If you thought Huawei packed its bags and went silent after the whole U.S. ban drama, think again. The tech giant may be largely out of the Android smartphone race, but it’s been quietly sharpening its claws elsewhere — and now, it’s roaring back with a fresh lineup of smart wearables that prove it’s still got that innovation juice flowing.
At its ‘Fashion Next’ event last week in Berlin, Huawei launched a wave of premium wearables and devices, signaling loud and clear that it’s still innovating — and thriving — even without Android. From the new HUAWEI WATCH 5 and WATCH FIT 4 Series, to the FreeBuds 6 and MatePad Pro 12.2-inch, Huawei is flexing both fashion and functionality in ways that few others are even attempting.
Taking center stage was the Huawei WATCH 5, a luxury timepiece disguised as a health-monitoring beast. This isn’t just a new version; it’s a full-blown reinvention. The star feature? A first-of-its-kind multi-sensing ‘X-Tap’ module, built into the watch’s side, enabling fingertip-based health tracking. Huawei combined heart sensors like PPG and ECG with tactile tech to deliver medical-grade reads on SpO₂, heart rate variability, vascular stiffness, and hypertension risks — all over a 24-hour cycle.
If that sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi lab, wait till you hear about the gesture controls. Thanks to a dedicated neural processing unit, you can now double swipe or double tap the air to answer calls, take photos, or just flex on your friends.
Design-wise, the WATCH 5 is draped in aerospace-grade titanium, 904L stainless steel, and sapphire glass, and now comes in two sizes: the classic 46mm and a smaller 42mm. The price? It starts at £399.99 (about KES 70,000), with full availability beginning May 26.
But not everyone wants a chunky watch, and Huawei knows that. Enter the WATCH FIT 4 and FIT 4 Pro, sleek fitness watches that embrace a square design and the “Fashion Active” lifestyle. They’re ultra-thin (just 9.3mm!), lightweight, and decked out in titanium alloy bezels for extra durability.
The FIT 4 Pro goes beyond step-counting, with pro-level tracking for trail runs, golf swings, and even dives as deep as 40 metres — all supported by Huawei’s upgraded TruSense system. Prices land at £149.99 (about KES 26,000) for the FIT 4 and £249.99 (about KES 44,000) for the FIT 4 Pro.
If you’re tired of earbuds that either hurt your ears or kill your vibe, Huawei’s got you. The new FreeBuds 6 are their first open-back earbuds, sporting a dual-driver system and support for lossless audio transmission at 2.3Mbps. Add in Huawei’s new Stable and Clear Calls noise cancellation tech, and you’ve got yourself an immersive audio experience — all wrapped up in a teardrop-shaped design that looks as smooth as it sounds. They’re available immediately and priced at £139.99, which is about KES 25,000.
While not a wearable, the newly unveiled MatePad Pro 2025 deserves a nod. This 12.2-inch tablet features a Tandem OLED PaperMatte Display, reducing glare while boosting brightness and clarity. It pairs beautifully with the Huawei Glide Keyboard and revamped HUAWEI Notes app, aiming to make productivity not just efficient, but elegant. Pricing hasn’t been revealed yet.
While Huawei’s absence from Western smartphone markets may make them easy to overlook, this Berlin event proves that they never really left. In fact, they’ve been busy folding laptops (hello, MateBook Fold with an 18-inch foldable screen and the largest hinge tech ever) and shipping over 180 million devices worldwide by the end of 2024.
And if you’re thinking this wearable push is just about hardware, think again. Huawei’s renewed Active Rings campaign, based on “Enjoy Your Moment,” reflects a broader lifestyle movement. With over 100 sports modes and wearables that double as fashion statements, Huawei isn’t just tracking your steps — it’s stepping up the entire game.
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