Huawei Watch GT 3 is the latest device in Huawei's line of smart devices, offering a high-end wristwatch with intelligent functions focused on tracking health and fitness with impressive autonomy for over two weeks.

Looking at it, this seems like a downright tempting option, but what about the lack of smart features like notification support and third-party apps? Let's see why some people might find it a fancier tracker than a smartwatch.

Design and build quality

Today, there are countless smartwatches and activity bracelets to choose from, however, if you decide to go with the Huawei Watch GT 3 smartwatch proposition, you will see that it is a device that can be distinguished from seven leagues.

Among the watch deals that can be found in the market, there is a surprising level of refinement, which not only makes the watch look like a premium series, but the display screen also scales the positions to improve the overall rating.

There are two different Watch GT 3 models to choose from (42 and 46mm), but here we'll mainly focus on the larger 46mm as that's the one the brand is supplying for review.

The larger Watch GT 3 has a high-end glass finish with a beveled bezel that is completely flush with the stainless steel case for a luxurious look and cinematic precision when operating the watch screen with your finger.

At the heart of the Huawei Watch GT 3 is a bright 1.43-inch full-round AMOLED screen, which is more than enough to be able to comfortably operate in the bright sunlight that shines directly on the watch.

The managed resolution of 466 x 466 makes the wide range of watch faces available for your setup much improved and very detailed, helping you to better read small text like incoming notifications, compared to smaller rivals.

The only drawback is that the combination of the 46mm case with the 1.43 '' AMOLED screen makes this watch a large model, which should be considered if you are one of those people who have a small wrist or are running away from watches with large dimensions.

Speaking of the large size, we're not talking about thickness as it's only 11mm, but overall proportions. The 42mm sports variant has a slightly different look, with a curved glass screen for a rounder look similar to that of the Watch 3.

Design aspects of the Watch GT 3 go back to old school wristwatches, with an outer bezel, rotating crown and single side button, which is a change from the traditional two-button configuration of the Watch GT 2.

The side-mounted swivel crown, borrowed from the Huawei Watch 3, lets you scroll through messages and menus without touching the screen for uninterrupted scrolling, and works as well as you'd expect.

The side mount button gives you quick access to Huawei's training features and smart assistant, but it can be changed if you're thinking of assigning a different set of functions.

All this is combined with a luxurious, soft-touch brown leather strap on the Classic Edition, which will provide a unique look over time, and the Active Edition also includes a fluoroelastomer strap for exercise.

If you want a more exclusive look, you can also opt for the Elite Edition stainless steel strap. Here Huawei has decided to offer a variety of choices, which is welcome.

By the way, they are all standard 22mm straps, making the Watch GT 3 compatible with a variety of third-party straps, and the strap quick release system makes changing the strap instant and easy.

Perfect, because while the Classic Edition leather strap looks great, it's not the best exercise material, one of the key features of the Watch GT 3, but we'll talk about that later.

Intelligent functions

The Huawei Watch GT 3 runs on its own Huawei Harmony OS 2.1 operating system, and while it may not be as efficient as Wear OS and watchOS, we must highlight the company's great work to prioritize simplicity and ease of use.

In fact, there is a certain level of familiarity if you've used the latest smartwatch. Let's start with the watch faces; Some of them come pre-installed on the watch, from traditional to exercise-focused, and some offer data such as steps taken, current weather, and recent data. pulse.

If you don't find one that suits you, you can always go to the Huawei Health app and browse from a huge library of third-party watch faces, although many of the best have a nominal purchase price.

These Huawei watch faces offer very limited customization options, such as changing the data displayed on them, as well as the ability to change the color scheme or appearance, something that others such as Apple Watch Series 7 or others solve very well. Galaxy watch 4.

You can find tabs or widgets on the left and right sides of the watch face, and accessible by swiping left or right, the tabs vary by weather, heart rate, and even the current moon phase.

Just press the crown to access the app's main menu, with a variety of pre-installed apps to choose from. The icons are bright and colorful, but without the names visible, it's a little hard to figure out what each app is.

Applications include heart rate monitoring, stress monitoring, training tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, barometer and compass. You may notice no third party applications listed due to lack of support.

This means that you will not be able to download popular applications such as Spotify or Citymapper, and this limits the possibilities of the Huawei smartwatch compared to those considered by the competition.

Something similar happens with the notifications section, you will get the ones reflected on your smartphone, but they only display text, without being able to interact without taking the phone out of your pocket, which makes it lose value in this section.

There is also no emoji support, meaning any emoji from text or WhatsApp will show up as stars on the smartwatch. In many ways, the Watch GT 3 is more of a fitness tracker than a smartwatch, but hey.

It's fine if you don't want to spend all your time interacting with your smartwatch, but if you want a device that will significantly reduce your time and interaction with your smartphone, there are more efficient alternatives.

Track physical activity and exercise

Design aside, it is the health and fitness tracking capabilities of Huawei devices that set the brand apart from the competition, and I'm not just talking about the sheer number of sensors that capture detailed information.

Watch GT 3 tracks your fitness level throughout the day using blood oxygen and heart rate values ​​to provide key metrics such as active hours, calories burned and steps taken, as well as more advanced ones such as heart rate, blood oxygen level, level stress and sleep.

