Fresh from surprising the mobile phone market with P40 Pro, the Chinese telecoms behemoth returns. But this time it’s Huawei Watch GT 2e smartwatch rather than an important step in their post-GMS life.
This isn’t Huawei’s first foray into the smartwatch scene by any stretch. Their TalkBand line and Watch GT Series are well-established.
However, with GT 2e, Huawei has dipped their toe in the more budget-friendly side of the smartwatch market. But you’d wouldn’t really know, even when comparing to GT 2.
It’s What’s on the Inside that Counts
One of the major marketing points from Huawei in relation to GT 2e is battery life of the device. In the promotional material they claim it has a 2-week battery life and after using it for the last few weeks, it’s almost spot on.
What gives the watch that surprisingly long battery life is the 400 mAh battery along with Huawei’s proprietary Kirin A1 chip. It charges with USB Type C-powered cable so the battery fully charges in around 40 minutes.
With 4GB of memory, you can store as many as 500 mp3 songs. Although if you’re like me, you’ll just use your phone and put it in an arm band when you exercise.
Whether it’s monitoring my heart rate when cycling through the Phoenix park or monitoring my sleep pattern at night, there are a tonne of features for you to work with.
In total, there are 85 workout modes covering a range of different types of activities from cycling, running rowing to name just a few. Overwhelming, isn’t it?
On top of that, there are 15 GPS workout modes including running cycling etc that will plan out a route for you, show calories burned and heart rate.
There’s Always a ‘But’
Just as I was praising the GT 2e for its flexibility in regards. To workout modes and the extra long battery life, there is one BIG flaw.
And that my friends is…Notifications from your social media accounts. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Thomas, it’s great that you’re kept up to date on the latest goings-on on WhatsApp and Instagram.”
IS IT? The fact that you can receive notification on your watch but cannot respond to them. Notifications alone are a basic feature and their inclusion just serves to highlight the lack of interactivity in this respect.
But do you know what’s worse than getting one notification that you ant respond to? Getting the same notification TWICE. For the past 10 days or so, every notification I’ve been receiving has been sent twice.
Screen, UI and Build Quality
The screen on the Huawei Watch GT 2e is beautiful. It’s a 1.46 inch AMOLED screen with a 454 x 454 resolution.
Sometimes the touchscreen can be temperamental. I don’t exactly have sausage fingers and I still found it all too easy to accidentally press the wrong exercise option.
There are two plastic buttons on the right-hand side of the watch. They are far less raised than the more premium metallic buttons found on the GT 2. the bottom button leads to your workout option screen while the top leads to your list of installed apps.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e uses Huawei’s Lite OS and is compatible with both Android and IOS phones.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e can be purchased from Three for €169.
Specifications:
- Weight: Approximately 43 g (without the strap)
- Watch Case
Colour: Black Stainless Steel, Stainless Steel
Material:
Metal + Plastic - Watch Strap: Black Fluoroelastomer Strap, Red & Black TPU Strap, Green &Black TPU Strap, White Fluoroelastomer Strap
- Colours: Graphite Black, Lava Red, Mint Green, Icy White
- Display: 1.39 inch AMOLED 454 x 454
- Memory: 4 GB
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscopic sensor, Geomagnetic sensor
Optical heart rate sensor, Ambient light sensor, Air pressure sensor, Capactive sensor - Button: Power button, function button
- System Requirements: Android 4.4 or later
iOS 9.0 or later - Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.1，BLE / BR / EDR
- Charging Port: Magnetic charging thimble
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM water-resistant
In Conclusion
For €169, you get a hell of a lot for a supposed budget smartwatch. The AMOLED screen, ability to play MP3 and the smorgasbord of workout options makes it a compelling option for fitness freaks.
But, if you’re looking to use the Huawei watch GT 2e as a social media device, there are better options out there. Even ignoring the double-notification issue,