The unusual oval module shown in leaked Huawei Watch 5 renders was not a fingerprint reader or an undisclosed glucose sensor. Huawei later identified it as X-TAP, a fingertip-contact system for ECG analysis, fingertip blood-oxygen readings, Health Glance checks, and selected watch interactions.
The Watch 5 was officially released on May 15, 2025. The leak correctly highlighted a significant new hardware feature, but its purpose was only confirmed when Huawei introduced X-TAP.
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What appeared in the Huawei Watch 5 leak?
April 2025 renders showed a familiar round Huawei smartwatch with a rotating crown and side button, but also revealed an unusual oval component on the right side of the case. The images came alongside renders of the Watch Fit 4 and were reported as official-looking press material, although Huawei had not yet confirmed the details. Android Headlines reported the leaked renders and specifications.
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#1 Best Overall
- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode (5 days display always-on)
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Why the side-mounted sensor caused speculation
Most smartwatch health sensors sit on the underside of the case, where they read through the wearer’s wrist. The Watch 5’s module was positioned beside the crown and button instead. That placement strongly suggested that the user would interact with it using a fingertip.
Before launch, the most reasonable possibilities were a new health sensor or some form of contact-based input. A fingerprint reader was also suggested in early coverage, but there was no official evidence that it authenticated users. The leak did not establish blood-glucose monitoring, blood-pressure measurement, or any other medical capability.
Huawei’s answer: X-TAP
Huawei later named the component X-TAP. According to Huawei’s global support documentation, the system supports ECG analysis, fingertip SpO2 readings, Health Glance, and certain watch-face interactions.
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Huawei describes X-TAP as combining three elements:
- PPG: photoplethysmography, an optical method used for measurements such as blood oxygen and heart rate.
- ECG hardware: used when the user completes an electrocardiogram measurement through the watch.
- A 10-level tactile sensor: used to detect touch or pressure and support interaction with the device.
For a fingertip reading, the user touches the side-mounted module rather than relying solely on the optical sensors against the wrist. Huawei says a fingertip SpO2 reading can take approximately 10 seconds. That is Huawei’s product claim, not independent proof that every reading is clinically equivalent to a medical device.
Rank #2
- 24/7 Health Tracking: Watch 3 Pro can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO₂), stress levels in real time with an advanced 4-channel sensor for improved accuracy during activity and rest. This health tracker smartwatch can offer advanced sleep tracking helps analyze naps, recovery, and sleep quality for better daily wellness insights.
- 130+ Sports Modes: The sports smartwatch supports 130+ exercise modes with GOMORE-powered performance analysis, 7-type motion recognition, and precision activity tracking to help monitor workouts, training load, recovery, and daily movement more accurately. Active Score (MET-based fitness tracking), precision step counting, and smart health guidance help support a healthier lifestyle.
- Smart Everyday Convenience: Stay connected with the bluetooth smartwatch featuring dual high-performance MEMS microphones, a built-in speaker, and AI-based noise reduction trained on over 100,000 voice samples for clearer calls. Make and receive calls directly from your wrist, sync up to 30 contacts for quick access, control music playback, and send quick replies while working, commuting, cooking, or exercising without constantly checking your phone.
- 13-Day Battery Life: Enjoy up to 13 days of battery life on the smartwatch with just 2.5 hours charging time for daily use. Designed for work, workouts, travel, and busy schedules, CMF Watch 3 Pro delivers reliable power for music playback, quick replies, calls, and everyday activity tracking without frequent charging interruptions.
- AMOLED Display & Smart Lifestyle Sync: Featuring a vibrant AMOLED display, this smartwatch for Android and iPhone delivers clear visibility for health data, messages, and workouts indoors or outdoors. Seamlessly sync with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Strava to manage fitness tracking, wellness insights, and daily activity data in one connected ecosystem.
What is Health Glance?
Health Glance is Huawei’s quick health-check feature, combining information from X-TAP and the Watch 5’s other sensors. Huawei says the feature can present a broad set of readings in about 60 seconds. Its purpose is to provide a convenient wellness snapshot rather than a clinical examination.
Health Glance should not be treated as a diagnosis or as a replacement for a clinician, hospital ECG, or medical-grade pulse oximeter. Results can be affected by contact quality, finger position, movement, skin temperature, wetness, and circulation.
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Confirmed Watch 5 hardware
Huawei’s global specifications page lists the following core hardware:
| Feature | 42mm model | 46mm model |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.38-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED | 1.5-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED |
| Resolution | 466 × 466 pixels | 466 × 466 pixels |
| Health sensors | Optical heart rate, body temperature, ECG, depth, and X-TAP | |
| Other sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, and ambient-light sensor | |
| Peak brightness | Up to 3,000 nits | |
Connectivity includes Bluetooth, NFC, GNSS, and Wi-Fi 6. eSIM support varies by market. Huawei lists Android 9.0 or later and iOS 13.0 or later as compatible platforms, although specific features and software behavior can differ between phone operating systems and regions.
Materials vary by size and finish. Official specifications mention aerospace-grade titanium, 904L stainless steel, 316L stainless steel, ceramic rear sections, composite and fluoroelastomer straps, and titanium strap options. Color and material combinations are not identical in every market.
