supposedly detect atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, and sleep apnea risks.
So with all that in mind this sounds like a strong choice for anyone who wants to keep a closer eye on their health, or monitor certain conditions.
Other features of the Huawei Watch D include a 1.64-inch 456 x 280 AMOLED screen with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, plus an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and an aluminum alloy case, in a choice of black or titanium colors.
There’s no word yet on if or when the Huawei Watch D will launch beyond China, but it costs 2988 Yuan (roughly $470 / £350 / AU$650).
Analysis: if you want blood pressure monitoring, buy a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 instead
The big selling point of the Huawei Watch D is its blood pressure monitoring feature, but Huawei’s not quite alone in offering that on a smartwatch, as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic also support this - albeit through a different and potentially less accurate method than Huawei's.
What’s more, those wearables are already available to buy, whereas it’s unclear if, when or where you’ll be able to buy the Huawei Watch D outside China.
Even if it does land in your area, it may not come with the blood pressure monitor (at least initially), as this feature will likely need to be approved by the relevant medical authorities.
Plus, aside from some issues with the battery life of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, we were generally very impressed with the latest Samsung wearables in our reviews.
That said, Samsung has made the frustrating decision to only allow blood pressure readings if your smartwatch is paired to a Samsung phone, so if that’s the feature you’re after then actually you should only buy one if you have a Samsung smartphone too.
If not, then it might be best just to stick with a dedicated blood pressure monitor for now - it will probably be more accurate anyway.
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