How would you quickly describe the new Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro smartwatch? Definitely luxurious, luxurious, responsive and, of course, smart, but it is a watch that suffers from certain software limitations and unfulfilled promises.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is a combination of the Chinese company’s biggest success. It’s the answer to the missing link in the Huawei Watch GT series of smartwatches, where aesthetics haven’t always been its strongest point. The new member borrowed a lot of design elements from its predecessor, the Watch GT 2 Pro, and it’s also packed with smart features that wowed us in the Watch GT Runner built for athletes.
So what’s new at this hour? Is the luxurious look and feel enough to convince many users to buy a new smartwatch? Is the smartwatch also friendly to users who are not currently using a Huawei smartphone? All this and more below.
| Advantages | Weak points |
| 👍 Luxurious look and materials | ❌ Full capabilities only in combination with Huawei phones |
| 👍 Responsive User Interface | ❌ ECG function is currently unavailable |
| 👍 Long Battery Life | ❌ Limited program selection |
| 👍 Reliable GPS and Extensive Sports Features | ❌ Excellent price |
Price and versions
- Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition (46mm): €399 (leather strap), €499 (titanium strap)
- Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition (42mm): €449 (leather strap), €549 (ceramic strap)
Editions differ in the materials chosen, screen size and battery capacity.
In the editorial office, we had the opportunity to try the Titanium version with a titanium strap, which, due to its size, is intended primarily for the male target audience.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro: Build and Build Quality
Let’s focus on luxury first. The watch is amazing at first glance. The titanium case and strap shout out loud that it’s not a boring smartwatch. If you are less fashion oriented like me, the GT 3 Pro smartwatch will definitely raise your style level.
However, the titanium case hides another welcome surprise. Huawei made the dial from the second strongest material on earth – sapphire. This means that you will have to work hard or intentionally cause harm if you want to ruin the look of your new Huawei smartwatch. In addition to sapphire and titanium, the smartwatch also has a ceramic that is entirely present on its back. The advantage of ceramic is that the watch offers greater comfort, and the material itself stays cool even when your body is tested to the limit.
Since titanium was chosen as the main material, the watch is light (97 grams with straps and 54 grams without), and it is clear that the watch also worked for its fitness. Namely, it lost a few millimeters around the “waist” compared to its predecessors.
Although the ceramic is gentle on the skin and the watch is not too heavy, the level of comfort still varies depending on the activity chosen. With daily wear, the watch is comfortable and almost imperceptible. However, for more athletic feats, comfort is only average. During physical activities, we realize that we are wearing a watch on our wrist, which can be annoying during long workouts. A titanium strap, while beautiful and elegant, is likely to be mistaken for a leather or silicone workout. The tape can also be annoying for more hairy hands. It happened to us a few times that we had to salvage a runaway hair from “unwinding” the belt.
At night, the smartwatch did not bother us, even in the morning we did not feel any discomfort on the wrist. You can adjust the belt length, but you may run into a little bit bigger problem on the first try, especially for users who haven’t changed the belt before.
On the front is a sharp, bright and colorful 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels. The screen is responsive (even when in contact with water), bright enough even in strong light conditions, and the sapphire finish ensures we stay cool in the event of accidental contact with other surfaces.
The rotating crown, which can be used to navigate menus and functions, is also made of titanium. The dedicated button under the crown takes you to the sports features by default, and you can adjust the shortcut in the settings. Under the button there is also a sensor for the needs of the ECG function (more on this below).
Sensors and sports functions
We’ve come up with the Pro features, of which there are quite a few, but many of which have only been copied from previous Huawei watches.
The biggest change comes from the heart rate sensor, which has been upgraded to eight photoelectric sensors and uses the upgraded TruSeen 5.0+ system with improved heart rate monitoring. Huawei Watch GT Runner users are already familiar with this system, and we have seen for ourselves that it is a smart and accurate system. Similar to its sporty predecessor, the Watch GT 3 Pro uses the same built-in AI software to help eliminate heart rate disturbances during more strenuous tasks.