Rank #3
- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
Battery, water resistance, and diving claims
Huawei’s manufacturer-rated battery figures are:
- 46mm: up to 4.5 days in Standard mode, or up to 3 days with the always-on display enabled.
- 42mm: up to 3 days in Standard mode, or up to 2 days with the always-on display enabled.
- Battery Saver: quoted maximums of up to 11 days for the 46mm model and 7 days for the 42mm model.
Huawei separately quotes shorter Standard-mode figures when the watch is paired with an iPhone: up to 3 days for 46mm and 2 days for 42mm, with further reductions when the always-on display is enabled. These are estimates, not independently tested endurance figures. GPS use, workouts, calls, notifications, connectivity, and display settings can all reduce runtime.
The specifications list 5 ATM and IP69 ratings, subject to Huawei’s stated testing limitations, and support for freediving to depths of up to 40 meters under applicable conditions. Water-resistance ratings do not make every water activity safe, and users should follow Huawei’s usage restrictions.
What X-TAP changes for the wearer
X-TAP’s important distinction is the measurement position. The Watch 5 still offers conventional wrist-based monitoring, but it also gives the user a dedicated fingertip contact point. That can make certain spot checks more deliberate and direct than readings taken passively from the underside of a watch.
The same component also adds a physical interaction surface. In practice, X-TAP is therefore both a health-measurement system and an input method—not merely another sensor hidden on the back of the case.
Whether that matters depends on how the watch is used. Buyers interested in ECG checks, fingertip SpO2, and quick wellness summaries may see a meaningful benefit. Someone who mainly wants notifications, exercise tracking, or long battery life may find the feature less important than software support, phone compatibility, or regional cellular availability.
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- The new Google Pixel Watch 5 offers a smarter way to a healthier you.[1,2]; Designed for Gemini Intelligence, get proactive help, and personalized insights from Google Health[3,4]; watch is compatible with Android devices only; not compatible with iOS devices
- Precision-crafted to do it all: The Google Pixel Watch 5 features the domed Actua 360 display with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass and up to 40 hours of battery life[1,5]
- Metrics that matter: Advanced sensors help you stay ahead of your health and wellness; and Google Pixel’s most accurate heart rate tracking is fine-tuned for your activity[6,7]
- Understand your sleep like never before: Your watch captures insights like the time spent in sleep stages to breathing regularity, then summarizes it all in a personalized Sleep Score[8,9]
- Detects loss of pulse, then calls for help: Pixel Watch 5 is the only smartwatch to feature Loss of Pulse Detection, which can prompt a call to emergency services[10]
Important health limitations
The Watch 5’s sensors and software features should not be confused with unrestricted medical capability. The available product documentation supports claims about ECG, SpO2, heart rate, temperature, and Health Glance, but it does not justify claims that the watch:
- Diagnoses heart disease or other illnesses.
- Measures blood glucose non-invasively.
- Replaces a clinical ECG, pulse oximeter, or doctor.
- Provides emergency-grade monitoring.
A fingertip measurement can also fail or vary when the finger is off-center, the user is moving, contact pressure is unsuitable, the skin is wet or cold, the watch is dirty, or circulation is poor. Users should follow the on-screen instructions and seek medical advice for symptoms or concerning results rather than relying on a smartwatch reading.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When did the Huawei Watch 5 launch?
Huawei released the Watch 5 on May 15, 2025, rather than merely announcing an unspecified May launch. Huawei’s Canada product page and UK product page identify the product and launch timing.
Retail availability, preorders, prices, cellular support, colors, and promotions varied by country. For example, Huawei Malaysia’s official launch terms described a blind-order campaign beginning May 15, 2025, with full-payment periods beginning May 22. The document listed Malaysian prices for specific configurations, including RM1,999 and RM2,699 recommended retail prices, but those figures are historical Malaysia pricing—not a current global price.
Likewise, the leaked €499 figure should not be presented as the Watch 5’s universal price. Buyers should check the official Huawei store for their country and confirm the exact size, material, connectivity, health-feature availability, and phone compatibility.
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How the Watch 5 compares with the main alternatives
The choice is largely ecosystem-driven. Apple Watch is the natural option for iPhone owners who prioritize Apple Health integration, while Samsung Galaxy Watch is a stronger fit for many Android and Samsung users seeking Wear OS and Google app integration. Garmin watches are generally more compelling for endurance training, sports metrics, and longer battery life.
The Watch 5’s distinctive reason to choose it is X-TAP’s fingertip workflow, not an unproven claim of superior medical accuracy. Huawei’s compatibility with Android and iOS broadens its audience, but regional software, app, and cellular limitations still need checking before purchase.
Verdict
The leak was real, and the side-mounted oval module was a genuine new feature. The mystery is now resolved: it is Huawei X-TAP, a fingertip-contact system combining PPG, ECG capability, and tactile sensing. It enables fingertip SpO2, ECG analysis, Health Glance, and selected interactions.
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That makes the Watch 5 a notable health-tracking update, but not a medical diagnostic device. Its value depends on whether the buyer wants fingertip spot checks and Huawei’s wellness tools—and whether those features, along with eSIM and software support, are available in the buyer’s market.
