HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition: Built for Cyclists, Proven by a Pro

Written by Dr. Daniel M. Plecity

ECG measurement on the wrist - The smartwatch as a lifesaver?

6 min read
Published on 02/12/2025 · 13:15

The HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition combines stylish design with the latest health technology and thus offers a comprehensive tool for health monitoring and fitness tracking. But can the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition also help with the early detection of heart attacks or cardiac arrhythmias?

About the Author

Dr. Daniel M. Plecity

Senior Consultant at a teaching hospital
near Munich, Germany

Dr. Daniel M. Plecity is a senior consultant at the Kreisklinik Ebersberg in Munich and specialises in internal medicine, gastroenterology and oncology. With many years of experience in medical practice and training young doctors, he has in-depth knowledge in the fields of medical tumour therapy and nutritional medicine. As a keen triathlete and watch enthusiast, he combines his professional expertise with an active lifestyle.

Health monitoring with wearables - Like a vehicle inspection, but for your personal health

As a senior consultant in an academic teaching hospital for many years, medicine is an integral part of my everyday life. In the training and continuing education of students and young doctors, one must also reflect and keep up with the times. In my free time, I spend time with my family, enjoy using classic watches, cars and participate in triathlons as an age-grouper.

In fact, I have been using wearables both in medicine and in my leisure time since 2015. Smartwatches were visually and technically not as fully developed in the early days of this technology, but were indispensable as a training companion. More recently, the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition has shown a new side to the evolution of wearables. Even though the main focus for most people is on tracking and optimising steps, the topic of longevity, particularly in prevention and risk assessment in medicine, is becoming more present than ever.

Good to know:

Longevity refers to the endeavour to live as long and healthy a life as possible. It deals with the factors and practices that can help prolong life and maintain health in old age. This includes aspects such as nutrition, exercise, stress management and preventive medical care. The term refers not only to lifespan, but also to quality of life in old age.

Why is that the case? We, as humans, try to optimise ourselves in many ways, but sometimes forget to listen to our body, or to the signals it sends us. When I sit in a car and turn the ignition key, around 200 sensors measure all the functions and signal you if something is wrong. Our body can only do this to a certain extent. Sometimes, this happens too late to avoid permanent damage.

What do I mean by that? The HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition has an "on-board computer", the Health Glance feature, which queries seven functions:
• Heart rate
• ECG
• SpO2
• Stress
• Temperature
• Stiffness of the vessels
• Breathing test

The ECG function: A game changer for heart health?

If you look at the most common cause of death today, it is not cancer, but cardiovascular diseases. The "engine" is our heart. I have regularly attended heart attacks or serious cardiac arrhythmias in hospital as an emergency doctor. The decisive examination for these is the electrocardiogram (ECG). In the hospital, the heart currents are recorded in 12 channels for this purpose. In the early days, the wearables were less professional, and the ECG function rather inaccurate.

Nowadays, the data from ECG leads are astonishingly precise, as a study with Huawei devices, shows. Current reviews confirm that Huawei’s devices can reliably detect atrial fibrillation, premature atrial and ventricular beats, as well as a healthy sinus rhythm, i.e. a regular heartbeat. This facilitates the screening and treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a cardiac arrhythmia that can lead to further consequences such as heart failure, but also acute events such as ventricular fibrillation or a stroke. It should be diagnosed as early as possible. As atrial fibrillation does not always have to be permanent, a long-term ECG (24-hour measurement with 12 channels) is often carried out. However, in order to recognise the first signs of atrial fibrillation, regular measurements with the watch are useful.*

ECG measurement: smartwatch vs. hospital ECG

In combination with the other functions of the Health Glance, we therefore have an "on-board computer" for our body. I compared the ECG data from the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition with a 12-lead ECG from the hospital. The result surprised me: the amplitude derivation is very precise (see pictures below). The ECG measurements from the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition are interpreted and can also be sent by email to the doctor treating you, or simply printed out if required.

Aerospace-Grade DLC Titanium

One-Minute Health Glance 2.0

Up to 21-Day Ultra-Long Battery Life

eSIM Cellular Calling

Learn More

Style meets function

A few words about the feel and appearance of the watch: As a lover of classic watches and therefore somewhat sceptical about smartwatches, my enthusiasm for the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition grew quickly. Even though the overall diameter seems quite large, it is very comfortable to wear and the aerospace-certified matt DLC titanium is of very high quality. The curved sapphire crystal is an absolute exception for wearables and is impressive.

Next-generation fitness tracking: A comparison of the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition

While preparing for an upcoming competition, the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition performed confidently and when compared to another smartwatch.

In particular, the accuracy of the heart rates using the watch's Huawei sensor was almost identical compared to a heart rate monitor - which is the gold standard in the industry. The tracking while cycling was accurate, and the option to save the distance travelled as a video is a nice option.

Good to Know:

The HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition measures heart rate using optical heart rate sensors on the back of the watch. These sensors use green and red LED light and photodiodes to measure the amount of blood flow through the skin. This measurement allows the watch to detect and display the wearer's heart rate in real time. This enables accurate monitoring of the heart rate during exercise and at rest.

Conclusion

The HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition as a comprehensive board computer

I see the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition as a new generation of health watches that can help us in our fast-paced world. Not only exercise, but also stress, sleep quality and, last but not least, the most important organs such as the heart, blood vessels and lungs are monitored, making it an almost complete "on-board computer" for our bodies. Blood pressure is another important variable that is already covered by the HUAWEI WATCH D model.

What I'm still missing is the recommendation of the amount of water to drink per day, both for sport and for the cardiovascular system. Heart rate variability is a very predictive marker that is not yet displayed on the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition. However, this will certainly be implemented with in upcoming updates, as it is already available in China.

To summarise, the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition is not only a beautiful accessory, but also a real "health product" for our everyday lives. The watch allows me to control my body, but at the same time gives me mindfulness and, in my case, a reminder to take it easy - for others this could be a reminder to exercise more. I'm excited to see what future watches from Huawei will be able to do.

Sources:

1. Study on the ECG precision of the HUAWEI WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition
2. Review on the detection of atrial fibrillation

*Atrial defibrillation, premature atrial and ventricular beats, and healthy sinus rhythm functions are currently available in China only.

The author of this article is Dr. Daniel Plecity. The views expressed are his own.

The information is to be used as general information only, and is not to be taken as advice with respect to any individual situation and cannot be relied upon as such. A healthcare provider should be consulted when attempting to diagnose a condition or when determining the best course of action for any health-related concern.

The ECG feature is intended to be used by people aged 18 years and over, but is not intended to replace any medical diagnosis or treatment. Data obtained during the use of this feature is for personal reference only. Before using ECG, please carefully read the Instruction for Use

Due to national restrictions on obtaining approval / registration as a medical device, ECG feature only works on watches and smartphones purchased in countries where the service is currently available.

Supported smartphones: Mobile phones with Android 6.0 or compatibles, HarmonyOS 2.0 or compatibles, or iOS 12.0 or compatibles. The HUAWEI Health app version on your mobile phone must be 11.0 or compatibles. Please make sure that your wearable device and phone are running the latest versions before using ECG.

The Health Glance, heart rate, SpO2, stress tracking, skin temperature, arterial stiffness and breathing test features are not a medical device, and therefore its monitoring data and results are for reference only and should not be used as a basis for medical diagnosis or treatment.