I went to Bangkok for the launch of the Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro, a lovely (and rather capable) fitness tracker. To my surprise, the brand unveiled a whole range of new products I wasn't aware of, including a kids' smartwatch that seemed to captivate the journalists and content creators gathered.

Among these new products, one caught my eye for its remarkably slim, lightweight design and high-end specs. At just 4.7mm thick, Huawei claims the MatePad Pro Max is currently the world's thinnest 13-inch-plus tablet, with the standard model weighing only 499g.

The PaperMatte Edition I tested tips the scales at a mere 509g – impressively light for a tablet that's as big as my MacBook Air M1 (and weighs 1.29kg).

The MatePad Pro Max is Huawei's answer to the iPad Pro M5. It matches Apple's flagship tablet on premium materials, OLED screen technology and productivity accessories while going even thinner and lighter, but the Apple silicon-powered slate still has the edge in ecosystem support (more on that below).

Thin enough to make you nervous

The tablet uses a full-metal unibody chassis and introduces Huawei's new Cloud Falcon Architecture, which the company says delivers up to 60% greater bend resistance than the previous-generation MatePad Pro 13.2-inch (I must confess, I didn't test this). That extra structural rigidity helps the device feel reassuringly solid despite its wafer-thin profile.

The blue version I used features what Huawei calls a luminous finish, created with a "nano-level coating" applied to the metal body (a very Huawei thing to say). The brand says this is the first time such a coating has been used on a tablet, producing subtle light-and-shadow effects across the rear panel as the device catches the light.

The MatePad Pro Max has a beautiful 13.2-inch Flexible OLED PaperMatte Display with 3K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate and up to 1,600-nit peak brightness. The tablet boasts a 94% screen-to-body ratio, giving it an almost edge-to-edge appearance.

The PaperMatte panel uses a "high-precision nano-etching" process to reduce reflections while maintaining image clarity, and Huawei says the latest generation is 20% clearer than the previous PaperMatte display.

The display is worth dwelling on. Huawei's 13.2-inch Flexible OLED PaperMatte panel is one of the nicest screens I've used on any tablet. Videos look phenomenal, colours pop, and the anti-glare coating means it's perfectly usable outdoors, even in direct sunlight. I also spent a fair bit of time reading books and comics on it, and it comes surprisingly close to the experience of reading on paper.

The hardware package is rounded out by a 9,760mAh high-silicon anode battery, a six-speaker audio system, four microphones, and support for the Huawei M-Pencil Pro, which offers 10,000 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Combined with the optional Glide Keyboard, the tablet is clearly designed to blur the line between a traditional tablet and a lightweight productivity machine.

My brief and unsuccessful art career

Needless to say, I had to give the setup a try, as I always fancied myself an artist, even though I can't draw, play an instrument or do anything else that's worth anything artistically. Nevertheless, I have always adored people who make it look like creating artwork on an iPad with Procreate is a piece of cake. Getting my hands on the MatePad Pro Max felt like my ticket into this exclusive club.

Huawei has its own version of Procreate called GoPaint, which is free and offers what feels like a quadrillion tools to make art easier. There are sketching, painting, watercolour and oil painting options, and it includes features such as Intelligent Colour Card, which generates custom palettes from real-world photos, as well as Fluid Brush and Splatter Brush.

A camera built for creators

Speaking of photos, to make the Intelligent Colour Card feature work, Huawei has equipped the MatePad Pro Max with a new True-to-Colour Camera that's designed to capture colours as accurately as possible, providing a reliable foundation for artists like me to reproduce real-world scenes in GoPaint.

Now, I don't know about you, but walking around town and taking photos with a 13-inch tablet does make me feel like a pensioner. Nevertheless, if you're creating art, you won't care whether people are looking at you while you take photos with your MatePad Pro Max, as long as the end results look good.

Of course, if you have a Huawei phone, you can use that to take photos and send them over to your tablet. I don't, so I used the camera, which surprisingly can reach up to 10x magnification. Admittedly, zoomed-in photos in low light can look a little rough, but having access to up to 10x magnification on a tablet is impressive in itself.

A testament to the tablet's user-friendliness and the GoPaint app is that I often found myself doodling in the evenings instead of scrolling on my phone. Most of my artwork involved tracing photos and using the Intelligent Colour Card to recreate a colour palette similar to the original image, but I still felt like an artist. Below, you'll find a selection of some of my finest pieces (please contact me if you'd like to purchase any).

[insert gallery]

The software problem Huawei still can't solve

Moving beyond creating artwork, things get a bit more dicey. Huawei says it spends huge amounts of money on R&D, but even that can't replace third-party app support. This is fine for the brand's smartwatches and audio products, both of which work well with Android and Apple devices, but tablets, laptops and smartphones really suffer from the lack of software.

Huawei's own apps are thin on content and entertainment, and without other companies providing those, there is only so much you can do on the MatePad Pro Max. For example, news articles are coming from Taboola, and Huawei Books is full of titles I've never heard of. Neither YouTube nor Netflix currently offers a native Huawei tablet app through AppGallery. You can't access WhatsApp, either. The list goes on.

The lack of third-party app support might also affect artists. It's one thing to create artwork in GoPaint, but many creatives rely on Adobe's ecosystem as part of their workflow. The lack of native support for some of these tools creates friction that simply doesn't exist on an iPad.

For now, Huawei doesn't offer a viable alternative to many of the apps people are used to using, which makes it hard to recommend the MatePad Pro Max to anyone who doesn't like bending the rules a bit.

Even if you are, there is simply no way to create a full Android experience on the tablet. There are platforms that let you download Android apps to your Huawei tablet (for example, GBox), but even these have their limitations. Some apps refuse to run – or even download – on the virtual user GBox creates, which further limits the MatePad Pro Max's versatility.

Luckily, these workarounds bring the tablet much closer to the standard Android tablet experience. You can download Netflix via GBox, which lets you not only watch movies but also play games. You can also download and run apps such as Google Play Books, which pairs nicely with the tablet's paper-like display.

Of course, none of this is officially recommended by Huawei. As you can imagine, the company won't start telling people to use sideloaded software on their flagship tablet, but it certainly makes the overall experience much smoother.

Brilliant hardware, frustrating software

You can use the tablet without Android apps, of course, but even apps as brilliant as GoPaint or Huawei Notes won't replace the complete software ecosystem that other tablets enjoy. And in all honesty, Huawei alone won't be able to plug holes in its app offering as quickly as new apps appear. Even Apple and Google don't have the resources to do that.

All that said, I love the MatePad Pro Max. From a hardware perspective, it's one of the most impressive tablets I've used in years. The display is gorgeous, the design is astonishingly thin and light, and GoPaint genuinely made me want to spend less time scrolling and more time creating.

The problem is software. Without full native app support, Huawei is fighting with one hand tied behind its back. The company has built a tablet that can rival Apple's and Samsung's best hardware, but the ecosystem still isn't there.

That's a shame, because if hardware were the only thing that mattered, the MatePad Pro Max would be one of the easiest tablets to recommend.

One thing is for sure: I enjoy having the tablet with me and look forward to creating more terrible artwork in the future.

The MatePad Pro Max is available now at Huawei UK for £899 (RRP £999). The keyboard is an extra £200. If you buy the tablet now, you'll also get a free M-Pencil Pro (worth £129) and a 12-month Extended Warranty Service (worth £19.99).

I’ve been thoroughly impressed with Huawei’s smartwatches in recent years. The Chinese brand quietly built one of the most comprehensive portfolios of wearables, from premium options like the Watch Ultimate 2 to sportier models like the Watch GT 6 Pro.

One of the brand’s most accessible and popular franchises is the Watch Fit Series, which has only got better with each iteration. Last year’s Watch Fit 4 Pro was one of my favourites from last year, so I was looking forward to testing its successor in 2026.

The Watch Fit 5 Pro is an iterative update over its predecessor and sports a larger, nearly 2-inch display, a new mini workout mode, a ceramic-like metal finish (White Edition), and some cool health and fitness features that trickled down from last year’s flagship Watch 5.

It might not be the most significant update in the watch’s history, but the Watch Fit 5 Pro remains an excellent value-for-money, compact (just about) wearable with long battery life that now also supports NFC payments thanks to Curve, leaving very little for reviewers like me to criticise.

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro review

Price and availability

The Watch Fit 5 Series was officially launched in China on 20 April with international availability set for 7 May 2026. It’s available now from Huawei in certain regions, including the EU, the UK, and Australia, for £249.99. It's the same price as the Watch Fit 4 Pro was when it launched, which is no small feat, considering the situation with component prices around the world.

Of course, you can buy the Watch Fit 4 Pro for a lot less these days, selling for as little as £166 at Amazon at the time of writing. I'm fairly certain there will be launch offers and discounts on the new watch soon, though.

The Watch Fit 5's price increased £10 compared to its predecessor (£159.99).

Design and build quality

The Watch Fit 5 Pro has an Apple Watch-like square design, weighs 30.4 grams and measures 44.5 x 40.8 x 9.5 mm. It sports a brighter display than its rival (vs Apple Watch Series 11). The wearable 1.92-inch screen has a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, which is on par with the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

The screen panel has been upgraded to an adaptive 1-60Hz LTPO display. In always-on mode, the watch refreshes every second (1Hz), which saves battery. The panel is protected by a 2.5D (a.k.a. slightly raised) sapphire glass lens.

The bezels are 1.8mm wide and uniform around the rounded-square “aviation-grade” aluminium body. Huawei says the Watch 5 Pro also feature “high-end watch oil-filling” technique to make the bezel “gleam brilliantly” from every angle.

The company also claims the White Edition of the watch has what’s called “Micro-Arc Oxid” surface treatment, which supposedly makes the metal feel more ceramic-like and harder. I didn’t have the White Edition, so I can’t really say much else about it.

The Orange Edition has an updated fabric strap with dual-layer water- and oil-resistant organic silicone coating. I didn’t have this version either, so sadly, I can’t confirm how well it works. (Evidently, I was sent the most run-of-the-mill version of the watch.)

The Watch Fit 5 Pro has the same one-push-button-and-watch-crown setup as before. It also has a microphone and a speaker. As far as I know, the sensor on the back hasn’t changed.

The build quality of the watch is excellent, overall – Huawei knows how to make handsome watches that feel good on the wrist. The only thing is the size. Wrist-worn smartwatches will forever be limited by the size of people’s wrists, so you can’t forever make them bigger and bigger.

Some Huawei watches, such as the Watch 5 or the Watch Ultimate 2, are borderline too big, and the Watch Fit 5 Pro is getting there too, with its nearly 2-inch display, no matter how thin the bezel is.

The non-Pro Watch 5 is slightly smaller, with a 1.82-inch screen, so if you have smaller wrists (and budget), that might be a better option for you. Making either version any larger in the future could risk alienating the crowd that used to choose the Watch Fit over fitness bands for its compact form factor.

For now, though, it's not terribly big, and certainly smaller than most Huawei smartwatches mentioned above.

Features and performance

The Watch Fit 5 Pro has inherited some of the Watch 6 Pro’s features, including advanced cycling metrics, and also carries over the trail-running prowess of its predecessor.

One of the headline features the brand is keen to push is Mini Workouts. These are short exercises you can do anywhere, such as neck circles or side stretches, with the help of a cute panda that does the same exercises on your wrist.

Even though the panda is adorable, and I also appreciate Huawei trying to introduce healthier habits to Westerners – lots of people in China exercise together almost daily, something the good people of the UK should do more often – on-wrist exercises aren’t anything to write home about.

Not only have brands like Garmin and Polar had similar features for years, but I also find it cumbersome to look at my wrist while performing any exercise other than planks. Plus, does anyone really need a virtual panda to know how to do shoulder circles?

The panda pops up when you haven’t moved in an hour, too, suggesting you should get up and stretch your limbs. (I’m writing this while sitting on the train and can do nothing about being stationary. Sorry, bear.)

The Watch Fit 5 Pro is equipped with Huawei’s Sunflower positioning system, which can accurately track your location outdoors. The brand claims the GPS can also follow you better when you’re under cover (e.g. in a tunnel), but in my experience, it only works if you’re moving at a steady pace.

You can track more advanced running and cycling metrics on the Watch Fit 5 Pro, including running power and real-time grade, as well as virtual power and virtual cadence on the bike.

Most of these are estimations on the watch’s part, of course, based on algorithmic magic and sensor data, so don’t expect the Watch Fit 5 Pro to replace your power meter, for example. Nevertheless, it’s excellent that non-professional cyclists can access an approximation of these data points without external sensors.

Huawei added a ton of third-party applications to its workout roster over the years, and these now include Kotcha, URunn, RacePace, Intervals.icu, FiiT, Strava, Komoot, etc.

The company lagged behind competitors regarding app support for its watches, and though it’s not there yet, from an everyday athlete’s point of view, you get more than enough for daily training. Just don’t expect to find every popular app in the Huawei app store.

One long-requested feature that’s now available not just on the Watch Fit 5 Pro but on other Huawei watches is NFC payments in the UK via Curve. Garmin uses a similar system where, instead of loading your bank card directly onto the wearable, you add it in the Curve app, then you add the virtual Curve card and use that for payments.

I’ve yet to try this, but it's certainly available, removing one huge obstacle the brand had to work around for years.

Health management

One area where Huawei’s wearables really excel is health tracking. The brand places a strong emphasis on health-related features and has been tweaking its sensor and algorithm to better match them. You get all the now-essential stuff, such as sleep and stress tracking, but the Watch Fit 5 Pro can also track your mood and automatically log naps, just to name a couple.

The wearable doesn’t actually introduce anything dramatically new, but still, it's an impressive roster. You can check for pulse wave arythmia (PWA), monitor your ECG and arterial stiffness, and more; the brand says the PWA is also CE-certified in the EU.

One of the newer features is sleep breathing awareness monitoring. The Watch Fit 5 Pro tracks your respiration during the night and layers this info on top of the already impressive advanced sleep metrics it provides.

Thankfully, the wearable confirmed that I don’t have any breathing issues during the night, which aligns with what other smartwatches have told me in the past.

Huawei says the sleep monitoring has also been approved, but the app on the watch looks pretty similar to what I remember the Watch Fit 4 Pro can do. It's sure comprehensive, and the sleep stages look similar to those provided by the Oura Ring 4 (though not exactly the same). The Huawei certainly tracks the start and end of sleep perfectly and logs any disturbances in between.

Nap Tracking, as mentioned above, is also new. I tried this on a long-haul flight to Thailand, and it picked up one of two naps on the flight. I'm not sure why the first one was missed, but I suspect the feature would be more accurate if I used the Watch Fit 5 Pro for a bit longer than a week. After all, machine learning needs data to learn your habits.

Naturally, the watch can also track steps and general activity throughout the day, and estimate calories burned.

Battery life and charging

Huawei watches generally have a very good battery life, and the Watch Fit 5 Pro is no different. It has a 471mAh cell, which the company claims has a 14% higher density than the predecessor, improving capacity by 18%.

This translates to roughly 10 days of battery life in smartwatch mode (light use) and up to 25 hours of GPS battery life. In my experience, the Watch Fit 5 Pro should easily last a week with mixed use – mine lasted just over eight days while I wore it almost 24/7.

The watch charges fast, too. I plugged it in at 8%, then stepped outside for 40 minutes. When I returned, it was already fully charged. I don’t actually know how long it took to get it up to 100%; it could have been 20 minutes for all I know. Even if it was 40, it’s still pretty impressive.

Verdict

The Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro doesn’t reinvent the series, but it doesn’t really need to. The brand has taken an already excellent fitness-focused smartwatch and refined it with a brighter LTPO display, faster charging, expanded health tracking, improved sports metrics, and finally, NFC payments in the UK via Curve.

It must be said that these improvements can feel evolutionary rather than transformative. If you already own the Watch Fit 4 Pro, there’s probably not enough here to justify an immediate upgrade unless you particularly want the larger display or payment support.

The predecessor already delivered excellent battery life, strong GPS performance and comprehensive health tracking, and the Watch Fit 5 Pro mostly builds on those strengths rather than pushing the category forward.

That said, for newcomers, it remains one of the best compact (again, just about) fitness smartwatches on the market. The build quality is excellent, the battery life comfortably outlasts most rivals', and Huawei’s health ecosystem continues to impress with detailed insights that rival those of significantly more expensive wearables.

The Watch Fit 5 Pro is another polished, feature-rich wearable from the Chinese manufacturer and further proof that the company understands how to make attractive smartwatches with genuinely useful fitness and health tools.

Samsung launched its TriFold phone late in 2025, but it was a limited run and has now finished production. But if you missed out, there's another player returning to town with a new trifold device – Huawei.

Huawei was actually one of the first manufacturers to release a dual-hinge device with the Huawei Mate XT in 2024 and rumours now say that the company is working on the Mate XT2 for later in the year.

It's said that the company will be focusing on improving the hinge technology to reduce creases, while also boosting the power, battery and camera. That's to be expected when replacing a device from 2024.

The Huawei Mate XT used a different design to Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold. Huawei's device only had one display, folding in a Z action rather than a G like Samsung.

That meant that Huawei's external display was the left-hand portion of the screen, with it wrapping around the outside of that hinge, rather than all folding up inside. This perhaps makes it simpler, but means a third of the screen is exposed all the time, so more likely to pick up damage.

