Huawei Watch GT review. Less is more
Review of Huawei Watch GT - the most underrated wearable gadget of 2018.
This smartwatch really surprises - at first unpleasantly, due to the unsightly list of features, and then on the best side, as an example of a truly useful smartwatch. Initially, I was skeptical about the Huawei Watch GT, to put it mildly, but after using it for a couple of weeks, I radically changed my mind. I'll try to tell you why this happened.
The review was written based on the use of Huawei Watch GT-4B3. All photos in the review were taken on Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
Specifications of Huawei Watch GT
- Model: Watch GT-4B3 (FTN-B19)
- OS: Huawei LiteOS
- Compatibility: Android devices version 4.4 and higher
- Mobile platform: ARM Cortex-M4
- RAM: 16 MB
- Built-in memory: 128 MB
- Screen: capacitive, AMOLED, 1.39 inches, 454x454 pixels, ppi density 326 ppi
- Interfaces: Bluetooth 4.2 LE
- Location: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
- Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, compass, light sensors and heart rate measurements
- Water resistance: 50 ATM, ISO 22810:2010
- Monitoring: sleep, calories, physical activity
- Battery: non-removable, 420 mAh
- Charging time: less than 2h
- Autonomy: up to 14 days, up to 22 hours (with GPS enabled)
- Band width: 20mm
- Color: black stainless steel
- Dimensions: 46.5x46.5x10.6 mm
- Weight: 46 g (without strap)
Design and ergonomics of Huawei Watch GT
The smartwatch trend of 2020 is mimicry of “real watches.” No more flirting with high-tech and square dials, now only round screens and design in the style of the Swiss watch mainstream.
In this regard, Huawei Watch GT almost completely copies the design of serious men's “boilers”, which can be seen in the portfolio of most watch brands. The Huawei Watch GT looks and feels like a purely masculine accessory, which can be seen from the photos presented; on a woman’s hand the watch looks too massive.
The watch has a round form factor with a clearly defined bezel, which is a decorative solution - it does not rotate, like the Samsung Gear S3 or Galaxy Watch. Two buttons on the right side, simulating crowns, do not spin, but only pressed. They serve to navigate through the menus and settings of the Huawei Watch GT.
The company's engineers clearly did not sit idly by, coming up with the layout of the case. The device combines parts made of ceramic (bezel), stainless steel (the shiny part under the bezel) and plastic (the lower part with heart rate sensors). The steel part of the body was coated with a diamond-like coating DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon), obtained by plasma spraying of graphite in a vacuum chamber. As planned, this treatment should increase the wear resistance of the shiny metal - in fact, this is what happened, the watch does not scratch or wear out with daily wear.
The Huawei Watch GT screen is covered with protective glass, most likely Gorilla Glass. True, it is unclear what generation, but this does not matter, because the screen remained intact, no scratches appeared on the glass after a long test. The screen has an oleophobic coating, which is great for everyday wear; fingerprints can be easily wiped off with a couple of swipes of the jumper sleeve fabric.
I tested the “stainless steel” version, which features a shiny chrome plating and a leather-like strap. The strap itself is not bad, but it is not quite leather, or rather not leather at all. It is made of dense silicone, this can be seen on the inside; thin strips of eco-leather are glued to the outside. If you get tired of the supplied strap, you can easily change it to any other one to your liking, since the straps are usually changed within an hour and the standard width is 22 mm.
The plastic back cover contains charging contacts and four optical heart rate sensors.
Now let's take a closer look at the ergonomics of the Huawei Watch GT. As I already mentioned, this is a purely men's watch. Firstly, because of the weight of 46 grams (without strap), and secondly, because of the considerable thickness of the case - as much as 10.6 mm. Not every large male “boiler” is this thick. It took me some time to get used to their dimensions, and the included strap cannot be called the height of convenience; it would be better to replace it with something truly leather.
It is also worth mentioning moisture protection. With this, the Watch GT is completely fine; the watch can withstand immersion up to 50 meters with the ISO 22810:2010 standard. In reality, no one will dive that deep with an electronic watch on their wrist, the main thing is to know that the device can easily withstand visiting the pool, swimming in the sea (the main thing is not to forget to rinse it with fresh water) and washing in the shower. Be careful in the sauna - high temperatures and extreme humidity are contraindicated.
Honor Watch Magic
Honor magic watch nfc is a true flagship in the world of modern smart watches, which differs from competitors with its beautiful design, as well as a very compact case and high-quality filling.
Design
The stylish steel case and standard design are the main design features of the device. There are special sensors on the front side of the case, and two control keys on the side. The smartwatch is available in two colors to choose from: silver and black-red.
According to user reviews, smart watches with NFC feel very comfortable on the hand.
There are currently two versions of the gadget on sale: standard (leather strap) and sports (silicone strap).
Functionality and characteristics
- Display. High-quality AMOLED display with a diagonal of 1.2 inches and a resolution of 90 x 390 pixels.
- Operating system. This watch with NFC for payment runs on Light OS.
- The ARM M4 model processor was created specifically for such gadgets.
- The device constantly monitors the user's heart rate.
- The user can obtain data about his health status at any time.
- The capacity of the built-in battery is 178 mAh.
- There is a full-fledged navigation system.
- There is reliable water protection corresponding to the 5ATM level. That is, the device is not at all afraid of being submerged in water up to fifty meters.
