Huawei Watch 3 emerges as an imposing opponent in the ring of powerful smart watches (review)

In the war of smart watches, Huawei is doing very well. The manufacturer has managed to offer the public powerful and versatile models, also known for their elegant design and chosen materials. There were days when the Huawei GT2e could be found on the hand of any fan of the Chinese manufacturer, but time does not stand still, so neither does technological progress stand still, so we wake up with a new model of smartwatch, a model that makes me wonder if we really need watches that almost match phones in power. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but rather a curiosity, a kind of case study of the phenomenon.

This is where the Huawei Watch 3 enters the scene, the one we will talk about today, otherwise a kind of pretender to the throne of the device with which you can launch probes on Mars, because the watch tends to be unnecessarily powerful. But it would be remiss of me not to respect its capabilities and premium design. If it still comes with interesting specs, let's take it for a spin, and we'll start with its variants and related similarities first

Huawei Watch 3 family tree you didn't know about

Watch 3 has two models in the line-up: Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro. In turn, these include several sub-models: Active, Classic and Elite, with the Active version existing only on the basic models, not on the Pro. Let's start with the things these watches have in common and then look at the differentiators.

The screens are the same on all of them. Good-looking 1.43-inch AMOLEDs with a resolution of 466 by 466 pixels and a density of 326 pixels per inch, and all support swipe, tap, press and hold functions. The sensors are exactly the same on all models: acceleration, gyroscope, ambient light, barometer, temperature, heart rate, etc. In terms of hardware, they are again the same: 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, something that doesn't seem absolutely vital to me, and they all have wireless and LAN on 2.4GHz, but it's enough, and they also have GPS, NFC and Bluetooth.

All have a microphone and allow calls, all have speakers, unexpectedly loud and good, all are water-resistant up to 5 atmospheres, and all maintain good compatibility with both Android and iOS. So no matter which model you choose, simple or Pro, bigger or smaller, more expensive or cheaper, inside you have the same watch.

Small differences

Therefore, we have purely aesthetic differences, but for many it is possible that these details matter, because we are still talking about a watch, an extremely popular accessory. The standard variants are slightly smaller: 46mm with 12mm thickness, while the Pro variants are larger, up to 49mm diagonal by 14mm, some imposing dimensions, given that these dimensions also exclude the sensor bump.

Continuing the differences, we can also add that the Huawei Watch 3 also comes in various constructions. The simple models are made up of steel and ceramic on the back, while the Pro versions have a titanium case and ceramic back. At the same time, belts and bracelets are also part of various assortments, in the Pro area there is even a model with body and bracelet exclusively made of titanium.

All in all, the watches in the Huawei Watch 3 range look very good, they are powerful and elegant, they denote style, but they seem to leave behind that concept of simplicity and less is better imagined in the past by Huawei.

How is the model tested by us?

We had the opportunity to play for a longer time with the Huawei Watch 3, the Pro version, flanked by a leather strap and a multifunctional wheel that brings a plus the ways of navigation (it has tactile feedback, you can control the clock from it and walk through the menus, in addition to the touch function, that is, it doubles, and you can zoom in and zoom out).

Obviously, we have to bring up the battery, and it has suffered a minor downgrade on the autonomy side, probably due to the increase in processing power, provided by a dual core CPU, with a performance chip that is meant to respond to actions to the user, and an economical one to permanently manage the sensors in the background. The good part is that, although the watch is clearly more powerful than the previous models, we have fast charging that takes it to 20% in 10 min, which means at least a full day of use in Smart mode.

Therefore, the battery on the Huawei Watch 3 provides 5 days of use in Smart mode and three weeks on the Ultra-Long profile, which involves turning off several functions, compared to the two weeks and 3 days respectively on the standard version of the watch .

Features and display

As I said before, it's a lovely screen, and the menu transitions are nice and smooth. Added to that is an extremely intuitive control center which, aided by the wheel, offers a pleasant and efficient navigation experience.

I can't help giving an extra point for the fact that, on the Huawei Watch 3, each watch face has its own version of always on. It's something I respect and have always wanted. It's like a minimized version of that face, and when you interact with it, all the important elements are shown to you. At the opposite pole, when it enters stand-by, a simplified version of it remains.

On the function side, the watch brings some interesting elements. The "basic" ones include gesture control, phone music control, measuring heart rate and sleep schedule, but also over a hundred programs for sports, indoor and outdoor, coupled with automatic detection of six types of workouts , such as walking and jogging. Ah yes, the Huawei Watch 3 also plays the prankster, rewarding you for the rigor with which you wash your hands. Yes, the watch plays you a cute song if you have washed properly (at least 20 seconds)

Following these come some more special features. We have fall detection function, skin temperature monitoring (which works a bit strangely, and the watch needs to be carefully calibrated), blood oxygen level measurement, if this method is still fashionable in times of pandemic. But the icing on the cake is the e-sim idea. Essentially, the watch will sync with your phone number and can work independently of your smartphone, so you won't have to carry your phone when you're in more difficult situations.

All in all, the Huawei Watch 3 does not shy away from flaunting its capabilities

We would be tempted to think that a watch must follow the recipe of minimalism and a discreet profile. Such a thing is out of the question in many scenarios, and among them the Huawei Watch 3 makes its way. It is a good-looking and imposing smartwatch, which brings an extra touch of elegance with its leather strap and solid construction, but it impresses the most with the full offer expanded its functions.

You have options to put them in your head as well, as the old sayings dictate, which are very advantageous, but not necessarily indispensable. Is it fancy and versatile? Absolutely, but I have been and will continue to be a fan of extended autonomy, even if it means sacrificing some of these artifices. This is more about how long-term use of forced hardware affects the life of the watch, but only time will tell for sure. Even so, the Huawei Watch 3 rises before the competition as a worthy rival, a colossus of fancy and capable titanium.

The tested product can be found directly in the Huawei online store. Enter and see what discounts are available at www.huaweistore.ro.