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With an excellent 14 days of battery life and beautiful Titanium build materials, the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro is a brilliant smartwatch that matches the Apple Watch Ultra everywhere except the display.
The Good
- Unbeatable battery life
- Premium design and build materials
- No performance issues
The Not-So-Good
- GT 5 Pro is still expensive compared to non-Ultra models
- Display can be a bit dark when outside
Need-to-knows
- A maximum of 14 days of battery life is incredibly useful
- Loads of health-tracking features
- Love the circular face design
- Brilliant value for money compared to the Apple Watch Ultra
Huawei has just announced the Watch GT 5 series. It’s the latest in their flagship smartwatch range and it’s my first experience of what they have to offer beyond the Watch Fit 3 that I reviewed earlier this year.
However, I’m also awaiting the delivery of my Apple Watch Series 10, which arrives later this week and will signal a return to Apple’s wearable. The problem is that alternative smartwatches from the likes of Huawei keep drawing me further from where it all started.
As a result, although I’m excited about returning to the Apple Watch, I’m also going to find it incredibly hard not to switch between it and the circular competition more regularly.
I’ve been testing the Watch GT 5 Pro 46mm and the new Watch Ultimate for the last two weeks, and they have, once again, left me questioning my decision to return to the Apple Watch full-time.
Shop the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro below!
How I reviewed the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro
To get the full picture of the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro, I wore it every day for two weeks (and much longer now!) in place of my usual every day choice; the Apple Watch Ultra. I made sure to exercise in different ways to test the fitness tracking and took measurements using the Watch’s health monitors.
I have been an Apple Watch Ultra user for 4 years now, and have reviewed many other brands, so have a good grasp on what makes a good smartwatch these days. I also directly compared the Huawei and Apple Watch to each other in fitness tracking on the same workouts and for things like vibration motors.
Specs and pricing
The Watch GT 5 series comes in both regular and Pro editions, with two sizes available for each. I’ve been testing the 46mm Watch GT 5 Pro which is made from titanium alloy with some stainless steel thrown in for good measure, and sapphire crystal covering the face.
Get the full picture in my Apple Watch Series 10 review
The internal specs for the chip, RAM and other gubbins, as usual, aren’t publicly available, but I can confirm that the big Watch GT 5 Pro offers up to 14 days of battery life and water resistance of up to 40 metres. It also tracks over 100 sports activities.
Alongside the Watch GT 5 Pro, I’ve been trying out the refreshed Watch Ultimate, which is Huawei’s top-of-the-line wearable and which is this year leaning heavily towards users who are serious about their golf (although it supports other sporting activities, obviously).
The Watch Ultimate offers several upgrades over the GT 5 Pro, including 100-metre water resistance (for all of you scuba diving addicts), a zirconium-based liquid metal frame (two to four times the strength of titanium, apparently), a 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display, and three straps in the box.
Read our Huawei Pura 70 Ultra review
If you think these watches might come with a prerequisite of a Huawei phone, think again; they’re also fully compatible with iOS and Android, with a simple install of the Huawei Health app.
Price-wise, the Watch GT 5 series starts from £229.99 and the Watch Ultimate costs £749.99.
Design and display
Huawei tells us that the GT 5 Pro is designed with an eight-sided bezel so that “light dances around the edges of the watch”. In person, it’s just a very handsome watch which has serious regular watch vibes – something I’m particularly fond of, having worn watches that look like the GT 5 Pro ever since I was in my teens.
The 46mm and 42mm editions of the GT 5 Pro look very different. The smaller watch features a white ceramic build and will appeal to a specific user base, just as its big brother will, too.
The user interface will look very very familiar to existing Huawei Watch users, but it has been fettled and updated in places, and there are a bunch of new watch faces with which to customise your timepiece, including a cute panda which mirrors your emotions (based on stress levels and wellbeing inputs). Oh, and there’s a fully QWERTY keyboard now – if you’re that way inclined.
I’ve not had the GT 5 Pro long enough to fully test its durability, but I have inadvertently bumped it a few times as one does in the real world, and it still looks as good as new. Huawei tells us that the super-hard coating on the aerospace-grade titanium offers up to 200% wear resistance and a 100% salt spray anti-corrosion boost. Throw in IP69K water resistance, and we appear to have a tough watch on our wrists, here.
The Watch Ultimate is an even more handsome beast. At 48mm, it’s a tad on the large side, but I’m here for that. It also marries traditional watch aesthetics with a clear leaning towards sporty individuals. There are three colours to choose from – blue, black, and a new golf-inspired green, which is the review unit I was sent.
When paired with any of the three straps that come in the box, the Watch Ultimate looks superb – it has attracted positive comments from friends and family who seem to think it’s something far more expensive (not that this is a cheap smartwatch, but you get my point).
Despite this, these watches won’t be to everyone’s taste; if you’re not into big timepieces, you’ll be far better off with the 42mm GT 5 Pro, although the design adopted by that device will be just as divisive.
I’m a huge fan of the 46mm version, though, and of the giant Watch Ultimate. They feel like they were made for yours truly.
