Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro
Two-minute review
Huawei seems to be listening to our grumbles – or someone's grumbles. After generations of Huawei Watches with no iOS music control and a voice assistant orb that doesn't work, recent updates have cleaned things up. With Huawei's watch software on the up – this element historically holding the line back – the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is in a great position to edge the brand's wearables closer to perfection than ever.
If you don't know what the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is, this is Huawei's finest-looking smartwatch that aims to straddle finesse and functionality, especially with its fitness capabilities, premium design, and excellent battery life.
The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro's battery wins shouldn't come as a surprise; Huawei's GT series has historically been all about outlasting the competition. But in recent years, the brand's long-life smartwatches have been flexing their fashion and fitness muscles too.
The latest in a long line of GT watches, the Watch GT 3 Pro comes in two flavors: Titanium, and a smaller option, Ceramic. The Titanium watch is made of matte, blasted metal, while the smaller (and pricier) Ceramic Watch GT 3 Pro is polished white. Both are available with a range of strap options.
It goes without saying, the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro isn't cheap – both literally and figuratively. It's a fine-looking watch and smartwatch, whichever flavor you pick it up in, and is going after watch fans, rather than cheap and cheerful fitness tracker buyers.
When using it, we were regularly complimented on its style, and not just by tech heads – a watch enthusiast was delighted to see the direction premium-looking smartwatches were taking when laying eyes on the GT 3 Pro.
There's a lot we like about the Huawei GT 3 Pro. Huawei's software is compatible with both Android and iOS, and Huawei has also boosted iOS compatibility with music control in its latest update, bringing the Android and iOS experiences closer to parity than ever.
It would be a mistake to expect Apple Watch style functionality from the new GT3 Pro watches – just like it would be a mistake to expect two-week battery life from an Apple Watch. Finding a middle ground between devices like the Withings Scanwatch Horizon and Apple and Samsung's smartwatches, though, the GT series is a mighty option for anyone after a classical-looking smartwatch, and one of the best smartwatches of 2022.
Keep the always-on display (AOD) turned off, and you'll be able to hit Huawei's two-week battery life claims on the larger, Titanium version of the watch, and seven-day battery on the Ceramic GT 3 Pro.
Huawei's watches also charge wirelessly with any Qi charger – none of the proprietary wireless charging you'll have to endure if you've got an Apple or Samsung smartwatch. That means they'll power up when rested on a MagSafe charger – another reason why they're actually a great iOS pairing.
While a couple of software gremlins stop some elements from working, like Wallet and a crumby app store, the Watch GT 3 Pro gets the fundamentals very right, and flourishes where others fail – specifically, when it comes to battery life, UI responsiveness, and reliable fitness tracking. Add a classical, premium design to the mix, and the GT 3 Pro is the best long-lasting smartwatch we've used to date.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro price and availability
- Available in Ceramic and Titanium
- The Ceramic option starts at £429
- The Titanium option starts at £299
There are two Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro editions, and each is available with different straps, which dictate the price you'll pay for the wearable.
The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition starts at £299.99 (roughly $370 / AUS $530). It's available right now in the UK, Australia, and other markets Huawei operates in, but it's only available in the US on import.
The GT 3 Pro's £299 starting price includes the Black Fluoroeslastomer or Grey Leather strap in the box with the watch. For more dressy styling, you can also buy the watch with a Light Titanium link strap, which brings the price up to £429.99. You can see the Light Titanium strap pictured in this review.
Bucking the trend of smaller options costing less, the Ceramic Edition GT 3 Pro costs more than the larger Titanium version, with an RRP of £499.99 (roughly $530 / AUS $750) with the ceramic link strap. If you like the ceramic-styling, but want to spend a bit less, you can buy the smaller watch with a leather strap for £429.99.
In the UK, both editions are available from the Huawei Store and selected retailers, including Amazon and Currys.
- Value score: 3.5/5
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro design
- Two totally different styles available
- Each available with link or leather strap
- Both premium versions of traditional GT 3
The his-and-her nature of the Titanium and Ceramic watches aren't explicitly categorized by Huawei. The larger, Titanium edition definitely has a more masculine energy to it, from the chamfered angular metal frame to the blasted, matte metal styling.
The link watch band system on the version we tested is perfectly matched with the watch body, carrying forward the angular aesthetic to each link, and breaking the styling only for an elegantly curved clasp. Adding and removing links doesn't require tools (though might require nails), with a mini-latch system that clips and unclips each link in place.
