Huawei has released two new models to its Watch GT smartwatch line – the Active and Elegant. The Active has a 46mm face and the classic watch design of the GT Classic and Sport. It has a 1.39-inch AMOLED HD colour touchscreen (454×454 pixels) where as the Elegant has a 42mm face with a ceramic bezel and a 1.2-inch AMOLED HD colour touchscreen (390×390 pixels).
Both feature a new, innovative dual-chipset that boasts smart power-saving technology enable performance and efficiency. Huawei says the Active has a two-week battery life “under typical use” and the Elegant has one-week. The HUAWEI Watch GT Active edition is available in Titanium Grey with an orange or green Fluroelastomer strap and the HUAWEI Watch GT Elegant edition is available in Magic Pearl White and Tahitian Magic Black Pearl, with a colour matched Fluroelastomer strap.
For the purpose of this review, we will be focusing on the Active smartwatch which we have been using for the past week.
Immediately, the new watch band is super comfortable thanks to being thinner, lighter and softer than the previous watch straps. We experienced no irritation over our week of use and the increased scrolling and reaction speed to finger gestures since the previous GT watch made for even great satisfaction.
Whilst Huawei says users can expect up to two-weeks of battery life “under typical use,” after 7 days with GPS always turned off, heart monitor always on and linked via Bluetooth to my phone for email and SMS notifications, our battery sunk to only 34%. It won’t meet their two-week claim, but it’s still impressive considering our heavy usage.
The watch-face designs are still largely the same as previous models (there is only one new design), with no sign of the ability to create, search and download new art through the app which overseas users can currently do – fingers are firmly crossed the Huawei Health beta app currently being tested overseas makes it way to our shores soon.
Unfortunately, the watch still has issues with water on the screen. After five ocean swims, we left the water each time with a new design somehow selected. It was very noticeable how the watch reads water as human-interaction when showering as droplets of still water on the screen were interpreted as long-presses, which allow you to slide through watch interface designs, before new droplets selected a new interface.
Having said that, the watch face is vastly better at picking up your finger and being used when it’s wet and you’re swimming. The new line now has the ability to count the number of strokes when swimming and was correct as we counted over a 50m length. The ability to view a map on your phone along with minute-by-minute heart rate tracking of my swimming route, as you can do with other workout types, allowed for an in-depth and thorough post-workout analysis. Updating the firmware unlocked the new Triathlon feature so you can quickly switch between workout types.
With TruSleep™ 2.0 smart sleep technology, the GT Active tracked our light, deep, REM sleep times and gave a comprehensive breakdown of our sleeping patterns throughout the night. It also measured sleep breathing, heart rate and other issues against what doctors and scientists recommend (as per the medical journal articles that are sourced through the Huawei Health app) and we were offered over 200 suggestions to make our sleep better.
Paired with increased and impressive comfort, usability in water and impressive battery-life, the Huawei Watch GT Active deserves strong consideration to be your workout and day-to-day aid.
The HUAWEI Watch GT Active and Elegant editions retail at $399 AUD, and will be available at Mobileciti from late August 2019, with more retail partners to be announced. For more information on the new range you can head HERE.
