Huawei Smartwatch Review

A Deep Dive Into The Huawei Smartwatch

Huawei Technologies brought to the world the Huawei smartwatch which first came on the Android wearables scene in 2015. This technology company, founded in 1987 and located in Shenzhen, Guangdong, manufactures telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, and smartphones.

The company favors integrating into its smartwatches the traditional watch appearance with 21st-century internal components, a combination of the best, the classic, and the new.

For its day the first smartwatch was decent enough, however, it did not offer a number of features (GPS, cellular connectivity, not waterproof) that are nowadays considered necessities for many smartwatch consumers. These features were introduced into later models, interestingly, not all models.

Still, like any good technology, there is always a need to upgrade and Huawei did just that with the Huawei Watch 2, which was released in 2017. This version offers a faster processor, more RAM, NFC support among others. There is cellular connectivity as well with this smartwatch.

This model is also waterproof, unlike the original smartwatch. Its appearance is more modern incorporating a digital watch face steering away from the traditional watch hands. This smartwatch also anticipates enduring a bit more rugged experiences since the watch face is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass.

So what does a company do after their first upgrade? It takes another stab at improving their product. Here comes Huawei Watch GT introduced in 2018. With GT you can see that Huawei wanted to bring back some of the traditional watch face features. However, it seems that other features of this watch received a downgrade from its predecessor.

For example, this watch is water-resistant, not waterproof like Huawei 2. The GT smartwatch does not originally include cellular connectivity. The first two versions were compatible with Android Wear OS and this version originally was compatible only with Huawei Wearable OS platforms but has expanded to Android and iOS compatibility.

The display protection for the first device was Sapphire crystal glass, the second device is Corning Gorilla Glass while GT sports a glass cover. So if you are tough on your watches choose wisely.

In 2109, Huawei released Huawei GT 2 which goes by many other names: Huawei Watch GT2, Huawei Watch GT 2 Sport, Huawei Watch GT 2 Classic, Huawei Watch GT 2 Elite, and Huawei Watch GT 2 Elegant.

This version does not offer cellular connectivity, it seems that it is not a feature considered to be a priority for Huawei. GT is water-resistant and compatible with the Huawei Wearable OS platform. So swimming is not an option as well. Consider carefully before washing your hands when wearing this watch.

The Huawei Watch GT 2 model is upgraded in many areas compared to its predecessors. First, Huawei incorporates the modern version of the watch hands appearance.

Huawei has developed a wearable chip Kirin A1, the latest in artificial intelligence combined with smartwatch technology to take your wearable experience to another level. This intelligent power saving development enables your battery life to work for up to 2 weeks.

Attention to detail is everything. The GT 2’s AMOLED display with a 3D glass screen provides a bezel-less vision and the screen responds effectively and accurately to touch.

The Huawei GT 2 smartwatch weighs 41 g (1.45 oz) and its dimensions are 45.9 x 45.9 x 10.7 mm (1.81 x 1.81 x 0.42 in). It is made with a stainless steel case and ceramic back.

Who’s It For?

The GT 2 incorporates what the fitness and a sports-oriented person is seeking. A smartwatch that will accurately and reliably record heart rate, blood pressure, sleep quality as well as progress achieved during a workout. Displaying all the metrics that give the user a comprehensive picture of their overall well being in order to know what is the next right action to take in order to achieve their wellness goals.

For those where appearance is also important, this smartwatch can be worn both in sporty and more formal environments like work and going out for dinner at a nice restaurant.

What We Like About Huawei GT 2

The battery is always one of the top concerns for any smartwatch consumer. Who wants to have to recharge the battery after every workout or as often as one needs to charge a smartphone? The long life of the battery is one of the outstanding features that make this watch appealing as the battery can last for up to 2 weeks on a single charge.

While using all of the trackers (heart rate, stress, and sleep) and streaming music during your workouts and other times, as long as the “always-on” feature is not activated you can rely on 2 weeks of battery life.

The reliable and accurate GPS can be voice-activated while you are working out and do not want to manually set it up.

We like the workhorse features of the device being internal while sporting a traditional-looking timepiece with a bright screen.

Huawei Health app is the compatible fitness app that gives you easy to understand data based on your metrics. The readings are accurate and reliable.

The weather app is also accurate.

The smartwatch can pair with Bluetooth headphones so you can listen to music during workouts as well as change tracks and volume. The speakers function satisfactorily as well.

Receive notifications for incoming emails, text messages, and even news headlines, which can be customized according to personal preferences. When answering any phone calls from the smartwatch the audio is loud and clear. While you can receive text messages there is no option to respond from this device.

In addition to the features that are appealing for the fitness-focused, should you lose your smartphone, this device has a “find my phone” feature to help you find it.

The newest feature added to this smartwatch is the oxygen sensor. The fact that it is waterproof means there is no cause for concern should you forget to take it off when washing your hands or taking a shower.

When you set up alerts you have both audio and vibration settings, for example, a wake-up alarm can be customized to go off with ocean sounds plus vibrations

What We Don’t Like About Huawei GT 2

With the notification features that you can customize, this device does not provide the option to reply to messages. If you don’t delete notifications that were displayed previously, they will continue to show up on the screen until they are deleted.

Other features not offered on this device are NFC payments, the option to access 3rd party apps. It would be welcomed if there were more watch faces to choose from to load on the screen. If that is really important to you then this is not the smartwatch for you. There are no options to download any extras at all.

The sleep tracker is not reliable in monitoring naps and when someone wakes up briefly and goes back to sleep.

The music controller seems to take a considerable amount of time to transfer music to the watch. There is no option to stream new music directly to the watch if it does not come from the smartphone.

