Huawei Watch GT Review – Long Distance Marathon Runner

Huawei drastically changed the approach to mobile watches, which resulted in a partial divorce from Google and its Wear OS system. The Chinese manufacturer decided to play an insignificant deck of cards and started a new deal with a series of watches based on a proprietary operating system. By deciding to take such a step, Huawei counts on a stroke of luck in terms of sales, as well as the understanding of current and new buyers.

First impressions

When looking at the case of the watch, it is difficult to find any original visual elements in it. The manufacturer has kept the classic design, drawing handfuls from previous models, as well as being inspired by the competition. However, it must be admitted that the quality of workmanship is at a really high level, at least in terms of the materials used. It is true that you may have some objections to the low weight (46 grams – without the strap), especially if you are a fan of more massive constructions.

The large display with a diagonal of 1.39 inches and a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels, made in AMOLED technology, attracts attention. The screen boasts infinite contrast, deep blacks and a rich palette of vivid colors.

The manufacturer also praises the elements of the case made of stainless steel and the DLC screen coating (Diamond-like Carbon, a ceramic carbon layer with properties similar to a diamond), which suggests insensitivity to accidental scratches. However, Huawei does not provide any information about the durability and IP resistance standards that the watch meets. It is limited only to the opinion about shock resistance and water resistance up to 5 ATM, i.e. theoretically, the Huawei Watch GT will withstand submersion up to 50 m, in practice – only a slight immersion while bathing, but not diving. In any case, the watch has survived the intense tests in perfect condition, showing no signs of wear to any part, including the silicone strap (22 mm in diameter), which bodes well for the future.

System and communication in Huawei Watch GT

For smooth navigation of the watch, we get a touch screen that reacts quite quickly to commands and two buttons imitating classic knobs. On the bottom we find a system of measuring sensors and a connector for wireless charging.

Huawei, despite preliminary speculations, used its own closed operating system, giving up the previously used Wear OS from Google. Thus, the manufacturer limited the possibility of expanding the functions of the watch to the necessary minimum. Some users focused on greater personalization and advanced integration with a smartphone will suffer from such a move.

Compared to the previous model, Huawei Watch 2, the manufacturer also reduced the number of communication modules – the smartwatch supports Bluetooth, but NFC, Wi-Fi, as well as a microphone and a speaker are missing.

For communication with the smartphone, Huawei Watch GT uses the well-known manufacturer’s application called Health (Huawei Health), which can be found in every Huawei smartphone or downloaded from Google Play or App Store.

The notifications that we can receive on the watch screen depend largely on the applications installed on our smartphone and are limited to dry messages about the appearance of a new message, and in the case of a telephone – information about the caller’s ID with the possibility of rejecting the call. There is no point in looking for quick replies or full insight into the mailbox or initiating outgoing calls, not to mention any integration with the music player, there are simply no additional options. The choice of watch faces has also been significantly limited, to exactly 11 pre-installed, and finally, the only distinguishing feature is the animated weather.

Looking at the watch menu and the functions offered, an image of a device designed mainly for measuring physical activity, including various exercises, emerges. In this field, the range of options on offer is versatile, from classic bends and squats to mountaineering, swimming and cycling. The user can also freely define his own type of sport, specifying its basic parameters.

For greater accuracy, the watch has been equipped with a sensitive GPS receiver that supports 3 positioning systems (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO), as well as several proprietary Huawei technologies, including TruSeen 3.0 heart rate monitoring, enabling constant real-time control.

Huawei Watch GT also offers advanced monitoring of individual sleep stages (TruSleep 2.0), suggesting what the user should do to sleep well.

From the practical side, everything worked smoothly and without any major reservations. The watch counted every activity, even a small one, converting it into calories burned. At the same time, through appropriately selected messages, he tried to motivate to even more work on himself.

In terms of monitoring the time spent relaxing, the watch also has something to offer, provided, of course, that it is constantly worn on the wrist. If we allow ourselves an hour of longer sleep despite a rigidly set alarm, Watch GT will wake us up in a properly selected sleep phase so as to minimize the feeling of discomfort immediately after waking up. The more inquisitive can use extensive statistics and periodically created reports available from the application itself.

Bateria Huawei Watch GT

The greatest advantage of the watch will be its minimal electricity demand. In the classic notification mode and with a constant connection with a smartphone (GPS and heart rate measurement inactive), the 30 days declared by the manufacturer is the most realistic result. This is partly due to system limitations regarding low communication capabilities with a smartphone, as well as great optimization of energy management stored in the watch battery.

If we decide on constant heart rate measurement (24/7) and cyclical exercise (up to 90 minutes a week), energy should be enough for about 12 – 14 days. The situation will change drastically when excessive use of the GPS receiver and continuous exercise monitoring (including heart rate measurement), here the battery percentage indicator will begin to disappear in the eyes, reducing the battery life to several hours, still within a very decent performance (depending on performed sports from 18 to a maximum of 22 hours).

We charge the watch relatively quickly, we will reach full 100% after about 90 minutes (using the complete charging station).

Summary

Although I was not able to fully use the potential of the Huawei Watch GT due to the low sports activity and the lack of conviction to sleep with a piece of massive technology on my wrist (dimensions: 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.6 mm), I would be tempted to be convinced by the phenomenal battery. The more people focused on a more active lifestyle should be fully satisfied with the potential purchase.