Huawei Watch 6 46mm in for review

Huawei has a wearable for just about everyone. The Fit and Band series cover those who prefer slimmer smart bands, while the GT range combines traditional watch styling with more accessible pricing. At the other end of the scale, the Ultimate line delivers Huawei’s all-out superwatches.

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Then there is the Watch series. These models sit somewhere between a conventional smartwatch and a more distinctive luxury timepiece, offering advanced health and connectivity features without looking like every other circular wearable. The latest entry has now arrived for review.

This is the Huawei Watch 6 46mm, and it retains the recognisable styling of its predecessor while introducing a series of upgrades beneath the surface. Its key design elements include spherical sapphire crystal glass, a full-width lug design, a rotating crown, a quick-access button, and a more responsive X-Tap sensor.

That spherical sapphire glass steals the show

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The spherical sapphire glass is the first thing you notice. Rather than sitting completely flat, it protrudes slightly from the watch case to create a smooth glass dome. The effect is somewhat similar to a fisheye lens.

It gives the Watch 6 an immediately distinctive appearance. The display seems to flow into the case instead of ending at a sharply defined flat edge, helping the watch feel more like a carefully designed timepiece than a small screen attached to a strap.

It is classy-looking, but there is a playful quality to it as well. Depending on the light and viewing angle, you can catch a wide-angle reflection of the world around you, or occasionally your own head, across its surface.

The dome is also strangely addictive to touch. Sliding a finger across the curved glass feels noticeably different from interacting with an ordinary flat smartwatch display. How the shape affects reflections, outdoor visibility, and day-to-day durability will require more time with the watch, although Huawei says the display can reach up to 3,000 nits of brightness.

Stainless steel and a familiar design

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Beneath the glass, the choice of metal depends on the watch size. Huawei officially offers the Watch 6 in 42mm and 46mm versions, with the larger model featured here using stainless steel.

Our Blue model has a silver case combining a mostly brushed finish with polished chamfers. That contrast breaks up the metalwork nicely, allowing different parts of the case to catch the light without making the entire watch look overly shiny.

The watch comes with a blue fluoroelastomer strap featuring subtle embedded lines running through it. The colour gives this version a slightly sportier character, but the steel case prevents it from feeling like a dedicated fitness watch.

A Black model is also available with a matching black strap and dark-grey casing. It is the more understated option for anyone who finds the silver-and-blue combination too conspicuous.

The spherical sapphire glass

The full-width lugs help the strap and casing feel like parts of one continuous design. On the right-hand side, Huawei has retained the rotating crown and quick-access button, providing physical controls alongside the touchscreen.

X-Tap becomes a bigger part of the experience

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Huawei’s X-Tap sensor also sits on the right side of the watch. It received a substantial upgrade for this generation, with Huawei claiming a 100% increase in responsiveness compared with the previous version.

The system combines a 12-channel PPG sensor with a pressure-sensitive surface. Pressing and holding X-Tap for three seconds launches Huawei’s Health Glance feature, which the company says can produce a health overview in approximately 60 seconds.

X-Tap now supports hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease risk studies, bringing the total number of metrics available through Health Glance to 14. These studies are not substitutes for medical diagnosis or treatment, and their availability may vary by market. Still, they show how Huawei is trying to make the sensor more central to the watch rather than leaving it as a secondary input method.

The real questions for the full review will be how consistently X-Tap responds, whether it makes health checks more convenient, and how useful the resulting information feels over an extended period.

Familiar battery life and faster everyday top-ups

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Huawei quotes up to 4.5 days of typical use from the 46mm model, falling to around three days when the always-on display is enabled. Those figures apply to the watch’s standard operating mode, and actual endurance will depend on features such as mobile connectivity, health monitoring, workouts, notifications, and screen use.

A battery-saver mode is also available for users who need longer endurance, although enabling it restricts several of the watch’s smarter features.

Charging remains rated at up to 20W. Huawei says a 15-minute charge can provide enough power for a full day of use, which could make short top-ups more practical when there is not enough time for a complete charge.

The included wireless magnetic charger now terminates in a USB-C connector. It is a small change, but a very welcome and long-awaited one, particularly for anyone trying to reduce the number of older cables they carry.

Price and early impressions

The Huawei Watch 6 starts at £400. That places it firmly in premium-smartwatch territory, where polished design is only part of the equation. Health tracking, battery reliability, software, phone compatibility, and everyday comfort will all play a role in determining whether it earns that price.

First impressions are nevertheless promising. The spherical glass gives the watch personality, the combination of brushed and polished steel feels appropriately premium, and the improved X-Tap sensor suggests that the most meaningful changes may become apparent through regular use.

We will put those features, the health-tracking experience, and Huawei’s battery claims to the test in the full review.