Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro review – Premium Design Meets Innovation

Huawei follow up their well-received Watch GT 3 with something a little more upmarket and some added features. With Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro, the Chinese telecoms giant are experimenting with new premium materials as well as adding new health functionality to the device.

At around €349, our review model has a lot to live up to but being founded on the Watch GT 3 is a strong start.

Less is More

Visually speaking, Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is a refresh of the base GT 3 design. Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is gorgeous in our titanium/black review model.

The device incorporates angular features into its macro design suggesting GT ruggedness beneath the Pro elegance. The fine detail of the crown and the flattened oval action button on the side add some more visual interest.

Contrast between the black strap, the brushed silver of the titanium body and the deep dark of the inactive screen adds another macro aesthetic feature. On closer inspection, the five-minute marks and a solitary, simple arrow marking twelve show in the screen bezel. There is also a set of fine concentric rings underlaid within the bezel.

A bevelled edge to the sapphire face is just a wonderful detail that adds something different to the aesthetic depending on distance. It adds a little depth from afar, a tiny shadow to help the sapphire face almost float above the titanium. Up close, it’s a display of discipline in design and a exhibition of just how excellent Huawei’s engineering team is.

Minimalism is very much the foundation of the device, allowing its premium materials and the delicate details shine.

Wrist Mount

The device reassuringly heavy at 54 grams for the watch excluding the strap. At approximately 10.9mm thick, it’s not particularly chunky for its large display.

The 46mm screen is placed on a chassis that has a footprint less than one millimetre larger. It’s impressive engineering that, when combined with the materials used, lends that premium feel you expect from a premium product.

Electrocardiogram Incoming

Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro has an impressive list of sensors and an even more impressive array of functions and features to exploit them. The already impressive list of functions on Watch GT 3 is here with a test for arterial stiffness as well an an electrocardiogram (ECG).

In the EU, we haven’t received the ECG as it undergoes testing before certification. The arterial stiffness is here and it seems to well. The test is easy to take and not particularly time-consuming.

Whether or not it’s accurate comes down to how rigorously it was tested before certification. But I choose to believe it’s correct when it says my arteries are fine for now.

That aforementioned impressive list of sensors includes: acceleration, gyro and geomagnetic sensors as well as GPS for navigation and run/cycle tracking.

You also get the barometric sensor for altitude and to warn of sudden decreases in pressure that might suggest inclement weather. Optical heart rate and skin temperature sensor also help you keep an eye on your condition.

Built to Last

The battery life is mostly impressive depending on what a user is doing with the device. Huawei’s skill for keeping devices awake long after their competitor’s bedtime means Watch GT 3 Pro keeps the 14-day battery mode of its fitness ancestors.

If anything, a potential 14-day battery life is even more impressive here considering the high pixel count of the AMOLED display.

At full tilt, though you will tire out Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro in two-to-three days. An individual user, of course, will take a few battery cycles to find the right balance between the expanded features and function of Watch GT 3 Pro and the sort of battery life that Huawei’s reputation promises.

Sprightly OS

Like Watch GT 3, Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro runs the Chinese telecoms giant’s own Harmony OS 2.0.

The swiftness of the device makes it satisfying to use. The in-build apps are near flawless for their purpose. The impressive array of sensors are well-exploited by a logical and easy-to-use interface spread across the apps.

Huawei Health app offers more detailed data and deeper options but the selection and layout of what is on the watch is well balanced.

As promising as the UI and hardware chops are, the selection of third-party apps and the app store in its current state still holds the device back a little.

Huawei App Gallery for Harmony OS 2.0 now has a sizeable library of apps but few are standalone in nature. If you don’t mind a host of companion apps you wouldn’t normally use, the quality is mixed overall but there are some gems on there.

Response, Please

Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro features the same simple response templates to messages or emails read on the device as the Watch GT 3. Users can fling an emoji, a pre-loaded template or a user-made template back in response.

It’s not a complete solution but it’s enough for most people, including myself. With some imagination and some personal flair, preparing your own responses is the best way to use the feature.

Specifications: Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro 46mm

Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro is a suitably premium device. The tight engineering, choice of materials and the visual design all do their job in delivering that upmarket experience.

The addition of two new sensors to the TruSeen array is quite a cherry on top. While the ECG functionality is still awaiting approval in Europe, the arterial hardening scanning system is exceptionally easy-to-use. The implementation would leave me confident of the ECG functionality when it comes.

The app selection has improved since Watch 3 but it still lacks a top-tier map service. Petal isn’t TOO bad but it’s not a big player in this region and the absence of a household name here might scare a few of you off.

The 14-day battery life is an achievable figure but it demands the watch do so little, you may as well not wear it. However, the seven days I could reliably get with my workload was impressive indeed.

Review unit provided by Huawei