- Huawei honor watch magic nfc model supports contactless payment.
- Special virtual recommendations can provide the user with smooth breathing and normal sleep.
- The device has a barometer and an electronic compass, which show very accurate indicators.
- There is support for Android and iOS operating systems.
What Huawei Watch GT can do
In fact, if you take the sports functions out of the equation, the Huawei Watch GT doesn’t do that much; smartwatches usually do more. You cannot install third-party applications, you cannot download and manage music, pay via NFC and enable Always On-Display.
At first impressions, the Huawei Watch GT looks more like a smart bracelet than a smartwatch. He can do too little compared to his competitors.
However, a high-quality AMOLED screen with a resolution of 454x454 pixels (density 326 ppi) and an abundance of functions related to training leave no doubt that this is a smartwatch, albeit with certain limitations.
The Huawei Watch GT's screen is one of the best I've seen on a smartwatch. Bright, juicy and clear.
Huawei Watch GT perfectly counts steps and heart rate using TruSeen 3.0 technology, and records the results of sports training, especially when it comes to swimming. The developers even implemented a special algorithm for calculating the efficiency of SWOLF swimming. This indicator is the sum of the time to overcome the section (pool) and the number of strokes for it. And the Watch GT is one of the few smartwatches on the market that shows altitude and atmospheric pressure. The first indicator is useful for those who like to climb mountains.
There is an advanced sleep monitoring Huawei TruSleep 2.0, it recognizes sleep phases and identifies disturbances, gives tips and recommendations for improving the user’s sleep. Mostly efficient, by the way. In terms of monitoring your well-being, the Huawei Watch GT will be the most appropriate choice on Android; perhaps only the new Apple Watch can monitor the user’s health more and better.
Software and fitness capabilities
Huawei Watch Fit is not exactly a full-fledged smartwatch, as it does not support the installation of third-party applications. They run on proprietary firmware and have 130 dial design options. In addition, users can decorate the watch screen with photos from their smartphone albums, as well as select the necessary widgets to display on the watch face.
Watch Fit was designed with athletes in mind
Huawei emphasizes that it developed Watch Fit specifically to support users who are just starting to exercise. This is her first smartwatch with the function of personal animated training with step-by-step instructions, which includes 12 types of activities and 44 videos with training and demonstration of standard exercises. This makes it possible to do fitness without using a smartphone or other third-party device.
The new Huawei watch supports 96 types of workouts with the ability to track various parameters. 11 of them are professional modes for running, walking, swimming, cycling, etc. The remaining 85 types are suitable for athletes with any level of training. The list includes ball games, summer and winter sports, regular fitness, dancing, yoga, etc. Fans of extreme sports are also not left out by Hiawei.
There are no watches cheaper than the Watch Fit in the Huawei lineup yet
Watch Fit can count calories, steps, measure heart rate around the clock, monitor the quality of night sleep, stress levels, and the degree of blood oxygen saturation in real time. The watch uploads all statistics to the smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0 to the proprietary Huawei Health application.
In addition to the above, Watch Fit allows you to control some smartphone functions from a distance. For example, with their help you can control music playback, take photographs, and even find a mobile phone if it is not in sight. To work with Watch Fit, your Android smartphone must have at least version 5.0 Lollipop installed. For Apple iOS, the minimum supported version is 9.0.
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A little about Lite OS
Lite OS was Huawei's response to the degradation of Android Wear. If Google got stuck on their platform, then that’s their problem, the Chinese company decided. And they probably did the right thing.
This mini-system is open source, i.e. it can be used by anyone. The Lite OS core weighs only 10 KB, making it an ideal platform for the Internet of Things, which Huawei has been promoting lately.
Huawei Watch GT is powered by a 2-core ARM Cortex-M4 chipset, one core processes data, and the other is used to display images on the watch screen. According to the company, this increased energy efficiency by 80%. Wireless communication with a smartphone is implemented via Bluetooth 4.2 with Low Energy support, there is a GPS/Glonass module for running training.
The main feature of Lite OS is not its functionality, but its autonomy. The Huawei Watch GT works an awful lot for a smartwatch, I was easily able to go 12-13 days with it on a single charge.
Such a long operating time of the Watch GT is ensured by the economical Lite OS and a large 420 mAh battery. In my mode of use, with heart rate measurement enabled and notifications constantly synchronized, the watch lasts at least 10-12 days. With GPS turned on, the watch will last about a day.
A magnetic connector is used to charge the Watch GT; it charges the watch in 1.5 hours if you use a 1.5 amp adapter.
Huawei Watch GT review. Is it worth buying?
If you don't need NFC on your watch, then definitely yes. The Huawei Watch GT is totally worth the money. At least for the gigantic operating time, by the standards of competitors, they can be forgiven for almost all restrictions.
It is hoped that the developers will continue to update and add new features to the firmware.
They will improve the functionality (controlling music and constant screen operation would be enough for me), improve the speed of operation and it will be generally super. Huawei Watch GT
Fitness functions
Huawei Watch GT offers a wide range of functions for tracking physical activity, with support for artificial intelligence. For example, the watch understands where you are on your wrist when measuring your heartbeat, allowing for more accurate results, plus it automatically detects when you're active and when you're not, while switching the HiSilicon processor into a low-power mode to save battery.