The details come from Weibo (via Notebook Check) and it's not clear exactly how the hinges will change and what it means for the device – and if there will be any change to the folding method.

Other details are more specific: the Kirin 9050 Pro processing unit is mentioned, as well as increasing the battery from 5,600mAh to more than 6,000mAh, which shouldn't be a surprise given the advancements in silicon-carbon battery tech.

Finally, the Mate XT2 is said to have the same cameras as the Huawei Mate X7, said to be two 50-megapixel cameras for the main and telephoto, with a 40-megapixel ultrawide.

Unfortunately, as we're talking about Huawei, it's likely that availability outside China will be limited. The launch is expected to take place in October.

Huawei has previewed its next folding phone, confirming the move to a new format before the likes of Samsung and Apple have the chance. Embracing the wide fold trend, the Huawei Pura X Max, comes in a fresh new form factor, for a wider internal display.

Rumours have long suggested that the iPhone Fold is going to have a similar "wide" format, meaning that when the internal display is unfolded, it's actually useful - directly addressing one of the problems with current devices.

The first few generations of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold – the device that really established book-style folding phones – had a tall design, with a narrow external display. Samsung has moved to address this, but fundamentally the idea is the same, with the phone opening up with a screen that's almost square.

While it's great to have more space, a square space isn't that practical for anything. It's not good for movies with most of the screen being letterboxed, while it's not good for reading either. About the only thing its good for is Instagram.

The Huawei Pura X Max has been listed on Vmall, the brand's official retail website, showing off the new phone in a range of colours. This lets us have a good look at the design, but without sharing the full specifications.

The listed colours include Phantom Night Black, Zero Degree White, Interstellar Blue, Olive Gold and Vibrant Orange, while we also learn that there are 12 and 16GB options, along with 256 and 512GB storage. There will also be a 1TB collectors edition.

The details of the displays aren't listed, but it looks more like a 16:10 screen, similar to many laptops. This would also give a lot more space for watching movies, as it's closer to a cinematic aspect ratio.

That leaves the external display rather short and wide, different to what we're used to on conventional phones.

Currently, we don't know any of the other specifications. It's due to be officially launched on 20 April, at which point we'll learn everything about it, but it's unlikely that it will be globally available.

It's likely instead be positioned to rival Apple's device when it (presumably) launches in China later in 2026.

For a smart watch to be considered a running watch, it needs to offer something a little bit special. It needs to be lightweight and comfortable enough to wear for long runs and have a battery life to match, plus it needs to provide clear and accurate data to track your runs, from your health metrics to the route you took.

Huawei's latest model certainly does all the and more. Our Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 review gave the watch high praise for its compact design, redesigned GPS hardware and deep feature set that suits both runners and everyday health tracking. A serious contender for one of the best running watches to be released in 2026.

While the GT Runner 2 is already competitively priced, those looking to buy it on launch can benefit from a special launch price and extra benefits worth over £109. Rather than the standard price of £349.99, you can purchase the watch on the Huawei store for £319.99, with an exclusive coupon worth £30 and an additional watch strap for free.

From 26 February, buyers will also receive the Huawei Multipass, including premium trial subscriptions to Huawei Health+, Komoot, Intervals.icu, Kotch and Race Pace – all for free.

As the name suggests, the Watch GT Runner 2 isn’t the first time Huawei had a crack at the concept of performance wearables. 2022’s Watch GT Runner was a good running watch that showed that the Chinese manufacturer can create more nuanced watches, but it faded to obscurity not long after its release.

Four years later, the brand is back at it again, and it seems it learned from the mistakes of the past. The Watch GT Runner 2 is a brilliant smartwatch aimed at runners, with a compact case, a bright display, a reworked GPS layout, and a raft of running-friendly features. It’s easily one of the most exciting running wearables I tried in a while.

I’ll be totally honest: I haven’t actually used the watch for running yet, due to a debilitating sciatica injury, which is why you won’t see a score at the top. I have been wearing the Watch GT Runner 2 continuously for a week, though, and tracked everything else, from walks and sleep to stress and even emotional well-being.

In this review, I’ll walk you through all the tech updates and mention when and how I tested the features. Regarding GPS accuracy, I'll rely on my tracked walks; once I log some runs, I’ll update the review accordingly. The same goes for marathon planning and other running features.

Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 review

Price and availability

The Watch GT Runner 2 is available to buy from Huawei from 26 February 2026 atthe recommended price of £349.99 (~$471 / ~€400 / AU$670). Until 19 April, the smartwatch will be available for £319.99 (~$431 / €366 / AU$613), with a £30 coupon and an additional watch strap of your choice free. The price includes various subscriptions and trials (worth £109), including Huawei Health+, Komoot, Intervals.icu, Kotcha and Race Pace.

The price positions the Watch GT Runner 2 above Coros’ wearables and even Huawei’s own Watch GT 6, but under certain Garmin watches, particularly the Forerunner 570, the closest competitor of the Watch GT Runner 2. It’s on par with the Apple Watch Series 11, which, admittedly, isn’t a dedicated running watch but was the most popular wearable on Strava in 2025.

Design and build quality

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 looks similar to Coros’ wearables, particularly the Pace 4 and the Pace Pro. However, the Huawei watch feels a lot more premium than the Coros models, thanks to its ‘aerospace-grade’ titanium alloy case, which helps keep the weight to a minimum (34.5g, body only).

Even with the AirDry woven strap, which is said to be 25% more breathable than the brand’s previous generation of woven watch straps, thanks to its hollow-out structure, the Watch GT Runner 2 is only 43.5g, making it one of the lightest running watches on the market. It’s only really the aforementioned Pace 4 that’s lighter with the strap attached.

While the watch’s predecessor had a comparatively large (but thin) case, the new model is a lot more compact than your average Forerunner. It measures 43.5 x 43.5 x 10.7 mm without the domed sensor module at the back, which probably adds another couple of millimetres.

The 1.32-inch touchscreen display – with a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits – is protected by Huawei’s proprietary second-gen Kunlun Glass. It was originally developed for the brand’s smartphones and is said to be thinner and lighter than sapphire glass. The company claims it’s also supremely reliable and drop-resistant.

The Watch GT Runner 2 has one push button under a rotating digital crown that also serves as a push button. Operation is straightforward; if you’ve ever used one of the company’s smartwatches or fitness trackers before, you’ll know what to expect from the new running watch.

Features

The Watch GT Runner 2 has almost all the features of the brand's latest watches, including the flagship Huawei Watch 5 and the sportier Huawei Watch GT 6. I was surprised to see everything from emotional well-being to pulse-wave arrhythmia analysis crop up on the compact running wearable, but they are indeed here.

I won’t go into much detail about general smartwatch features, such as sleep, stress and heart rate tracking, because they are considered the bare minimum these days, especially from an established wearable brand such as Huawei. You also get smart notifications, step and calorie tracking, and so on.

While the Huawei Watch Fit 4 Pro focused on trail running, the Watch GT Runner 2 doubles down on road-running features, especially for long-distance racing. The Intelligent Marathon Mode (IMM) is a new ‘all-in-one service’ to help you achieve a PB on your next 26.2-mile race.

The feature is based on feedback from the DSM-Firmenich Pro Running Team, led by the legendary Eliud Kipchoge. As well as feedback from the real-world running team, IMM uses machine learning to create bespoke plans based on your recent running performance and your race date. It’s not a unique feature; many modern running and multisport watches now offer something similar.

However, Huawei’s approach brings everything into a single app and leverages one of the best optical sensors on the market, making it a compelling alternative to other platforms. I haven’t tested the feature, so I can’t comment on its effectiveness. It looks comprehensive enough, though.

On top of this, the Watch GT Runner 2 is also Huawei’s first watch that measures running power. I’ve always been on the fence about wrist-based running power, mainly because brands measure it differently, and there is no way to know whether what the watch says is accurate.

Unlike cycling (where power is a direct mechanical measurement), running power is modelled rather than measured. Each company uses its own algorithm and sensor inputs, so the “watts” don’t represent the same quantity. Nevertheless, the Watch GT Runner 2 offers running power measurements if you’re in

terested.

A more exciting new feature is the real-time lactate threshold detection algorithm, developed with Beijing Sport University. The Watch GT Runner 2 is also the first Huawei wearable to offer training load zones (both aerobic and anaerobic) and dynamic recovery time guidance. A variation of these features can be found on Garmin watches.

GPS setup and accuracy

As well as the new running-specific features, the Watch GT Runner 2 is the first Huawei wearable with a fully redesigned GPS system, claimed to improve performance by 3.5 times over the previous generation, which I assume means the already pretty accurate Sunflower GPS system.

This is thanks to the brand’s ‘advanced’ 3D Floating Antenna Architecture, which leverages the frame and bezel to enhance signal reception and stabilise satellite connections. The watch has dual-band all-satellite positioning and access to GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BEIDOU, and QZSS satellites.

Huawei also claims the watch’s GPS can track you even when you’re shielded from satellite view, such as in a tunnel or under a bridge. (I vaguely remember the first Watch GT Runner claimed something similar, but that’s beside the point.)

I tested this (while walking) and would like to add that it only really works if you’re running at a steady pace, especially if you’re doing laps around a track. If you nip in and out of shops, the Watch GT Runner 2 will find it just as challenging to guess your movements as any other watch.

In terms of GPS accuracy when not in tunnels and shops, the wearable seemed to have kept up with my movements well. In the Huawei Health app, I could see when I crossed roads or walked around objects. I noticed some clipping through buildings, but I always chalk these up to shoddy map overlays rather than inaccurate tracking.

As mentioned above, I haven’t tried the GPS for road or track running, so I can’t tell how it compares to Garmins and other wearables. I asked around, and testers confirmed the Watch GT Runner 2 has a spot-on GPS tracking system, but I would like to do my own research before putting such a claim in my review.

Battery life and charging

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 has a 540 mAh battery, offering 14 days of power in smartwatch mode on a single charge. GPS battery life – in dual-band mode – is up to a whopping 32 hours, which is leaps and bounds better than the Forerunner 970 (even though it’s worth mentioning that battery life decreased from the Forerunner 965).

I’m yet to take it for a multi-hour GPS session, but the general smartwatch battery life is impressive. I started using the watch without charging it, and it went from around 65% to 17% in a week, with a few GPS walking sessions and all-day wear.

Huawei always sets its battery life claims cautiously, so I’m not surprised by these numbers. I find the brand’s average usage metrics rather intense, which means actual everyday usage won’t deplete the battery quite as much as Huawei says.

As for charging, the Watch GT Runner 2 can quickly replenish its battery using Huawei’s puck charger. In my test, the battery went from 17% to 30% in just 5 minutes, 38% in 10 minutes, 66% in 25 mins, and was fully charged in 45 minutes.

The company doesn’t explicitly say the Watch GT Runner 2 has a quick-charge function, but popping the watch on the puck for 10 minutes can effectively extend battery life by days, which is impressive.

Verdict

I really like the Watch GT Runner 2. It has almost everything an everyday runner would want from a wearable, plus a surprisingly deep set of smartwatch features, with NFC payments via Curve Pay set to arrive in the UK soon.

I don’t expect Garmin users to jump ship en masse, partly because Huawei’s ecosystem still feels more smartwatch-first than sport-first, and partly because the price undercuts Garmin less than Coros or Amazfit do. Still, the hardware and feature set make a strong case for the watch, and it feels like a good value overall.

The interface leans more toward lifestyle than performance, which some serious runners might find frustrating, but it’s easy to navigate and perfectly usable once you get used to it. Switching ecosystems always takes a bit of effort, yet anyone already syncing workouts to third-party platforms like Strava will have a smoother transition.

I’ll revisit GPS and heart-rate accuracy once I’m back running, but even at this stage, the Watch GT Runner 2 has made a strong impression. I don’t want to take it off, which is always a good sign. It may not replace my Garmin just yet, but it’s easily my favourite Huawei wearable so far, and if accuracy holds up, it could end up being a five-star contender.

I’m a keen Apple AirPods Pro user, even though I’m more fond of the second-gen than the most recent version. Whenever I’m not testing headphones, I tend to reach for either the AirPods Pro 2 or the AirPods Max. That might change, thanks to the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5.

The Chinese brand's latest earbuds are on par with Apple’s top-selling in-ears across ANC, audio performance, battery life, and comfort. I’ve been using the FreeBuds Pro 5 for a week, and time and time again, the buds reminded me that there is life after the AirPods Pro.

Sure, the design could be a bit sleeker, and lossless audio requires a Huawei smartphone, but aside from that, there’s very little to complain about in day-to-day use.

Better still, the FreeBuds Pro 5 sells for less than the AirPods Pro 3 and plays well with iPhones, making it the most compelling alternative to Apple’s flagship buds.

Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 review

Price and availability

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 5 are available to buy from 26 February for £179.99 (~$243 / €206 / AU$343). Until 4 April, FreeBuds Pro 5 will be available for £149.99 (~$202 / €172 / AU$286) with an exclusive £30 launch discount via Huawei, as well as 12 months of Huawei Loss Care.

Even at full price, the FreeBuds Pro 5 are some of the most affordable in-ears in the category. Bose’s 2nd-gen QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds cost £299 / €349 / AU$299, while the Sony WF-1000XM6 are in the £250 / €300 / $299 price bracket. Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 3 will set you back £219 / $249 / €249, which is the closest to the Huawei (but still more expensive).

Design and build quality

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 lean heavily into a premium, minimalist aesthetic, with their compact form and classic colourways designed to highlight a refined, high-end feel. As expected from Huawei, the earbuds and case are positioned as much as style pieces as they are as audio gear.

The charging case features a new excimer film coating for a skin-friendly texture, while the blue variant adds vegan leather with a fine-grained surface that’s fingerprint-, wear- and scratch-resistant.

Huawei also highlights a concealed hinge design for a seamless look and a distinctive “star oval” visual signature with a ring indicator light, reinforcing the product’s polished, detail-oriented construction.

The buds themselves are 10% smaller and 6% lighter than the previous generation, with an optimised shape intended to reduce pressure points and improve stability. I prefer the slim stem and flush head unit design of the AirPods Pro 2, but the FreeBuds Pro 5 are far from bulky.

Multiple ear-tip sizes (XS to L) are included to create a secure acoustic seal and accommodate different ear shapes, with the design tuned for long listening sessions without fatigue.

Even though the FreeBuds Pro 5 aren’t specifically designed for workouts, they carry an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, while the case is IP54-rated.

Ergonomics and gesture control

The FreeBuds Pro 5 use a gesture system that blends touch, swipe and pinch inputs directly on the stems, similar to AirPods, including the Apple AirPods 4. I’m so glad the control panel isn’t on the main part of the bud, which usually means you have to keep pushing them deeper and deeper into your ears to skip tracks or increase volume.

You can swipe up or down to adjust volume, double-tap to play or pause, and use longer presses or pinches to switch noise-cancellation modes, control calls, or skip tracks.

From an ergonomic standpoint, the earbuds are designed to balance stability with long-term comfort. Huawei says that the shape is informed by extensive ergonomic research, optimising contact areas to reduce pressure points while keeping the buds securely in place.

The smaller, lighter design compared to the previous generation is intended to help them “snap right in,” supporting extended listening sessions without discomfort. I wore them pretty much all day (~4 hours at the time, twice in one day), and I felt no pressure or discomfort, which is excellent, especially given that they provide an acoustic seal, which inevitably reduces airflow in the ear canal.

Four sizes of silicone ear tips are included to create a proper acoustic seal and accommodate a wide range of ear shapes. Huawei offers an ear fit test via the Huawei Audio app, similar to Apple and other brands. The music it plays is loud, but not unbearable.

Features

The FreeBuds Pro 5 features a ‘dual-engine’ AI active noise cancellation (ANC, combining two acoustic units with real-time environmental sensing to counteract external noise. Better still, you can adjust the ANC strength in the app, or let the buds handle it in ‘Smart dual-core’ mode.

I tried ANC on the train and in the office, and it certainly is on par with Apple’s. The company says the FreeBuds Pro 5 samples ambient noise up to 400,000 times (!) per second to ensure no unwanted noise enters your ears. The result is 220% improvement in noise cancellation performance compared to the predecessor.

As for audio quality, the earbuds use a dual-drive acoustic system with independent low- and high-frequency drivers, supported by dual DSPs and DACs to improve crossover precision and reduce distortion.

They also support high-resolution wireless audio and Huawei’s own sound profiles. Sadly, 2.3Mbps Lossless Audio is only available when you use the FreeBuds Pro 5 with compatible Huawei smartphones and play lossless audio files – admittedly, a niche use case. I was testing the buds using my iPhone 16 Pro, and even though everything sounded clear, it wasn’t a lossless experience.

Huawei isn’t alone in this regard. Many audio brands offer lossless/high-quality audio options, but with caveats. My Spotify also says I’m streaming songs in lossless quality, but my Bluetooth headphones say otherwise. Many Android phones support higher-bandwidth codecs, but they aren’t lossless, either.

That said, I had zero issues with sound quality while listening to music and watching movies. The Huawei Audio app offers multiple equaliser options, but I found the standard tuning perfect in most scenarios. Audio separation is excellent, and I detected no unwanted artefacts at normal volume levels.