It also shares more than 100 sports functions with its predecessors, or simply put, it has a built-in functionality for almost every sport in the world. You can set automatic activity recognition, which is not ideal. The Huawei watch had no problems recognizing running, walking and swimming. While romantic paddling on Lake Bled, we were not informed of our activity. It’s not a huge drawback, as manually adjusting the workout only takes a few seconds.
Two new exercise modes have been added: golf and free diving up to 30 metres. In golf, according to the Chinese manufacturer, the smartwatch measures your swing, while in diving mode it measures your speed, depth, and dive duration. The watch will also alert you if you dive too long or too deep. There is also an apnea training method that records the heart rate, the duration of the cessation of breathing, and the time of the initial contraction of the diaphragm.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro also received some exclusive dials that change dynamically according to the time of day. From the Huawei GT Runner smartwatch, it also borrowed a dual-band GPS and five accurate positioning systems. Via GPS, you also have the “Back” function, which allows you to follow your steps to the starting location. Bluetooth connectivity, music playback, and IP68 and 5ATM water resistance are also available.
That said, the Watch GT 3 Pro borrows its best features from its predecessors. What’s new in it besides new sports features and improved sensors? Presumably to make this watch truly “professional” is the ECG function, which will not be available to consumers for at least some time when purchasing a smartwatch. Huawei is still waiting for approval from health regulators for use in the European market. The feature is available in the Chinese market and also for testing purposes, Huawei has provided us with this feature.
The ECG function is activated in the Health app, with which you can access all health data. After booting, place your finger on the dedicated button under which the sensor is hidden. The measurement takes 20 seconds and you will likely need a few tries before you get a satisfactory result. The sensor is very sensitive and any movement means you will have to re-measure. At the end, you will get an ECG curve in the Health app. It should be noted that the data cannot be compared with the electrocardiogram performed by a doctor. Once the feature is available (likely within a few months), it can be just a basic idea and not a diagnostic tool.
How accurate are the measurements?
As with its predecessors, there are over a hundred different activities available. With the GT Runner smartwatch, it shares a way to track activities that have previously been proven reliable. Getting a GPS signal is fast and accurate, the same goes for the step count. The large screen is an advantage, as it makes it easy to track your progress during the exercise itself.
After a workout, as usual, only some data is available on the watch, and you’ll need to open the Health app on your phone to get full details. The abundance of sensors means you’ll be able to view graphs, heart rate curves, calories burned, stress, skin temperature, Sp02 level and more in the app. At night, a smartwatch will monitor your sleep cycles, and in the morning you will be able to review the coffee how and how much you actually slept at night.
Software limitations
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro runs on HarmonyOS, a responsive interface with clear layout, animations and smooth transitions. The watch is also compatible with Huawei, Android and iOS devices. Although Huawei has greatly improved the functionality of its software over the years, the new smartwatch still faces some limitations. Replying to SMS messages is still limited to selected responses. NFC is on, but it’s (for now) non-functional, which means you won’t be paying for croissants and coffee for at least some time with this smartwatch. Huawei App Gallery has the ability to install third-party applications, but it is not so much, and its contribution to increasing the functionality of the smartwatch is questionable.
battery
Huawei smartwatches are known for their longevity. Despite the large screen and additional features, Huawei estimated the battery life at 14 days (7 days for the ceramic version). During our testing, the watch lasted about 9 days, but all the functions available to us were up and running, which is still a great feat.
Final opinion
The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is an exceptional smartwatch. The design is impressive with the choice of the best materials, which at the same time affects the durability of the watch. The watch shines in many areas: the sensors or measurements are accurate, a lot of data is available to monitor health after exercise, life is excellent, the AMOLED display is colorful and responsive.
Our only comment is the high price and rather low software option, including the currently not working ECG, which can become a huge asset when Huawei gets all the necessary permits.