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Apple has released its next-gen Apple Watch and this year we got to enjoy two separate models for the first time: the Apple Watch Series 6 and the SE. Every time Apple releases a new device, things get tough for other manufacturers. The whole tech world is talking now about blood oxygen monitoring, but there are other brands that offer that feature too. The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is an excellent health and fitness watch, featuring premium design and materials, a beautiful OLED display, incredible battery life, and tons of fitness features. It is only held back by its somewhat limited connectivity options (no cellular or Wi-Fi) and the lack of third-party app support.
As a standalone device, the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is missing from the smartwatch department. But if you want great looking gear with rich fitness features and don’t want to carry it around every day, the Watch GT 2 Pro is a very attractive option.
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Design And style
Huawei has been aiming for a classic chronograph design since the first Watch GT was launched two years ago. The Watch GT 2 Pro is no exception: it is a very clean and elegant device. The sapphire display is housed in a titanium frame, while the back of the watch is ceramic.
There are two buttons on the right side that contribute to the classic look. A discreet speaker opening sits below the buttons, just where the ceramic back meets the titanium frame. There is a small hole for the microphone on the opposite side, and all the sensors reside in a soft tap on the back of the watch.
The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro ships with two bands: a light brown leather band and a black silicone sport band. The diameter of the watch is 46.7mm, and while this may seem like a large number, the clean design looks great even in smaller hands. Weight is kept at bay at 52 grams thanks to the excessive use of titanium. It can also fit any third-party 46mm band so there are plenty of customization options too.
Monitor & Watch Faces
The screen of the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is quite good. It’s a 1.39-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 454 x 454, which results in a density of approximately 462 PPI. All of these numbers translate to a bright and sharp image, even in direct sunlight, although the sapphire coating is quite reflective and can act as a mirror.
There are thirteen watch faces pre-installed on the watch and each has its own function. Of course, you can download hundreds of additional watch faces in the Huawei Health app and customize some of them to your liking. Again, the chronograph-style ones look amazing and fit the overall design pretty well.
software, Health and performance
The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro runs on the proprietary LiteOS and is powered by the Kirin A1 chipset developed in-house by Huawei. This combination is the main reason behind the incredible 14-day battery life, but also the Achilles heel of this device. There is no cellular connectivity on the Watch GT 2 Pro, which means that the device is dependent on your phone and needs that Bluetooth connection. The built-in microphone and speaker allow you to handle calls, but only when your phone is close. Meanwhile, there are occasional lags and stutters in the interface, courtesy of the modest chipset.
There’s also no Wi-Fi, which is another downside and also a disappointment. When used as a standalone device, the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro really lacks the smartwatch side. However, there are some cool features on board – you can use the watch as a remote shutter when taking pictures with your phone. The Route Back function uses the built-in GPS and records the route of your journey and can be really useful not only in “lost in the woods” situations, but also when you need to track your steps and find your car in a foreign city.
There is 4GB of storage and you can use half of that to store music and listen to it on the watch (not recommended) or through a pair of headphones. No phone needed. The usual is also present: there is a barometer, a compass, a stopwatch and a timer, a flashlight that actually turns the screen white and increases the brightness, and the useful Find my phone function. You can also set alarms, check notifications, get weather updates, etc., etc. When it comes to health and fitness features, on the other hand, the Watch GT 2 Pro has a lot to offer.
The button down on the watch is customizable, but is used as a training shortcut. There are over 100 training modes, including 17 professional modes and 85 custom modes, including 13 career courses with full voice guidance to give you more suggestions for better training. The heart rate and SpO2 sensors take training and health monitoring to a whole new level, offering continuous monitoring of heart rate and VO2max (maximum oxygen consumption during exercise) readings. The 5ATM water resistance is sure to please swimming enthusiasts too.
Sleep tracking is also present on the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro, but it is not as complete as we would have liked. You can get a reading of your stress level, but it’s unclear how accurate it is. If you’re feeling stressed, there are breathing exercises to help you calm down.
Drums lifetime
Battery life is something that smartwatch makers don’t want to talk about. Even in its final version, the Apple Watch 6 can last only 18 hours on a single charge. Huawei remains an endurance champion with up to 14 days of battery life with light use. Realistically, you’ll get about a week of normal watch wear, which is still pretty impressive. Of course, the omission of Wi-Fi and cellular hardware contributes greatly to the record-breaking battery life performance.
The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro supports wireless charging for the first time and in fact it is the only way to charge the device. There’s a wireless pad in the box (no charging block though) and it can take the Watch GT 2 Pro’s 455 mAh battery to 60% in under 90 minutes (plugged into a 40W fast charger). A full charge takes about twice as long, but since you’ll have to do it once a week at most, it’s not a problem at all.
Price and availability
The price of the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is 349 euros. There is no word on whether the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro will be available in the US.