The FreeBuds Pro 5 offer multipoint connectivity, and to my surprise, it actually works. I’m used to clunky switching between my iPhone and MacBook, but the Huawei buds handled the task almost as well as AirPods. There was a slight hesitation when I turned the phone's music off just before clicking a video on the Mac, but it always resolved quickly.

Battery life and charging

Huawei rates the FreeBuds Pro 5 for up to 9 hours of playback on a single charge (noise cancelling off), extending to around 38 hours with the charging case, positioning them competitively among premium ANC earbuds. The earbuds support both wired and wireless charging, and the case houses a 537 mAh battery, while each bud carries a 60 mAh cell.

In my testing with ANC enabled, endurance landed notably below the headline figure, which is expected given the extra processing required for noise cancellation. Tracking the discharge curve, the buds dropped from full to 35% over 4 hours and 15 minutes (a 65% drain) equating to roughly 15.3% per hour.

That projects to a total real-world ANC runtime of around 6.4 to 6.7 hours, with the curve showing a slight acceleration toward the end, suggesting the final figure will likely sit closer to the lower bound.

Charging performance proved solid. A quick top-up from 22% back to full took about 30 minutes using the case, which itself fell from 100% to 84% during the process. While the official numbers highlight strong longevity in ideal conditions, real-world ANC use paints a more typical flagship battery performance.

Verdict

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 tick almost every box. They sound excellent, offer brilliant noise cancellation, and are comfortable to wear. They also charge quickly and sell for much less than most flagship in-ear buds, making them one of the best (if not the best) value-for-money options right now.

A few ecosystem limitations stop them short of universal appeal, but for most people, they’re an outstanding flagship alternative to Apple, Sony and Bose. I would recommend them to anyone, except audiophiles, but they wouldn’t consider Bluetooth ANC buds with different EQ settings anyway.

Huawei has never been shy about going after the big players in the wearables space, but it’s also been a bit, let's say, inconsistent about how hard it commits to specific categories.

A few years back, for example, it tried to take on Garmin more directly with the Watch GT Runner, a lighter, running-focused off-shoot of its more popular GT line, which leaned more into the coaching side of things. It was a decent first attempt, but it didn’t quite have what it takes to lure dedicated runners away from the likes of Garmin and Polar.

Since then, Huawei’s wearables have mostly gone in other directions, focusing on more general smartwatches, health-first devices like the Watch D line, and more rugged, outdoorsy models such as the Watch Ultimate.

Now, though, a new leak suggests Huawei might be sharpening its elbows again, ready for a fight with Garmin, because something described as a “professional sports watch” is reportedly in the works - and it sounds more serious than your bog-standard, all-rounder watch.

The deets so far

The fresh rumours arrive via Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station, who claims Huawei has a sports-focused wearable in the pipeline currently nicknamed “Racing Legend” - although the leaked image itself actually references a “Track Legend” trademark, which Huawei reportedly registered some time ago.

In other words, the naming still feels a bit lost in translation, but the core detail seems to be that it's a new watch codenamed Chitu, and it’s being positioned as a professional sports watch.

We also get some early detail on looks. The leak lists four colour options: Track Legend (which sounds like a special edition or headline colourway), plus Ray Shadow Black, Dawn Orange and Chi Guang Blue. That last one is likely just Huawei being pretentious about the colour blue, but it does suggest the usual sporty palette you see on performance watches.

Straps are another big talking point here. The leak claims there will be 22 strap variants, with 16mm and 22mm strap sizes mentioned, too.

The name “Racing Legend” has also been floating around in earlier reporting, so it’s possible this is just a translation mishap or internal naming. Either way, a proper pro sports watch from Huawei is exactly the sort of thing that would be aimed straight at Garmin’s dominance in the world of running watches.

For now, this is still firmly leak territory. But the fact it’s showing up with a trademarked name, colourways and strap options suggests Huawei’s edging ever closer to making it a reality.

Huawei has pushed quite the meaningful health upgrade to its Watch Ultimate 2, adding a new screening tool designed to estimate your risk of coronary heart disease - a feature that could nudge some people into getting checked before things get serious.

According to a report by HuaweiCentral, the update will be arriving via a HarmonyOS firmware update (version 6.0.0.209) and, while it won’t magically diagnose anything, it’s the sort of “early warning” health insight that Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch owners still don't have yet.

Coronary risk screening arrives

The big addition in this update is, of course, the coronary heart disease risk assessment, which will be delivered through Huawei’s Research app.

It works by requiring users to opt into Huawei’s coronary heart disease research project inside the app before they then wear the watch for a few days. It then uses the data it’s collecting day and night to generate an assessment of your risk.

According to the report, users should expect results after three to four days of wear. You’ll also need a Huawei phone running HarmonyOS 5 or later, plus the Huawei Research app updated to version 1.1.10.320 or newer.

It’s worth being clear about what this is - a screening-style feature based on trends and signals, not a medical diagnosis. Still, it’s an interesting move, and it fits Huawei’s broader strategy of using wearables to deliver more advanced health insights than most mainstream smartwatches currently offer.

More modes, more cycling smarts

On the sports side, the Watch Ultimate 2 is also getting features aimed at cyclists, including real-time simulated cadence support in outdoor cycling mode. The idea with that, it seems, will be to give users access to more “pro-style” cycling data without having to buy and fit a separate cadence sensor on your bike.

There’s also a new 3D distance compensation feature, which uses GPS and the watch’s barometer to better account for elevation changes - handy if you do a lot of hilly riding where flat 2D mapping can make your effort look a bit underwhelming.

Nevertheless, if you’ve got a Watch Ultimate 2, the update is rolling out in batches now - so it might take a little while to hit your wrist.

Open-ear earbuds are quietly becoming one of the most interesting corners of wearable tech.

Even Huawei admits the market’s still small, but it also says it’s the fastest-growing category in its audio line-up, with millions sold of the original FreeClip.

The FreeClip 2 arrives as the brand’s most confident take yet on the format, pitched as something you can wear all day, not just because of comfort, but because they’re meant to look good doing it.

The signature ear-clip design returns, but now each bud weighs a featherlight 5.1g and feels more like jewellery than tech.

The clip mechanism is said to keep them secure for runs, commutes, and desk time without ever blocking the ear canal, keeping you aware of your surroundings in a way sealed earbuds simply can’t match.

Huawei leans hard into the fashion angle too, offering Blue, White, Rose Gold and Black finishes, including denim-textured colourways that blend lifestyle with audio tech unusually well.

Denim-inspired wearables are clearly having a moment, with Ultrahuman’s freshly announced Diesel smart ring proving the trend now stretches well beyond earbuds.

A big jump in power, clarity and intelligence

Under the chic exterior, there’s a serious performance upgrade. Huawei says the FreeClip 2 delivers twice the volume and bass of the first generation, powered by a refined dual-diaphragm driver and an NPU AI processor with ten times the computing power of its predecessor.

That silicon boost unlocks adaptive volume, real-time awareness and improved voice enhancement, all tuned to maintain clarity in all environments.

Call quality also gets a major lift. A three-mic system and multi-channel DNN noise-cancellation tech help cut out traffic rumble and public-transport chaos, while reverse-sound-wave leakage control keeps conversations private.

The self-adapting stereo setup means each bud can operate as left or right, which sounds minor but is incredibly useful when you’re grabbing earbuds on the go.

Battery life is equally competitive at up to 38 hours with the case, and IP57 resistance makes them more durable than many lifestyle-leaning buds.

More than earbuds: Huawei’s wider launch

The FreeClip 2 headlines a surprisingly broad hardware update from Huawei.

The brand also revealed the Mate X7 foldable, a slim, camera-focused flagship with heavy emphasis on durability, as well as the MatePad 11.5 S tablet, complete with PaperMatte display and upgraded creative tools

The new WiFi Mesh X3 Pro system, which looks like an ornament, is designed to deliver WiFi 7 speeds with sculptural aesthetics.

They’re very different products, but together they underline Huawei’s push back into premium hardware, and suggest that the FreeClip 2 isn’t just a one-off experiment but part of a much bigger play to turn wearable tech into lifestyle tech.

The Huawei FreeClip 2 goes on sale on 21 January for £179.99 (~€210 / $225 / AU$340) in Blue, White and Black, with Rose Gold arriving later. An earlybird £30 coupon is available now via the Huawei Store.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your smartwatch – or finally buying one for the first time - Black Friday is basically the best excuse you’re going to get.

Shop all smartwatch deals in Amazon's Black Friday sale

Good old Amazon is flooded with offers at the moment, but some of the biggest discounts are on genuinely decent wearables from brands I’d actually recommend, rather than random no-name trackers that will end up in a drawer by January.

I’ve been digging through Amazon’s Black Friday sale and pulled out five standout deals that really jump out in terms of both discount and quality. We’re talking big names like Garmin and Google, plus very strong value options from Huawei and Amazfit - with all of these watches going for close to half price.

If you want proper GPS for running, solid sleep and health tracking, or just a simple fitness band that doesn’t need charging every five minutes, these are the Black Friday smartwatch deals on Amazon I’d be checking out first.

My top picks from Amazon's Black Friday smartwatch deals

Buying smartwatches in Amazon’s Black Friday Sale: what you need to know

Amazon’s Black Friday sale is a great opportunity to score a solid smartwatch at a discounted price, but strategy matters.

If you’re new to wearables, look for entry-level devices with essential features like heart-rate monitoring, step tracking, and notifications, especially because price drops on these can deliver impressive value.

For seasoned users, this is the time to grab higher-end models with advanced metrics, longer battery life, or built-in maps at a fraction of the regular price.

Before you hit “buy,” check the trickle-down effect: often, once a top model sells out, the retailer restocks slightly older versions, which can still offer plenty of features for less.

Keep a close eye on sizing (if strap or band sizing matters), and be ready to act quickly; the best deals rarely last long.

Finding a smartwatch that’s packed with features and still looks great on your wrist isn’t always easy, in my opinion. But the Huawei Watch GT 5 strikes an impressive balance – and it’s an even more tempting option now that it’s dropped to £149, giving you a very generous 36% saving off its usual £229.99 price.

This is the lowest price the Watch GT5 has ever been and considering it boasts a cracking 14-day battery life (much longer than any Apple Watch) and is the first Huawei smartwatch to feature Huawei’s TruSense system to provide more accurate health and fitness tracking, it’s a steal!

Alongside offering a wide range of workout modes—from swimming to skiing—the GT5 delivers standout benefits for runners and cyclists. Runners can gain fresh analytics such as ground-contact time, stability and vertical movement, while cyclists can access live performance metrics throughout their ride. As with many other smartwatches, the GT5 also tracks sleep, stress, SpO2 levels, heart rate, and you can receive texts and calls to your wrist. You can even make calls from the watch to (if you add your contacts to the Huawei app first).

All this comes packaged in a beautiful geometric stainless steel case with a stunning 1.43-inch AMOLED display, giving it a premium look and feel that easily rivals far pricier models. Amazon says this is a limited time deal, so who knows how long it will last, so make the most of this fantastic offer while you can.

Smartwatch season’s in full swing, and Huawei has just launched its Watch GT 6 lineup - the GT 6 and GT 6 Pro - with a big push on stamina and style.

To celebrate, the Huawei Store has switched on a launch promo across the range, which includes £30 off plus a free extra strap on both watches. There's also two Outdoor Edition bundles that throw in FreeArc open-ear headphones that cost less than buying them separately.

So why are these deals worth a look? Huawei says the all-new GT 6 series can last up to 21 days on a single charge depending on usage, while bringing upgraded GPS accuracy, with sizes and finishes to suit gym days and smart nights out alike. If you’ve been holding out for a new daily driver with weeks-not-hours battery - and a tidy saving - this is the one to check out.

Heads-up: these Huawei Store deals end 30 October (23:59 BST), so you might not want to hang about.

Battery life has always been the downfall of most smartwatches, especially those cobbled by a certain Cupertino firm that I won't mention the name of wink wink.

Even after years of perfecting wearable designs, most smartwatch brands still struggle to get you through more than a few days without needing a re-juice. Huawei, on the other hand, has built a reputation for crafting smartwatches that last a bit longer than your average. And now, it looks like the brand is about to push that even further.

The Chinese smartwatch maker has confirmed that its upcoming WATCH GT 6 Series will launch in Paris on 19 September with a battery life it claims will be "measured in weeks, not hours".

In an event poster emailed to press teasing of the launch, Huawei said its upcoming wearable will boast a battery upgrade stretching all the way to three weeks on a single charge. That’s a serious jump, even by Huawei’s already impressive standards. What's more, it comes at a very convenient time - right after Apple revealed its Ultra 3 pro watch with the headline feature of a much longer-lasting battery life.

Huawei Watch 6 GT: what we know so far

Huawei is keeping most details under wraps until the big reveal – but leaks reported by WinFuture via HuaweiCentral have already painted a pretty clear picture.

Renders show two models: a slimmer 41mm base version aimed at style-conscious buyers, and a chunkier 46mm model with a sportier look. A Pro version will also arrive in 46mm, according to the leaks, with a larger 1.47-inch AMOLED display and colours like Titanium Silver, Dazzling Gold and Shimmery Black.

Battery life looks like the big headline here, though. The leaks suggest the 46mm GT 6 Pro could pack an 867mAh cell offering around 12 days of “normal” use or up to 21 days in power-saving mode. Even the smaller 41mm model is tipped to manage 8–14 days depending on settings. Other specs reportedly include new TruSense health sensors for heart rate and ECG tracking, expanded cycling metrics (including Functional Threshold Power for serious riders), plus dual GPS, NFC and Bluetooth 6.0).

Pricing is also rumoured to be competitive: around €249 (£215) for the base model and €379 (£325) for the Pro - which, if true, would pit it against mid-range Apple Watches in terms of price while offering far more stamina. Yes, please.

Will the great get greater?

Here at T3.com, we've reviewed endless Huawei smartwatches in the past and we're often impressed by what the brand offers in terms of wearable and sports-tracking features, especially battery life. While it's a different line, the Huawei Watch 5 earned some kudos in our review earlier this year for its top-notch health tracking, sharp design and thoughtful features that “made us feel genuinely cared for.”

If the leaks are accurate and the GT 6 series builds on that foundation with longer life, smarter training tools and sleeker styling, it might well help Huawei strengthen its spot as one of the world’s leading wearable brands.

While we patiently wait for Samsung to debut its first ever tri-fold folding phone, the brands main successor appears to be streaking ahead. Currently, the only brand to have released a tri-fold phone is Huawei – and now it has doubled its catalogue.

Following on from the Huawei Mate XT, the brand has just announced the Huawei Mate XTs, which brings even more of its best technology into the device. That includes an updated Kirin 9020 processor, while the display is also capable of supporting stylus input.

Speaking of the display, that remains the real piece de resistance here. Fully unfurled, that's a 10.2-inch OLED panel, with a 16:11 aspect ration and a rather meagre 1,800 nits of peak brightness. It features adaptive refresh rate, but only between 1Hz and 90Hz. It won't both many, but worth baring in mind if you're used to speedier displays.

Fold that down once and you'll have a 7.9-inch display, while folding everything up leaves you with a 6.4-inch display on show. That still the best tri-fold design we've seen, as the display in any configuration uses the same panel.

Not only does that make more sense than having separate displays to point different ways on the same panel, it's practical, too. You can lay the device down flat, for example, without risking scratches on the screen which is pointed backwards. It's much more sensible than the rumoured design which Samsung is taking, which is said to fold like a G.

Elsewhere, features like the 5,600mAh battery, 66W wired and 50W wireless charging all make their way over from the previous model. There's also a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.

The device is currently only available in China, with the base model offering 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That costs CNY 17,999, which is equivalent to approximately £1,875 / €2,165 / US$2,520 / AU$3,870.

It's certainly not a cheap handset, then, though it does look like decent value in the context of the UK market. It's not that dissimilar to the list price of phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but comes with extra screen real estate. I'm excited to see what happens if this device gets a global launch further down the line.

There's no shortage of foldable phones these days. Samsung announced its latest generations last month in the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Z Flip 7, while Honor held an event for its Magic V5 only yesterday.

But while phones that fold in half are pretty common these days, those that fold in three are less so. Samsung has promised that a tri-fold phone is coming, with the company teasing it during an earnings call back in July, but Huawei already has one in the Mate XT and now its teased a second generation.

What do we know so far about the next Huawei tri-folding phone?

Spotted by 9to5Google, Huawei has published a teaser for the Mate XTs on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, whilst simultaneously opening up pre-orders in China for the device.

The teaser reveals the new device isn't a huge departure from the original Mate XT, with the same map-style folding design, slim frame with rounded edges, and octagonal camera module on the rear. The white and gold colour combination is new however, and looks gorgeous.

The report noted that Huawei has also previously teased stylus support for the Mate XTs, which is something the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn't offer.

There's said to be a couple of changes to the internal specifications too, including a move to Huawei's home-grown Kirin 9020 processor that has satellite support, while a purple colour option has also been reported.

Full details on the Huawei Mate XTs are still under wraps for now, and it's also not known where else in the world the second-gen of the tri-folding device will be made available. The Mate XT has yet to release in the UK, for example.

Huawei is holding an event on 4 September in China so we should learn more then, though if it doesn't come to the UK, at least Samsung's first tri-fold device shouldn't be too far behind, with the company announcing it would land before the end of the year.

