We saw the Huawei Watch GT 3 at its launch and it piqued our interest. It has been a universal suspicion for a long time that Huawei has an excellent wearable in it somewhere - but so far, most devices have been let down by one or two points. With its huge battery, HarmonyOS and upgraded HR monitor and GPS, can the Watch GT 3 deliver on all that Huawei promises? What’s The Best’s William Lobley gets hands-on to find out.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Size: | 46mm x 11mm |
| Wrist size: | 140-120mm |
| Display: | 1.43-inch AMOLED |
| OS: | HarmonyOS |
| Battery: | Up to 14-days |
| Weight: | 42.6g |
| Waterproof: | 50m |
| Connections: | Bluetooth, GPS |
| Works with: | HarmonyOS 2 or later, Android 6.0 or later, iOS 9.0 or later |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Large, responsive screen | • Too big for skinny wrists |
| • Reliable HR monitor | • Limited app compatibility – Huawei apps only |
| • Excellent battery |
Verdict: The 46mm Huawei GT 3 is large, but for those with wrists big enough to handle it, the bulk is justified. The AMOLED screen is crisp and easily readable while exercising. The overall feel of the GT 3 is that of robustness, despite the abundance of glass. Plus, the chunky body manages to squeeze in a reliable heart rate monitor and massive 14-day battery. There are easy-to-use controls that allow for both touch screen and rolling crown operation and a plentiful suite of fitness and wellbeing applications.
Jump to:
Build
• Big in size
• Professional design
• Robust
People notice the Huawei Watch GT 3. Given its 46mm black mirror screen, brushed silver bezel and piercingly bright screen, there’s no wonder why. It looks large on the wrist, pokes out from sleeves, and the screen is readable from across the room. In short, it’s far from subtle.
Its nearest comparison is the 46mm version of the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Classic. However, this rival does have a more robust and militaristic cast to it. This is a stark contrast to the GT 3, which wouldn’t look out of place on the wrist of a high-flying suited professional.
However, the sleekness of the GT 3 belies a tough build. When on the wrist, you’re full of confidence that it can take anything that’s thrown at it and still come out looking brand new. The metalwork sits tightly to the AMOLED screen, with the rotating crown control and push-button feeling tactile and firm when operated.
The 46mm version of the Huawei GT 3 has a 1.43-inch 466x466 resolution AMOLED touchscreen, weighs 42.6g and is 11mm thick. The back of the GT 3 houses the TruSeen 5.0+ HR sensor. If you feel that the 46mm is a tad too big, a smaller 43mm GT 3 is available, and it weighs 35g and is 10.2mm thick – however, it does have a lesser specification.
The version I tested had the Classic Brown leather strap, which adds to the premium look. Other straps are available, including a sporty Active Black, though any 20mm watch strap will fit.
Usability
• Crisp and bright screen
• Easy to read
• Easy-to-use controls
While size affects its looks, it has an equal impact on how useable the GT 3 it is. The AMOLED screen is large and clear, with the lines of health-tracking graphs being crisp and text being precisely edged. While this combination helps in day-to-day usage and it's helpful when exercising – unlike smaller or monochromatic screens, workout feedback is read easily at a glimpse.
More than just pretty pixels, the screen is very responsive to touch. It never struggled to translate my rapid finger swipes into operations, even in the rain or during exercise. Navigating menus is indistinguishable from operating a smartphone, and the main app menu is arranged to be operated intuitively via a small, round touchscreen. The GT 3 runs on HarmonyOS, the same lightweight but capable OS found on the standard Huawei Watch 3.
In addition to the touchscreen, the rolling crown can operate the GT 3. It’s a pleasingly tactile control method, particularly when paired with the default haptic vibration feedback. Most of the time it’s just used to slide up and down menus, but it can also zoom in and out of the main app menu or press in to pause and continue workout tracking.
A small button sits flush to the body just below the rotating crown. This, as with other Huawei watches, jumps you straight to the workout and exercise menu. In this list, you’ll find a comprehensive fitness suite. However, for some mindfulness and wellbeing routines, you’ll have to jump back into the main app menu.
Altogether, the touch, crown and button make the GT 3 operation very easy and faff-free. There’s little to go wrong – it’s simple but effective.
The companion app - Huawei Health - is a little fiddlier. I was testing on an iPhone 12 and, compared to the simple pairing of an Apple Watch, the setup was a little fussy but by no means experience-destroying. Once the app was downloaded, the GT 3 paired via Bluetooth and was good to go. It all works as it should, and once connected, the watch and the app communicate, giving you access to weather reports, texts and emails. The GT 3 also supports phone calls over Bluetooth from the wrist.
