So far, we’ve seen smartwatches that can measure everything from your heart rate to your body temperature, as well as take an electrocardiogram (ECG). But we haven’t seen one that checks your blood pressure—at least one that has been approved by regulatory authorities. Until now—say hello to the Huawei Watch D, the first smartwatch with a blood pressure monitor that’s been certified by Malaysia’s Medical Device Authority.
The Watch D is available for pre-order from December 12 until 23, priced at RM1,999. This makes the device more expensive here than in other markets—CNY2,988 (about RM1,887) in China and just IDR5,479,000 (about RM1,549) in Indonesia.
Unlike other smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 5, which uses pulse wave analysis to measure blood pressure, the Watch D features a mini pump that inflates a dual-layer airbag in the strap at a maximum pressure of 40kPa whenever you initiate a blood pressure check.
To maximise the precision of the readings, the device also includes a high-precision pressure sensor, a feedback pressure control circuit and low-flow airway, while the macromolecular tensile strap has a butterfly clasp. All this enables the Watch D to have an error margin of within ±3mm Hg.
Huawei says it can get an accurate blood pressure measurement in a range of 40-230mmHg within a minute. To get an accurate reading, you’ll need to remain seated for at least five minutes before conducting a measurement and keep the watch at the same height as your heart while your other hand supports your elbow.
As with many other smartwatches, the Huawei is also capable of generating an ECG (it will remind you to do so if it detects an abnormal heart rate), as well as being able to measure your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and skin temperature. It can also monitor your sleep and stress, and is equipped with more than 70 workout modes.
The catch is that the Watch D appears to be more of a fitness tracker than a proper smartwatch. This is borne out by look of the device, featuring a tall and narrow 1.64″ AMOLED display with a resolution of 456×280. At 13.6mm thick, it’s also quite a bit chunkier than the Apple Watch Series 8, which comes in at 10.7mm.
The one upside of this is that the Huawei has a battery life of seven days, including six blood pressure measurements and five ECG measurements every day. It is also fairly lightweight at 40.6g, despite incorporating moving parts to measure blood pressure.