There's a lot happening in smartphone launches right now, with Google preparing the Pixel 10 and Apple gearing up for the iPhone 17 launch. Now it looks like Huawei is going to inject itself into the middle of what's affectionately called Techtember.

Huawei was the first company to come up with a real, tangible, tri-fold phone. The Huawei Mate XT used one folding panel to stretch across three different screen options – slightly different to the approach expected from Samsung's tri-fold phone, which is thought to have a separate internal and external display.

New information from a leaking on Weibo (via Android Headlines) suggests that Huawei will be announcing the Mate XT 2 on 10 September. If rumours are correct, this will be the day after the announcement of the iPhone 17.

That might prove a distraction in the aftermath of Apple's launch, as headlines switch over to the latest offering from Chinese giants Huawei. While that might impact Apple's launch in China, Huawei's limited availability could ensure it doesn’t have a huge impact across the rest of the world.

After all, the Huawei Mate XT 2 is distinctly different to Apple's offering and a folding iPhone isn't expected for a number of years.

What to expect from the Huawei Mate XT 2

Huawei, however, is nothing if not an innovator. The company was quite the disruptor through the late 2010s, pushing bigger batteries, faster charging, slimmer designs and more aggressive cameras. It's impossible to look at a modern smartphone and not see the impact that Huawei had.

That it's preparing to launch a second-generation multi-pane folding phone is also significant. Just as Samsung has dominated much of the folding phone market, Huawei was right there at the beginning too, with the Huawei Mate X in 2019.

The Huawei Mate XT 2 is said to come with 5G and offer satellite communication. Huawei has offered satellite functions in China via the BeiDou satellite network on a number of handsets, but there's the suggestion that it will use the Tiantong satellite system for communication.

Elsewhere the Mate XT 2 is said to use the Kirin 9020, which powered the company's flagship Mate 70 devices, while it's said there's a 50-megapixel main camera with variable aperture.

Building on the camera experience, there could also be a new periscope telephoto camera, according to details from Digital Chat Station on Weibo.

The availability of the Huawei Mate XT 2 is expected to be limited to China, but we're sure that this new folding phone will be packed full of innovation and excitement.

Huawei has launched a new smart lock, building on its original model released in 2022. Like its predecessor, the updated Huawei Smart Door Lock 2 is currently available exclusively in China.

The standout feature of this latest model is its integrated cat’s eye camera, which boasts a 161° wide-angle view and AI-powered human detection. Visitors detected by the camera are shown in real-time on an integrated display located on the interior handle of the door, which is especially advanced for even the best smart locks.

The smart lock is priced at CNY 2,499 (approximately $345) and Huawei has not announced any plans to release it in global markets such as Europe or the United States.

In addition to the AI camera, the device supports five unlocking methods, including advanced AI palm vein recognition, fingerprint scanning, password entry, physical key access and remote unlocking via a connected smartphone or smart home panel. Whilst this is fewer than the nine unlocking methods offered by competitors like Xiaomi’s Smart Door Lock 2 Cat Eye Edition, it still provides a robust and competitive set of features.

Additional functions include two-way audio communication and the ability to stream video from the door camera directly to a connected smartphone or HarmonyOS smart device. Users also receive automatic notifications when the door is left open.

The Huawei Smart Door Lock 2 features a high-security C-level lock cylinder, runs on HarmonyOS 5, and is powered by a built-in 10,000mAh lithium-ion battery. Huawei claims the battery can last three to five months per charge.

The Huawei Watch 5 appears to have leaked, and if the rendered images are accurate then it's coming with a very distinctive design. It could even make a dent amongst the best smartwatches available today.

Indian tech site 91Mobiles claims to have spotted the new model in a certification database, while tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore found additional details including what looks to be press renders.

If genuine, Huawei seems to be continuing a design introduced with the Huawei Watch 4 Pro and standard models, but with a few tweaks. It isn't trying to echo the Apple Watch nor Pixel Watch – it's a more assertive, sporty-looking thing.

I particularly like the goldish one with the bronze face, but there are lots of different options to choose from.

Huawei Watch 5: what we know so far

The Watch 5 is believed to come in the obligatory two sizes, which in this case are reportedly 42mm and 46mm. The colours appear to be gold/beige, blue, white, green, brown and black, and there are what appear to be fabric, silicone and steel watch bands.

The watch dial is circular with thin rather than invisible bevels, and on the right there's a rotating crown, a button and two cutouts that are most likely for a magnetic charging adaptor.

91Mobiles says that there appears to be heart rate and other health sensors on the back of the watch, and the watch faces in the renders confirm the inclusion of health and fitness tracking, including blood oxygen tracking, step counting and calories burned.

What's also interesting is the purported price, which the tipster says will be €499 / €549 / €649 depending on the size and strap option. That works out as roughly £425 / $566 / AU$888 for the smallest, and £553 / $736 / AU$1,155 for the most expensive, making it very competitive against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

There's no sign of a launch date just yet, but given that the renders are most likely marketing images, it can't be too far away.

We've seen a number of flagship phone launches this year already, with OnePlus kicking things off with its OnePlus 13 and Samsung swiftly following with the Galaxy S25 series. There's still plenty more to come however, and not just of standard devices but folding phones too.

With that in mind, Huawei has an event planned for 20 March and based on a recent video, it might show off more than just the latest Pura Series (which used to be called the P Series for those wondering where Pura has suddenly sprung from).

What is the next Huawei foldable set to offer?

The video was posted to Weibo by Huawei CEO, Richard Yu and picked up by GSMArena. It shows Yu using a new, previously unannounced foldable that is rumoured to have a 3:2 or 16:1- aspect ratio display.

Previous reports have claimed it'll be a successor to the Huawei Pocket 2 and will have a 6.28-inch display when open.

The cover display meanwhile, is thought to be 3.48-inches, which would make it bigger than the current Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. But, what's most interesting is the aspect ratio of the internal display.

If the leaks are accurate, which appears so based on the official video, this new folding phone from Huawei could look like an iPad mini when unfolded. This is similar to what Apple is rumoured to be doing when it comes to foldables, but that device isn't expected until 2026 at the earliest.

It's not clear from the social post whether the folding phone will come under the Pura series, or whether it will fall within its own range, but based on the translation, something extra is coming.

The translated post said: "The suspense will be revealed soon! It is indeed a mobile phone, but it is more than just a mobile phone. Come to my live studio on 20 March to see the 'unexpected product'."

For now, nothing is confirmed, but with the mystery device officially teased and the event being held on 20 March, there's not too long to wait to find out more.

Huawei loves to push the boundaries when it comes to its foldable phones. The Chinese company was the first to introduce a tri-folding phone to the market, which didn't just open once like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but twice.

That phone has just been launched outside of China , but there's already another folding phone said to be in the works that will push boundaries further.

What will the Huawei Pocket 3 do differently?

According to a report on GizChina, Huawei is working on a Pocket 3 flip phone that'll offer an alternative to the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6. According to the report, a leak from China has claimed the Pocket 3 will have a 3:2 aspect ratio display when unfolded, which is unusual for the form factor.

Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 typically have taller and narrower displays, while if the rumours for the Pocket 3 are accurate, that would put its display when open as more like the iPad mini.

The iPad mini has a 8.3-inch screen though, while the Huawei Pocket 3 is rumoured to have a 6.3-inch internal display, so we suppose you could call it a mini iPad mini. If the report is accurate, it could make for a more natural display experience, and one that would certainly be better for reading, browsing and multi-tasking.

The report also claims the Pocket 3 will have a cover screen of 3.5-inches, though there is no word on its aspect ratio as yet.

The Pocket 2 had a circular cover display, which set it apart from its competitors, like the Samsung and Motorola's Razr 50 Ultra, so it will be interesting to see whether Huawei retains a slightly different design for the front too.

It's not currently clear when we might see the Huawei Pocket 3 made official, or indeed if this aspect ratio for the internal display will appear, but given the Pocket 2 was announced in February 2024, it's possible we could see this device sooner rather than later.

It was only a matter of time before Huawei came out with its own open-ear workout headphones. The brand already has open-ear buds better suited for casual use (see also: Huawei FreeBuds 5 review) and even a workout-centric model (FreeClip), but the FreeArc are the most durable and fitness-ready audio device to date from Huawei.

The Huawei FreeArc are akin to running headphones, such as the Shokz OpenFit 2 and the Cleer ARC II Sport, providing better situational awareness and sound quality. They're more comfortable to wear than in-ear buds, albeit they're larger and heavier than those.

One of the biggest selling points of the Huawei FreeArc is their price. They seriously undercuts the competition, which helps me overlook some shortcomings, such as the gigantic Comfort Droplet behind the ears and the lack of physical buttons.

I haven't had enough time with the FreeArc to give them a star rating, but I managed to get out on a few runs, which gave me an indication of what I can expect from the headphones. Are they best budget open-ears for running? Maybe...

Huawei FreeArc review

Price and availability

The Huawei FreeArc was announced in February 2025 and is available to buy now directly from Huawei UK for £99.99 – US and AU price and availability TBC. It's available in three colours: Grey, Black and Green. The brand has a pre-order offer running between 18 Feb and 2 March, saving you £25 if you buy the FreeArc now. If you miss out on that, you'll still be able to get £20 off between 4 March and 1 April with the launch offer, though.

Specifications

• Type: Bluetooth open-ear true wireless with ear hooks
• Battery life: 7 hours + 21 hours in the charging case (28 in total)
• Fast charge: yes, 10 minutes = 3 hours of playback time, USB-C charging
• ANC: No
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
• Weight (per bud): 8.9 g (buds), 67g (case)
• Weather resistance: IP57

Design and build quality

Huawei loves a fancy name, and the FreeArc’s design comes with plenty – think ‘140° Optimal Triangle Design’ and ‘C-Bridge Design’. In reality, though, it looks and feels like most open-ear headphones. The 0.7mm nickel-titanium shape memory alloy (that’s the C-Bridge Design, apparently) connects the Acoustic Bean (the audio unit) to the Comfort Droplet (the counterweight behind your ear).

Huawei claims the C-Bridge structure has been tested through 20,000 simulated wear cycles, which is way more bending than you’ll ever put them through. That said, the Comfort Droplet is pretty big—not uncomfortable, but noticeable, especially if you wear glasses. On the bright side, the soft silicone coating feels great against the skin, adding to the overall comfort.

Unfortunately, Huawei went with touch controls instead of physical buttons, and for workouts, this is a pain. Adjust the buds mid-run, and you’ll end up pausing or skipping a track; frustrating when you’re in the zone.

On a more positive note, the FreeArc is built to last. With an IP57 rating, they can handle sweaty workouts and even be rinsed under running water. Would I dunk them in a bucket? Probably not, but in theory, they should survive even that.

Sounds performance

The Huawei FreeArc packs a 17x12mm high-sensitivity driver unit with Neodymium Iron Boron magnets – the same kind you’ll find in high-end headphones from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Apple. These magnets are known for boosting bass and clarity, and while they don’t turn the FreeArc into an audiophile’s dream, they do help deliver a solid, well-balanced sound for an open-ear design.

Huawei has also gone all in on sound tuning, using a PU and PEN titanium-plated diaphragm; fancy terms that essentially mean punchy bass (PU), refined mids and highs (PEN), and crisp treble (thanks to the titanium coating). It’s a smart combination, and it works well for the kind of listening experience these earbuds aim to deliver.

That said, a lot of algorithmic fine-tuning is happening behind the scenes. Features like Adaptive Equal-Loudness Algorithm adjust frequencies based on volume, while the Dynamic Bass Algorithm tries to keep the low end tight and controlled. It makes for an enhanced listening experience, but it also means the sound is digitally altered quite a bit – whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your preferences.

Huawei has also tackled a common open-ear headphone problem: sound leakage. The Reverse Sound Waves System helps keep your audio private, so you’re not blasting your playlist to the person next to you.

As for customisation, the four EQ presets are a nice touch, though pretty standard these days (unless you’re using AirPods, of course). And while the FreeArc isn't immune to the usual open-ear headphone drawbacks, it does a decent job minimising them, making it a strong contender in the category.

Verdict

For how much Huawei charges for the FreeArc, I'd say they are one of the best affordable open-ear headphones on the market today. They use quality materials with a peppy, bright sound that will delight most users.

Due to the modifications Huawei applied to the sound, the FreeArc won't be the top choice for audiophile listeners – there are other buds with more natural-sounding profiles, even in the workout headphones scene.

However, if you're after some inexpensive open-ears that provide excellent value for money, the FreeArc are a sterling choice. I'll need to test them for another week to make a final assessment, but the first impressions are definitely good.

Also consider

Shokz OpenFit: These earbuds feature a similar open-ear design and have flexible earhooks to provide a stable fit. The OpenFit's battery life is identical to the FreeArc, but the former has a more well-rounded sound profile. The key difference is the price: the OpenFit's RRP is twice as much as the FreeArc. These days, you can easily get them for under £100, though.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: A more premium option, these buds feature a unique design that clips onto the ears. The Ultra Open are my current favourite for outdoor exercise, and deliver clear and balanced audio while keeping your ears open to the environment. Battery life is slightly longer than the FreeArc at 7.5 hours.

There's a lot of choice when it comes to earbuds and you can pay anything from a few pounds to hundreds depending on the quality. To get the best earbuds we normally recommend you invest a little more, but sometimes there are ways to get a good pair for less.

Huawei's FreeBuds Pro 4 are the latest in its Pro series, which represents the best it has to offer in terms of sound. Described as 'tech-advanced' they feature dual drivers, intelligent dynamic ANC (noise cancellation), dual device connection and head motion controls.

The Pro 4 support both HWA lossless and High Res Audio formats, plus offers up to 33 hours of playback thanks to the charging case. The three-mic system also ensures clear call quality for voice calls on the move.

While the FreeBuds Pro 4 are already competitively priced, there's currently a £20 coupon to make them even more appealing. Use code A20AUDIO before 18th Feb 2025 to get the discount.

Although it's not yet available, we know exactly what Chinese tech giant Huawei will have in its January Sale. Running from 1 to 4 January, it’s packed with deals that make upgrading your gear a no-brainer.

Leading the charge is the Watch GT 5 Series, starting from just £269.99. Not only does it help you track your health and fitness goals with precision, but it also comes with a free EasyFit 3 strap to match your style. Choose the sleek Pro 46MM or the ultra-chic Gold Milanese Festive Edition and save up to £30.

For audiophiles, the FreeBuds Pro 3 steals the show at £139.99 (down from £179.99), delivering top-notch sound for £40 less. Fancy something even more affordable? The FreeBuds 6i are a steal at £69.99, offering impressive sound for £20 off.

Need a productivity boost? Huawei’s MateBook series is your answer. Score the MateBook D16 for just £449.99 and tackle everything from work to gaming with ease. And if a tablet is more your speed, the MatePad SE 11” is yours for £169.99 (was £199.99), complete with a free pen to fuel your creative streak.

With up to 25% off across wearables, audio, tablets, and laptops, Huawei’s January Sale is your ticket to a tech-filled start to the year. You get two weeks to make up your mind, but be mindful – it's easy to forget about things if you don't action them immediately!

Say hello to the Huawei Mate X6: the latest and greatest foldable from the tech giant – and a new competitor for the likes of Samsung's best foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The folding Huawei handset was officially unveiled last month, but this update marks the global release plans for the company's latest – so you can get your hands on one in the near future (albeit certainly not in the US).

The Mate X6 is a very elegant piece of hardware, which is one of its greatest assets. At just 4.6mm thin (when unfolded), Huawei's slender foldable design isn't far behind the Honor Magic V3 (at just 4.4mm unfolded).

However, the physical robustness of the Mate X6 has been improved compared to its X5 predecessor, with a tougher aluminium alloy middle frame and second-gen Kunlun Glass for shatter-proof and scratch-resistant hardiness.

A major part of any folding phone is the internal display, which here is a massive 7.93-inches across the diagonal – but is now sat upon an inner screen plate for enhanced material stiffness, providing a better feel in use and helping to negate the crease.

A big area where the Huawei Mate X6 outshines its Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 competitor, however, is in the cameras department. The rear houses a 50-megapixel main, along with a 40MP wide-angle and 48MP 4x optical zoom.

Interestingly, that periscope zoom lens features a mechanical adjustable aperture (f/1.4-f/4.0) – which controls how much light enters to the sensor, giving depth-of-field control in images – and the first time this has been seen in a foldable.

Much like the recent Oppo Find X6 Pro, Huawei has opted for a silicon-carbon battery in the Mate X6. That means its 5110mAh capacity offers greater density in a smaller form – which is ideal in a design like this.

However, it's worth noting that Huawei's HarmonyOS software is a little different to what you'll find in the best Android phones, because it doesn't have full access to Google Play Services, so there's no Play Store here. There's also no word on the processor that'll be featured inside the global edition, but assume it'll be a Kirin 9100 chip.

There's no word on price or exact release date in which regions just yet either – but that ought to be coming live and direct from the 12 December global event. We'll bring that information as we have it – and get an understanding of how price-effective Huawei's new folding prospect will compare to the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold.

The tree sparkled with golden lights, baubles glistened in every shade of red and green, and the air was filled with the warm hum of family chatter. Wrapped gifts spilt out from under the tree, each one a promise of joy waiting to be unwrapped. As the festivities began, one gift emerged as the star of the evening – the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5.

