Not so long ago, a review article about the entire line of Huawei Watch GT 3 and GT Runner was published on our website. The assortment is varied, there are watches for all occasions. But style is one thing, what’s new in real use? We decided to check it out on the example of the male model 46 mm in black. Watch GT 3 Active… The term of use is approaching one month.
Features of appearance
Black watches certainly look stylish, but they usually collect fingerprints and dust particles. Huawei has come out of the situation by adding a light metal texture, behind which traces of use are invisible. The second point: there is a light metal under the dark paint, so chips and scratches are clearly visible. However, in my case, the watch remained intact, despite meeting with a couple of jambs and door handles. The conclusion is unambiguous: the coating of steel and glass are strong.
The ergonomics are interesting. On the one hand, large watches are not lost on the wrist – a true masculine classic. On the other hand, the body weighs only 42.6 grams, and the strap is almost weightless, which allows you not to notice the gadget on your wrist while you sleep. For sports, it’s still better to look at the very light Huawei Band 6 bracelet (18 grams) or the new GT Runner (38.5 grams).
Having grown to 1.43 inches AMOLED inherited from Huawei Watch 3. Perhaps this is one of the best solutions for smartwatches: bright in the sun and non-irritating at night, maintains a constant display of information and reacts smartly to touches. The display is wrapped in a bezel and appears to be bezel-less, the feeling is enhanced by the predominantly black interface. If you look closely, the true border of the screen is within the bezel within a small additional bezel.
The standard watch faces have their own Always-On skins. Third parties are content with six pre-prepared themes inherited from the previous generation Huawei Watch GT. The continuous display is active when the watch is on the wrist, and turns off when the user falls asleep. There is no timer activation, and this is even for the best – the intelligent mode is, in fact, very accurate.
Functionality and autonomy
The Watch GT 3 runs a full-fledged HarmonyOS 2.1 with an updated menu structure and a smoother interface. Added support for third-party applications. The wheel is used to scroll through menu items, but is not used to switch cards on the main screen.
The full-fledged HarmonyOS system debuted this year on the Watch 3 with very poor battery life. Therefore, I had some concerns, because from the Watch GT you expect at least a week of autonomy. The fears were not confirmed: in the mode of round-the-clock wear with Always-On, constant monitoring of heart rate, temperature, SpO2 and sleep, the watch lasted exactly 5 days from Monday morning to Friday evening. But you also need to take into account the huge number of notifications and a couple of calls every hour every day. If you turn off unnecessary monitoring and use the gadget a little less, you can count on 8-10 days, and without constant display of information – for all two weeks.
The secret is in the absence of mobile communication modules with eSIM and Wi-Fi. Before us is a companion for a smartphone, not an independent gadget. As a result, the menu contains a list of recent calls and favorite contacts, but no dial pad. The built-in music widget controls the player on your smartphone and plays pre-loaded music without internet streaming.
Support for third-party applications remained in full. Six months after the appearance of AppGallery on the watch, there are a little more applications, but they are still at least sensible. Most of the catalog is mini-applications for the software already installed on the smartphone. I’d like to see installed apps automatically added to the watch, like Wear OS does. The second point is the lack of third-party contactless payment applications. The watch has NFC and, since Huawei Pay does not work in Russia, I would like to see an alternative “Wallet” that solves this problem.
Huawei is also worth scolding for its notifications. The watch simply collects all messages into the simplest list without dialogue threads and feedback. You can reply with pre-filled templates only by SMS. The work with calls is made more competently: if you accept a call from the watch, you can immediately talk through it in the headset mode. The audibility is excellent! You cannot answer calls from messengers, they simply are not displayed.
Health monitoring
Within the Huawei ecosystem, all health data is collected in a separate application and synchronized with the cloud. If desired, the data can be uploaded to Google Fit. On the clock, you can see the data for the last day.
Optical sensors have been updated to TruSeen 5.0+. As before, there are no questions about the accuracy of heart rate measurement, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) level and sleep phase calculation. Incorrect information is shown by the skin surface temperature sensor, which records from 33 to 35 degrees instead of the usual 36.6. The barometer is in place, and navigation quickly clings to satellites and accurately tracks training routes. There is a reminder to get up and stretch. This kit only lacks an ECG. The form factor of this particular version with a 46mm dial is more suitable for everyday health monitoring than for professional training.
Synchronization with a smartphone
Huawei wearable electronics work with smartphones based on HarmonyOS, Android and iOS. Personally, I am in the company’s ecosystem and always test a watch paired with a Huawei P20 Pro or HONOR 30 Pro +. But this time it was interesting to check compatibility with other Android smartphones using Samsung as an example. And here a slight disappointment awaited me: the Health companion application has not been updated on Google Play for over a year and is incompatible with Watch GT 3. For correct operation, I had to scan the QR code on the watch, install the AppGallery app store from Huawei and only get a fresh one in it. version of Huawei Health. As a result of this quest, I have a Samsung smartphone with a third-party app store and a watch connected to it.
The watch works with other smartphones on Android as well as with Huawei or HONOR. Notifications, calls, third-party applications and dials, workouts – all functionality is available. There are two differences. Firstly, in third-party shells, the alarm clock is not synchronized with the clock. Secondly, the status bar contains an unhidden notification from the companion showing the steps taken, which prevents the program from being unloaded from memory. If desired, you can hide it, but in this case, the connection may be lost.
Review after a month of use
The conclusion regarding the Watch GT 3 is encouraging, Huawei introduced new functionality, while retaining the main feature in the form of powerful autonomy. The updated HarmonyOS interface and the installation of third-party applications are the right vector for development. But I still don’t like two things: how clumsy Huawei implemented notifications and the lack of contactless payments in Russia. Despite this, the Watch GT 3 is a stylish smartphone companion with which you can stay on top of all notifications and be able to quickly answer calls. The cherry on top is fitness. You want to take such a watch for your permanent use.
Advantages:
- increased functionality with the transition to HarmonyOS;
- good autonomy;
- stylish look and durable materials;
- bright AMOLED with constant time display;
- waterproof for immersion up to 50 meters;
- high-quality tracking of activity;
- wireless inductive charging.
Flaws:
- rustic notification feed with no reply.
Controversial points:
- NFC does not yet support contactless payments.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
