Huawei’s newest smartwatch has a long battery life, a round design, and features on par with Apple’s, but is that enough to make people switch from iOS to Android? The Huawei Watch GT 3 Series is the most recent smartwatch to come to Australia, even though it came out in other countries months ago.
It’s an Android watch, so it works best with an Android phone, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work with an Apple phone. Huawei has added a lot of great features that work well with iOS. For this review, I used the iPhone 12 Pro to test the Huawei Watch GT 3.
14 days battery life
The Huawei GT 3 Series is best known for how long its battery lasts. Let’s be clear: smartwatches have always had long battery lives. What’s amazing is how much you can use it in the time it takes to charge. Before I accused it for the first time, I wore it for 11 days.
It still had 6% left, and even though the battery indicator said it was low, I was sure that would be enough to get me through the day. This is with constant text messages, social media, email notifications, and a half dozen phone calls made with the watch. Compared to the Apple Watch, which needs to be charged daily, the Huawei device lasts for over a week, which is pretty amazing.
Huawei says that the 46mm watch has a battery life of up to 14 days, while the 42mm watch only lasts seven days. I’m sure the battery could last that long, but it needs to be used in a certain way for that to happen. Any wireless charger can be used to charge the Watch GT 3. This is very useful!
Where is the “tap to pay” function?
I like “tap to pay” and “Apple Pay.” The Watch GT 3 doesn’t have a similar model, at least not in Australia. I like using Apple Pay or Android Pay on my watch. Apple Pay won’t be coming to Huawei devices any time soon, but an Android option would be very helpful for people in Australia.
Huawei’s Health App
This is where you can find information about the Watch GT 3. You can set up, pair, and customize the display, and if you don’t have an iPhone, you can share music with the watch. Putting the device together was scary, especially given Huawei’s past. But the process was very clear, even though it looked like I was giving away all of my information.
All the permissions I had to give Huawei were written down and easy to understand. You can check your watch’s settings and features in the Health App. There are a lot of them. The Watch GT 3 can track your skin temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. It also has a built-in GPS and workout programs. Make sure your phone and watch are up-to-date before you use them.
Watch for customization
There are many ways to change the look of a watch face in a gallery. It was almost too much. To alter the watch look, tap and hold the middle of the screen, then swipe left or right. The Huawei Health App has a lot of different watch face designs.
You can keep the watch display on by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping the “screen on” button. By default, this will keep the screen lit for five minutes, but you can change the settings to keep the screen on for longer. This is great if you want to show off your device, but you shouldn’t leave the screen on too long because it will drain the battery.
Feeling good and looking good.
It’s one of the most comfortable smartwatches I’ve ever worn. I took off the watch only once a day for a short time. I even slept with it on my wrist to track my sleep. Unlike Huawei’s older smartwatches, these new ones have a curve on the back that fits nicely against the wrist bone.
I like the classic round watch face, but the crown on the side is my favorite. You can move through the menu and shut down apps with the crown. A modern haptic vibration is sent out whenever you press a button, turn the crown, or get a notification. The Watch GT 3’s menu system is similar to the Apple Watch, but the list view can be turned on or off.
The app menu looks like bubbles, much like how Apple does it. It didn’t bring long for me to obtain utilize the tool. If you don’t like the app menu, you can change it to a list view. The Huawei Watch GT 3 46mm only weighs 46.6 grams, less than a four-finger Kit Kat but isn’t nearly as tasty.
Music and other applications
I’m slightly disappointed by how music and music control works as an iPhone user. The Watch GT 3 can play music right from the device, so you don’t have to bring your phone with you when you go for a run. Put some music on the watch, pair it with your headphones, and go. If you have an iPhone, you won’t be able to use this feature.
You also won’t be able to control your Spotify or Apple Music music with the watch. The exercise ring system is used differently on the Huawei watch. It’s more like a rainbow of exercises and works well. Your exercise routine will help you remember when to stand up and stretch every day. The Huawei Watch GT 3 is a smartwatch (Supplied)
What does the box contain?
It’s a very nice way to open a box. Huawei’s packaging always smells nice, almost like it was made to smell good. Along with the Huawei Watch GT 3, you’ll get a magnetic charging cable, information about the warranty, and instructions for setting it up quickly.
Should you purchase it?
It’s clear that Apple was a big influence on the Huawei Watch GT 3, but that’s not bad. It just gave the thing a sense of being familiar. The 46mm Watch GT 4 will cost about $450, while the smaller 42mm will start at about $400.
It’s comfortable, stylish, and has huge battery life. It’s also great for working out and keeping track of your health. If you want to switch from Apple to Android, the Huawei Watch GT 3 will work well. But if you use Apple products, I think you should stick with the Apple Watch.