Amid the laughter and exchange of heartfelt tokens, the WATCH GT 5 brings something extra to the celebration. More than a present, it was an invitation to experience health, adventure, and style in a way that felt personal and thoughtful – a gift that truly resonates with the spirit of the season.

Thanks to striking design options like the Pro edition’s aerospace-grade titanium or the elegant ceramic finish, the watch transitions effortlessly from formal holiday dinners to outdoor escapades. With 12 stunning colourways and multiple strap options, the GT 5 offers a personalised touch for every recipient, from style enthusiasts to adventure seekers.

Its sleek and durable design makes it the perfect gift for anyone who values both function and fashion. Imagine the look of delight as your loved ones unwrap a watch that feels tailored just for them.

Battery Life That Keeps Up

With so many features on offer, it’s hard to choose which to highlight first. One of the biggest griefs of wearables is charging times, but the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 eliminates that worry. With its exceptional, industry-leading battery life, it’s designed to keep up with the busiest of schedules without interruptions.

With up to 14 days of use for the 46mm model (and 7 days for the 41mm), it’s built to last through the busiest of schedules. And when a quick charge is needed, just five minutes of wireless charging provides enough power for a full day – ideal for the season’s non-stop celebrations.

Long battery life is one thing, but it means nothing if the watch can’t keep up with your busy life. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 takes this to heart with its advanced health and fitness tracking features. From heart rate monitoring and sleep analysis to continuous SpO2 tracking, it supports a comprehensive view of physical health.

For those who love to stay active, the Pro edition also offers professional-grade ECG monitoring, ensuring your loved ones—be they young or old—can monitor their health trends for years to come. It’s the ultimate tool for staying balanced, even during the indulgent holiday season.

From traversing snowy trails to mastering the art of the perfect golf swing, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 embodies a spirit of adventure and precision. Renowned for its innovative approach to outdoor pursuits, HUAWEI seamlessly channels this bold ethos into the WATCH GT 5, making it a true companion for those who dare to explore.

The new RouteDraw feature adds a playful touch, allowing users to map out creative running routes. Enhanced GPS accuracy ensures no trail is left unexplored. Need a present for someone who loves spending time in the water? The Pro edition supports free diving up to 40 meters.

The Perfect Companion for Every Lifestyle

With over 100 workout modes and intuitive fitness tracking, the watch is an all-in-one companion for sports, travel, and everyday adventures.

With its seamless compatibility across Android and iOS, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 ensures everyone can enjoy its exceptional features, regardless of their device. From intuitive notifications to music control and hands-free calls, this smartwatch goes beyond expectations, making it the ultimate gift for anyone looking to enhance their lifestyle in meaningful ways.

This Christmas, HUAWEI is offering limited-time deals on the WATCH GT 5 series, making it an irresistible choice for gifting. Be it a fitness enthusiast, a style icon, or someone who simply deserves the best, this is a gift that combines practicality, luxury, and heartfelt sentiment.

As the holidays draw ever so near, finding any gift, let alone the perfect one, can be a real challenge. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 simplifies the search, offering something for everyone on your list. Its timeless design, powerful features, and health-focused technology make it a thoughtful way to show you care.

Share your festive moments with the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 this Christmas! Use #HUAWEIWatchGT5 and #ChristmasGift on social media to spread the joy and showcase the perfect blend of technology and thoughtfulness.

As the holiday season approaches, it's time to find the perfect gifts for loved ones—or a little treat for yourself. If it’s tech presents you’re after, you must check out Huawei offerings this festive season. From cutting-edge wearables and sublime audio devices to gorgeous-looking tablets and ultra-capable laptops, Huawei has something for everyone.

To save you time (and hassle), we went through all the amazing offerings from the tech giant and listed our favourites below. As such, we’d like to present you with the ultimate Christmas gifts from Huawei, which we’re sure will bring everyone around you happiness and countless hours of fun this December.

HUAWEI WATCH D2: A health-first smartwatch with a trick up its sleeve

The HUAWEI WATCH D2 redefines smartwatches with its medical-grade blood pressure monitoring and ECG capabilities, making it a must-have for health-conscious individuals. This clever smartwatch packs an inflating cuff to accurately measure blood pressure from your wrist in a sleek and lightweight form factor. With a vibrant 1.82-inch display, the WATCH D2 offers unparalleled comfort and functionality.

Perfect for parents or grandparents, the WATCH D2 also offers 24-hour blood ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the holy grail of measurements in the medical world, helping people truly stay on top of their heart health, while the Huawei Health App provides detailed reports for easy sharing with your family or even healthcare providers. With a 6-day battery life and plenty of other health features, including ECG, the stylish WATCH D2 ensures effortless health tracking.

Buy the HUAWEI WATCH D2 for £349.99 (Includes free FreeBuds 5i)

HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro: The ultimate smartwatch for active golfers

For those who seek a smartwatch that merges sophistication with advanced functionality, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro is a standout choice. Crafted with premium materials like aerospace-grade titanium alloy (46mm) and nanocrystal ceramic with titanium gold accents (42mm), this smartwatch elevates style and performance to new heights.

Exclusive to the GT 5 Pro 46mm, the golf mode offers access to over 15,000 golf course maps worldwide, including an impressive 3,000 in the UK. Paired with Sunflower GPS technology, golfers can enjoy precise route tracking and real-time course insights, making it a thoughtful gift for any golf enthusiast.

Beyond golf, the GT 5 Pro includes comprehensive sports modes for running, cycling, trail adventures, and even diving—complemented by 5ATM water resistance. With an impressive 14-day battery life, it’s ready to keep up with even the busiest lifestyles.

Just in time for the Christmas festivities, Huawei have launched the GT5 Series Festive Edition exclusively available in the Huawei Store. The Festive Edition comes with a limited edition festive strap on top of the bundle you can find elsewhere.

Buy the HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Pro with prices starting at £329.99 (Includes free FreeBuds 5i )

HUAWEI FreeClip: Open-Ear Audio in Style

The HUAWEI FreeClip offers a revolutionary open-ear listening experience, perfect for runners, cyclists, and anyone on the go. Its clip-on design is not only ultra-lightweight at just 5.6g but also ensures comfort while keeping users aware of their surroundings—a vital feature for outdoor activities.

Powered by 10.8mm dual-magnet drivers, the FreeClip delivers crisp sound quality with minimal leakage, making it perfect for both music and calls. With up to 36 hours of battery life, this versatile audio solution is ready for any adventure.

Buy the HUAWEI FreeClip for £149.99

HUAWEI MatePad Pro PaperMatte Edition: For the modern professional

Despite its ultra-slim 5.5mm profile and lightweight design, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro PaperMatte Edition is a powerhouse tablet. From immersive audio to a long-lasting battery, it’s a device designed to keep up with your busiest days, from work to creative projects.

Its 12.2-inch Tandem OLED PaperMatte Display reduces glare, delivering exceptional clarity both indoors and out. Paired with the HUAWEI M-Pencil (3rd Generation), this tablet provides a precise, lag-free experience, with over 10,000 pressure sensitivity levels for unparalleled control and detail. Perfect for designers, illustrators, and note-takers alike!

Buy the HUAWEI MatePad Pro PaperMatte Edition for £749.99 (Includes free M-Pencil)

HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3: Sound for the Modern Audiophile

The HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 are the brand’s most advanced earbuds yet, designed for audiophiles and professionals. Featuring an ultra-hearing dual-driver setup, they combine an 11 mm ultra-magnetic dynamic driver for deep, resonant bass with a planar diaphragm driver for crisp, detailed treble. This synergy delivers exceptional sound clarity across a wide frequency range, from 14 Hz to 48 kHz.

The intelligent ANC 3.0 system adapts to your environment, effectively reducing ambient noise for an immersive listening experience. Additionally, the triple adaptive EQ algorithm tailors the sound to your ear canal and volume preferences, ensuring a personalised audio experience.

Encased in a sleek glass design, the FreeBuds Pro 3 offers up to 31 hours of battery life with the charging case, combining style and functionality seamlessly.

Buy the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 for £139.99

With Huawei’s range of stylish, high-performance tech, you’re sure to find the perfect gift this Christmas. Whether it’s health-focused wearables or productivity-boosting laptops, there’s something for everyone on your list. Explore more incredible deals and bundles at Huawei and make this festive season unforgettable.

If you thought there would be no more announcements in the wonderful world of tech before Christmas, then think again. Huawei has announced it will be launching a new flagship foldable smartphone on 12 December in Dubai.

The Chinese manufacturer might have had a bit of a tricky time over the last few years, with US companies like Qualcomm and Google banned from working with it, but it’s still got some great devices. It also continues to deliver superb camera experiences on its phones and great fitness features in its smartwatches.

Only a couple of months ago, Huawei also announced the world’s first tri-folding phone in the China in the form of the Mate XT Ultimate, and it revealed the Mate X6 in the country at the end of November too, giving us a glimpse of what it is working on.

We’re still waiting for a global launch of both those devices, and while Huawei hasn’t revealed what folding phone it plans to reveal next Thursday, a report on 91Mobiles has speculated it could be either of those.

The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate has a 6.4-inch outer display, a 7.9-inch dual display and it expands out into a 10.2-inch tablet display. There are three cameras on the rear including a 50-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel ultra wide sensor and 12-megapixel periscope telephoto sensor. There’s also an 8-megapixel front camera and a 5,600mAh battery.

For the Mate X6, this was announced in China featuring a 6.45-inch outer display and 7.93-inch inner display. Both have a 120Hz refresh rate and they are both LTPO 2.0 panels. There’s a triple rear camera here too, with a 50-megapixel main sensor, 40-megapixel ultra wide sensor, 48-megapixel telephoto macro sensor and an infrared sensor.

Both displays on the Mate X6 have a selfie camera, which is the same 8-megapixel sensor, and there’s a 5,200mAh battery capacity.

Whether either of these devices will launch on 12 December in Dubai remains to be seen for now, but at least there isn’t too long to wait till we find out.

Huawei’s journey through the twists and turns of the smartphone world appears to have hit a new point, with the company moving on from Android completely. In what has been a thrill ride of a decade, there’s something final about the latest news from the Chinese brand.

Huawei really established itself with Huawei P30 Pro in 2019. Having been through the annual launch of a range of devices, it all seemed to come together in that model – the power, the build, the battery life and the camera performance were all noteworthy. It’s ironic, then, that US bans on Huawei landed in May 2019, just as the P30 Pro was getting started.

It was a certain President Trump who was in office at that point and it’s fitting that just as Trump prepares to return to the White House, Huawei is completing its final move away from US technology, leaving the open source Android it’s been using for the past few years behind.

Instead, according to details from Bloomberg, Huawei will use HarmonyOS Next to power devices. The company has spent a long time working with developers to enable access to apps outside of the Play Store to which it lost access, while also developing rival services to those that Google previously offered.

HarmonyOS Next is not compatible with Android apps, with Huawei spending the intervening years working with developers to establish its own app store.

The first phone that will get the HarmonyOS Next treatment is the Mate 70, its latest device unveiled on Tuesday. Like previous handsets, it’s likely to run on Kirin hardware, with Huawei unable to access the Qualcomm chips that it used to favour.

The Huawei Mate 70 is a significant phone for the company, signalling that Huawei isn’t dependent on US technology and that the bans don’t limit the company’s ability to launch a competitive smartphone. Huawei is eyeing Apple’s success in China, as it looks to compete with the iPhone and reassert itself as the premium device manufacturer of choice.

The Huawei Mate 70 is said to include a satellite paging system and will come in a number of different variants, including the Mate 70, Mate 70 Pro, Mate 70 Pro Plus and the Mate 70 RS. The base model starts with a 6.7-inch display with a multitude of cameras. The Mate 70 Pro boosts the camera experience, while the Pro Plus extends the camera even further.

The Huawei Mate 70 RS takes the top model and adds a premium titanium build on top, as well as a tweak in the design. Currently, the company’s plans to launch the Mate 70 globally are unknown, but we suspect that it will still have ambitions to offer its own non-Google alternative to a wider audience than just China.

Huawei is slashing prices on its feature-packed smartwatches just in time for the holiday season, and these offers are too good to pass up. The tech brand joined the ranks of other companies rolling out their Black Friday deals early this year, which we can’t be happier about!

The two deals that we think are worth highlighting are on the best smartwatches from Huawei: the Watch Fit 3 and the Watch 4. Both are cheaper for Black Friday, and better still, you get a free strap with the purchase for free. Here are the deals:

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a lightweight smartwatch with robust fitness features at an unbeatable price. Its vibrant AMOLED display ensures crisp visuals, while its long-lasting battery supports up to 10 days of use on a single charge. Packed with 97 workout modes, heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking, it’s ideal for fitness enthusiasts and casual users alike. With £40 off and a free strap, this is a must-have deal.

The Huawei Watch 4 is a premium smartwatch that merges cutting-edge technology with an elegant design. Its stunning AMOLED display offers crystal-clear visuals, while the durable materials, like stainless steel, provide a polished, luxurious feel.

This smartwatch excels in health monitoring, featuring advanced metrics like blood oxygen, heart rate, and stress tracking. With a wide array of fitness modes and intelligent workout coaching, it’s ideal for active lifestyles. Its impressive battery life and eSIM support add to its convenience, enabling independent connectivity.

Following a recent surge of major updates and product launches, Huawei has once again impressed consumers with the unveiling of its latest smartwatch, the Watch D2. It succeeds the previous Huawei Watch GT 5 Series, now offering several enhanced features and a sleek design upgrade.

With a single tap, users can measure five key health indicators and generate a comprehensive health report to identify potential health risks. These indicators include heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress, skin temperature and sleep breathing awareness.

The watch is also the first to feature Huawei TruSense, an in-depth health monitoring system that aims to provide users with the means to understand their bodies better. The new update has been widely regarded as laying the foundations for the next decade of wearable devices, so the launch of the Huawei Watch D2 marks a significant milestone for the brand.

After achieving its EU MDR (European Medical Device Regulation) certification, the Watch D2 is able to provide Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring. This allows users to set smart reminders for blood pressure measurements, enabling them to check their blood pressure by simply raising their wrist. It also automatically measures blood pressure during sleep, ensuring an uninterrupted night’s rest. This feature is particularly useful for those who suffer from hypertension or have been told to monitor their blood pressure by a doctor, especially as the watch helps identify blood pressure circadian rhythms and detect abnormal nighttime blood pressure decline rates.

The Huawei Watch D2 is equipped with a variety of powerful sports features, catered by over 80 exercise modes that include running, walking, cycling and mountain climbing. Pinpoint GNSS positioning and workout evaluations enable users to accurately record exercise sessions and receive real time data.

The watch also holds a strong focus on wellness, offering insights into stress management, sleep tracking and blood pressure monitoring. Women can also easily track their menstrual cycles, with detailed observations into ovulation tracking and overall reproductive health.

Design wise, the Huawei Watch D2 is one of the lightest and slimmest blood pressure monitors available on the market today. Its 1.82-inch screen allows for convenient monitoring at all times, and an exquisite rotating crown and glossy mirror bezel provides an unmatched premium feel.

For a limited time only, buyers can receive a free pair of Huawei Freebuds when purchasing the Watch D2 from the Huawei Store. Priced at £349.99, the launch offer allows buyers to save nearly £100 altogether.

After a successful year developing its ‘Creation of Beauty’ concept, Huawei is now said to be unveiling two new tablets during its launch event in Barcelona on Thursday. We’re expecting to see two new tablets, both of which will hopefully follow the brand’s focus on aestheticism, innovative design features and outstanding screen quality. 

Both tablets succeed the MatePad Pro 13.2, a model that has already been compared to the industry-leading iPad Pro. Launched in December 2023, the MatePad Pro 13.2 introduced a new level of portable creativity with its range of artistic features. The new top-end MatePad is expected to build on this, particularly with its GoPaint App functionality and groundbreaking display technology. 

Whilst we currently don’t know too much about the MatePad12 X, it looks as if it will also have a strong focus on portability and productivity. Images suggest it’ll boast a shimmery pearlescent polish and a choice of elegant colourways, but we expect to hear more during this week’s launch. 

The next Huawei pro-level MatePad may come an upgraded version of the GoPaint App, a platform that provides multiple professional brush tools and works with the 3rd gen Huawei M-Pencil. This would make the tablet perfect for on the go designers or art students, especially as real and professional painting effects can be achieved through physical simulations and innovative interaction methods. 

We’re hoping to see a new set of exclusive brushes included in the GoPaint App, especially ones that encompass varying artistic techniques. This would be useful for painters looking to explore their artistic side, nurturing a sense of playfulness and imagination. 

The new MatePad Pro could also feature a display upgrade, combining enhanced clarity, handwriting experience and anti-glare performance. If true, this would improve performance across the board, welcoming a new era of tablet-based creation.

The tablet’s notes function is also set to develop, featuring a larger variety of colourful covers and templates to help users create ideas easily and happily. These features alongside the impressive drawing software would continue to provide a more powerful paperless learning experience that anyone would enjoy using. 

In terms of accessories, it’s reported that the new MatePad Pro will see the introduction of the all-new Huawei Glide Keyboard. This is rumoured to introduce an innovative stylus storage design, but again, we’ll find out more during Thursday’s event. 

With just a few days to go, we know we’re not the only ones eagerly awaiting the launch. The new top-end MatePad has especially caught our eye, and if the rumours are true, it’s going to be  impressive products from Huawei that prioritises consumer expectations over anything else. 

