introduction
Huawei announced the global arrival of the Watch GT 3 Pro last month in Milan, the European fashion capital. It’s the company’s flagship wearable device for 2022 and is certainly one of the most beautiful smartwatches ever made. It was introduced in two sizes and we had a chance to try both for this review.
After weeks of testing, we’re now ready to share our impressions of the Watch GT 3 Pro, so buckle up.
We had the titanium version of the 46mm GT 3 Pro watch and the 43mm ceramic unit with gold accented bezel. Both variants look extremely premium and classy. The larger version has a metal body, while the smaller is only available with a ceramic body, which can be had with a matching ceramic strap or a white leather strap.
Design and build
The Titanium version supports standard 22mm straps and what you find in the box is very similar to the Watch 3 Pro series. It has a folding clasp which is very easy to use. The strap can be adapted for larger wrists, with Huawei providing three extra elements to extend the length.
The 43mm Ceramic version requires 20mm straps. It looks truly impressive and while the gold accent on our version won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, its stunning build quality is sure to attract the right kind of attention.
The white ceramic strap is equally eye-catching. It was made at extremely high temperatures of 1500 degrees Celsius and the surface was finished with a diamond powder enamel to achieve a smooth, flawless texture.
The body of the watch is made of white nano-ceramic, while the sapphire crystal on the top is virtually immune from scratches and damage.
The clasp is a classic butterfly and, just like its big brother, there are three extra elements to extend the length of the strap. However, unlike the Titanium version, here you have to use a tiny screwdriver for the microscopic screws, so you have to be very careful not to lose them.
Both versions of the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro have two side buttons: the top is a rotating crown, the bottom is a simple button at first glance. In fact it has a conductive surface, which is the key to enabling ECG functionality. Charging is standard Qi wireless, but unless you plan to detach one end of the bands each time you may need to stick to the magnetic charger provided in the retail package.
Software
The Watch GT 3 Pro runs Harmony OS 2.0 like most of the company’s wearables these days. However, the operating system has been adapted to support several new features.
The watch is equipped with an ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor that measures the heart rhythm. This includes real-time analysis, sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, atrial and ventricular premature beat reminders, and to help keep you informed of any heart health risks.
Everything looks great on paper, but Huawei has yet to receive the required certifications to activate the feature, so it won’t work in Europe at this point. The company is working to get approval in Germany and Italy, which will open the door for further expansion into other EU members.
We have already said that the button at the bottom is conductive, and it is necessary to close the electrical circuit that crosses the body. So far, we have only been able to measure the arterial stiffness detection and the watch said the measurement was “normal”. Yes, we!
Arterial stiffness detection
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro connects to any smartphone via Bluetooth. It doesn’t have cellular support, which is probably the main difference between it and the Watch 3 Pro. It integrates with a selection of third-party apps downloaded from AppGallery on the phone and can also act as a speakerphone for answering calls.
There are many features and sensors that measure sleep quality, SpO2 levels, and heart rate, as is expected from Huawei Watch devices these days.
Watch GT 3 Pro supports the “100+ workouts” modes available and the most recent is free diving. Aside from the IP68 and 5 ATM standard, this watch “withstood an astounding 200 cycles of water pressure” and, in theory, supports free diving up to 30 meters.
Yes, it’s nice that Huawei has managed to develop the wearable for such high-pressure scenarios, although we’re not sure how accurate and useful it can be for that specific task.
In fact, despite the very comfortable fit, the Watch GT3 Pro is quite heavy in both its versions and we’re not sure many will want to take it for a run or to the weight room (where it will be of little use just like every other smartwatch). It fits best in more formal settings where its flawless design and selection of beautiful dials really help you stand out.
In such environments it will do well to forward notifications from your phone to your wrist, even if it’s a bit limited as to what you can do about it. Some pre-typed answers are good, and even those aren’t available for all apps.
Still for most people they read the notification and then know if they need to reach for the phone or not. You also get subtleties like weather updates, sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, and Huawei Wallet in the handful of supported countries.
Battery life
This is the other great thing about the Watch GT 3 Pro along with its looks. Huawei has equipped the 46mm version with a 530mAh battery, while the 43mm version has a 292mAh power cell.
The 46mm GT 3 Pro can go through a truly impressive 13 days with constant heart rate, skin temperature, and sleep tracking. We’ve kept SpO2 monitoring out, as well as stress testing as these features are unlikely to have practical use for the vast majority of users.
Turning it on shortens battery life by about a day and a half, which still means you’ll need to recharge it once every 11 or 12 days.
If you decide to take the 46mm GT 3 Pro for your runs and do four hours of GPS-tracked workouts per week, the battery life drops to 8 days.
All these numbers were achieved with the Always On Display turned off. The wake gesture is fast and reliable, so you may want to keep it that way. However, if you’d rather have AoD, you get around 6.5 days of battery life in the first test scenario with only a few sensors turned on and around 4 days in the heavier use case with workouts involved.
The smaller 43mm battery variant of the Watch GT 3 Pro cannot understandably match the durability of the 46mm version. However, even that easily outlived most smartwatches.
With no AoD and only heart monitoring enabled between sensors, you can go 8 days between charges, which is great. Activating AoD reduces stamina to four days.
Huawei doesn’t announce the brightness levels of its 1.43-inch AMOLED (1.32-inch for the Ceramic version), but it gets very bright to withstand even the brightest sun.
Charging the 46mm Watch GT 3 Pro from 0 to 100% takes 110 minutes, which is longer than Huawei’s promise of 85 minutes, but considering a 30-minute charge gives you 39% charge which can usually last several days not a big deal.
The 43mm variant takes approximately 80 minutes from 0 to 100%.
Since the devices support wireless charging, they work with any Qi charger. However, most chargers are too large, so you will need to detach one end of the band to be able to place the Watch GT 3 Pro on it.
Verdict
The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro offers a compelling set of features, but it’s the battery life and design that really set it apart. The watch looks impressive, has incredible build quality, and feels really comfortable.
When you consider the type of materials you’re buying and, more importantly, the super tough sapphire crystal screen, its price really looks like a bargain. There aren’t many classic sapphire crystal watches that cost that much, and hardly any smartwatches.
The 46mm Watch GT 3 Pro starts at € 369 with a leather strap, while the full Titanium package costs € 499. In a rare twist, the smaller 43mm version is actually more expensive. A white ceramic shell without accents and a white leather strap will cost you € 499. The one with a golden bezel and ceramic strap costs € 599.
It is worth mentioning that Huawei often sells its premium devices with loads of freebies, and you can get Freebuds Pro or Freebuds Lipstick for free in many markets, as well as an annual membership with Adidas Running. Those definitely help sweeten the deal further, especially if you happen to need the device offered in your specific market.
That said, we can highly recommend the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro. It’s not the cheapest, nor the smartest wearable around, but its unmatched looks and battery life, combined with reliable notification delivery, really make it the best wearable around for a large group of people. And thanks to its premium materials it is bound to keep its appearance for a long time.
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