Huawei launched the Watch GT 4 final month. Look was the primary speaking level, with new options remaining a secondary subject, and we took our candy time to determine if Huawei determined to pivot into the style trade or if there’s extra to the wearable than the launch occasion talked about.
We went by means of our typical checks and listed here are our impressions after one month with the Huawei Watch GT 4.
Design and construct
The very first thing we observed is the design – the 46 mm variant comes with a singular octagonal physique. It truly is standing out in a world of circles and rectangles. The total title of our Inexperienced variant is Rainforest Inexperienced GMT, with GMT standing for Greenwich Imply Time, as this model is the one one with 24-hour markers within the bezel.
The twin colours apparently “signify day and evening,” however in actuality, the markers are unusable with any of the watch faces.
The watch case is constructed from Stainless Metal, similar to its predecessor, the Watch GT 3. The lighter Titanium stays reserved for extra premium choices just like the Professional variants or the Final, however we’re fairly impressed with the sturdiness of this case.
The braided inexperienced strap is a composite from recycled ocean-bound nylon – whereas that is only a prolonged option to say recycled plastic, it does really feel good and is certainly among the many best-looking within the lineup.
We even have to say the 41 mm variants. We had a really restricted time with the smaller fashions through the official launch, and all three variants seemed nice. They’re much more enticing and a real trend piece with out additional parts or a so-called “distinctive” design. The 41 mm Huawei Watch GT 4 might move for an precise luxurious watch, with its solely drawbacks being the smaller display and battery.
{Hardware} and software program
The Watch GT 4 is a pure evolution of the Watch GT 3. The predecessor was method forward of the competitors two years in the past, and Huawei determined to play it comparatively secure with the brand new wearable – do not change what’s already working properly. It has the identical set of well being sensors on the again, the exact same 1.43” AMOLED with 466 x 466 decision and could be sumbermerge to 50m or 5 ATM; it additionally retains the assist for L1 and L5 satellites for correct positioning.
What Huawei did in a different way this time is the utilization of stated sensors. New options, mixed with the capabilities of HarmonyOS 4.0 promise “data-driven” exercise ideas. One of many new options we actually loved is the Exercise Rings 2.0 – the watch tracks shifting, workout routines and what number of occasions you get up. There’s additionally a digital medal contained in the Huawei Well being app, gamifying the method of staying lively.
The smartphone is an important a part of one other new function referred to as Calorie Administration. It goals to observe real-time calorie consumption, lively energy, resting energy and the general deficit – all this information could be discovered within the Weight sub-menu of the Well being app.
Clearly no smartwatch on this planet is aware of what you’re consuming – this must be typed in both manually or by means of a third-party app that’s not accessible in all places. However for those who monitoring your energy you will not be needing a separate app for that and the visualizations inside Huawei Well being are fairly.
This gadget, similar to every other Huawei Watch, is a wearable for passion athletes. Lastly, there are extra sports activities actions – tennis, desk tennis, padel, and badminton. There’s additionally voice-guided operating for sure kinds of operating actions.
Runners will love the very fact they are going to have the ability to add a observe (by means of the Huawei Well being app) and observe it. There’s additionally a so-called “good fusion positioning algorithm” that acquired more and more correct the extra occasions we ran. We used the Watch GT 4 as a fundamental wearable throughout an ITRA- and UTMB-certified ultramarathon on some trails in Southern Europe, and it was really extra correct than a smartphone.
One other new function we cherished at first sight was Sleep Respiration Consciousness – it’s a neat graphic that tells you about apparent interruptions within the respiration sample whereas sleeping. Nevertheless, after additional investigation, we realized there may be extra to want from the function – the information offered simply says whether or not the sleep was Regular, Low, Average or Excessive, and the visualization was borderline unusable.
We have now to say that regardless of all our makes an attempt, we weren’t capable of finding the sensible use of this function – on a regular basis sleep respiration was categorized as “Regular”. The entire set of sensors and options is now referred to as TruSeen 5.5+ and likewise brings the standard bunch of screens for coronary heart price, SpO2, menstrual cycle, and high quality of sleep. The design of the buttons would possibly recommend the Watch GT 4 might measure ECG, however Huawei executives confirmed with us the function is unavailable. It is perhaps enabled later with a software program replace, however if you’re out there now you higher not rely on it.