Performance
• Impressive 14-day battery
• Reliable HR monitor
• Too big for skinny wrists
Everything on the Huawei GT 3 worked well during my testing. While setting up the app and downloading some firmware updates took a little time, the following weeks saw them communicating without issue.
The GT 3 benefits from its large size because of its large screen, as stated in the Usability section. But the watches body also holds a few other features that up the performance. The first is the battery.
Smartwatches are great, but they feel like a waste of money if they spend too much time plugged in. This is not an issue that you’ll encounter with the GT 3 – it carries a battery with enough juice to keep it running for 14 days of normal usage.
Firstly, the wireless magnetic charger is fuss-free and tops up the power quickly. But mostly, the GT3 spends most of its life on your wrist because it has a huge 14-day battery. An Apple Watch 7 runs flat in under a day, for comparison. Naturally, the more you use the device, the quicker battery drains. The 46mm GT 3 carries enough juice for 14 days of normal usage, dropping to eight days under heavy-use conditions. Huawei class “heavy-use” as regularly listening to music, using the GPS, workout tracking and similar activities.
My experience with the GT 3 certainly lines up with these stats: a week of regular use and workout tracking saw me topping up the battery as it dipped under 20%, but the following week I gave myself a break, and it remained over 60% full.
The second feature of note is the new-and-improved GPS tracker, which uses a dual-band five-system GNSS. This GPS upgrade greatly increases accuracy over previous Huawei wearables and will serve anyone who loves to dissect their running routes well.
The third feature lurking in the large shell of the GT 3 is the TruSeen 5.0+ HR sensor. It’s no secret that sub-par HR sensors have always been a weaker element of Huawei smartwatches. Thankfully, the 5.0+ is a significant upgrade over past efforts. According to the design lab, the sensor has a 94.6 to 96 per cent HR recording accuracy. While I’m unable to collate the precision of the HR in my real-world life applications, looking back over workout stats shows continuous and steady monitoring, with no blank spots or erratic readings.
This last point is handy given that the GT 3 also tracks some of your bodily signs throughout the day to make sure that all is well. Heart rate and blood O2 saturation track alongside stress, letting you make sure that your mental wellbeing is as keenly looked after as your physical fitness.
Sleep is tracked too, though I found the watch too large to make a comfortable bedfellow. And this does speak to a wider problem with the GT 3 (and fitness trackers in general). To get the most from the GT 3, you need to have the wrist strap well fitted to your wrist. For me, this is a problem - I have knobbly wrists and like my watch to hang a little loose. So, other than for a few for testing, I had to go without HR, stress and Blood Oxygen reporting. If you like your watches to tuck in tight, you’ll be fine. If not, there’s always the 43mm model.
Price
The Huawei Watch GT 3 retails from £229.99, though prices vary depending on strap choice. The Classic Brown on my review sample costs £249.99 at full retail, and there is a Light Gold option for £279.99. Even at its most expensive, the GT 3 is a very reasonably priced smartwatch considering its feature sheet and premium sheen.
The 42mm Samsung Watch4 sits at £349 and the 46mm at £396, and though well accomplished, the battery life alone is likely to turn the head of Android users. The GT 3 is also well under the price of an Apple Watch 7, which sits over £350. Though it is more than the Apple Watch 3, which is marketed as the entry-level option at prices from £179.
Verdict
There’s no escaping the size of the 46mm Huawei GT 3, but for those with wrists big enough to handle it, the bulk is justified and wrapped in an attractive design. The AMOLED screen is crisp and bright and is easily readable while exercising. The overall feel of the GT 3 is that of robustness, despite the abundance of glass. Plus, the chunky body manages to squeeze in a reliable heart rate monitor and massive 14-day battery.
The operation and performance of the Huawei GT 3 are without fault. There are easy-to-use controls that allow for both touch screen and rolling crown operation and a plentiful suite of fitness and wellbeing applications.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Large, responsive screen | • Too big for skinny wrists |
| • Reliable HR monitor | • Limited app compatibility – Huawei apps only |
| • Excellent battery |
How we tested it:
I used the watch every day for a number of weeks. I used it to track bike rides, walks and at-home workout routines. It was paired with my iPhone 12.
What to read next:
Fossil Gen 6 Smartwatch Review: Impressive function and compatibility