If you've seen the larger Huawei Watch GT 3, the GT 3 Pro Titanium edition has the same sized display – a large 1.43-inch AMOLED screen. This is framed by dials, and the whole glass fascia rises out of the watch's milled unibody core confidently.
We've been using the IP68 water and dust-resistant Titanium Watch GT 3 for over a month, and during that time, we've bashed it a lot. Specifically, we've collided the glass screen and metal body head-on into metal, granite, and concrete, and while the frame has a couple of small dings that we've polished away, the sapphire glass is scratch-free. That's impressive.
Tough is great, but the GT 3 Pro is also elegant to the touch. The sapphire glass edges are chamfered, so your finger falls off the side more smoothly when swiping through the UI. A large rotating crown on the top right is a natural, satisfying way to interact with the GT 3 Pro's interface, and there's also a shortcut button that gets you to an app or feature quickly below it.
As for the Ceramic Edition, the smaller GT 3 Pro's body is a white, Ceramic core that's peppered with gold flourishes. The button configuration is the same as that of the Titanium version, though the screen is smaller at 1.32 inches, and the watch feels a bit chunkier – like more of a fashion statement than a subtle timepiece.
The Ceramic edition Watch GT 3 Pro's band links are white, shiny chiclets that match the material and styling of the Watch's white body and benefit from the same easy-swap latch system of the larger version. While I didn't love the styling set against my hirsute wrists, in a couple of days I wore the white and gold watch out and about, it garnered a lot of positive attention, specifically from women who wanted to try it on.
Whichever version you go for, the GT 3 Pro looks refined. Whether you dig the styling of either version will come down to personal taste, and while we can't speak to yours, we can vouch for its quality construction. Both the Ceramic and Titanium versions are also comfortable after extended periods too.
- Design score: 5/5
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro display
- Titanium GT 3 Pro display is 1.43 inches
- Ceramic GT 3 Pro display is 1.36 inches
- Both feature 466 x 466 resolution
With a resolution of 466 x 466, the Huawei Watch GT 3s are about as sharp as things get for a smartwatch. Both flavors look great, especially with some of the pre-installed black watch faces that bleed into the bezels, giving the illusion of an all-screen front in Titanium.
Despite its slightly smaller screen, clocking in at 1.32 inches, the Ceramic Edition GT 3 Pro's resolution matches that of its bigger sibling – 466 x 466. This makes its display slightly sharper than the one on the Titanium edition. The 1.43-inch Titanium edition is more comfortable to swipe across in a rush or mid-run given its larger display.
Both sizes get AMOLED screen technology for deep, inky, endless blacks and vibrant colors, and are easy to view indoors and out, even on sunny days. They feature auto-brightness and can be set to illuminate with an always-on display, so the time always appears on-screen, bringing the whole feel of the watch even more in line with traditional options.
There's very little we'd expect to see on a smartwatch display other than clarity, ample brightness, and responsiveness, and the GT 3 Pro delivers on all fronts.
- Display score: 5/5
Huawei Watch GT3 Pro software
- Runs Huawei's Harmony OS
- Strong core experience
- Poor third-party app support
Running an operating system Huawei calls HarmonyOS, the Watch GT 3 Pro features an evolution of the UI found in the original Huawei Watch GT, a stripped-back, smart(ish) watch UI.
Aside from third-party app support, the GT 3 Pro works virtually identically for both Android and iOS smartphones, making it one of the few premium alternatives to the Apple Watch for iPhone users.
It connects by pairing the Huawei Health app with the watch, and through the app, you can download new watch faces, update software and get a big-screen view of your wellness.
Unlike the original GT, the GT 3 Pro's interface is seriously responsive, and it also supports a handful of third-party apps. The app store, AppGallery, is only available when the watch is paired with an Android or HarmonyOS phone – so no third-party apps for iOS users. Before iOS users start to feel persecuted, though, be grateful you're spared from an uninspired, uncurated list of apps to wade through.
Huawei's AppGallery is accessible through the Huawei Health app and doesn't seem to give you region-specific app suggestions. Neither does it offer a search function nor a breakdown of app categories. You just get a list of 32 English, Italian and Arabic applications to choose from.
More frustrating, some of the apps don't work. The myTuner Radio app, which should support podcast playback from the GT 3 Pro installs on the Watch, but not on the phone. This has been broken since we reviewed the GT 3 months ago.
We found two useful third-party apps, Calculator and Focus To-Do (a Pomodoro timer), and we use these fairly regularly. The app experience does have scope to add value, therefore. But when you're paying a high price for a premium smartwatch, the lack of polish, curation, or volume zaps any illusion of luxury.