It is even able to automatically record short naps when most rivals need at least 3 hours of sleep to generate data, all of which, when combined with the Huawei Healthy Living app, allows you to create daily routine goals.

For this, aspects such as the assessment of the time spent in the sleeping stages, the number of steps taken or simply the amount of water you drink are taken into account in order to improve the overall quality of life.

The Watch GT 3 really excels in tracking your training, with over 100 forms of exercise to choose from in the dedicated training app, accessible by pressing the side button.

These range from standard exercises like jogging, running, swimming, and yoga to more specialized workouts like cross-country skiing and hiking, each providing different metrics depending on the exercise in question.

This is coupled with an AI running trainer that will give you key metrics while you run (it's loud enough to hear through my headphones!) And will encourage you to accelerate if you're a little slow.

Its usefulness will actually depend on each person, but I have to admit I found it useful to watch when my heart rate slowed down or too fast during a race to be able to push much more.

The tracking ability is also very good, with dual GPS features that give you the signal almost instantly without waiting for coverage, with an accurate heatmap giving you peace of mind that the Watch GT 3 is tracking well.

You'll see a lot of your run data (heart rate zones, distance, pace) on the screen with physical side buttons that act as pause and resume tracking controls, a useful feature while running.

But it's probably the runners who get the best experience. Both the Watch GT 3 and the Huawei Health app have a wide range of running courses, from beginners to marathon runners, designed to improve your running skills.

After your run, you'll get a variety of on-screen data including skin temperature, blood oxygen levels, cadence, and even a "Running Skills Index" that shows you how strong you are as a runner.

The companion app for Huawei for iOS and Android, Huawei Health, offers a compilation and analysis of all kinds of Apple-style metrics, as well as some of the most insightful and useful sleep tracking results I've ever gotten from any wearable device.

Here are some tips that might make a difference when it comes to measuring sleep quality. It even works with Apple Health on iOS devices, allowing you to export key data such as sleep tracking for a more realistic overview of your current health status.

It should be noted that Huawei did not follow the same path as other rival brands such as Fitbit, which blocked the collection or processing of certain data for a subscription at a monthly cost.

Here you have access to all the data and features without spending a penny on a subscription, which is a huge bonus for fitness freaks and times.

Autonomy and battery charging

Most smartwatches tend to discharge after just over 24 hours of use, and even less if you're using the Apple Watch Series 7, meaning you'll likely need to charge your device daily.

With the Watch GT 3, it won't be inconvenient at all, and you'll be able to fully monitor your sleep on a daily basis without having to leave it charged on your base night and the following night.

Huawei says the smartwatch lasts around two weeks (14 days) on a single charge, though with the caveat that the always-on display technology has to be turned off to achieve such high figures.

Our tests confirmed to us that it is optimistic that it is possible to exceed 11 days of use, with constant monitoring of health, blood oxygen and heart rate, as well as two outdoor runs a week.

By being more conservative in the blood oxygen measurement section, you can probably reach two weeks of use, which is a success, no doubt an amazing experience in the smartwatch market.

You don't have to take it off once a day to charge it, and while it doesn't seem too much of a hassle, it does mean you can come home on a trip or weekend without wondering if you've included a charging base for your watch.

The watch's charging times are pretty decent as well, and the Huawei Watch GT 3 achieves a full charge in around 90 minutes thanks to its signature magnetic charging puck that fits tightly and securely.

Price £

The Huawei Watch GT 3 was launched in November 2021, as previously predicted, with two screen sizes that vary between 42 and 46mm. The cheapest is the 42mm Active Edition which costs 229 euros.

If you decide on the 46mm model, the brand's suggested price is 249 euros, so economic differences should not be an obstacle to choosing one or the other model depending on your tastes, preferences and wrist size.

In both cases, the finishes of the watch it can be purchased in may vary in black, brown, white, gold, and stainless steel. Take a look at the deals Huawei has on its website as it offers a discount package if you buy it with FreeBuds 4 headphones or a similar product.

If you want to see the benefits and compare them with your immediate competitors, check out our ranking of the best smartwatches you can buy. We also have a similar article on the best activity trackers and bracelets of the year.

Verdict

The 46 mm Huawei Watch GT 3 primarily looks like an impressive smartwatch with a level of design and workmanship that you will not find in other brands on the market, although it has a similar price.

It is dazzling, with a real surprise the first time you take it out of the box, and it certainly fits the anatomy of your hand very well, despite the large size of the dials.

Beauty meets a brilliant OLED screen that looks fantastic, with different watch faces complementing it. While the selection of pre-installed watch faces is limited, there are thousands available for download. The only downside is the lack of watch face customization available.

While the smart features are quite limited compared to the Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the Harmony OS ecosystem doesn't support third-party apps and offers basic notification support.

But, as we said throughout the analysis, the Watch GT 3 compensates for these shortcomings very well with its fitness tracking options, all of which are completely free, for which you won't have to sign up for a monthly subscription.

The smartwatch offers one of the most detailed exercise tracking apps I've ever used, with dedicated courses for outdoor runners, indicators with helpful tips and explanations, and support for a variety of exercises (over 100).

Combine that with equally advanced sleep tracking and you get a wearable device that gives you a detailed overview of your current health and fitness progress.

It may not be as smart as some smartwatches, but if activity tracking is your thing, the Huawei Watch GT 3 is an attractive and very efficient option.

Specifications