Huawei’s new smartwatch is, once again, a very premium-looking and luxurious-feeling smartwatch that make similarly priced rival devices from Samsung, Google, Motorola and Xiaomi feel cheap by comparison. And also like past Huawei wearables, it has significantly longer battery life than competitors. But also as usual, the Huawei Watch GT4 has some software limitations that keep it from being as functional as those other wearables.
The Huawei Watch GT4 comes in several variants, with the base model coming in a stainless steel case with a plastic strap starting at at €249 ($263) in Europe and slightly lower in Asia. The model I am testing is the higher end model with stainless steel body and straps, and comes in a large 46mm size, priced at €349 ($370).
The watch features a 46mm circular OLED screen measuring about 1.46-inch diagonally that pumps out 600 nits of maximum brightness. This is acceptable brightness for outside use, but a bit lower than the highest tier Apple or Samsung watch screen brightness. The PWM (pulse-width modulation) is measured at 60, which is on par with Apple and Samsung’s. It’s a great looking screen and responsive to taps and swipes.
The body, as mentioned, feels very premium. Stainless steel frame with a raised bezel (that can’t be twisted) and two buttons on the right, one of which is a rotatable crown. I like that Huawei spaces the buttons out to be higher and lower on the sides, so they are not accidentally pressed when I do push-ups.
The stainless steel strap makes the watch feel heavy duty and “tougher,” but at the expense of extra weight (48g, 1.5oz). The heft is fine for everyday wear, but it will likely feel uncomfortable if you’re running or playing basketball with it on.
There are the usual sensors for heart rate, temperature, along with a gyroscope and accelerometer. No new breakthroughs here, but measurements are quite accurate and precise, according to testing alongside the Apple Watch. The watch is particularly smart at identifying real steps, and not be fooled into thinking I’m walking when I am merely moving my arms or gliding on a scooter.
Huawei did not disclose the processor used in the watch, but it’s snappy enough to run most of the things. However, because this is a Huawei watch, it cannot run basic Google services even if you pair the watch to a typical Android device like a Pixel or a Samsung Galaxy. So don’t expect to be able to use Google Assistant or navigate via Google Maps. In its place are Huawei alternatives, like Petal Maps. The latter is actually not bad, as it navigated me around Los Angeles and New York mostly fine. But still, Google Maps is just better.
The Watch can still mirror notifications from my Android phone, and I can even shoot back canned responses, but I am not able to input my own responses, which is a clear shortcoming. On a Google Pixel Watch or Samsung watch, for example, I can respond to WhatsApp messages with my voice or by typing directly on the watch face. Still, given the situation with Huawei, these shortcomings are likely due to outside factors, meaning there’s nothing Huawei’s software engineers can actually do.
For the most part, you can wear this watch and get all the basics done. It can track your steps, exercises, alert you of incoming messages, make calls, control your smartphone’s camera shutter button, and control music playing on your phone. It is just lacking the extras that other watches offer. But Huawei makes up for it with superior hardware and battery life that can last up to 12 days from my testing. By comparison, all watches by Google, Samsung and Apple need to be charged every 24-36 hours. I recently went on a six day trip to New York and didn’t even bring a charger for the Huawei Watch GT4, which is a real luxury.
And overall, the watch is just really good looking. I find myself admiring its looks on my wrist often, and it’s definitely garnered curious queries and compliments from friends and acquaintances the way Samsung watches never have.
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