Last night, at the Apple launch event, the Cupertino-based company unveiled a range of new products. But chief among them was the new iPhone 16 range.

With a new design which looks reminiscent of the iPhone 5C – and a new Capture button for photography lovers – the device represents the pinnacle of current technology for the brand.

But there was an even more exciting release overnight, which looks set to be a much more significant technological feat. Dubbed the Huawei Mate XT Extraordinary Master, this is the tri-fold design which we've seen leaked in recent weeks.

That's the first three-way foldable phone to hit the market. While the current crop of handsets utilise a single hinge to open out like a book, this Huawei handset folds like a Z-shape. That enables users to trade between a regular phone-sized device and a tablet as needed.

The handset sits just 12.8mm thick when folded down to a single-screen setup – certainly impressive given the two extra displays hidden inside of that – and as slim as 3.6mm when unfolded. That's absolutely tiny, and should make this a really comfortable hold in it's widest setting.

You'll even find a whopping 5,600mAh battery inside. That's comprised of a trio of smaller cells, each located in the segments of the folding chassis.

It's no slouch in the camera department, either. A triple rear-camera array includes a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 12MP periscope telephoto. That offers a 5.5x optical zoom, with a 50x digital zoom to boot. 

There is, of course, one slight sticking point. Priced from 19,999 yuan (approx. £2,145; $2,800; AU$4,200) it's not cheap. That's even before we get into conversion prices – and the fact that Huawei still can't make use of any Google apps or the Android operating system.

Still, it's a killer leap forward in the technology space, and one which should be celebrated.

Next week, the world of foldable phones looks set to change forever. That's because Huawei has a launch event pending, and it could unveil its long-awaited triple-folding phone.

That would be a landmark step. While the traditional bi-folding designs have become commonplace, there is always room for more innovation.

The tri-folding design seen in concepts and leaks from brands like Huawei and Tecno offers exactly that. For the first time, users will be able to truly experience both the compact convenience of a phone, with the large-screen benefits of a tablet.

Current foldable phones offer that to a degree. I've been enamoured with the Honor Magic V2, which I'm currently using as part of a year-long test.

Still, it could be improved. The internal display is beneficial, but something larger would certainly enable a wider range of tasks to be completed.

Based on leaked images of the Huawei device, it doesn't look like that functionality has come at the cost of slimness, either. Images of the handset appear to show a delightfully slim build when folded, which will be music to the ears of prospective buyers.

As someone who has followed this burgeoning industry with great interest, I can't help but feel like this is a real turning point. Way back when the technology came to the fore, the very idea of a phone which could fold in half felt completely alien. Now that the technology is more established, this feels like a logical next step. 

In fact, the only real issue with the device stems from its creator. Huawei is still subject to sanctions in both the UK and the USA, stemming from previous privacy concerns which the brand denies.

That affects just about every aspect of their operation. Most notably for consumers, it means they can't make use of any Google apps, the Android operating system or any Snapdragon processors.

For most users, that's likely to be a step too far – especially on a device which could very easily cost more than £2,000 (approx. $2,650; AU$3,900). Still, it's hard to deny the innovation on offer here – and that's enough for me to get excited about.

We've heard rumours and even seen a photo leak of Huawei's prospective tri-fold phone in recent times, now we pretty much know when it'll launch.

The company has announced that it is holding an event on Tuesday 10 September and it is widely thought the "world's first" triple folding handset will be the main star.

The foldable phone market has significantly matured in recent times, with handsets like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold becoming slimmer and more powerful, but Huawei could really up the ante with its next device.

Spotted in the hand of a company executive last month, the handset unfolds twice to present a bigger tablet-like screen than ever before – close to 10-inches, it is claimed.

It also seems to be thin enough for use as a day-to-day smartphone, even with the double-hinged design. We'll find out for sure when the event starts at 14:30 CST next Tuesday. That's the local time to China, where the device will undoubtedly be available first.

A save the date invite was posted by Huawei itself on the Chinese social media network Weibo.

It's likely the event will be streamed live, but in Mandarin, we expect. If you do want to watch it, we'll keep an eye out for a live feed and post it on T3 closer the time. Also make note of the start time in your region as it'll be 07:30 BST in the UK and 02:30 EDT on the US East Coast.

Huawei will almost certainly be the first to fully announce a tri-fold phone but won't be the last. Tecno has confirmed that it's created a rival in the form of the Tecno Phantom Ultimate 2.

It's only a concept device for now, but also unfolds to reveal a 10-inch inner screen. It's very possible that the brand will release something based on the tech in the coming years.

In a complex world of smart rings, sleep trackers and biosensors, the amount of accessible health monitoring products only seems to be expanding by the day. Whether you’ve turned  tech to manage a chronic condition or you’re a health-conscious individual interested in the power of wearables, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll find something that works for you. 

One brand that’s mastered the art of health monitoring is Huawei, particularly when it comes to its array of the best smartwatches. The brand’s wearables offer real-time monitoring of vital signs such as heart rate, blood oxygen and blood pressure, all of which are vital to helping users achieve a healthy lifestyle. 

After celebrating its most significant advancement of health and fitness sensing module and algorithm in the last three years, Huawei has launched the Huawei TruSense System across its wearable devices. The technology empowers the brand’s devices with unmatched capabilities in health monitoring, delivering a more accurate, comprehensive and faster experience than ever before. 

Apart from looking to improve a user’s general experience, Huawei TruSense System is equipped with six key features of Huawei wearables’ health and fitness tracking technology. These features include accuracy, comprehensiveness, speed, flexibility, openness and iteration, aiming to provide users with the means to understand their bodies better. This makes room for a deeper level of reliability, especially for those who depend on health wearables to track conditions or diseases. 

Huawei has previously developed a range of health and fitness monitoring technologies, including TruSeen, TruSleep, TruSport, TruFit and TruRelax. However, the sheer complexity of human health means single monitoring systems can be limited. Huawei’s decision to integrate these technologies into the TruSense System allows for more accurate and in-depth findings, including physiological as well as psychological tracking. 

As research develops, Huawei plans to further explore areas such as coronary heart disease, mental health, seamless blood pressure reading and blood glucose monitoring, in collaboration with more industry experts and professional institutions. Not only is this a necessary step in the right direction, but intricate knowledge around these areas will significantly set Huawei wearables apart from competitors. TruSense System therefore opens a new chapter in health and fitness tracking, providing a more comprehensive sports and health tracking experience to users around the world.

With this development, it’s clear Huawei has laid the foundations for the next decade of wearable devices. With an exclusive launch event taking place next month, it’ll be interesting to see which wearables will harness the new system and when it’ll be available for consumer use. 

We've known for a few weeks now that Huawei has a triple-folding phone nearly ready for the market, but now it looks like it's truly imminent. Unlike some more traditional leaks from factory floors or supply chain sources, this one came straight from the top – Huawei's CEO. 

Richard Yu was spotted using a new phone with a pretty obvious triple-fold system while travelling recently, confirming the rumours that Huawei was working on a new form factor in its folding lineup. 

Now, a couple of weeks after those photos surfaced, Yu has apparently spilled the beans again. Chinese-language site MyDrivers is reporting that Yu was asked by a competition winner recently asked Yu at a public appearance when they'd be able to buy the triple-folding phone.

Rather than ignoring the question or giving a non-committal answer, Yu seemingly replied that it could be in stores in September - which means it could be just a couple of weeks away at this point. 

That's not exactly the flashy live-streamed news release that we've become used to for phones of this sort, and while Huawei doubtless does have a marketing drive planned, it's pretty fascinating to see it gazumped like this. 

Reports indicate that the folding phone will have an internal, fully unfolded display of 10 inches, which is pretty expansive, and there's no doubt that it seems certain to be the first mainstream tri-fold option. The likes of Google and Samsung are very much sticking with the bi-fold designs they've come up with so far, and there aren't any real rumours of changes planned there. The more hinges, after all, the more complicated the engineering. 

So, it might now be a question of waiting to see what else emerges from Huawei in the coming weeks - we'd presume that the next proper sighting of its triple-folding phone will be a more carefully-engineered one, but perhaps this is all a viral campaign that's got us hook, line and sinker. Time will tell! 

Huawei is reportedly planning to steam ahead and create a very new type of foldable phone – one that its current competitors apparently won't be able to rival.

Leakers have this week indicated that Huawei is working on a triple-folding phone. It is said to sport two distinct folds rather than one, and can therefore fold out to offer a significantly larger tablet-style display. 

This would be the first of its kind, but Huawei reportedly has a prototype working already in its factories. Reports of the prototype started on Weibo but have been validated now by big names including Ice Universe on X (formerly Twitter). 

This all indicates that we're talking about a phone like the Huawei Mate X lineup, or the Samsung Galaxy Fold rather than Flip – one with a vertical crease down it, rather than a horizontal one. 

According to various leakers, the real key to this prototype and Huawei's continuing work on foldables is that it's been making big strides in thinner tech for its folding displays. This has seen it unlock more options in terms of sizes and shapes, along with an extra fold as in this case.

Interestingly, Ice Universe followed up the confirmation of the leak by castigating Samsung for what they claim has been "several years of complacency and continuous laziness". They said that even taking into account the rumours of thinner foldables coming from Samsung this week at Galaxy Unpacked, "its thickness is still not comparable to the latest folding machine of Chin[ese] brand[s]". 

So, this makes it seem like Huawei has a fairly clear run at getting the first triple-folding phone onto the market, although there's a huge caveat here in that these are only leaks. We don't have any official word from Huawei, and shouldn't expect anything until it's ready to start selling the phone. 

That could well still be a year or more away, so until we start to hear rumblings of an actual release date, the next phase in foldable tech will remain a theoretical one. 

Towards the end of 2023, Huawei launched its ‘Creation of Beauty’ concept to global consumers. The event confirmed the release of the MatePad Pro 13.2”, MateBook D 16 and FreeClip earbuds, with each product designed to help users unleash their inner creativity. Taking place on 7th May, Huawei’s Innovative Product Launch has enriched the campaign, introducing the latest flagship MateBook X Pro, MateBook 14, MatePad 11.5”S, new self-developed GoPaint APP, and Super Device.

Just like the previous launch, these innovative products are designed to enhance productivity and stimulate people’s potential to be creative. Huawei has also introduced developed technologies that will enable people to create, such as the all new Huawei Cloud Falcon Architecture, Shark Fin Heat Dissipation System, Super Turbo and PaperMatte Display. 

MateBook X Pro

Huawei has spent the last two years upgrading its MateBook X Pro’s design and materials, bringing improved temperature regulation and battery life with the new MateBook X Pro. Despite featuring a high-performance processor, the MateBook X Pro is only 980 grams and 13.5 mm thick, making it the lightest and thinnest Huawei laptop to date. Its long-lasting battery makes it ideal for 4K video rendering, export and large software programming. 

As mentioned, the MateBook X Pro has adopted the innovative Huawei Cloud Falcon Architecture. This allows the internal structure of the PC to be more compact, making room for a larger battery, fan and speaker, so its performance isn’t limited by space. Its Shark Fin Heat Dissipation System is fully upgraded, allowing the AI temperature control algorithm to intelligently adjust the temperature control policy. 

Huawei has created a uniquely smooth and metallic body for the MateBook X Pro, making it warm and comfortable to the touch. The shell is also more scratch-resistant and durable for carry-out scenarios. 

The Huawei X-True display technology works to provide users with a smoother reading experience, even in dark environments. Each Huawei MateBook X Pro screen has been professionally colour-corrected and equipped with two intelligent sensing features, AI Noise Cancellation and AI Camera. These additions mean users will no longer have to change computers for more intelligent functions that improve creativity. 

The brand-new Super Turbo technology can intelligently detect different application scenarios, introducing corresponding optimisation policies in a timely manner. The system can be accessed within one second after the cover is opened, and the startup is as fast as twisting the cap. With the support of Super Turbo, the system response speed is further improved.

MateBook 14

In order to improve the MateBook 14’s heat dissipation capability, Huawei engineers designed a unique high-flow air vent at the bottom of the laptop. This also features an Air dot pattern design, bringing a more refined appearance.

The Huawei MateBook 14 also comes in a vibrant and natural green colour, which is a new shade for Huawei altogether.

MatePad 11.5”S

Another innovative technology is Huawei’s PaperMatte Display, adopted by the Huawei MatePad 11.5”S. This means the tablet can effectively reduce screen reflection and scattered light, reducing blue light radiation and protect its user’s eyes. It also retains the matte experience of real writing, taking away any unwanted fluidity. The touchscreen is also more responsive and doesn’t leave fingerprints.

The Huawei MatePad 11”S comes with a split-type magnetic keyboard, allowing users to stand the tablet on a small desk and type on the keyboard. This is particularly useful for young professionals working from small spaces, or those who travel widely. 

It also supports cross-app colour retrieval, giving users the ability to quickly and easily retrieve selected colours from Gallery, web pages or other apps, before transferring them to the drawing you are creating.

Each of the innovative products surround Huawei’s aim to inspire users’ creativity. Not only are the devices intricately designed to deliver an optimal performance, but are made to improve their user’s experience and overall productivity levels. The new technologies also provide a wider breadth of intelligent functions, without impeding on appearance or production. 

Huawei has a bunch of exciting wearables, but one of the most intriguing models I came across recently is the new Watch Fit 3. It’s a fitness tracker that’s been promoted to a smartwatch, is larger than it used to be, and looks eerily similar to the second-generation Apple Watch SE.

The successor of the Huawei Watch Fit 2, which was a fab little fitness tracker, reminds me of that smart car with the Suzuki Hayabusa engine that could go really fast. It makes sense for a wearable called ‘Watch Fit’ to be a watch, and the performance is on point to justify the larger case size.

And yes, Huawei might have borrowed some design inspiration from Apple’s most accessibly priced wearable, but I don’t mind it. I still think Huawei would be better off not gunning for Apple so much, but equally, it would be unfair to say that Apple is the only company with the right to produce square smartwatches.

After all, the square form makes more sense for smartwatches. Round watch faces are okay for non-smart watches, but the data displayed on smartwatches is easier to read on a square watch face than a round one.

With all that rambling out of the way, how does the Huawei Watch Fit 3 compare to the best smartwatches? Is it on par with the Apple Watch SE 2? Should you buy one? Read my full review below to find out.

Huawei Watch Fit 3 review

Price and availability

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 was launched on 7 May 2024 in the UK and Europe and is available to buy now directly from Huawei. It is available in six colourways in total, including Black, Pink, Green, or Moon White with a fluoroelastomer band, Grey with a nylon strap, and Pearl White with a Leather Strap. The fluoroelastomer and nylon strap models sell for £139.99 / €159, while the leather band option is slightly more expensive at £159.99 / €179.

Customers purchasing from the UK Huawei Store between 7 May and 18 June will be rewarded with a free pair of Huawei FreeBuds SE 2.

Specifications

• Weight: 26g without band, 34g with band
• Display: 1.82-inch, AMOLED, 480 x 408 pixels
• Charging (0-100%): 60 minutes
• Built-in GPS: yes, single-band
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2, no WiFi
• Battery life: up to 10 days
• Water resistance: 5 ATM

Design and build quality

I tested the Grey model with the more breathable nylon jacquard strap. I’m glad I was sent this version, as, in my humble opinion, soft fabric straps are best if you’re planning on wearing the watch 24/7.

This is also the one with the red watch crown, which we’ve seen on Apple Watches before. Of course, there, it means the watch can take eSIMs, whereas here, it is purely a fashion choice. The second button under the crown summons the workout mode. 

As I mentioned in the intro, the watch's predecessor had a smaller, more rectangular shape. The Watch Fit 3, made from aluminium alloy, has a 1.82-inch AMOLED screen with a 77.4% screen-to-body ratio. Better still, the maximum brightness is 1500 nits, 500 more than the Apple Watch SE 2. 

The display is protected by a 2.5D lens, which means it’s slightly raised from the bezel. The Watch Fit 3 might be wider than the Watch Fit 2, but it’s slimmer at 9.9mm. It’s also very light, weighing only 26g without the straps. According to my kitchen scale, the nylon strap adds another 8g.

The bands are interchangeable using the buttons under the case, similar to Apple Watches; however, on the Huawei Watch Fit 3, you also remove the hinges along with the straps, as opposed to just removing the straps themselves, as you would do on a Garmin watch.

Features

Huawei’s Watch Fit franchise has always been big on fitness, and the third iteration is no different. Featuring the latest TruSeen 5.5 platform, the wearable incorporates a ‘multi-channel signal enhancement algorithm’ boosted by AI/ machine learning to ensure more accurate heart rate readings.

Also new is the TruSleep 4.0 sleep monitoring algorithm. It provides a ton of insights, including sleep structure (i.e., sleep stages), sleep quality, and sleep health. The Watch Fit 3 now supports nap detection, but unlike other wearables, it wakes you up after half an hour. No napping all day, people!

The watch can detect breathing interruptions to aid in early sleep apnea and overall sleep health. I don’t have sleep apnea, and it feels like a similar faddy—in need of a better word here—to blood oxygen monitoring. It’s great if you have it and don’t know about it, but for the majority of users, it won’t change the overall user experience.

