Verdict: The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro improves on the company’s smartwatch formula in small but meaningful ways. The premium smartwatch line now sports a more premium design as well as a convenient, wireless charging option that’s still paired with a great-looking display and incredible battery life. It’s a solid step up from the previous generation and is a must-buy for anyone looking for a good-looking, long-lasting smartwatch.
The Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro is priced at Php 11,999.
Pros
- Titanium body
- Sapphire glass protection
- Wireless charging
- Long battery life
Cons
- Can’t install third-party apps
- Can’t use third-party services like Strava
It’s hard to pack in meaningful upgrades into a product that’s already incredibly good, but somehow Huawei has found a way to make their premiere smartwatch even better. A newer, stronger body, tougher glass, and wireless charging make the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro one of the best smartwatch options out there.
Design and display
Huawei’s smartwatches have always looked the part of a premium product, but the Watch GT 2 Pro takes it to another level entirely. The watch builds on the look of their previous Watch GT 2 by simplifying the look of the bezel and making the body out of titanium.
The liberal use of this metal on the body of the Watch GT 2 Pro along with the ceramic back makes it stand out from the pack, as you’d typically see this premium material on more expensive models made by Huawei’s competitors.
If that wasn’t enough, Huawei also used plenty of sapphire glass on the actual watch face to protect the display, and the company has spent quite a lot of time making it so that the titanium body and the sapphire glass blend well together, which lends the watch a classic styling that makes it perfect for any outfit.
The watch measures in at 47mm, which is substantial – while it certainly looks good on my wrist, ladies may not like how big it looks on theirs.
The watch has a 1.39-inch OLED display that’s very bright and is easily seen when you’re outdoors.
There are two buttons on the side that allows for quick navigation to workouts and other functions, in addition to the touchscreen display.
The watch comes with a silicone strap, and can easily take any other 47mm strap if that isn’t to your liking.
Despite its large size the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro felt comfortable to wear every day, and didn’t become a hindrance while I was sleeping.
Software and tracking
Like Huawei’s other smartwatches, the Watch GT 2 Pro uses the company’s proprietary Lite OS, and comes armed with 32MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. It uses the company’s Kirin A1 processor to keep things chugging along.
Lite OS is, well, light, on resources, which is why the watch has such great battery life.
The downside to Lite OS is that you can’t really install any other apps aside from the ones that are already on the watch itself.
That being said, Lite OS already covers a lot of apps that you’d want on a smartwatch and has tracking and workouts for A LOT of activities and exercises out of the box already.
The watch now boasts improved connectivity with iOS devices which has been a major sticking point for previous iterations, and like Huawei’s other devices you need to install Huawei Health to be able to use the Watch GT 2 Pro.
You’re able to track plenty of health metrics with the Watch GT 2 Pro, including heart rate, stress levels, SPo2, sleep tracking, and more.
You can upload health data to three key services: Google Fit, MyFitnessPal, and Apple Health, unfortunately, there’s still no connectivity to services like Strava.
Health data collected by the Watch GT 2 Pro is very accurate – it correctly tracked my heart rate and stress levels while I was on flood watch during the worst of Typhoon Ulysses (we didn’t get hit, thank goodness).
More serious swimmers will appreciate the Watch GT 2 Pro’s 5ATM waterproofing, as well as its indoor and outdoor swim tracking capabilities. Pair this with its very accurate GPS tracking capabilities, you get a smartwatch that you can use in triathlons.
Like any good smartwatch, it can also display notifications as well as make voice calls thanks to its Bluetooth capabilities.
Battery life and charging
Huawei’s main claim to fame for their smartwatches have always been incredible battery life, and it hasn’t changed with the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro.
As with the previous generation, Huawei is claiming a 14-day battery life with the Watch GT 2 Pro, which can be achieved if you only use it lightly and keep workouts down to a minimum.
Realistically though you’re probably getting around 5-7 days of battery life on a single charge, less if you use the always-on feature. That’s still leagues beyond what its competitors offer, which makes the Watch GT 2 Pro perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to fiddle with charging their watch every day.
And when you do have to charge the watch, the new wireless charging feature makes it incredibly easy. Huawei includes a wireless charger with the package, but you can charge the Watch GT 2 Pro with any Qi charger you have lying around the house.
Wrap-up and conclusions
Huawei’s smartwatch offering has always been easy to recommend to people, and that’s still true with their Watch GT 2 Pro.
It looks incredibly handsome and premium in its titanium and sapphire body, and is considerably less than other devices that use the same materials in their construction.
While its Lite OS is constraining in terms of third-party app compatibility, it has more than enough built-in apps and tracking capabilities to satisfy most users.
More importantly, no one else offers a smartwatch that has such long legs, and its new wireless charging capabilities make charging extremely easy when you do have to do it.
If you need a stylish, powerful watch that lasts for days, then the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro should be on your Christmas list.