As for navigating through the watch interface, this is straightforward and simple. The main display is where you'll find your watch face, which you can change. There are plenty of pre-installed faces, or you can download new ones through the Health app.
Shortcut screens can be added to the right. These include Sleep, Stress, Heart rate, Music, Weather, moon phase, Wallet, Activity records, Call log, Contacts, Barometer, SpO2, Compass, Training plans, Running Ability Index, Resting heart rate, Skin temperature, and Workout status.
The left-hand screen gives you a shortcut to weather information and music control. We're happy to see Huawei has removed the sticky voice assistant orb in a recent update to the GT series, which didn't work when the watch is paired with non-Huawei devices. This dials back the dead ends within the Watch GT 3 Pro UI. A recent update has also brought iOS music control to the watch too, which means the watch can control apps like Audible, Spotify and Tidal playback.
Swipe down from the main watch face for quick toggles, and swipe up for notifications. You can reply with a pre-defined message or emoji if you get an SMS or WhatsApp message. This reply system isn't as comprehensive as that available on Apple, or Samsung watches, though it's definitely a step up from the non-interactive notifications of old on Huawei's watches.
- Software score: 3/5
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro fitness features
In addition to its styling and battery life, the Watch GT 3 Pro's fitness features are its main highlight, but it isn't much of a step up over the much cheaper GT 3.
The line is clearly geared towards runners, with training plans, exportable routes, and VO2 Max tests, though over 100 sports are accessible, including a new golf-focused driving range workout. The watch goes further than dry land though, with the 5ATM waterproofing opening up a freediving mode – niche. If none of these new modes appeal to you, and you don't want to pay a premium for the GT 3 Pro's design, then you'd be better off picking up the GT 3, or even the GT 2.
For a smartwatch, the GT 3 Pro's heart rate monitor is accurate, matching our chest strap more closely than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. The GPS tracking was relatively quick to lock onto us in the countryside, though took its time in the city.
Other sensors on the watch were reliable too. We compared the GT 3 Pro's sleep tracking to the Withings Scanwatch Horizon, and while the Scanwatch gave us a higher sleep score, the Huawei Watch was more accurate. It identified restless seep periods and time spent in bed on our phone as awake, which the Scanwatch failed to do.
While electrocardiogram (ECG) technology was introduced to the line over a year ago in other regions, due to certification issues, it isn't available in the UK. Huawei has added an arterial stiffness detection feature to the watch, though.
Additional tracking includes day-long monitoring of SPO2, heart rate, stress levels, temperature, and more metrics. What the watch can't do, however, is measure body composition, like the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Pro
- Fitness features score: 4/5
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro battery life and charging
- Charges with any Qi wireless charger
- Titanium Watch GT 3 Pro lasts up to 14 days
- Ceramic Watch GT 3 Pro lasts up to 7 days
Both the Watch GT 3 and the GT 3 Pro charge wirelessly, and unlike Apple and Samsung smartwatches, they work with any Qi wireless charger – so if your charging pad will charge your smartphone, it'll likely charge a Huawei Watch.
The battery wins don't end there. Huawei's operating system reaps the rewards of being lighter than the competition, lasting significantly longer. If you pick up the larger Titanium version of the Watch GT 3 Pro, it lasts for a couple of weeks as a smartwatch, and around one week as an exercise tracking device, running most days.
The GT 3 Pro Ceramic edition halves the battery life of its larger sibling, lasting for a full week on a single charge, but about four days when running most days for around 40 minutes with full tracking active.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro score card
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Premium and available in a range of styles, you're paying for style when picking up the GT 3 Pro | 5/5 |
| Screen | The screen is bright, responsive and sharp – exactly what you want from a smartwatch | 5/5 |
| Software | Huawei's software is always its stumbling point, and the GT 3 Pro's poor third-party app experience and support is what holds it back | 3.5/5 |
| Fitness features | A strong suite of fitness capabilities hold the GT 3 Pro in good stead when compared to smartwatches, though it can't always compete with dedicated fitness trackers | 4/5 |
| Battery life and charging | Lasting longer than the competition and charging more conveniently, the GT 3 Pro's battery is one of its best features | 5/5 |
| Value | The GT 3 Pro and GT 3 are virtually identical smartwatches from a software point of view, making the utlitarian value of the Pro questionable. With its more premium styling, though, you might well be able to justify paying extra for the Ceramic or Titanium watches. | 3.5/5 |
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