Speaking of user experience, Huawei did a ‘full design revamp’, introducing a brand-new square UX style with ‘rich colour schemes’ and ‘magazine-style design’ with enlarged fonts. I can’t quite remember what the UX looked like on the Watch Fit 2, but the overall design looks similar to previous Huawei Watches I tried.

This isn’t a bad thing. I like the new heart rate zone colouring; the background colour on Sports Mode now changes with the heart rate, which makes it easier to see which zone you’re in without looking at the bar on the top.

The company also added five new sports modes, which include padel (no idea what it is) and football, totalling over 100 sports modes in total. Only a handful of these are displayed at first; if you want to add more, scroll to the bottom of the workout modes screen, tap on custom then the plus icon, and select the mode you want to add.

Finally, the Watch Fit 3 supports music playback, remote shutter, reminders (text messages, social apps), messaging quick replies, weather, and more.

Performance

I found the accuracy of the Huawei Watch Fit 3 excellent, both during workouts and sleep. I used the watch for strength workouts and cycling, and the fitness tracker produced similar heart rate results to the Garmin Forerunner 965.

GPS was somewhat slower to connect, which is understandable, as the Watch Fit 3 uses a signal band approach as opposed to Garmin’s multi-band. Nevertheless, the routes mapped in the apps looked very similar, which was a pleasant surprise. That said, I haven’t used the watch in a challenging environment, only in the countryside where I live. It’s possible the Watch Fit 3 might struggle in densely populated areas.

I was genuinely surprised by the heart rate accuracy during strength workouts. Wrist wearables often struggle with monitoring non-cardio workouts – maybe with the exception of Whoop – but the Watch Fit 3 did a great job keeping up with the Forerunner 965, which I appreciate isn’t the best in this regard, but still.

Sleep tracking also seems on point. I wore the two watches and the Ultrahuman Ring Air, and of the three, the smart ring struggled on a few occasions. I found Huawei watches fairly accurate sleep trackers in the past, and the Watch Fit 3 is definitely continuing this tradition.

You get a sleep score and a breakdown of sleep stages. I love those little AI-powered insights and suggestions, too. For example, the app said my sleep was ‘alright’ one night, which ‘helps my skin stay elastic and glowing’. Stop it, you!

It also suggested I take a hot foot bath before bed to stimulate my nerve endings and clear my mind. I know warming your limbs before bed is good because it draws the heat away from your core, which helps you sleep better, but this is the first time a wearable suggested a foot bath.

Battery life

This is an area where the Huawei Watch Fit 3 is leaps and bounds better than the Apple Watch SE 2. Huawei’s wearable can last up to 10 days on a single charge and up to seven days considering ‘typical usage’.

I find the company’s typical usage estimation rather intense, which means the watches can usually go longer than what Huawei says. I charged the watch when I first received it, and haven’t put it on the charger since then. This was over a week ago, and I still have 26% battery left.

Better still, the Watch Fit 3 has a quick charge function, requiring only a 10-minute charge for enough battery power to last a full day. Colour me impressed!

Verdict

My emotions are mixed about the Huawei Watch Fit 3.

On the one hand, I appreciate what some people say about Huawei watches and the Watch Fit 3, in particular. It looks like an Apple Watch SE, both from a hardware and software point of view, which takes away from the enjoyment, at least a little bit.

On the other hand, the Watch Fit 3 is a superb Apple Watch alternative for those who can actually buy it (sorry our American pals). It has a lovely design, is accurate and has more than enough functionality for most smartwatch users. It’s also affordable and plays nicely with iOS smartphones.

(The watch already works with Android devices, but Huawei is rolling out better compatibility with Samsung smartphones soon. Woohoo!)

If you can look past the similarities between the two watches, you’ll soon start to appreciate the Watch Fit 3 for what it is – a fab, budget-friendly smartwatch that punches above its weight. If you like the look of it and have a smartphone that’s compatible with it (maybe from Huawei), i can highly recommend the Watch Fit 3.

Huawei is preparing to launch the next iteration of its connected smartwatch on 7 May, but you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd seen this watch before. Yes, it seems that Huawei's next wearable adopts the Apple Watch design in a move that will surprise nobody.

Huawei has been creeping closer to Apple Watch design through the Huawei Watch Fit models. While the Watch GT Series looks like a traditional analogue wristwatch, the Watch Band and Watch Fit have slowly been getting wider, with the Huawei Watch Fit 2 looking like a slim Apple Watch.

But, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 design will seemingly pay full homage to Apple's iconic wearable, meaning that you can get that squared device to pair up with your Android phone and pretend you've joined the cool kids.

The buttons on the side and the digital crown appear as they do on the Apple Watch – there's even a red crown on one of the models aping the LTE version of the Apple Watch.

Huawei is teasing the launch of the new model on its website, but thanks to a leak over on WinFuture, we have images of the Huawei Watch Fit 3 in a range of colours. An Amazon.co.uk listing has also provided us with the specs.

The Amazon leak details that you'll get over 100 workout modes, with smart suggestions for sports and activities to try, while there's a full range of sensors for sleep monitoring, heart rate, SpO2, respiratory rate and more.

The price according to Amazon.co.uk is £139.99, with a release date of 22 May 2024.

What's interesting is that the leaked details claim that the Huawei Watch Fit 3 will give you 10 days of battery life, compared to about 18 hours on the Apple Watch SE. That raises the question of what the Huawei Watch Fit 3 isn't doing, or indeed, what the Apple Watch is doing to burn through the battery in less than a day.

Huawei Watch Fit 3 vs Apple Watch SE, based on the leaks

With a collection of leaked specs for the Huawei Watch Fit 3, let's run a little spec comparison based on what we know so far.

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 has an aluminium alloy frame, coming in black, white, pink and gold according to WinFuture, but Amazon also has green listed; the Apple Watch SE also has an aluminium case, coming in Midnight (black), Starlight (sort of gold), and Silver.

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 weighs 26g and has a 5 ATM rating for water protection. It will be 9.9mm thick. The Apple Watch SE weighs 33g (44mm), and is said to be 50m water resistant, which is the same as 5 ATM, and it is 10.7mm thick.

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 will come with a 1.82-inch AMOLED display, offering 347ppi. The Apple Watch SE (44mm) has a 1.78-inch OLED display, with a 326ppi display, so the Huawei Watch Fit 3 will be larger and sharper. It's also going to be brighter, with 1500 nits listed on Amazon, compared to 1000 nits for the Apple Watch SE.

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 battery is said to be 400mAh, with 10 days of life and a full charge delivered in 68 minutes. The Apple Watch SE (44mm) has a 296mAh battery (according to iFixit), which is quite a bit smaller and might account for the disparity in battery life, with Apple saying it's good for 18 hours.

It's also said that the Huawei Watch Fit 3 will fully charge in 68 minutes, whereas the Apple Watch SE will only get to 80 per cent in 90 minutes.

Finally, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 appears to start from £139.99, while the Apple Watch SE (44mm) starts from £249.

The Apple Vision Pro has been out (in America only - boo!) for a couple of weeks now. Early impressions seem pretty positive, but if you intend to live in your new virtual world it does seem like you'll need some pretty strong neck muscles.

 There have been reports of customers returning their headsets because of the weight of the device on their faces. To be fair, if you pay $3499 for something, the last thing you want is to be in pain using it. It seems like Huawei however, is aiming to solve both these problems. {"data-model-name":"Meta Quest 3","data-widget-type":"review"}

According to tipster Li Nan on Weibo, the Chinese company is working on a competitor dubbed the 'Huawei Vision'. It seems this will be a lightweight version of the Vision Pro, in fact at a supposed 350g it's nearly half the bulk of the 600g Vision Pro. What won't be lighter however is your wallet, with rumours emerging that it could be half the price at $1750. 

How will Huawei manage to accomplish such a feat? Well, you'd think they'd have to skimp on the features, but the same Sony micro-OLED 4K panels will seemingly feature. One feature that admittedly won't reappear is the 'eyesight' display that shows a representation of the user's eyes. To be honest though, since learning that this is just a display and not an actual view of the user's eyes, I think this is a bit creepy and not something to miss.

Of course, one thing is for certain, it won't feature the same operating system and user experience of Apple's device which might be its biggest drawback. Provided Huawei develops its own equivalent framework, however, it could be a very tempting alternative. Then again, the Meta Quest 3, which Mark Zuckerberg thinks is better than the Vision Pro (funny that) is a fraction of the price of both headsets. It is capable of spatial video now to be fair. 

Huawei made tech industry headlines at the end of last year with its global launch event, confirming product rumours that had been in the pipeline for a while. The brand released the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2, Huawei MateBook D 16, and the Huawei FreeClip Open-ear earbuds, all of which are designed to help users access portable productivity with remarkable ease. 

I was lucky enough to attend the event in Dubai, which included an early preview of each product. Whilst they all had a range of impressive features, it was the MatePad Pro 13.2 that caught my attention. With its large screen and impressive OLED display, it's clear that the MatePad Pro 13.2 is designed to be a strong competitor within the tablet market, undoubtedly reigned by Apple and its iPad Pro. When it came round to reviewing the MatePad Pro 13.2, this was something I couldn't wait to explore. Is it a cheaper alternative to the tablet we all know and love? Let's find out. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 review: price and availability 

The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 is powered by the Kirin 9000S chip with 12GB of RAM, and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. It's now available to buy and it’ll set you back €999 for the 256GB version and €1199 for the 512GB version. 

The MatePad Pro 13.2 has also seen the introduction of the third-generation M-Pencil and a new Smart Magnetic Keyboard, priced at €99 and €199, respectively.

The tablet comes in two colours, Green and Golden Black. I've been trialling out the green and it's more of a light mint shade, but I love it. It would have been nice to see a bigger colour range, but the new iPad Pro also only offers two, so I guess it's in line with that?

It's now available to buy in the UK as well, and is currently reduced to £899.99 until 9th April. Buyers will also receive a free M-Pencil and Smart Magnetic Keyboard. Check it out:

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 review: design and display

It's certainly clear that Huawei has not scraped the barrel when it comes to the design of this tablet. At 13.2 inches and 580g, it has both a bigger display and a lighter weight than the iPad Pro 12.9, making it a seriously impressive entry to the market. 

After discussing the tablet with others, I soon discovered that its display has produced a mixed opinion. Many found it too large, especially since Huawei has marked the tablet's portability as a leading feature, but I personally think that's what makes it special. With up to 1000 nits of brightness, the MatePad Pro 13.2 is miles ahead of its competitors, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra which only reaches 930 nits of peak brightness despite being bigger. 

I was especially impressed with the display when streaming on the MatePad Pro 13.2. It felt very similar to streaming on a laptop, especially alongside its audio quality. It was able to get really loud, and I found myself having the volume level at about 50-60% without it needing to be any higher. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 review: camera 

The MatePad Pro 13.2 has two 13MP and 8MP cameras on the back, and one 16MP camera on the front. As expected, pictures taken from the rear cameras are reasonably bright and clear, with the wide-angle camera working overtime on getting as much as possible in the shot. After playing around on it for a while, I found that the pictures I took always came out over-sharpened and over-saturated, so it wasn't exactly mind-blowing. 

The front-facing camera has a dToF sensor for face recognition, and it seems to do the job just fine. The video and photo quality from the front camera is okay for 1080p, and again, does the job just fine for video and conference calls. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 review: performance and battery

As you probably already know, there's no Google support when it comes to Huawei products. This means Huawei supplies its own AppGallery and Petal search engine, which does take a little getting used to. When setting the tablet up, I had a few apps in mind that I wanted to access during my review, with Zoom being one of them. I was able to find Zoom in the AppGallery, but it took me via Petal to download it myself and launch it that way. Whilst I got there in the end, it's no where near as easy as the Apple App Store. That being said, the AppGallery is large, meaning you'll probably be able to find most of the apps and games you love. 

Similar to previous MatePad models, its in-house operating system is HarmonyOS 4. This version has seen enhanced privacy and security, improved widgets and upgraded Super Device connectivity. It also allows you to launch apps into a split-screen view via a side menu, which although I did this inadvertently most of the time, was still useful when I intended it to be. 

With regards to battery life, I knew there were rumours that the MatePad Pro 13.2 wasn't performing very well under certain workloads. This is true to some extend, and I did find the battery to drain quicker when I was streaming as opposed to note taking, but I was impressed with how quickly the tablet charged. 

The 88W SuperCharge adapter was able to take it to 100% in just over an hour, and around 80% in 45 minutes. It's also compatible with all recent Huawei smartphones, tablets and laptops, and has both a USB-C port and a USB-A port. 

Huawei 3rd gen M-Pencil and Smart Magnetic Keyboard

There are also two accessories available to purchase, the Huawei M-Pencil (3rd generation) stylus and the Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard. 

The stylus looks like previous models, but can now connects to the tablet via NearLink and supports 10,000+ pressure sensing levels. It attaches magnetically to the top of the MatePad, which is also how it pairs with it. Once connected, you're able to see how much charge the pen has, which was handy to keep on top of. It's definitely one of my favourite things about the MatePad Pro, and it's ideal for taking notes and browsing.

The all-new detachable Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard comes with a full-area touchpad to offer a solid typing experience in 2-in-1 style. As the MatePad Pro 13.2 doesn't need to be with the keyboard all the time, I enjoyed being able to detach it when streaming or video calling. However, as it connects to the tablet via Bluetooth, you can still type on it or use the touchpad without it being physically attached. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 review: verdict

There's no doubt that the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 has made a seriously impressive entry into the market. Its sleek and high-quality design, reliable performance and strong audio output make it superior tablet to invest in, and the additional accessories complement it nicely. That being said, the lack of Google support does interfere with the ease of its usability, making it tricky to manage. I also found myself missing the simplicity of iOS and the App Store, despite the AppGallery and HarmonyOS 4 being solid alternatives. As it comes in at €1199 for the 512GB version, it's also not that much cheaper than the iPad Pro, making it an expensive alternative for what it's worth. Overall, it works well and has an impressive design, but it won't be commandeering the market anytime soon. 

Whilst you're here, check out my quick video review on our socials!

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 review: alternatives to consider 

The most suitable alternative with the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2, without turning to Apple, would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Just like the MatePad, it has a huge screen (14.6 inches) which make it a great laptop replacement, and its S Pen stylus means it can take on a variety of creative and practical tasks. It is on the pricier side, coming in at £1199 for the Wi-Fi-only version, but still a similar price bracket to the MatePad Pro 13.2. 

Another alternative would be the Microsoft Surface Pro 8. If you're looking for that laptop experience, it can be used with and without a keyboard. However, its Windows 11 operating system takes away the tablet elements, meaning its not as diverse as the MatePad Pro 13.2. 

Earlier this week, Huawei held a global launch event themed Creation of Beauty. Taking place in Dubai, the brand confirmed the rumours and released the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2'', Huawei MateBook D 16, and the Huawei FreeClip Open-ear earbuds. Each of the products are designed to help users to unleash their creativity with remarkable ease, producing a new level of portable productivity. 

This latest product launch follows in the footsteps of October's 'Fashion Forward' event, which saw the unveiling of a new lineup of wearable products. Tuesday's launch built on this, signalling Huawei's intentions to develop high-end products that fuse fashion with technology and appeal to a broad global user base.

We were lucky enough to be on the ground in Dubai to bring you a first look at the latest from Huawei. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2''

The launch of a new MatePad was predicted before the event, but no one could anticipate the exceptional features that the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2" is due to bring. It furthers the legacy of Huawei tablets, especially due to its breathtaking design, powerful creative tools, immersive entertainment, and on-the-go mobile office features. 

The tablet's 13.2" OLED display is on the large side but comes wafer-thin, measuring in at 5.5 mm thick. This trend continues with a weight of just 580g, a whole 100g lighter than the iPad Pro 12.9" (sixth-gen). The new MatePad is one of the thinnest tablets ever made, with the narrowest bezels (3.4mm) and the highest screen-to-body ratio (94%). It boasts a 2800 x 1840 resolution. 

There are also two accessories available to purchase, the Huawei M-Pencil (3rd generation) stylus and the Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard. The stylus connects to the tablet via NearLink and supports 10,000+ pressure sensing levels and highly touch-response strokes. During the launch, there was an incredible demonstration delivered by Sacha Jafri, who was asked by Huawei to create a piece of art using the MatePad Pro 13.2". Sacha couldn't rave about the tablet enough, particularly its touch-response strokes. He explained that he often stays away from digital composition, preferring to create pieces using a canvas and a paintbrush. However, the MatePad Pro 13.2" reacts to the pressure of M-Pencil stylus, allowing the paint strokes to spread when the stylus is pressed harder on the screen, just like a normal paintbrush would. The MatePad's Colour Capture feature also allows users to select a colour that catches their eye from another app, and create something directly with it. 

The all-new detachable Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard comes with a full-area touchpad to offer a solid typing experience in 2-in-1 style.

Huawei FreeClip

In addition to the tablet, Huawei introduced its contender for the best wireless earbuds. The Huawei FreeClip earbuds boast a unique take on the popular open-ear design for comfort and uninterrupted use. The earbuds themselves represent a departure from Huawei’s existing FreeBuds earphone range, even though they too feature an open-back design.