Connectivity is sort of modest on the Watch GT 4. The gadget is an easy Bluetooth watch – there isn’t any SIM slot, nor Wi-Fi capabilities and you may’t hook up Bluetooth equipment akin to an exterior pulse monitor. No less than the gadget means that you can obtain music and play it throughout actions, both blasting by means of the tiny speaker or Bluetooth-linked earphones.
The Watch GT 4 could be linked to any Android smartphone and to all Huawei units with HarmonyOS, clearly. In idea, the Huawei Well being app and the wearable can work with iPhones as properly, however performance is so restricted and battery life is compromised to the purpose the place we don’t suggest shopping for the watch if you’re utilizing an iOS gadget.
Battery life
Our 46 mm unit has a battery capability of 524 mAh, whereas the smaller 41 mm variant brings a 323 mAh cell. Formally, the massive model can present 14-day most battery life and 8-day common battery life, whereas the smaller principally affords half that. Our findings paint a barely totally different image:
The 2-week battery life is virtually unachievable. We turned off all sensors, used the least power-hungry watchface, disabled notifications, calls and monitoring, and nonetheless barely reached 12 days. Thoughts you, that is with the watch being barely helpful, so we doubt many individuals will even get there.
Common battery life with some notifications, calls, sleep monitoring, and lightweight sports activities exercise gave us nearly a full week – we charged the gadget at midday on Monday after which put it on the wi-fi puck the following Monday.
And right here is the place it will get fascinating – Huawei claims All the time On Show halves the battery life, however our expertise differed. We repeated the identical sample of utilization because the earlier week, and it was 5 full days earlier than placing the wearable on the charger.
The corporate doesn’t promote heavy use as a result of, in any case, it’s extra of a trend piece than an exercise watch. This did not cease us from repeating our checks a fourth time, with all of the bells and whistles maxed out and each day train – the Huawei Watch GT 4 offered a good 4-day battery life, method above every other competitor available on the market.
We are able to additionally affirm the wearable can work uninterrupted for twenty-four hours with a GPS-enabled sports activities exercise. The pool of individuals that may really observe such an exercise with a Huawei watch is pretty small, however nonetheless, we pushed with the take a look at for science (as a result of operating for twenty-four hours straight is something however enjoyable).
Charging the Huawei Watch GT 4 is pretty simple. It really works with any Qi-certified wi-fi charger, together with non-Huawei smartphones with reverse wi-fi charging. For optimum outcomes, we suggest the 5V-9V/2A charger within the field, which wants a median of 110 minutes to get an empty battery to 100%. The small puck can be magnetic, ensuring the watch is aligned with the charging coil.
Verdict
Huawei employed two celebreties to advertise the Watch GT 4. The face of the 41 mm variant is Pamela Reif, a health influencer with practically 10 million followers on Instagram, 10 million extra on YouTube, and over 7 million likes on TikTok.
The celeb who endorsed the 46 mm variant is an previous pal of Huawei – Sir Mo Farah. He’s a British long-distance runner, 15-time gold medalist on the Olympics, World and European Athletics Championships, and regarded one of many biggest runners of all time.
We point out these names to level out that Huawei went all in with the advertising funds for the Watch GT 4. The corporate needs individuals speaking about its new wearable, even when it is barely bringing a lot over the GT 3. And with the GT 4 trying pretty much as good because it does, many would possibly certainly neglect that the {hardware} inside is basically unchanged.
Plus there wasn’t a lot unsuitable with the GT 3 {hardware} to start with. Lengthy battery life, a transparent interface with new and improved options, and a well-thought-out design are greater than sufficient to make the GT 4 a terrific companion in 2023.
It makes an much more convincing case when you think about its worth. The GT 4 goes for between €250 and €400 in Europe, with our Inexperienced unit being not solely one of many best-looking but in addition pretty priced at €269. And Huawei typically runs promos on its web site letting you get a free present or two on the similar worth, making the GT 4 probably the greatest offers round.
