With so many smart watch models in 2021, does anyone remember the old pocket watches worn by those Victorian gentlemen? I know, I know, I uttered a very bizarre phrase, but didn't you catch what I mean? It's about how much the idea for this accessory has changed. What used to show you the time and give you an elegant look has now become a personal assistant with all sorts of functions while giving you an elegant look.
That's about it with the Huawei Watch GT 3, the latest model launched by the Chinese manufacturer. It is a luxurious addition to the smartwatch market, over-saturated with names like Samsung or Apple, and with the performance offered by the Watch GT 3, it is clear that Huawei has evolved beautifully in this field. Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like GT 3 isn't a serious competitor either. Let's see how it goes with this smartwatch that wants to be the most valuable companion for sports enthusiasts and also a very good looking accessory, with an autonomy hard to match.
Huawei Watch GT 3 46mm - Key features
Quick Unboxing - Content, construction and design
An elegant package is placed on the operating table. Remove the seal and remove the contents: One piece Huawei Watch GT 3 (duuh), one piece charger, obviously without brick, because it is clear as daylight that you have in the house the brick necessary for this quintessential operation and one piece package that includes more extra links.
Yes, the belt can be replaced with other models made of leather or synthetic rubber, but the version we received for the test is a 46mm GT 3 with a chain strap, something we haven't seen in a long time. And no matter how much I would like to wear a watch with such a strap, there are two drawbacks: Either the whole set is grossly massive, or my seventh grade little girl's hand is too thin for the big, fierce chains. Fortunately, the Huawei Watch GT 3 has also been prepared for me, so the strap comes with a system that allows you to easily remove from the queue as many links as you want for your watch to fit or if you don't have an Ovid who to wear it in your place. Or you may want to add or replace links, in which case the extra pieces included in the package are welcome.
The construction itself of the Huawei Watch GT 3 has been designed so that the watch is robust and durable, without the cost of a significant weight. Even with the imposing links, the watch is not as massive as you might expect. I could say that, for such a setup, it is really lightweight and easy to handle thanks to a very simple but efficient fastening system.
On the design side, I can say with all my heart that I wore one of the most beautiful smartwatches ever made. The body is made of stainless steel and the screen is made of sapphire, need I say anything else ?! The simplistic layout, ie two buttons on the right side, leaves more room for the watch. Thus, we have a bigger body, more imposing, but very classy and which highlights the presence of a beautiful screen. And in combination with your favorite type of belt, be it leather, rubber or links, like this one, you know you can have a luxury accessory on hand. Of course, I don't see how you could do sports with a chain strap, but that's more of a nuance.
The screen is simply magnificent!
Rarely have I been allowed to play with smart watches that benefit from such a screen. And that's because Huawei Watch GT 3 doesn't address the tactics we've seen in competition. You don't have a rotating bezel to navigate through the clock menus, and that's why the screen is bigger and more airy, because you navigate with the touch screen and the two buttons on the edge.
In the case of the 46mm variant, the 1.43-inch AMOLED display has a good resolution, 466 x 466, which complements an equally good pixel density, 326 PPI. The result is as simple as it is beautiful: vivid, precise and very crisp colors, high brightness and good fluidity in terms of transitions. And if you take into account the fact that even the smallest texts displayed on the screen can be easily read, you can say that Huawei has done an excellent job in terms of display and consistency.
Huawei Watch GT 3 - Setup and installation
From a software point of view, you use the Health application that you can find on the Play Store and in the AppStore and obviously at Huawei in the AppGallery. After a few good minutes of installing and configuring Health, I was able to give the first key to the clock.
It was a bit complicated process: you have to have an account, you have to activate Wi-Fi, I noticed that you can't configure the connection only through mobile data, you have to "scan" with the app after the clock, you have to accept a torrent of terms and conditions. Then…
… Can't see the clock? Ok, give it back to AppGallery, download the latest update of the Health app I just installed. The watch must also have a firmware update in order to function properly. And I consider myself a patient person… Finally, once the connection is made, you're good to go. And now what?
The interface is crowded and not very intuitive
As with most smart watches, the Huawei Watch GT 3 offers you a diverse suite of features. You have the ability to see the weather, manage notifications on your phone, short phrases already generated if you want to reply to messages, lots of health features (which I'll get back to shortly) and, to see, show you hour!
It's just that here I had the impression that I was navigating a virtual abyss, in the sense that no matter how clever the clock on the touch screen dedicated to the touch screen, I still had the feeling that I was getting lost among additional elements. From the factory, the main menu adopts the idea of other competitors, which I do not necessarily consider uninspired, but rather tiring. Fortunately, you can change the display of the menu so that you can turn it into a list, and each icon you click on is also named. Finally, I can see the differences between two almost identical icons!
As long as you stay on the clock screen and use simple gestures (swipe up to see notifications, swipe down for the shortcut and settings bar, swipe left or right for some shortcuts like time or pulse), everything is wonderful.
What's new in Watch GT 3's HarmonyOS?
The new smartwatch comes equipped with a wearable version inspired by the original Chinese LiteOS. This version of HarmonyOS adds a lot more depth in terms of features and interface compared to the iteration we saw with the Watch 3 Pro.
