As you may know, HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 will be available for pre-order starting from 11th December. I had the chance to test it out first. Here is my review on HUAWEI WATCH GT 3.
Thanks to Huawei, I am able to get a review unit of the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Active Edition before the official launch. I chose the most basic version. It comes with the Black Fluoroelastomer Strap and a 46mm watch face. My thoughts are that if I need a smartwatch that is able to be worn during jogging, a leather one will not work for me. And I love black.
Here is my video review.
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Introduction
I love smart watches, especially round types. When I saw the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3, I felt that it has a nice price point (S$298) and an amazing 14 days battery life. And looking at the HUAWEI Health Lab, I am more convinced that Huawei has done its research to come out with this smartwatch.
Design
As mentioned, I am a sucker for round shape smartwatches. When it comes to Huawei smartwatches, I can see the quality in them. This is the same for the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3.
It has a nice solid feel and yet it has all the smooth edges which are pleasing to touch. The “rotating crown” is a nice touch.
On the back, the sensors are neatly in place. And because the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 has wireless charging, you will not see any connector pins on the back.
As with all Huawei watches, it has a quick release for the straps which you can easily replace with your favorite straps (I believe it is using 22mm straps).
Usage
I have 3 Huawei smartwatches. They are HUAWEI WATCH GT 2, HUAWEI WATCH 3, and this latest HUAWEI WATCH GT 3. So, I do have some experience using them.
In order to understand the WATCH GT 3, I wore it everywhere except bathing. One thing I noticed is that in order for the sensors to perform well, you need to adhere the watch tightly to the skin.
When I start to use the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3, I can appreciate the long battery life. For WATCH 3, it has about 5 days (due to eSIM and other features) of battery life. For WATCH GT 3, it is around 14 days. If you want to see the differences between WATCH GT 2 and WATCH GT 3, you can check out the video HERE.
I wore it for my walk and jogging. So far, it performs as expected. Huawei has been busy adding more sports for it (which is good). There are many features that I had not explored. To truly enjoy the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3, you have to spend some time exploring it. I did not have the time to do it thoroughly.
I think one important feature for Huawei watches is the ability to link them to the Health app because once it is linked, you can sync all the information and use the app to check out the health details.
When it comes to changing the watch faces, it has quite a number of them. However, the better-looking ones are the ones that you need to pay for. Nevertheless, I managed to find a few good and free ones.
I wish that the way it displays WhatsApp messages can be improved. If it is able to show the right GIFs or pictures, it will be great. Unfortunately, you can’t see them yet on the WATCH GT 3.
Lastly, about charging. A rough check shows that it can charge up 10% in around 10 minutes using the provided charging cradle.
Here is the wireless charging cradle.
Specifications
HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 46 mm Active Edition
- Dimension: 45.9 mm x 45.9 mm x 11.0 mm
- Case Size: 46mm
- Wrist Size: 140mm – 210mm
- Weight: Approximately 42.6 g(without the strap)
- Display: 1.43 inches AMOLED Colour Screen
- Watch Strap: Black Fluoroelastomer Strap
- Sensors: Accelerometer sensor, Gyroscope sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Optical heart rate sensor, Air pressure sensor, Temperature sensor
- Button: Power button + function button, upper button supports the rotatable crown
- System Requirements: HarmonyOS 2 or later, Android 6.0 or later, iOS 9.0 or later
- Waterproof Level: 5 ATM water-resistant
- Connectivity: GPS Supported, Bluetooth Supported
- Environment: Temperature (-20℃~+45℃), Humidity (5%~95% (non-condensation))
- Battery Life:
- The battery can last for 14 days in the following situations: 30 minutes of Bluetooth calling every week, 30 minutes of music playing every week, heart rate monitoring enabled, HUAWEI TruSleep™ enabled for sleeping, 90 minutes of working out every week (GPS enabled), message notifications enabled (50 SMS messages, 6 calls, and 3 alarms a day), screen is turned on 200 times a day.
- The battery can last for 8 days in the following situations: 30 minutes of Bluetooth calling every week, 30 minutes of music playing every week, heart rate monitoring enabled, HUAWEI TruSleep™ enabled for sleeping, 180 minutes of working out every week (GPS enabled), message notifications enabled (50 SMS messages, 6 calls, and 3 alarms a day), screen is turned on 30 minutes a day.
- Speaker: Supported
- Microphone: Supported
- Charging: Wireless Charging
- In the box:
- Watch x 1
- Charging cradle x 1
- User Guide & Safety Information & Warranty Card x 1
Summary
The HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 runs on Harmony OS. If you have a Huawei phone running on HarmonyOS, it will be the best companion. If you are on Android, it is still ok. However, if you are on iOS, some features might not be available.
Overall, it performs well as a sports companion. Love the battery life and design but I think they can improve on the way notifications appear on it.
At this price-point, it will be enticing for many people. So, remember to get the HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 soon.