Huawei launched Watch GT 4 last month. Appearance was the main talking point, while new features remained a secondary topic, and we took the time to understand whether Huawei has decided to focus on the fashion sector or if there is more to the wearable in addition to the launch event mentioned.
We carried out our usual tests and here are our impressions after a month with the Huawei Watch GT 4.
Disinn u bini
The first thing we noticed is the design: the 46mm variant comes with a unique octagonal body. It really stands out in a world of circles and rectangles. The full name of our green variant is Rainforest Green GMT, where GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time, as this version is the only one with 24-hour markers on the bezel.
Apparently the dual colors “signify day and night”, but in reality the markers are unusable with any dial.
The watch case is made of stainless steel, just like its predecessor, the Watch GT 3. Lighter titanium remains reserved for more premium options like the Pro or Ultimate variants, but we’re quite impressed with the durability of this case.
The woven green strap is an ocean-bound recycled nylon composite – although that’s just a long way of saying recycled plastic, it’s beautiful and is certainly among the nicest in the range.
We should also mention the 41mm variants. We had very limited time with the smaller models during the official launch and all three variants looked great. They are much more attractive and a real fashion piece without extra elements or a so-called “unique” design. The 41mm Huawei Watch GT 4 could pass for a real luxury watch, the only drawbacks being the smaller screen and battery.
Ħardwer u softwer
The Watch GT 4 is a natural evolution of the Watch GT 3. The predecessor was well ahead of the competition two years ago, and Huawei decided to play it relatively safe with the new wearable: not change what already works well. It has the same set of health sensors on the back, the same 1.43-inch AMOLED with 466 x 466 resolution, and can be submerged up to 50 meters or 5 ATM; It also maintains support for L1 and L5 satellites for accurate positioning.
What Huawei has done differently this time is the use of such sensors. The new features, combined with HarmonyOS 4.0 features, promise “data-driven” workout suggestions. One of the new features that we really liked is Activity Rings 2.0: the watch tracks your movements, exercises and how many times you stand up. There’s also a virtual medal within the Huawei Health app, which plays on the process of staying active.
Your smartphone is an essential part of another new feature called Calorie Management. It aims to track your real-time calorie intake, active calories, resting calories, and overall deficit – all of this information can be found in the Weight submenu of the Health app.
Of course, no smartwatch in the world knows what you’re eating – this has to be typed in manually or via a third-party app that isn’t available everywhere. But if you track calories you won’t need a separate app for that, and the views within Huawei Health are nice.
This device, just like any other Huawei Watch, is wearable for amateur athletes. Finally, there are other sports activities: tennis, table tennis, padel and badminton. Voice-guided running is also available for some types of running activities.
Runners will love that they can upload a route (via the Huawei Health app) and follow it. There is also a so-called “intelligent fusion positioning algorithm” that became more and more precise as we ran. We used the Watch GT 4 as our primary wearable during an ITRA and UTMB-certified ultramarathon on some trails in southern Europe, and it was actually more accurate than a smartphone.
Another new feature we liked at first glance was sleep breathing awareness – this is a clear graphic that informs you of noticeable breaks in your breathing pattern during sleep. However, upon further investigation, we realized there’s more to be desired from this feature: the information provided only tells you whether your sleep was Normal, Low, Moderate, or High, and the display was almost unusable.
We must say that, despite all our attempts, we could not find the practical use of this function – all the while night breathing was classified as “Normal”. The entire set of sensors and features is now called TruSeen 5.5+, and it also includes the usual set of monitors for heart rate, SpO2, menstrual cycle, and sleep quality. The button design might suggest that the Watch GT 4 can measure ECG, but Huawei executives confirmed to us that the feature isn’t available. It may be enabled later with a software update, but if you’re in the market now, it’s best not to count on it.
Connectivity is rather modest on the Watch GT 4. The device is a simple Bluetooth watch: there’s no SIM slot, no Wi-Fi functionality, and you can’t connect Bluetooth accessories like an external heart rate monitor. At least the device lets you download music and play it during activities, either through the small speaker or through Bluetooth-connected earphones.
The Watch GT 4 can be connected to any Android smartphone and of course to all Huawei devices equipped with HarmonyOS. In theory, the Huawei Health app and wearable can also work with iPhones, but functionality is so limited and battery life is compromised to the point that we don’t recommend purchasing the watch if you’re using an iOS device.
Battery ħajja
Our 46mm unit has a battery capacity of 524mAh, while the smaller 41mm variant carries a 323mAh cell. Officially, the large version can provide a maximum battery life of 14 days and a normal battery life of 8 days, while the smaller one essentially offers half that. Our results paint a slightly different picture:
Two week battery life is virtually unattainable. We turned off all sensors, used the least power-hungry dial, disabled notifications, calls, and tracking, and still barely reached 12 days. Mind you, this is because the watch is barely useful, so we doubt many people will be able to get to it.
Regular battery life with some notifications, calls, sleep tracking, and light sports activities gave us almost a full week: We charged the device at noon on Monday and then popped it into the wireless drive the following Monday.
And here’s where it gets interesting: Huawei claims that Always On Display cuts battery life in half, but our experience was different. We repeated the same usage pattern as the previous week, and it was five full days before we put the wearable on the charger.
The company doesn’t advertise heavy use because, after all, it’s more of a fashion piece than an activity watch. This didn’t stop us from repeating our tests a fourth time, with all accessories maxed out and daily exercise: The Huawei Watch GT 4 delivered 4 days of battery life, far superior to any other competitor on the market.
We can also confirm that the wearable can work continuously for 24 hours with a GPS-enabled sports activity. The number of people who will actually track such activity with a Huawei watch is quite small, but we pushed with the scientific test nonetheless (because running for 24 hours straight is far from fun).
Charging the Huawei Watch GT 4 is quite simple. Works with any Qi-certified wireless charger, including non-Huawei smartphones with reverse wireless charging. For best results, we recommend the 5V-9V/2A charger in the box, which takes an average of 110 minutes to bring the discharged battery to 100%. The small puck is also magnetic, ensuring that the watch is aligned with the charging coil.
verdett
Huawei has hired two celebrities to promote the Watch GT 4. The face of the 41mm variant is Pamela Reif, a fitness influencer with nearly 10 million followers on Instagram, another 10 million on YouTube and over 7 million likes on TikTok .
The celebrity who endorsed the 46mm variant is an old friend of Huawei: Sir Mo Farah. He is a British marathon runner, 15-time gold medalist at the Olympics, World and European Athletics Championships and considered one of the greatest runners of all time.
We mention these names to underline that Huawei has invested its entire marketing budget into the Watch GT 4. The company wants people to talk about its new wearable, even if it barely outperforms the GT 3. And with the GT 4 appearing to as good as it is, many may in fact forget that the internal hardware is essentially unchanged.
Plus, there weren’t many flaws in the GT 3’s hardware to begin with. Long battery life, a clear interface with new and improved features, and a well-thought-out design are more than enough to make the GT 4 a great mate in 2023.
It’s an even more compelling case when you consider its price. The GT 4 costs between 250 and 400 euros in Europe, and our Green unit is not only one of the best looking but also reasonably priced at 269 euros. And Huawei often runs promotions on its website that let you get a free gift or two for the same price, making the GT 4 one of the best deals around.
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