The Huawei FreeClip has a unique 'C-bridge Design'. By sitting like a clip on the ear, a bit like running headphones, on-the-go listening becomes more snug, comfortable and fashionable than ever before. The device was designed based on the ear data of over 10,000 people with micron-level ergonomic craftsmanship and underwent  25,000+ reliability tests so should fit well. The C-bridge Design serves as both a clip and a connector for the earbuds, to enhance comfortability across the board.

When used with the charging case, the FreeClip supports up to 36 hours of listening. The earbuds can also auto-identify the wearer's left and right ears (so no more mix-ups) and feature Huawei's AI-powered call enhancement features as well as dual-device connections. These features make the Huawei FreeClip a compelling choice for fitness fans and regular travellers.

Huawei MateBook D

Lastly, Huawei introduced the new Huawei MateBook D 16 laptop. With its 16-inch Eye Comfort Huawei FullView Display and 1.7kg metallic body, the new model allows for a seamless mobile office experience across a vast display. This means it weighs the same as most 15.6-inch laptops, despite its larger screen. 

The 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H Processor packs in 14 cores, making multi-tasking efficient and hassle-free, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics mean it's capable of some light gaming too. Users can also open files faster and start apps right away, thanks to refined scenario load identification and smart performance scheduling as well as up to 16GB of RAM. 

The Huawei MateBook D 16 is also a great home working option, particularly due to the model's AI-powered webcam. The camera can adjust the angle of view as you move, always keeping you within the frame and making clear eye contact. Users can also enable Virtual Background during online meetings, to obscure their surroundings and better protect their privacy. 

The 65 W charger supports fast charging on a number of Huawei phone models, and is available with up to a 70 Wh battery which should see you through a working day easily.

Price and availability 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2”

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2” comes in two options and will launch in Europe from 22nd January (with pre-order from 8th January). Prices are as follows:

MatePad Pro (12GB RAM, 256GB Storage): RRP €999

MatePad Pro (12GB RAM, 512GB Storage and inbox keyboard): RRP €1199

Smart Magnetic Keyboard: RRP €199

Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Generation): RRP €99

Huawei FreeClip

Huawei FreeClip will roll out to the UK and Europe from late December, priced RRP £179.99/€199. Customers who pre order/order from the UK Huawei Store between 12th December 2023 and 29th January 2024 will also be rewarded with a free HUAWEI Band 8. 

Huawei MateBook D 16

Huawei MateBook D 16 will launch in the UK and Europe, and will be available in various configurations (dependent on territory), with pre-orders starting from 8th January and on sale from 22nd January 2024. Configurations as follows:

Intel Core i5 12th Gen, 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage: RRP €799 

Intel Core i5 12th Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage: RRP €899

Intel Core i5 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €999

Intel Core i7 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €1299 

Intel Core i9 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €1399

We're in December now and people are waking up every day to treats in their advent calendars, but we're especially excited about today's treat from Huawei. The company has announced that it will reveal something on the 12th of December (next Tuesday).  

So let the speculation game begin, what do we reckon Huawei has in store for us? Judging by the picture on the announcement, the easy conclusion is a new tablet, most likely a new MatePad Pro. Rumours have in fact been circulating that we could see the MatePad Pro 11 2024 or MatePad Pro 13.2. 

According to GSMArena, the MatePad Pro sounds like a compelling tablet running Huawei's Harmony OS. It could be the first tablet to feature two-way satellite communication. Specs-wise it sounds like a choice between a powerhouse slate with 12GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage or a more affordable 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. In terms of processors, Geekbench scores indicate a mix of Huawei's own Kirin 9000s and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865. 

Camera-wise GSMarena speculate that the MatePad Pro will feature a 13MP main cam and an 8MP ultrawide lens, as well as a 16MP front selfie camera, which would trump even the iPad Pro. Of course, it sadly still won't have access to Google Apps, but it still sounds an impressive bit of kit. 

The picture in the tweet also seems to show some kind of accessory, which looks like a pair of earbuds, perhaps a successor or sister model to the FreeBuds 5 is in the works?

Whatever's in store, we won't have to wait very long to find out. 

Huawei Watch GT 4 review in a nutshell: Huawei doubles down on fashion without compromising on smart functionality. The Watch GT 4 is the first watch from the brand that looks recognisable and builds on its predecessors instead of completely reimagining the concept. Battery life is on point, too, which is refreshing to see from an AMOLED wearable.

I've been testing Huawei watches for years, and although I generally liked them, it always felt like the brand was moving in a different direction every time it launched a wearable. It's like Huawei hasn't quite figured out who they are, and they were trialling a new look at every launch. Looking at the Huawei Watch GT 4, it seems they finally figured out the design language that looks a little different but isn't a complete departure from what we've seen from the brand before.

There is a lot to unpack here, so I won't waste anyone's time by going into the history of Huawei watches in the intro of this Huawei Watch GT 4 review. Read on to find out more about the watch and to see if it's, in fact, the best smartwatch for you or not.

[First reviewed September 2023]

Huawei Watch GT 4 review

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Price and availability

The Huawei Watch GT 4 goes on sale in the UK and Europe on 4 October 2023 at the Huawei Store and selected retailers, including Amazon, Argos, Boots and Currys. Pre-orders will be available from 14 September. It comes in two sizes and seven different versions. I tested the 46mm Black Rubber version. US and AU prices and availability TBC. The recommended retail prices for the different editions are as follows:

• HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 (46mm)
• Black Rubber: £229.99/ €249
• Brown Leather:  £249.99/ €269
• Rainforest Green GMT: £249.99/ €269
• Steel:  GBP 299.99/ €349
• HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 (41mm)
• White Leather: £229.99/ €249
• Milanese: £249.99/ €299
• Two-Tone Piano Key: £349.99/ €399

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Specifications

• Weight: 48g (46mm, excluding the strap); 37g (41mm, excluding the strap)
• Material: metal bezel and stainless steel body with a polymer fibre composite back
• Screen size
• 46mm: 1.43-inch AMOLED screen, 466 x 466, PPI 326
• 41mm: 1.32-inch AMOLED screen, 466 x 466, PPI 352
• Battery life
• 46mm: 14 days 
• 41mm: 7 days
• Charging time: approx. 100 minutes
• Connectivity: BT5.2, BLE/BR/EDR supported
• GPS: built-in, 'Sunflower' technology (see below)
• Microphone: built-in
• Speaker: built-in
• Water rating: 5 ATM, IP68

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Design and build quality

Huawei placed a huge emphasis on the physical design of the Watch GT 4. The wearable comes in seven significantly different-looking versions, which is not quite as elaborate as the Garmin Fenix (there are over 30 different options to choose from), but more than what you usually get with smartwatches.

Not only that, but all of these Huawei Watch GT 4 versions are very different from each other. The larger 46mm watch has an octagonal-shaped case that comes in four very distinct versions. It's not just the strap that's different; the actual watch comes in unique colourways that look different while also feeling distinctively Huawei.

The smaller 41mm watch has more of a pendant shape and comes in three versions. However, unlike the large watch option, the smaller options have the same case, and it's only the strap that's different. It sounds way too elaborate, but it makes sense when you have the full set in front of you.

My favourite version is the Rainforest Green GMT colourway that has a two-tone bezel. I know other testers picked that as their favourite. Sadly, I've been sent the almost plain vanilla Black Rubber, which is a very decent watch, don't get me wrong, but the one with the least personality.

The button layout is the same as previous Huawei Watch GT iterations: You get a fully functional digital crown and a push button below it.

The display on the new watch actually has the same specs as the previous iteration (or, more like, the Watch GT 3 Pro). The 46mm version features a 1.43-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 326 PPI density. The 41mm option is equipped with a 1.32-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 352 PPI density. Both have a 466 x 466-pixel resolution. It's bright enough in most situations, and the touch interactions are smooth.

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Health tracking

The Huawei Watch GT 4 has all the features of its predecessor, with improvements in certain areas, especially health tracking. One of the new and improved features is the improved menstrual cycle management. This feature doesn't rely on manual input. Instead, it keeps track of menstruation cycles and estimates ovulation dates by analysing your physiological indicators, such as heart rate during sleep, body temperature, breathing rate, and more, to predict menstrual periods.

Using this data, the Watch GT 4 can predict ovulation times and send reminders. Pretty cool! Full disclosure, I couldn't test the accuracy of this feature as I don't ovulate myself, but I like that Huawei is working on making cycle tracking automatically. There is nothing wrong with manually tracking your cycle, but sensors are always getting better, so it makes sense that smartwatches should be able to track menstruation cycles automatically.

Sleep tracking has also been improved. The updated TruSleepTM 3.0 is said to monitor your slumber more accurately, although it's hard to tell how much more accurate it is. Huawei watches have already been pretty good at tracking sleep, but I guess it's possible to track the different segments more accurately.

Does it change the user experience from an average person's point of view? Not really, but it's good to know that the watch is more capable than before in analysing your slumber.

Interestingly, I found the sleep scoring system slightly flawed, so to speak. During testing, I slept in a hotel for a couple of nights, and I simply can't sleep in hotel rooms. I had eight hours of sleep, but the deep sleep (too little), light sleep (too much) and sleep continuity (too low) were all over the place. Yet, the app gave my sleep the same score as when I slept in my bed at home, with all those categories being in the right zones. A mystery.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 also tracks your breathing during sleep and can detect stuff like sleep apnea. I don't suffer from it, so I can't say how accurately it's being tracked, but if you're unsure, then the Watch GT 4's new feature might be able to help you confirm your suspicion. 

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Fitness tracking

One of the most exciting new features on the Huawei Watch GT 4, at least in my opinion, is the new GPS setup. The brand calls it Sunflower GPS, and it's essentially a directional satellite tracking technology. Huawei claims it improves the positioning accuracy by 30% and boosts the GNSS signals of the built-in dual-band five-system GNSS positioning system. 

Similarly to the different cases, it's hard to explain this in words, but the best way to imagine this is to think that the watch takes into account the orientation of the watch when acquiring signals from satellites. If the watch face is pointing up, the Huawei Watch GT 4 tries to detect satellites through the display, or at least in that direction. If you drop your arm next to your body, let's say, the watch will focus on the antenna that's pointing upwards.

I don't live in an area with tons of skyscrapers (there aren't any, actually), but I noticed that the Watch GT 4 beat the Apple Watch Ultra when acquiring a GPS signal, which is quite something, as in my experience, the AWU is one of the fastest watches to do it. Position tracking also seems on point, although I'm yet to take the watch for a fully off-road session.

The watch comes equipped with a newly upgraded TruSeenTM 5.5+ heart rate monitoring algorithm, which is said to bring better precision and efficiency for analysing workout performance and daily health monitoring.

Using machine learning, the Huawei Watch GT 4 enhances data coming from the optical readings and incorporates a "multi-channel signal enhancement" algorithm rooted in proprietary deep AI machine learning. This approach enhances the data accuracy even under less-than-optimal reading conditions.

The new system should provide more accurate heart rate estimations – as they always are estimations with every smartwatch, let's not forget –  during dynamic activities such as running or rope skipping. It also brings the benefit of improved accuracy in low-temperature environments, as well as faster blood oxygen readings and enhanced sleep reading accuracy.

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Verdict

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is a really good smartwatch. The battery life is nothing short of amazing, and the user experience has also been refined (although it's still not perfect). The Huawei Health app could use a bit of tender loving care, but it's not impossible to navigate and generally does what it's supposed to do.

I'm glad to see that Huawei is finding its stride and building upon what it's already done instead of starting from scratch every time. Say what you might about Apple, but it does a really good job of creating recognisable products and iterating them in a way that doesn't alienate people who are already invested in its ecosystem.

With the new design language, Huawei can finally start work on refining the finer details, improving user experience, and generally breaking away from following trends. Some of the trend following is still present (e.g. the 'all-new' activity rings look suspiciously similar to Apple's rings), but we are generally on the right path here.

The price is on point, which might help entice more people to use Huawei watches. From what I've been told, the company will focus its attention more on wearables going forward, so I'm expecting to see even more innovation coming to Huawei watches. Watch this space!

Huawei Watch GT 4 review: Also consider

The Fitbit Sense 2 is an excellent alternative to the Huawei Watch GT 4 and a brilliant health smartwatch. It tracks stress and sleep and exercise and... the list goes on. Fitbit's community feature has always been famous for keeping people motivated, which isn't dissimilar to Huawei's Health Community feature. Read my full Fitbit Sense 2 review.

The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 is an exciting wearable, the first smartwatch to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chip. It's fast and responsive, especially for a Wear OS watch. It doesn't look as classy as the Huawei Watch GT 4, but if you don't mind that, you'll like this wearable. Read my full Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 review.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 was unveiled at the Samsung event yesterday. The device looks absolutely stunning, with a redesigned hinge that allows the device to sit completely flush when folded.

It faces stiff competition in the foldable phone sphere, though. Already, competitors like the Google Pixel Fold and the Huawei Mate X3 were giving the Samsung a run for its money. Now, another device has been teased – and it could be a killer handset.

The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 is set to launch next month. That's according to a recent tweet from the companies' CEO, Lei Jun. According to that tweet, the device will feature a Leica engineered quad-camera on the rear, while still maintaining a slim and lightweight design.

Details are still relatively thin, but we do know that the camera setup will utilise micro OIS motors and ultra-slim high refractive lenses. At least one of the cameras will be a periscope zoom unit, too.

That's a big deal. Sure, it's not the first foldable to pack in a periscope lens, but it might just be the best. I had the pleasure of testing the Xiaomi 13 earlier this year and was blown away with the camera quality. 

Leica won't just slap their name on anything to make a quick buck – the partnership really does work to improve the quality of image capture on these handsets. If the Mix Fold 3 can enjoy any of that, it should be a total knockout.

So, what's the catch? Well, if you're reading this, it's likely that you wont be able to get one. Previous generations of the Mix Fold series have been China-only devices. There's nothing in the details released so far to suggest that's going to change this time out.

I certainly hope it does, though. The foldable phone market is exploding in popularity right now, and more competition will only help that. On top of that, this device could be a really strong competitor in the space. 

As mentioned, I'm a huge fan of the camera, but I also really enjoy the way Xiaomi phones work. Their UI is slick and intuitive, and they really stand up against bigger household name brands.

We'll know more in a few weeks when the device launches. Until then, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

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.

Foldable phones are still a relatively new concept, but that hasn't stopped a whole host of manufacturers from taking a shot at the form. We've recently seen launches like the Google Pixel Fold, which looks set to do battle with the current king of the crop – the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

We also saw the unveiling of the Huawei Mate X3. That came as something of a surprise, with many suspecting it would remain a China-exclusive model.

It's a cracking handset, too. The Mate X3 is just 5.3mm thick when unfolded, which is the thinnest foldable we've seen so far. It also packs a decently large 4,800mAh battery, and supports 66W wired and 50W wireless charging.

One thing it isn't, though, is cheap. At £2,000 in the UK, it's one of the most expensive phones you can buy today. Is it worth the outlay?

I don't think so. Truthfully, I think it would be tough for any phone to justify that price tag – for that money, you could pick up a pair of Google Pixel 7 Pro handsets with a three figure sum in change.

But the Huawei has another black cloud hanging over its head. As part of their fallout with the US Government a few years ago, the brands' devices still can't make use of Android. That means no Google Play Store, too, instead using Huawei's in-house HarmonyOS and accompanying app store.

That means users will miss out on the benefits and feature upgrades other Android phones enjoy. On a regular mid-priced handset, that would be forgivable – you might even argue that a dedicated operating system offers greater personalisation for your device.

At £2,000 though, it's not something I'd accept. For that money, users are going to want a phone that is effortless and familiar, whilst being chock full of top-tier tech. That includes having the best OS available.

I certainly hope Huawei can sort out a resolution that brings Android back to their devices in the near future. Ignore the OS issues – okay, and the price – and this is a really competitive device. It's got brilliant specs and could be a genuine challenger – I just can't see it winning much favour until the OS changes.

Two of the best laptops for Windows users just got a big upgrade: the Huawei MateBook X Pro and Huawei MateBook 16S are now available with the latest 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs – and unlike some rivals, Huawei hasn't upped the price. The X Pro is still £1,799 and the 16S is £1,499.

The processor improvement should address one of the few niggles we had about the current-gen MateBook X Pro, which was its battery life; more efficient processors should result in better stamina.

Unfortunately for US readers, these particular laptops aren't officially available to you: Huawei is not allowed to work with companies based in the US due to the government's ban on the company, although no doubt they'll turn up on the likes of eBay fairly soon anyway.

What's the difference between the Huawei MateBook X Pro and the MateBook 16S?

The MateBook X Pro is the Apple rival, a very lightweight and powerful laptop that's very similar to Dell's all-conquering XPS. As we said in our review of the 2022 model, "The Huawei Matebook X Pro (2022) can do almost everything well - the 14.2-inch screen is bright, sharp and colourful, the performance is fast and reliable, it’s loaded with up-to-date connectivity and it definitely looks the part too." The new version can be configured with processors up to the Intel Core i7-1360p.

The 16S is the touchscreen model, with a very large 16-inch display. It's now available with up to the Intel Core i9-13900H, delivering a speed boost of up to 30%. It was already one of the best large laptops around, and the new processors bring it bang up to date.

These aren't the only new Huawei products to be revealed this week. The firm has also shown off the Huawei P60 Pro, its new and photography-focused flagship phone  with an extremely large lens and what our tech ed Mike Lowe describes as a macro mode "unlike anything I've ever used in any phone to date."