Health and Huawei Health app
The GT 5 series is powered by Huawei’s new TrueSense system, which utilises three new technologies – multi-spacing optical path architecture, multi-region optical path design, and cutting-edge glass darkening technology.
This essentially means more accurate readings from the various sensors on the watch, and algorithms which are based on a huge amount of scientific research and partnerships with leading health organisations.
It’s hard to test this stuff and even harder to compare it against the competition, but it’s nice to know it’s there. For me, smartwatches have always been about tracking my runs and giving me just enough feedback to ensure I’m not on the verge of dying.
However, for those who want more detail, the combination of TrueSense and the Huawei Health app makes for a feast of health and fitness data. Most of it is way beyond my comprehension, but Huawei has struck the right balance between ease of use for normal people like me and those who have a vested interest in their fitness.
There’s so much fitness built into these watches, though. Pro-level running is one of the biggest additions, with route previews, maps on display, finishing predictions, segmentation navigation, and better GPS positioning.
You can also expect better running data, real-time synchronization for cycling, and golf course mode, which includes over 15,000 course maps from around the world. The Watch Ultimate gets even more golf features such as AI caddie. I don’t play golf these days, but if you’re the sort of person who enjoys using tech while hitting your favourite 18 holes, you’re not going to feel shortchanged by either of these watches.
Battery life
I’m a man of simple tastes and simple desires, and the biggest one I have for smartwatches, beyond the presence of a circular face, is great battery life.
Both the 46mm GT 5 Pro and Watch Ultimate promise up to 14 days of battery life. With moderate use, that’s possible and it’s several country miles ahead of the Apple Watch in that regard. Charging your watch each night isn’t exactly labour-intensive, but when you see what brands like Huawei are doing with their smartwatches, you can’t help but ask why on earth Apple can’t do the same.
Want more health tracking? Read our UltraHuman Ring AIR review
These new Huawei watches offer pretty much the same features as an Apple Watch and feel just as fluid to use as Apple’s wearable. What gives?
The only worry I have now is that I’m getting used to epic watch battery life, and I’ve got an Apple Watch Series 10 to start wearing at the end of this week.
Wrapping up: who are they for?
I really like both of these watches. They’re the first I’ve worn for a while which feel both ready for sports action and for wearing ‘out’.
The GT 5 Pro is a great option if you have no interest in the Apple Watch or Samsung’s alternatives, and want something very traditional in terms of the way it presents itself on your wrist.
Our Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review is here!
The good news is that those traditional looks are joined by Apple Watch levels of performance and outstanding battery life. The latter is one of – if not the – biggest selling points of the GT 5 series and the Watch Ultimate.
If you fancy picking up one of Huawei’s latest wearables, I’d add certainly them to your list.
Before you go
7 Comments
I have a Galaxy watch 6 classic 43m now, and having to charge it each night is really a deal-breaker to me, I’m not using it anymore and trying to sell it asap. It’s literally useless.
I have a Galaxy watch 6 classic 43m now, and having to charge it each night is literally useless.
Using this smartwatch for about a month I am quite dissatisfied.
The GPS track is completely wrong when using it in open water, the bluetooth connection with earphones is unstable if you use it during a run. The operating system is not very intuitive and not very customizable. The training plans are not modifiable based on the needs that arise. NFC cannot be used except with huawei wallet, so it is like not having it. By spending less you can have equally performing smartwatches.
1. Why would you need GPS tracking on open water? a. If you swim, wouldn’t you just want the work out data from it? b. If you’re canoeing, why would you need GPS data?
2. Why not route your Bluetooth earphones to your phone instead of the watch that is not designed for music listening? Yes, it does offer space and the option but why would you torture yourself setting up that when you can just have a card that controls music from your phone on the watch?
3. Haven’t used their training plans yet, but I do agree that their RouteDraw function needs to be updated with more cities around the world ASAP.
4. NFC is unfortunately shafted by the sanctions caused by the US’s insecurities in their tech, which is unfortunate. This watch looks so good yet I can’t add a card because “region not supported”… wtf Huawei then what’s the point of selling this product outside of the zones then lol…
5. I don’t know how the OS is not “intuitive”… it looks like a reskinned WearOS with the WatchOS dial while claiming not to be WearOS. Maybe it isn’t but the layout is similar enough, in the settings app anyways.
I still have a few bones to pick, there are simply not enough apps on the store page. Huawei needs to seriously create new apps themselves for their products, and putting in the efforts of globalising their products again, since they are selling these things outside of China. Having the US sanction is one thing but selling products that can only do 70% of the things they claimed outside of China is just simply unacceptable.
My Huawei GT 5 Pro is only 13 days old. I had to charge it 3 times.
The battery life is not what’s advertised.
Otherwise this model has everything you would want from a smart watch.
Michele provided a fake comment. Probably is on a Samsung or Apple side. Huawei is simply not comparable to that rubbish. Apple/Samsung can’t compete with them in any honest way.
My Huawei GT 5 Pro is only 13 days old. I had to charge it 3 times.
The battery life is not what’s advertised.
Otherwise this model has everything you would want from a smart watch.