HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition Review: Luxurious Smartwatch With One Problem

I have worn and tested several smartwatches over the past few years. From WearOS models such as the Fossil Gen 6 (our test) or the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 (our test) to the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultimate. The brand new HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition is undoubtedly the most sophisticated smartwatch to have graced my wrist to date. However, our test revealed a major weakness.

Technical data

Product name	Watch 4 Pro Space Edition
Operating system compatibility	Android; iOS; HarmonyOS
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2 BR BLE, NFC, WiFi 2.4G, Dualband GNSS
Features	Accelerometer, Gyroscope sensor, Geomagnetic sensors, Optical heart rate sensor, Ambient light sensor, Barometric pressure sensor, Body temperature sensors, ECG sensors, Depth sensor
Display	AMOLED (1.50 inch, 466 x 466 pixels, 310 PPI)
Processor	Unknown (probably Snapdragon W5)
Memory	2 GB RAM main memory, 32 GB system memory
Battery life	up to 4.5 days (normal use); up to 21 days (ultra-long battery life mode)
Dimensions (H x W x D)	49.1 mm x 49.1 mm x 12.9 mm
Weight	68g (watch); 111g (watch strap)
Price	€ 649.00 *

HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition Review: Design and workmanship

• unique and high-quality design; but heavy and large
• outstanding workmanship; great choice of materials
• Water-resistant and suitable for diving

While the normal Watch 4 Pro was already impressive in terms of design and workmanship, the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition goes one step further. The 49 mm titanium case now has a two-tone ceramic bezel, which was missing on the 4 Pro and is alternately dark gray and dark red. At the top right, the inscription “HUAWEI Watch” reminds us once again of what we are actually wearing here.

The strap, also now in dark gray, is made of titanium to match. On the right-hand side, we find a crown that can be rotated and pressed, as well as a sensor underneath with a button for additional functions.

The titanium wristband is designed for sizes between 140 mm and 210 mm, with the manufacturer including five additional links in the scope of delivery to enable quick and easy expansion. The bracelet closes with a very robust click fastener, which is opened by pressing it together on the underside.

The wearable uses a 22 mm wide strap that can be easily removed without tools. Thanks to a new DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating, the case is both matt and shiny at the same time, which looks really classy.

Overall, the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition weighs 111 grams including the strap and is therefore slightly heavier than the normal version; without the strap it weighs 68 grams. It is also IP68-certified and suitable for diving in water up to 30 meters deep according to 5ATM.

Admittedly, the combination of high weight and large 49 mm case takes some getting used to at first. But once you get used to it, the wearable becomes a real eye-catcher on the wrist.

During my two-week test, I repeatedly found myself taking a closer look at the watch – even away from the watch face. What HUAWEI delivers here in terms of design and build quality is simply unparalleled. Chapeau.

Display and operation

• bright and colorful AMOLED display
• excellent readability
• Always-on display in watch face design

The HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition inherited the 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display from the normal Watch 4 Pro, where it was already one of the best smartwatch displays around.

Accordingly, nothing has changed. The colors are crisp, the contrasts are excellent and the maximum brightness is outstanding, even in direct sunlight. Although there are certainly smartwatch displays that shine brighter, the overall package here is simply outstanding.

The display has a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels with 310 ppi and is protected by a spherical, evenly round, slightly curved sapphire crystal that is extremely scratch-resistant and durable.

If you like, you can activate the always-on display (AoD) in the wearable’s menu, which shines in a design that matches the selected watch face and provides all information without having to lift or activate the watch. However, this is deactivated by default to save battery. The AoD is also deactivated in sleep mode to minimize distractions. Unfortunately, it is not customizable.

Instead, there is a whole range of new watch faces, exclusive to the Space Edition, which pick up on the space theme or show the 12 signs of the zodiac. A number of other free or paid watch faces are also available for download.

Outstanding operation of the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition

• impeccable operation via touchscreen and buttons

The HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition relies on a classic operating concept consisting of a touchscreen, rotating and clickable crown and an additional button, which works flawlessly. In addition, the manufacturer has given the wearable a well thought-out and convincing menu navigation.

At least if you switch the app overview in the settings to the list view. I just can’t get used to this app cloud, but that is certainly a matter of taste.

Of course, you need the HUAWEI Health app to set it up, which is not simply obtained from the app store. A QR code on the packaging is used to download the app, which is a little cumbersome, but then – like the entire setup process – goes off without a hitch. The smartwatch then welcomes us with a short tutorial that introduces the most important functions and gestures.

The touchscreen is operated using swipe gestures and anyone who has worn a smartwatch before will quickly find their way around.

Swiping from top to bottom opens the quick menu, in which, for example, Wi-Fi can be activated, the sound can be switched on and off or the wet smartwatch can be dried. Here you will also find information about the paired smartphone and the current battery level.

Swiping from left to right, on the other hand, displays a short info overview, which provides information about the weather, calendar, training plan or last night’s sleep, for example. Swiping from right to left takes you through the familiar tiles such as steps and activity or a practical overall overview, which also displays heart rate, blood oxygen saturation or skin temperature.

If we swipe up from the bottom, the wearable shows us current notifications, which are grouped by app and can also be opened individually with a tap.

Clicking the crown takes us to the app overview, while the bottom button opens a quick menu with three apps. Training, HealthGlance 2.0 and Phone are stored here by default.

Performance and features

• very good performance in the UI; eSIM support
• all-round coherent features, but…
• … no mobile payment in Germany and no Google apps

The HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition also has absolutely nothing to complain about in terms of performance. The manufacturer does not provide any information on the chip used, nor is this visible in the system. However, the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 is presumably used, which also powers the normal Watch 4 Pro.

