Watch Double-Team

I am so frustrated by Huawei.

Well... not actually by Huawei but by the seemingly ridiculous circumstances that have led to Huawei handsets disappearing from our phone shop shelves.

Huawei always made some of the best phones in the world - in fact, they're still making them but because of politics they no longer make it to our shores.

What's even more frustrating is we can still get our hands on other cool Huawei stuff - or get our hands in other cool Huawei stuff - like the new Huawei watches. This is frustrating because it's an obvious reminder of just how good Huawei is at manufacturing high-performance tech that matches form with function...

I know; even side by side it'd be easy to think the Huawei Watch GT 3 and Huawei Watch GT Runner are actually the same watch. Although the GT 3 also comes in a 42mm version, I've been reviewing the 46mm model, which is basically the same size as the GT Runner.

I'll probably spend most of this review highlighting the differences between these two devices but first, let's emphasise what they have in common; for starters, they both look fabulous. Huawei has been producing genuinely classy looking time-pieces for years now and even early on I was impressed with how Huawei smartwatches looked so much more like a "traditional" wristwatch than most of the other options.

Both these new models are no exception. They're not unwieldly and bulky and they're not square. In fact, although 46mm is probably as wide as you'd want your watch face to be, neither of these feel heavy or uncomfortable, even after hours of prolonged use.

That's good, because like many Huawei smartwatches and activity trackers before them, these watches do a great job of sleep tracking, providing a lot of useful details and insights - both on the watch itself and via the ubiquitous Huawei Health app, your one-stop shop for connecting any Huawei wearable to your iOS or Android device.

A problem I've often encountered wearing sleep-trackers to bed is Domestic Manager hitting me in the head. She feels compelled to do this when the laser light sensor that shines on my wrist to monitor any number of metrics beams directly into her eyes and keeps her awake. It might seem like a small thing but Huawei has completely redesigned the TruSeen 5.0+ sensors on both the GT 3 and GT Runner. Not only is there now a new AI for more accurate heart-rate detection and double the number of sensors (we now have eight) but the sensor module is now curved, settling further into your wrist which means far less chance of light escaping. Does it work? I haven't been whacked in the noggin yet.

Decent battery life is another key feature when it comes to wearing your smartwatch to bed. Huawei makes some pretty bold claims about what these watches can do on a full charge and as with any device, we all use them differently so it's hard to be super accurate. I can see how it would be possible to stretch out to the fourteen days Huawei suggests but my typical usage means I'm looking at about a week on a single charge. I'm not complaining - there aren't many other full-featured smartwatches with high definition screens like these that come anywhere close to that kind of battery life.

A magnetic charging cradle is included in the box but both watches will also charge quite happily when sitting on most standard wireless chargers - again, that kind of versatility is seldom found on other similar devices.

Back to those displays; both are exceptionally bright and clear - there's no issue reading every element and making out any complications you have running on your favourite watch-face - there are thousands to choose from and many are free.

Both watches have access to AppGallery through the Health app settings menu - this is not the full selection of apps you'd find for a phone but there are a few useful tools you might like to upload to your watch, including various puzzle games, fitness apps, a pill reminder and even a remote control for your Hue smartlights. Presumably this AppGallery will continue to expand quickly in much the same way the phone version has over the last couple of years.

Both devices also feature a rotating crown on the top button which is a very intuitive way to control things like volume, zoom and scrolling through screens, depending on which app you're using.

In terms of the user interface, both watches work pretty much the same way - you can set up a shortcut on the lower button to quick-launch your favourite app and the usual combination of swipes and presses will get you to your other apps, settings, shortcuts and notifications in seconds. Unfortunately, notifications are still a bit of a weak-spot for these Huawei watches. I'm impressed with the vastly improved consistency with which the notifications come through but they're still very limited with how much they show - often just the first few words of a subject line in an email and no rich-notifications from things like Instagram or security cameras, so no preview thumbnails like you get on some competitor devices. The quick-reply function has been vastly improved though and you can customise a list of short responses you can send to email, text and messenger contacts.

But it's the health monitoring and fitness tracking where these devices really go nuts. While both have vastly improved GPS abilities, locking onto a variety of possible satellite networks in seconds, the GT Runner takes it even further, with a unique antenna design that runs out of the body of the watch completely and through the connecting arms for the band. 

This design also doubles as a method of channelling moisture away from your wrist, making it more comfortable to wear the GT Runner for intense workouts.

Both watches track an impressive array of activities - including swimming. There's an auto-detect function that kicks in when the watch thinks you're out for a run and asks you if you want to record it. I couldn't get this to work very consistently though which probably says something about my walking speed. What definitely works well is that GPS tracking - you can even bring up your route on the watch in real time, then share it with others after. Both devices also give you the option to measure your recovery time once you finish your workout which is a feature I haven't seen before and provides useful information about where you're at on your fitness journey.

And this is where the GT Runner takes things even further. After every workout, your Training Guide is updated - this is detailed, easy-to-digest analysis that shows you your fitness level, how fatigued you are and whether you've recovered enough to do your next workout. It'll dig into your VO2Max stats and can even predict your times for running 5km, 10km, half and full marathons.

Genuinely useful stuff.

Meanwhile, the GT 3 has a skin temperature sensor which could prove pretty useful these days to help keep track of any weird, unexpected fluctuations.

Honestly, if I listed off every health and fitness feature built into these two watches, I'd need a whole other review. Let's just say I've always been impressed with the accuracy, consistency and comprehensive range of Huawei wearables' health tracking abilities and these GT's have taken it up several more gears again.

These are both incredible-looking watches, with a lot of features and great battery life. It's no wonder Athletics NZ has teamed up with Huawei to use them as an important training tool. Maybe you should too.

    

Click here for more information on the Huawei Watch GT 3.

Click here for more information on the Huawei Watch GT Runner.