It is not Google Wear OS compatible.

For average size wrists, this smartwatch feels heavy and bulky. It does not remain secure during workouts as it moves a bit when the arm is moving around.

During workouts the running coach is so loud it seems to be shouting and it continues to talk continuously if the pace or heart rate is not within the expected parameters. There is no option to pause or turn off this feature during runs.

The trackers for heart rate and sleep are significantly inaccurate and unreliable. There have been syncing issues with data transfers as well.

The calorie counter does not automatically factor in non-exercises activities which means it will not give an accurate total of calories burned during the day. For calories not recorded you have to manually input the information into the MyFitnessPal app.

There have been circumstances where the watch has died after a software update and it would not turn back on.

The refresh rate of the screen and the frame rate of the system is quite low, which makes scrolling through menus look spasmodic.

advanced fitness tracking isn’t automatic, so you need to remember to activate your watch every time you start a workout if you want to track it,

What’s Included?

Watch x 1
Charging cradle x 1
Charging cable x 1
User guide x 1

Overview Of Features

Huawei Watch GT 2 assists you in staying on track with your health and fitness goals with the MyFitnessPal recording all of your indoor and outdoor activities offering from 15 workout modes to choose.

The included fitness trainer feature provides several professional training courses from beginners to advanced levels. You have guidance every step of the way during your workout helping you to progress every day.

TruSeen3.5 monitors your heart rate while you are exercising. TrueRelax stays on top of your blood pressure readings and TruSleep2.0 tracks your sleep.

During outdoor workouts you can rely upon two positioning systems (GPS, GLONASS) that upgrade your satellite access and accuracy in tracking your routes when you are running, walking, or cycling.

As you proceed with working out Huawei Watch GT 2 will track and display your progress in several areas: step count, calories burned, every time you stand up, and when your fitness activities range from medium to high intensity.

While this smartwatch keeps you on track with your workouts you can also utilize the other functions of this device. Stay on top of your emails, text messages and social media by receiving notifications on this smartwatch. Listen to your music that is synced from your smartphone so you can leave your phone at home while you are out running.

Many convenient features to support some of the important areas of your life.

Review Summary

Huawei Technologies has been busy in the past five years producing different smartwatches that offer different levels of apps and resources depending upon your preferences.

If you are looking for a smartwatch that includes all the bells and whistles then this is not what you want. You can count on some basic features with a watch that also looks attractive should you choose to take it to the board room or for a night out.

Be clear on what you require for a smartwatch before you choose. Other smartwatches have additional features Huawei does not offer. However, this smartwatch will meet the needs of many consumers and can be satisfied with the GT 2. It does offer a lot considering its price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the GT2 work with iOS?
A: Yes the GT2 is iOS compatible.

Q: Will my Whatsapp messages be displayed on the clock?
A: Yes, WhatsApp notifications and brief messages will be displayed on the watch.

Q: Does this device connect to Strava?
A: It will not connect third-party apps. Huawei has its own app to use.

Q: Does this smartwatch have a slot for a SIM card?
A: No.

Q: Can I respond to my text messages and talk on the phone with this watch?
A: There is no option to respond to text messages. You can answer phone calls from the watch and the voice quality of conversations is pretty clear.

Q: Is this watch compatible with Wear OS?
A: No Huawei has its own OS that is compatible with this device.

Q: Can you connect the music to a Bluetooth speaker?
A: Yes.

Q: Upon receipt of notifications for calls and messages what are my management options?
A: All text messages can be read and rejected by using the buttons. Call notification displays can be answered or rejected by using the same buttons.

Q: What is the width of the band for this model?
A: Width is 22mm.

Q: Is this smartwatch sold with a leather strap?
A: No. It comes with a black rubber band. It can be replaced with any 22mm watch band.

Q: How many different watch faces are available for this smartwatch. Are there more faces to download?
A: This smartwatch comes with an additional 14 faces. There are no more watch faces to download.

Q: I have an international version of this device. Is there a way to access more watch faces?
A: To be able to load new watch faces depends on the region where you live/activate the watch. You will need a Huawei ID and use a VPN to “relocate” the smartwatch where it is permitted to download watch faces.

Download the Huawei Internet Service app from the Google store. When prompted enable apps from “unknown” sources. From this point you will be able to choose and install the available watch faces available.

Q: Is this smartwatch water-resistant?
A: Yes, Huawei is both water-resistant or dust-resistant. This device prevents water and dust from entering inside the watch.

Q: How many ways are there to take a screenshot?
A: There are different ways to take screenshots from this device, which you can view in the Gallery.

1. Side buttons
Take a picture of any screen on your phone by simultaneously pressing and holding the volume button and the power button.

2. Top Bar
On the home screen, drag down the top bar and choose the screenshot option.

3. Knuckles
(Applicable only to products that offer knuckle-based screenshots option)

Enter Settings > Smart assistance > Motion control > Smart screenshot and turn on Smart screenshot.

To capture the full screen, with your knuckle tap the screen twice and the screen will be automatically captured and saved.

4. Capture scrolling screen
-With your knuckle tap and while holding down the knuckle proceed to draw an “S” shape on the screen, and then -lift your knuckle. This will prompt the screen to automatically scroll down while capturing a screenshot.
A scrolling screenshot involves knocking the screen twice with your knuckle, and then touching a section of the screen in the lower-right corner. The screen is then prompted to automatically scroll down while capturing the screenshot.

5. Capture partial screen
Knock with your knuckle the screen firmly. Drag your knuckle around the chosen area and return to the starting point. Your selection which is the area inside the blue line will be shown on the screen. There is a screenshot box at the top of the screen that allows you to choose for different screenshots.