With the Huawei Watch GT 5, Huawei has made more gradual upgrades to the design of the previous mid-range GT model, which saw some striking outward alterations.
The company has increased its emphasis on the octagonal form and continues to provide build quality that is commendable given the price, but the TruSense System and the Sunflower Positioning System, which were recently unveiled, are the actual highlights of the 2024 model.
The basic experience is the same even though the ordinary Huawei Watch GT 5 misses some capabilities of its more expensive Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro brother, such as sapphire glass, a titanium case, sophisticated golf tracking, and trail running mode.
All things considered, the GT 5’s tale is not new; its accurate performance and robust hardware display are overshadowed by a constrained smart experience caused by the continued US embargo. That also keeps having a ripple effect on availability.
But as my time spent evaluating the Huawei Watch GT 5 has shown, there are still a lot of great things about this wristwatch.
Important Elements of Huawei Watch GT 5
accessible in two styles
Enhanced HR and GNSS tracking precision
- With Huawei’s upgraded Sunflower Positioning System and new TruSense System, the Huawei Watch GT 5 is the first watch generation to offer better health and fitness tracking.
Affordably priced
- The Huawei Watch GT 5’s lower asking price maintains it as a real mid-range smartwatch, even though the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro variant moves more toward competing with well-known smartwatch brands.
Huawei Watch GT 5 : Design and Display
- 1.43-inch AMOLED display remains from GT 3 & GT 4 Series
- The stainless steel case is slimmer than the GT 5 Pro’s titanium
Huawei offers two variants of the GT 5, as one would expect from the GT series: a larger, more macho 46mm model that I have been testing, and a 41mm edition targeted at women.
Huawei has a different strategy from other companies by providing a distinct style differentiation, which is also evident in the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro series. Although the stainless steel case and battery life of both versions are similar, they offer different experiences due to these variances.
The 46mm model keeps the Watch GT 4’s octagonal bezel, but it looks a little crisper on the corners this time. I enjoyed the first update from the previous year and was pleased to see the GT 5’s smaller casing than the GT 5 Pro.
This aids in counteracting the steel case’s increased weight (as opposed to the lighter titanium alloy of the GT 5 Pro). I barely noticed the extra weight when riding and running.
The watch has performed admirably in my tests over the last few weeks in terms of durability. Although there are no visible scratches on the display, the absence of sapphire glass that is resistant to scratches raises questions about long-term wear.
In comparison to the Huawei Watch GT 5In comparison to the GT 5 Pro, it is also less suitable for deep-sea diving; nevertheless, it does have a 5ATM water resistance rating, which is sufficient for swimming in pools and open waters. Like the majority of contemporary wearables, it operated flawlessly throughout swimming sessions.
There is still a functional crown and a shortcut button beneath it for navigation. Although I wouldn’t love a third button to lessen dependency on screen swiping, both are discreet and maintain the design’s clean aesthetic.
Huawei Watch GT 5 : Smart Features and Software
- Full keyboard and screenshot support debut
- Smart experience remains limited by HarmonyOS
Huawei has been forced to rely on its proprietary HarmonyOS and forgo access to Google services that other companies take advantage of since the US sales and import restriction. Although it continues to significantly degrade the experience, the Watch GT range, which has never been recognized for particularly clever inventions, may not find it to be as problematic.
In addition, a keyboard for speedy replies and support for screenshots are two additional features. Although neither of these upgrades are very novel, and I’m shocked it took this long to implement them, Huawei fans will be happy with them nonetheless.
Although I haven’t been able to utilize the pre-release software’s keyboard on iOS (which should function with apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Instagram), taking screenshots with the button and crown has worked flawlessly.
With modest visual signals to indicate your fitness progress and the ability to organize activities by color, the user experience has changed to something a little livelier. Screen transitions, such as post-workout summary, also feel a little more seamless than they did with the GT 4.
Once more, they are only small updates. The absence of extensively used services like popular applications or contactless payments continues to be the biggest letdown.
Support for both Android and iOS increases the Huawei Watch GT 5’s attractiveness as a substitute for high-end Wear OS and Apple Watch models, one advantage Huawei still has over many other smartwatches. But like other Huawei wearables, the Huawei Watch GT 5’s tracking capabilities—rather than its clever features—are what really make it strong.
Huawei Watch GT 5 : Activity Tracking
- Heart rate tracking and positioning accuracy upgrades headline
- Running Form Analysis sees advanced metrics debut
The improved tracking technology on the most recent GT 5 is its most notable feature. The Huawei Watch GT 5 versions are the first to employ Huawei’s redesigned TruSense sensor system, which was shown off weeks before the device’s official release.
The main idea is that Huawei has modified the glass covering the sensors on the back of the casing, added more LEDs, and redesigned the sensor architecture. The specifics are all rather technical. Theoretically, these modifications take care of frequent accuracy problems such blood vessel patterns, skin tone, and wrist movement during activity.
Since Huawei’s prior heart rate tracking system operated effectively and remained within a reasonable range of the best sensors from Apple and Garmin, evaluating this update is difficult. The Huawei Watch Ultimate did, however, have some early problems, and the GT 4 occasionally had problems with high heart rates. So, has the GT 5 brought about any improvements?
