The Huawei Watch D was one of the weirdest wearables of 2022, and now this airbag-equipped, blood pressure-monitoring wonder is back.
Released this week as one of six new Huawei Watch models, the D2 builds on the groundbreaking blood pressure monitoring of the first D model. In a world first for a smartwatch, its ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) system has now been certified by China’s National Medical Products Administration and the EU’s Medical Device Regulation authority.
The blood pressure monitoring tech is housed in a revised case that’s slimmer and lighter than the original Huawei Watch D. Whatever you may think about the cool health tech, the last one was pretty ugly. The new version is a lot more Apple Watch-esque, sporting a 1.82-inch AMOLED display. While it’s certainly not a stunning design, it’s at least easier on the eye and a far less offensive case for some otherwise great health gear.
The paradox of the Huawei Watch D2
The arrival of Huawei’s Watch D2 continues the legacy of this device as a bit of an enigma. Incorporating blood pressure technology into a device the size of a wristwatch is a miraculous technological feat. Like the previous model, the D2 houses a slim mechanical airbag in its band, and on paper, this is the ultimate wearable for anyone with blood pressure issues.
However, Huawei remains banned in the US, which severely limits its reach and prevents the uptake of Google’s Mobile Services. As such, the ecosystem, even where you can buy Huawei devices, is incredibly limited and requires the use of many alternative services.
Still, Huawei has taken the best of the Watch D and packaged it into a much friendlier second iteration. Unfortunately, it looks like the innovative (and reportedly life-saving) blood pressure tech is still being held back by Huawei’s usual problems.
Blood pressure measurement in more common smartwatch models remains out of reach. Behind the scenes, Apple has been working on blood pressure measurement on the Apple Watch for years. Lately BloombergMark Gurman reported that the Apple Watch Series 10 redesign caused a delay with the feature due to issues during testing. The top-of-the-line Apple Watch is now available in stores, with a new titanium finish and a larger display, but no BP technology.