This would translate into even more options for fitness and sports programs, but Huawei still has a lot to learn in terms of customization. The HarmonyOS on GT 3 is so focused on first-party support, that is Health, that there is little room for optimizing third-party solutions. This way, you can't customize how you export fitness and health data. You can't use too many management applications besides Health, and since the watch itself doesn't provide extremely detailed information in this regard, well, you'll have to stay with Huawei Health.
There you have both the moon and the stars. Those calendars for women, calorie analysis and data, number of steps, blah blah blah. From there, you also set what notifications you want to receive on the watch and all that, and this shows how sealed and self-isolated Huawei's ecosystem can be, even if the watch itself is perfectly compatible with different smartphones.
Lots of workout programs, thanks to improved technology
The manufacturer has introduced a new technology on the Huawei Watch GT 3 for even more precise and adaptive sensors. This is a refresh of the TruSeen 5+ sensor on the back. It doubles the number of photodiodes so that reading parameters such as blood oxygen levels is more accurate and quieter.
There are options for measuring the sleep cycle, the temperature of the skin, there are sensors for measuring the tides, there are sensors over sensors, in addition to which comes a myriad of sports and fitness programs. Over a hundred! Jogging, snowboarding, cycling, skiing and all, I almost felt like I was suffocating. Don't get me wrong, I like to see today's technology support a better life, but it seems to me that Huawei Watch GT 3 is more for sportsmen and health-obsessed people, if you can still do it. and scuba diving with it (5 ATM depth resistance). Seriously now, do you really think most people care if the watch catches its voice when it detects that you're running and makes more zigzag charts than an electrocardiogram?
All I want is to be able to see and manage my notifications and use the usual, mainstream, really helpful features when navigating this busy everyday world. which I will review below.
What did I find really useful about the new Huawei smartwatch?
In addition to the usual messes with messages, I can say that I am satisfied with the elements such as initiating, answering or rejecting calls, which you can also make with the help of a voice assistant. The watch also has a speaker system and a microphone for smartphone calls. In addition, the 4GB of internal memory gives you a great playlist of songs that you can play on headphones (assuming you have a Huawei AI and Health compatible model) without the need for a phone, and the inclusion of NFC can help to pay contactless directly with the watch.
Here you have to add your card in the Wallet section of the Health application, but I understand that the offer of compatible cards / banks in Romania is limited. Somehow, Huawei still has that tick of options whose availability varies by region, and it's a shame, because it considerably limits a large number of users who would have been happy to tie a wristwatch. of the manufacturer. Last but not least, the best feature of the Watch GT 3 is
… Huge autonomy!
Or 14 days on paper. Huawei is not too far from the truth, as the watch withstands the typical daily use scenarios without any problems. Normally, the more functions you have, the more resources they consume. On average, for such situations, we are talking about about ten days, if you do not go to the default settings. It's a huge leap forward in terms of the autonomy of such a versatile and complex smartwatch, and I have nothing but words of praise for such a large and powerful battery.
Of course, the lifespan is influenced by the way you set up your watch and what you do with it, either one of the hundred workouts or the obsessive measurement of various parameters. Overall, the Watch GT 3 is a powerful watch, both in terms of construction and autonomy, and the competition still has a long way to go before it surpasses such a performance of this perhaps too complex watch.
Price and conclusion
Huawei Watch GT 3 did not manage to surprise me with what HarmonyOS wants to offer, but with its design and its colossal autonomy. I am not at all interested in the plethora of health programs and workouts, given that everyday life comes down to calls, conversations, music, and browsing. And I think I'm speaking on behalf of a small number of users when I say that.
This watch tries to help everyone in different situations, but the balance is mainly tilted towards those for whom sport and health are vital, for whom the management and measurement in the smallest details of those parameters is sacred.
The price for such models is somewhat in neutral territory. At the time of writing this review, a quick search on the net says that the Huawei Watch GT 3 can be pre-ordered for about 1500 lei. It's not too expensive, especially for those who want this watch only for the battery or for those who care about its beauty.
Yes, it is a very nice smartwatch, with a beautiful and bright screen, but I find it too complex for the average buyer. It has a sublime autonomy, which easily crosses the threshold of seven days, so, at the end of the day, everything depends exclusively on the perspective of the buyer and what he wants from a smart watch.
However, for those who have already set their sights on Huawei's new line of smart watches, I say that it wouldn't hurt to quickly review the prices and availability of each model. The 46mm Watch GT 3 is available in two versions, the Elite edition, with metal bracelet, at the recommended retail price of 1,499 lei (ie the one we discussed) and the Active edition, with elastomer bracelet, at the recommended price of 1,199 lei. The latter is not only cheaper, but it may be the best choice if you are on a tighter budget.
HUAWEI Watch GT 3 42mm is also available in two versions, Elegant, with leather bracelet at the recommended retail price of 1,199 lei and with Milanese metal bracelet at the recommended price of 1,399 lei. Those who purchase any of these models from the Huawei online store or from the partner retail networks, until January 8, 2022, also benefit from 12 months of free screen protection at no additional cost.
We have prepared a special giveaway for you, and the lucky winner will go home with a Huawei Watch GT 3 46mm, exactly like the one we talked about in this material! If you want to participate, you can find out the details in the YouTube video, and I wish you success! ⁇
TagsHuawei Watch GT 3