There were fewer instances of the GT 5 experiencing difficulties with peak heart rates or consistently high averages in my core testing, which included cycling, swimming, and running. Even yet, underreporting of 5 to 7 BPM persisted (though less frequently), and it felt less accurate than Garmin. Even for a watch at this price point, latency was acceptable, but not nearly as good as what we’ve seen in more expensive models like the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Nevertheless, the majority of users find the data to be sufficiently precise; if you want absolute accuracy, you can still use a chest strap to track your heart rate.
The brand’s dual-frequency GNSS (Sunflower location System) has been refined, which has resulted in an additional significant improvement in location accuracy. Huawei promises a 30% improvement in distance accuracy and a 40% increase in route accuracy.
Despite the fact that these are remarkable numbers, the prior GNSS system was already reliable. This time, after testing across 20–30 mile rides, it was within 200 meters of Garmin’s Multi-Band location, and lock-on times were between 5 and 10 seconds.
Though I should note that I haven’t had an opportunity to test that, I would anticipate that these gains will be more visible in covered locations like forests or congested metropolitan areas, where previous Huawei models have struggled.
Software-wise, the GT 4 brought advanced metrics, and now there are new capabilities for bikers and runners. Runners may now receive form analysis, which includes input on their ground contact time and balance, while cyclists can use their phone as a bike computer to prevent uncomfortable wrist motions while riding.
Although the data isn’t the best—insights like VO2 max are still much too generous—it is strong and accurate enough to avoid the very ridiculous numbers you see from companies like Xiaomi who haphazardly add these training elements.
Although there is room for improvement in Huawei Health integration, it is not as problematic as it is on the GT 5 Pro, which significantly depends on the companion app for functions like trail map downloads.
Huawei Watch GT 5 : Health and Sleep Tracking
- TruSense provides upgrades to SpO2 and respiratory rate monitoring
- Sleep Breathing Awareness debuts
arrangement, which has also increased Huawei’s health features’ accuracy. This is the most advanced health tracking seen in a base GT device thanks to new features including “sleep breathing awareness” and enhanced sensors that provide faster blood oxygen readings and better respiratory rate detection.
Users of HUAWEI WATCH GT 5 Series can receive a complimentary 3-month subscription to HUAWEI Health+, granting them access to various exclusive perks such as workouts for all levels, guided meditations, Stay Fit Plan, and breathing exercises.
Nevertheless, there are a few noteworthy features that are absent from the GT 5 base model. Specifically, arterial stiffness detection and ECG. However, since a relatively tiny percentage of customers actually need these tools, I don’t consider their removal to be as important as the training elements that are unique to the Pro package (trail running mapping, 3D golf courses, and freediving capabilities).
In any case, the measurements that the GT 5 provides for health, like resting heart rate, SpO2, and respiratory rate estimations, closely match those of my regular test trackers, such as the Oura Ring Gen 3 and Whoop 4.0.
Though I really hope Huawei did more with this data than just keep it in the Health app. The skin temperature component, for example, is provided without much explanation, so users—especially women who wish to track their cycles—have to manually interpret the data, assuming they even know what to look for.
With the Huawei Watch GT 5, I can’t help but believe that several health aspects were included without a clear reason or relationship to the bigger picture, unlike with exercise monitoring. That usually indicates that the data is incomplete, but at least the GT 5 tracks very well.
To be fair, though, sleep tracking goes against that idea as well, providing in-depth analysis and suggestions for better sleep. The traffic light system, which assigns grades to several aspects of sleep, is simple to comprehend and has good accuracy.
When wrist-worn devices don’t always accurately reflect sleep stage, wake-up and fall-asleep times have to be within ten minutes of each other. The Huawei Watch GT 5 did, however, occasionally miss times while I was up at night. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Huawei Watch GT 5’s sleep tracking is inferior to the best in the business, but it is a drawback.
Huawei Watch GT 5 : Battery Life
- Up to 14 days of battery life quoted; our testing showed 6-7 days of heavy use
- Same battery life as GT 3 and GT 4 Series
I was expecting Huawei to make a similar breakthrough with the Huawei Watch GT 5, as they were able to reduce the thickness of the GT 4 while maintaining its battery life last year. Sadly, Huawei is still citing the same 14-day battery estimate here and that hasn’t materialized.
Although it’s a little disappointing, the GT 5’s battery life is still excellent. I used it for about a week, with the always-on display turned on and all health features set to continuous monitoring. As with the GT 5 Pro, I believe that a week’s extra battery life may be achieved by using the health features more sparingly, lowering display settings, and using GPS less frequently.
Even though the GT 5 lacks a lot of smart features and an especially power-hungry display, I hope Huawei keeps improving battery life by 2025. Even so, the present ratio of daily use to charging is excellent; at this point, any further days of life would be a bonus.
With heavy use, you may easily get two to three days’ worth of use out of the battery. Furthermore, if you do need to top it off, it only takes approximately an hour to go from 0% to 100% (with the most of it being returned during the first 30 minutes).
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