Huawei has a long and rich history of making excellent wearables, and its latest (and most expensive) model is the Huawei Watch Ultimate. Simply put, it may be the best smartwatch you’re in danger of overlooking.
I’ve been wearing it for a few days, and am smitten by its unique style and simplicity of use.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate is a whopper
In an effort to get you to part with 750 British pounds (about $983) for a smartwatch, Huawei has shifted away from the overt adventure-style design of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and leaned into the appeal of a luxury traditional watch. The size, shape, and design won’t be for everyone, but if you want a smartwatch built from all the right materials and a look that laughs at subtlety, this will be for you.
I’m not a fan of the Huawei Watch Ultimate script on the bezel or the weird golf ball design on the lugs, but the rest of the watch successfully separates itself from other expensive smartwatches. The seriously chunky case has a hewn-from-a-solid-block solidity to it, and if weight equates to luxury for you, then it’s right there at the peak. It is made from a fancy zirconium-based liquid metal and feels very high quality, as do the three buttons on the case. Button presses are perfectly dampened and the feel is up there with the Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4, which is very high praise.
The ceramic bezel shines in the light, but doesn’t rotate. The case back is also made from ceramic, and the rubber strap on the model I’ve been wearing is flexible and comfortable, if not especially expensive-looking. Don’t worry, though, as Huawei includes a titanium metal bracelet in the box.
The overriding design aspect is the Watch Ultimate’s size. It’s gigantic, even for someone who regularly wears Casio G-Shock watches. The 48mm case and its integrated lugs mean it stretches all the way across my 6.5-inch wrist, and because it’s 13mm thick, it’s not the easiest to slip under a cuff, either. It’s bold and brash and not for the shy.
Smooth startup
This is not the first Huawei smartwatch I’ve used, but I’m pleased to note how much smoother the installation and signup process has become since I last used one. You need the Huawei Health app, which is available to download from the iOS App Store, the Samsung Galaxy App Store, and the Huawei AppGallery. Note that Google Play is not included. This means that if you have an Android phone, you have to source Huawei Health through the AppGallery, which means downloading it first.
This took just moments using Huawei’s website in Chrome, and I didn’t need to create an account or sign in to get the Health app, which really cut down the necessary time and effort. Linking the Watch Ultimate was easy and only required scanning a QR code, but a software update did take about 30 minutes to install before I could use the watch. The watch then required access to notifications and location to operate, and everything was done. I’ve had it connected to a Google Pixel 9 Pro, and it has been faultless.
Streamlining the onboarding process makes a massive difference to the initial ownership experience, which has become complex and frustrating over the years. It’s great to see how Huawei has made it all very simple. I’ve also noticed notification support has been dramatically improved on Android, with all messages arriving instantly on the watch. Just don’t expect to interact with the notifications unless you’re using a Huawei phone. This aside, the Huawei Watch Ultimate is a pleasure from the moment you take it out of the box.
Golf and adventure
There will be the hardcore golfer who would laugh at the atrocious weather conditions in the U.K. recently and hit the greens anyway. I’m not that golfer, so I’ve not had the chance to try out the golf features on the Huawei Watch Ultimate yet. It’s an extensive list, with a dedicated app that tracks both courses and the driving range, along with an AI Caddie mode, shot distance data, and GPS-driven course and green recognition.
I haven’t been out on any expeditions either, another prominent feature of the Watch Ultimate. It’s accessed using the button at the 10 o’clock mark and includes waypoint marking and a guide-back system, so you don’t get lost on longer hikes. I have used the Watch Ultimate to track a few walks, though, and the activity tracking is fast and simple to use. Plus, it finds a GPS signal exceptionally fast.
Huawei still insists on keeping voice guidance activated by default and at maximum volume, so it shouts out things like “workout started” and your heart rate data during exercise. It’s embarrassing and unnecessary, although I can see how it would be handy if you’re cycling and can’t easily look at your wrist. At all other times, though, it’s a hateful interruption. You have to search for the volume control, which is found only after pressing the button at the 2 o’clock mark. It also pauses the workout.
Screen, software, and watch faces
The Huawei Watch Ultimate’s big 1.5-inch AMOLED screen is really bright and easily seen outside, has a sharp 466 x 466-pixel resolution, and is covered by sapphire crystal. The smartwatch’s software has been refined to the point where it’s quick to learn and logical to use. One suggestion is that it’s wise to switch the default watchOS-like app grid to a list view, which makes it much easier to find apps quickly. Like most other smartwatches, you swipe the screen to see tiles showing data like the weather, your steps, and quick-start exercise icons. A swipe up shows notifications.
There’s a huge array of well-crafted watch faces, most of which have customizable complications and various ways to personalize the look, from color to the type of hands shown. Each face has an ambient mode, so the screen is never just blank, and the raise-to-wake feature is very fast and responsive. It means the watch is never frustrating, usually shows exactly what you want, and you rarely find yourself stuck searching for a feature in multiple confusing menus.
I’m on my third day of use with all the health-tracking features enabled and the always-on screen active. I’ve also tracked two short walks, and the battery shows 79% remaining. I haven’t tracked sleep as, although the Watch Ultimate is comfortable to wear, it feels awkwardly large to wear at night. Huawei claims the battery will last between four and eight days on a single charge with these settings, which seems achievable, or up to 14 days with light use.
Don’t overlook the Watch Ultimate
Lets recap. The Huawei Watch Ultimate is made of high-quality materials and has a unique and stylish design, software that makes sense and is easy to use, various unique features, and a battery that can last for a week between charges (depending on your use). It even works with both Android and iOS. Two of the best smartwatches available today — the Apple Watch Series 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 — are effectively siloed, so it’s great to see a desirable third option that works with everything.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate is at the extreme, expensive end of Huawei’s extensive smartwatch collection, and not everyone will appreciate its ample charms. I’ve yet to try the latest Huawei Watch GT 5 and GT 5 Pro smartwatches, but they appear to offer most of what makes the Ultimate so good at a lower price and in several different styles and sizes, so take a look at those if the Ultimate’s design puts you off.
But for those who haven’t seen the Huawei Watch Ultimate until now and are intrigued by a luxury-inspired smartwatch with strong golf and outdoor features, I think you’ve just discovered what could be this year’s big under-the-radar hit smartwatch.
