Honor’s new Watch 6 Pro in China boasts advanced health features, but claims around blood sugar and cardiac arrest alerts are more nuanced than they appear, highlighting the importance of regulatory context and technological reality.
Honor’s new Watch 6 Pro is being sold in China as a health-forward smartwatch, but the claims that grabbed attention at launch need a careful read. According to Memeburn’s report on the device, the watch went on sale on 28 September with a starting price of CNY 1,699, and much of the early buzz centred on blood sugar monitoring and a cardiac arrest alert function. Those features are real, but they are not as straightforward as the headlines suggested.
The blood sugar feature does not measure glucose from the wrist. Instead, the watch displays data from a separate Sinocare continuous glucose monitor worn on the body, with the watch acting as a companion screen and coaching tool. The US Food and Drug Administration warned in February 2024 that no smartwatch or smart ring has been authorised to measure or estimate blood glucose on its own, and said consumers should be wary of products that claim to do so without piercing the skin. That warning also drew a clear line between unsupported wrist-based glucose claims and watches that merely display readings from authorised CGM devices.
That distinction matters because it changes what the device can actually do for people with diabetes. A CGM uses a sensor worn on the body, with a thin filament under the skin to measure glucose in interstitial fluid; the watch is only presenting the information more conveniently. Memeburn reported that Honor’s own materials frame the function as a CGM assistant rather than an independent sensor, which makes it useful for users already tied to Sinocare’s ecosystem, but not a breakthrough in non-invasive glucose measurement.
The cardiac arrest alert is more unusual, but even there the “first” label is hard to defend. Memeburn noted that Chinese outlets described the feature as an industry first, but Google introduced Loss of Pulse Detection on the Pixel Watch 3 in 2024 and began rolling it out after receiving FDA clearance in February 2025. Honor’s version appears to add its own twist, including satellite messaging and warnings for nearby bystanders, yet the company also says the watch is not a medical device and may miss an event or raise a false alarm.
Among the Watch 6 Pro’s health functions, the most clinically significant one may be the least hyped: its ECG, or electrocardiogram, which Memeburn says has certification from China’s National Medical Products Administration. The watch also includes a cuffless blood pressure feature that Chinese coverage describes as a health research tool rather than a diagnostic product, while heart-rate variability monitoring sits firmly in the wellness category. Outside health, the device brings a 1.5-inch dual-layer OLED display, a stainless steel case, an optional ceramic bezel and battery claims that stretch to 18 days in maximum mode, according to Memeburn’s summary of the launch.
For buyers, the practical takeaway is simple. In China, the Watch 6 Pro may be genuinely useful for people who already use a Sinocare CGM and want a wrist-based display. But the product is not a smartwatch that measures blood sugar by itself, and its cardiac arrest feature should be read as an early safety tool rather than a guarantee. In other words, the most eye-catching claims are best treated as careful integration and alerting, not medical magic.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
