Gadget of the Week: Watch that gets out of the way

Smartwatches were supposed to liberate us from phones. Instead, they often added complexity to something as simple as checking the time or counting steps. So when Huawei introduced the Fit 4 Pro in Berlin earlier this month, it didn’t come draped in the usual “game-changer” clichés. That may be its biggest strength.

What is it?

At first glance, it looks like Huawei took a scalpel to its past watch designs. The Fit 4 Pro is wonderfully slim at 9.3mm. It wears light, disappears onto the wrist, and gets out of the way. That makes it a fitness-focused watch that doesn’t feel like an anchor during a workout.

Farangis Sultonzoda, Huawei senior product manager, called it “so lightweight and seamless you will forget you’re even wearing it”. That’s a bold claim, but one that’s hard to argue with after a few hours on the wrist. 

Wrapped in aerograde aluminium and, for the first time, aerograde titanium, it somehow manages to look both industrial and refined. The sapphire glass adds a layer of durability, with a triple-layered design that promises real-world resilience.

It really puts on the pace in outdoor fitness. Huawei has equipped it with a barometer for altitude and air pressure monitoring, along with what it calls the “Bucha sunflower positioning system”. That’s less a botanical reference and more acute name for an auto-detection and tracking engine. It knows if you’re walking, running, or cycling, and adjusts accordingly. GPS accuracy is improved by a claimed 40% over previous models, a much-needed boost for trail runners and cyclists who’ve been burned by dodgy tracking.

Huawei claims it maintains pinpoint location at speeds over 30km/h, with only 0.6 seconds of signal delay. That’s impressive, especially if you’re a cyclist, for example. It didn’t make a difference to my plodding trail running.

That said, it comes with GPS and supports offline navigation, with voice and vibration cues that came in useful when I didn’t want to stare at a map while hopping over exposed tree roots.

Not being as golfer either, I had to ask around whether the golf mode was all that. It turns out, it really is. Step onto a course and the watch knows where you are, showing course layout, obstacles and distances. It lets you log your strokes and mid-round stats, but will also probably remind you how far you sliced your drive.

It also caters for hikers and skiers, tracking elevation, ascent, descent and issuing storm warnings. 

In water sports, it supports everything from paddleboarding to jet-skiing, and can handle free diving down to 40 metres. That puts it in the same conversation as dive computers: not something one expects from a lifestyle smartwatch. The underwater interface uses colour-coded UI and vibration alerts to keep divers safe. 

Runners get the most attention, and that was just fine for me. Heart rate zones, pacing goals, interval training and real-time feedback all come standard. When my heart rate drifted from my ideal range, I was warned. When my pace faltered, I was threatened. Well, not really, but the watch vibrated and coached me in real time. 

Huawei hasn’t neglected wellness in the race to serve athletes. An updated TruSense health system includes ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, vascular elasticity, pulse wave analysis, sleep apnea detection and stress tracking. Women’s health gets special treatment, with advanced temperature sensing for cycle prediction.

Huawei added 70+ animated “chat watch faces” that reflect one’s mood. That is my least favourite feature, as I don’t want to be reminded when I’m not feeling on top of the world.

The display, a 1.82-inch AMOLED panel with 80% screen-to-body ratio and 3000-nit brightness, is vibrant enough to be legible in direct sunlight. That’s no small thing if you’ve ever tried to squint through a notification while running on a sunny day.

Charging is wireless, rapid, and efficient, giving a full charge in an hour, with up to 10 days of battery life depending on usage. 

Huawei also threw in Bluetooth calling and NFC payments, making the Fit 4 Pro less a smartwatch and more a Swiss army wristband.

_{Photo courtesy Huawei.}

How much does it cost?

The Huawei Fit 4 Pro is expected to launch in South Africa in the next quarter, with an estimated retail price of around R5,499, based on international pricing. It will be available via the Huawei Store and major retailers.

Why should you care?

Smartwatches have been trapped between trying to be fashion accessories, health monitors and digital sidekicks. The Fit 4 Pro subtly redefines what a sport-focused watch can do without drowning in gimmicks. It aims to be one’s fitness partner, outdoor guide, and health tracker, and it mostly succeeds.

What are the biggest negatives?

• No support for third-party apps limits long-term flexibility
• One-size-fits-all watch face UI doesn’t suit all tastes or ages
• Lack of LTE means you still need your phone for full functionality

What are the biggest positives?

• Superb GPS accuracy and outdoor tracking across terrain and speed
• Elegant, rugged design with real dive-grade water resistance
• Long battery life with fast wireless charging and rich health insights

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and author of ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI’. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.