A real competitor for Apple and Google

In recent years, a technical gadget has gained acceptance in many places: the smartwatch. Still more often visible on the arms of the owners of an Apple product, the new Wear OS is slowly gaining momentum in the Android market. Now that Samsung from Tizen is also relying on the Android operating system, Huawei remains one of the few manufacturers who (have to) rely on their own solutions.

The main reason is, of course, that Huawei does not have access to Wear OS in the narrower sense. The trade conflict between the United States and China is the main reason why the manufacturer also ships its smartwatches with an alternative, in this case its own HarmonyOS. I took a closer look at the Huawei Watch GT 3 and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all: The test device was provided to us free of charge by Huawei, but this in no way influenced the opinion in this article.

Quick and easy, also on the iPhone

I was a bit skeptical at first, as I use an iPhone and am therefore not connected to devices outside of the Apple universe at all. But the setup of the Huawei Watch GT 3 worked smoothly and without any problems. Download the “Huawei Health” app, log into the Huawei account and simply connect the Watch GT 3 via Bluetooth. After a software update, we could start right away.

Overall, it took me about 10 minutes to set up, one of the reasons being that I had to register a Huawei account so that I can get the most out of the watch. So if you don’t have an account with the Chinese manufacturer, you can activate your password manager.

Light and inconspicuous

A particularly important criterion that plays a role when buying a smartwatch is how it is worn. After all, nobody wants to have a stone on their arm or to constrict their veins with every movement. Here, Huawei has achieved a good mix with the Watch GT 3. The 46 mm version of the watch weighs around 43 grams, the smaller model (42 mm) weighs 35 grams. For comparison: the latest Apple Watch weighs 39 (45 mm) or 32 grams (41 mm).

Even if it can be a little easier, I couldn’t really find any limitations in the everyday test. The watch feels comfortable on the arm, the leather strap is neither too hard nor too angular. I also like the design of the watch. Instead of a square screen like the Apple Watch, there is a classic watch design, if you don’t look closely, you would hardly see any difference to an analog watch.

Furthermore, the Watch GT 3 feels very high quality, so in this category it can convince in every respect in my opinion.

HarmonyOS has great potential

After struggling with EMUI when testing the Huawei Nova 9, I was initially a bit skeptical about the operating systems from Huawei. But with the Watch GT 3, HarmonyOS seems to be a big advantage. Because this runs completely independently and is equally compatible with iOS and Android.

The dials supplied look classy, ​​and I also really like the user interface of the rest of the system. What is missing, however, are all third-party apps. In contrast to the Apple Watch or the Wear OS watches from Samsung, for example, with the Huawei Watch GT 3 we cannot simply install our own apps and manage them via the watch face. Therefore, Huawei’s smartwatch complements the smartphone and cannot replace it for some tasks.

New notifications are announced on the watch by means of vibration and sound and can be read completely from the wrist, just like on the mobile phone screen. Unfortunately, answering does not work, you still have to reach for your smartphone. Answering calls also works with the Watch GT 3, but here I still prefer the “old-fashioned” way over the phone.

The settings can be used to define that the screen remains activated for some time after you have taken your eyes off the device, but there is still no Always On display in the narrower sense. Nevertheless, the Watch GT 3 reliably recognizes when you are looking at the watch and activates the screen accordingly.

Reliable recording of training

For many smartwatch buyers, tracking their own health is a key reason for purchasing it. With the Huawei Watch GT 3 you can record workouts, monitor your heart rate, weight and sleep, or check the oxygen content and skin temperature.

It remains to be seen whether we really need all of this data about our body. Everyone is different here and while one only wants to record his training, the other wants to know everything about his body. Both factions can enjoy this data with the Huawei Watch GT 3, via synchronization via Huawei’s service or Apple Health, the information is always available on your device.

You can start a new training session using the button on the right. A wide range of activities is available to you here. In addition to free training, some goals, such as a certain time or distance, can also be defined. If you have achieved this goal, the Watch GT 3 will notify you of this success. The actual training is recorded correctly on Huawei’s smartwatch, and I could only make out minimal differences between my Apple Watch and the Watch GT 3.

Various digital courses can also be taken with the Watch GT 3. Depending on how active you are, you can choose between different levels of difficulty and improve your performance. There are hardly any limits, the smartwatch can even be used for swimming training.

Simple and clear

Let’s take a look at the loyal companion of the Huawei Watch: the app. As already mentioned at the beginning, you need the “Huawei Health” app as a basis for the Huawei Watch GT 3. All important settings can be made here and your fitness data can also be viewed. It is also possible to fine-tune your training or to “enroll” in the courses offered.

The design is generally convincing, and anyone who has never had anything to do with Huawei can find their way around here simply and easily. The design language is also optimally integrated into the user experience of the respective operating system.

Charging is a rarity

If we look at the battery and battery management on the Watch GT 3, there is one amazing property. Once charged, the smartwatch should get you through 14 (46 mm) or 7 days (42 mm). But this only works if you restrict yourselves and also deactivate the screen immediately after looking at the clock.

In the everyday test, the Watch GT 3 still had a battery life of several days, in my best test run it was just under 7 days (for the 46 mm model). Huawei doesn’t really reveal much about the capacity, but regardless of this value, HarmonyOS does an excellent job of battery management. Another positive aspect: the watch can be charged inductively with any QI charger, so proprietary plugs are a thing of the past.

Good smartwatch with small restrictions

So is investing in the Huawei Watch GT 3 right? Yes and no. The smartwatch shows all the important fitness data, works reliably with Android and iOS and looks pretty chic at the same time.

Basically, the Huawei Watch GT 3 has one disadvantage in my opinion: It opens up another ecosystem. For those who like it simple and ultimately want to stick with Android (Wear OS) or iOS (watchOS), an Android Smartwatch or Apple Watch is more suitable. Even for those who want to install their own apps on the smartwatch, the Watch GT 3 is probably not the right one.

If that doesn’t bother you, you can purchase the Huawei Watch GT 3 in sizes 42 mm (from 229 euros) or 46 mm (from 249 euros). There are five different bracelets available, specifically these are “Black Fluroelastomer”, “Brown Leather”, “Light Gold White Leather”, “Light Gold Milanese” and “Stainless Steel”.