The animations and transitions in the interface are pleasantly smooth without any delays. Launching apps and switching between active applications also works quickly and smoothly. There is absolutely nothing to complain about here.

The same applies to the features, which leave nothing to be desired. eSIM support is offered as standard so that the smartwatch can be easily paired with a corresponding contract to enable phone calls directly via the wearable.

There is also Bluetooth, NFC for mobile payment, WLAN and dual-band GNSS. A built-in speaker with microphones enables the playback of sounds directly via the wearable and also opens up the possibility of making phone calls via the smartwatch or talking to the HUAWEI voice assistant.

The voice assistant works quite reliably and can, for example, set the alarm clock, open apps or call up settings. Only the option “Today’s weather”, which is also displayed by the smartwatch as an example, was somehow not recognized by me and did not lead to any results.

Unfortunately, mobile payments do not work in Germany. The reason for this is HUAWEI Wallet, which only allows customer cards to be added, while payment methods cannot be stored.

This is also one of the biggest criticisms of the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition, which is severely limited in terms of functionality in places due to the lack of Google apps. There are only a few applications in the manufacturer’s App Gallery. Smartwatch staples such as Spotify, WhatApp, Calm and all Google apps are unfortunately missing.

Another pity: when navigating using Petal Maps, for example, it is noticeable that the address can only be entered using the keyboard. Unfortunately, voice input does not work.

Excellent sensors and app connection

• extensive sensor technology
• very accurate measured values
• clearly arranged app

The sensor technology of the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition leaves almost nothing to be desired. The wide range of functions on offer is impressive, but only differs from the normal Watch 4 Pro in one respect.

The smartwatch is able to measure the pulse, take an electrocardiogram (ECG), measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) or even detect possible hardening of the arteries.

For some of these tests, the finger must be placed on the sensor on the right side of the smartwatch, which does not always work reliably and sometimes has to be repeated due to a “bad signal”. However, with a brief repositioning of the finger, it then works wonderfully.

The measured values in all the tests are, as far as I can tell, fairly accurate and correspond to reality. The same applies to sleep tracking, which records both falling asleep and waking up very accurately and divides sleep into different phases.

This allows you to immediately see when you were in the deep sleep phase and when in the REM sleep phase or when you were awake at night. Practical: Using the Huawei Health app, it is even possible to record and analyze sleep sounds or add different soundscapes to help you fall asleep.

In the training modes, the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition recognizes more than 100 sports, which are then tracked very precisely. Afterwards, extensive statistics can be found on the watch or in the app.

The HUAWEI Health app scores points anyway with its clear design and many statistics and detailed displays. All interesting health and fitness values are clearly displayed in the overview.

However, most of the settings for the watch are made on the wearable itself. The initial setup in the app is particularly annoying, as one or more approvals must first be given for each measured value and each setting. Once this is done, however, the application proves to be very useful and user-friendly.

HealthGlance 2.0

An interesting new feature of the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition is the Health Glance 2.0 health check. In just 60 seconds, the wearable performs a total of seven tests in succession to determine your health status.

This includes heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, stress level, skin temperature, ECG, arterial stiffness and a breathing test. The watch provides information on how to proceed with each test and whether the sensor needs to be touched, for example.

The breathing test involves taking a deep breath and then coughing several times near the smartwatch. This is to measure the forced vital capacity (FVC), which indicates the lung volume. The app then provides a comprehensive analysis of what your own values look like and whether there are any abnormalities.

Good battery life in the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition

• 4-5 days of battery life
• up to 21 days in power-saving mode
• fully charged in 90 minutes

The HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition is also well positioned in terms of battery life and outperforms many other smartwatches. However, the actual runtime depends heavily on the settings.

For example, constant heart rate measurement is activated by default, while constant SpO2 measurement and the always-on display are switched off. During my test, I actually achieved the promised runtime of 4.5 days.

I charged the watch on Thursday afternoon and had to recharge it on Monday morning with 5 percent battery remaining. This was despite the fact that I had carried out several health checks or recorded workouts over the weekend.

If you activate all functions, it will run out of power after around 3 days. There is also a battery-saving mode called ultra-long battery life, which allows up to 21 days of use.

The model therefore no longer lasts quite as long as previous HUAWEI watches. However, the range of functions has also increased significantly. The battery life is still significantly better than that of comparably equipped wearables on the market.

The smartwatch is charged wirelessly using the Qi standard, and a corresponding USB-A charger is included in the scope of delivery. A full charge takes around 90 minutes.

HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition Review: Conclusion

The HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition is the highest-quality and most sophisticated smartwatch I have ever worn in terms of its unusual and high-quality design and excellent build quality.

There is also absolutely nothing to complain about in terms of the range of functions and the very precise sensors. Anyone who values a lot of precise fitness and health data will be absolutely delighted. I also find the battery life, which easily lasts over a weekend, very pleasant, which sets the watch apart from many other wearables.

However, the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition is not free from criticism. In my opinion, the fact that the watch is very heavy and large is not necessarily one of them. You just have to know that.

But the fact that the app selection is very limited and all the popular smartwatch applications are conspicuous by their absence is. It’s also a shame that the data cannot be transferred to Google Fit or Apple Fitness. This leaves you alone in the manufacturer’s ecosystem. The lack of NFC payment options in Germany is also annoying.

However, if you ignore this, the HUAWEI Watch 4 Pro Space Edition does a great job in practice and, with its elegant design and excellent display, is an absolute eye-catcher that masters most areas of application very well.

Ultimately, the purchase decision is of course a matter of personal preference. Personally, I would prefer the HUAWEI Watch to any current WearOS smartwatch, despite the limited range of apps. Such an elegant design and the impressive runtimes are worth more to me personally than the apps.