In recent days, the Huawei brand has made the headlines in tech news thanks to a smartphone that pushes the limits of physics. A three-fold screen which demonstrates the innovative capabilities, and the impact, of the Chinese brand, which is almost invisible here. It must be said that without Google services (because of the eternal American embargo), Huawei-branded phones struggle to convince, no matter how efficient they are.
of videos
If the smartphone sector has therefore been (practically) abandoned in our regions, that of wearables still resists. Particularly through connected watches which manage to do well. If they start with a significant delay compared to their competitors, due to a lack of correlation with an ecosystem (iOS or Android), they have arguments to be made. Very good arguments even since they allow us to overcome the shortcomings, as evidenced by the latest smartwatch from the Chinese manufacturer: the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro.
Minimal improvements
We tested this new version of the Watch GT range for several weeks. This is not the first watch from the brand that we have taken in hand since we have already been able to form an opinion on the previous generations, whether the GT 4 or the GT 3. We therefore knew the strong points of this smartwatch and, unsurprisingly, they don’t change.
In reality, the Watch GT 5 brings minor improvements that still allow it to be competitive. Let’s take its aesthetic aspect. At first glance, we say to ourselves that nothing has changed. And yet. In the details, we see a more modern, more continuous architecture with a case which takes up more and more space to perfectly fit the bracelet. It works and gives, to our eyes, an impression of solidity. This also allows us to rethink the attachment system of this bracelet. A discreet but terribly effective change in the rendering. Combined with solid materials, premium quality is there.
Monster autonomy
At the system level, the Huawei Watch still runs Harmony OS (5.0). We are not going to repeat the debate on the embargo which affects the Chinese firm and which, de facto, prevents all services linked to Google. If we remove this (important) detail, we must admit that the user experience provided by this operating system is still just as good. There are limits, yes, but they are largely surmountable. At least, it all depends on what you want from a connected watch. For health and activity tracking, it does the job very well. For third-party applications and notifications, we are less provided (you can receive calls, receive message/WhatsApp notifications, etc.).
The improvements this year will be in GPS to allow the Watch GT 5 Pro to become an even more efficient and precise sports companion. This is possible thanks to the numerous sensors which allow health monitoring – your beat per minute, your temperature, your heart rate, your sleep, your stress level, etc. – but also sports monitoring – number of steps, distance traveled, climb, training with a bunch of activities available…-. All with an unbeatable battery life of 14 days, if you don’t activate “Always On” as was our case.
Conclusion
The Watch GT 5 Pro isn’t a surprise, it’s a confirmation. Huawei masters the design of its connected watches perfectly and can provide solid devices, both in terms of hardware and software. Be careful, however, of the competitors who are increasingly numerous in reducing the gap, particularly in terms of autonomy, which is a bit of a crux at the moment.
But whether through its performance or its price (starting at 379 euros), the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro is one of the best premium smartwatches on the market.
