Huawei has a new gadget to reveal, and it isn’t a smartphone. This time, it’s the culmination of a few generations of smartwatches from the brand and what Huawei says is over eight years of research. The next big product from Huawei is the Watch GT 4, and it’s the company’s most accomplished smartwatch yet with a fashion-focused design ethos, and an impressive feature set to rival thebest Android smartwatches.
The Watch GT 4 isn’t readily available in the US, but you’ll find the smartwatch on sale in other markets, such as Europe. The device launched on September 14 at an event in Barcelona, and it’ll be ready to go on sale in October. The changes here aren’t game-changers if you own a previous Huawei smartwatch, but the company has introduced a variety of new features including a new octagonal case design on the 46mm version.
The idea here is it makes the watch look smaller, but I think it also gives the watch a unique look compared to other smartwatches, and it helps it stand out against the competitors that are all either square or circular designs. That said, the 1.43-inch screen with its 466 x 466 resolution is still round, and in my time with the watch it has looked as good as any other Wear OS smartwatch screen.
You’ve got four color options; a black rubber band with a dark gray stainless steel case, a brown leather with a silver case, a stainless steel color metal band with a matching case, or an edition called the Rainforest Green GMT that comes with a woven band. You can see that final option in the third image above, and it’s by far my favorite of the four designs with its unique green bezel that allows you to show the date and time in a second-time zone.
The smaller version of the watch is a 41mm model (previous Watch GT models have come in a 42mm size) and this time it comes with a floating lug design that you can see on the right-hand side below. There’s a 1.32-inch AMOLED screen that looks as bright as the larger screen on the 46mm model even though it’ll be a touch harder to navigate. You’ve got three color options here with the watch always coming in gold and the straps being White Leather, Milanese (in a gold shade), and a Two-Tone Piano Key that combines gold and silver.
All the expected fitness features are here, and Huawei has made improvements to its heart rate sensing technology that it believes will offer more accurate results and save on battery life. There are also new features such as sleep breathing analysis, a community element for the Huawei Health app, and a feature that helps predict your menstrual cycle. It takes your sleep, body temperature, breathing rate, and more to help predict your next period.
The big change for fitness fans is the introduction of Activity Rings, which is Huawei’s own version of the Rings feature on an Apple Watch or Move Minutes and Heart Points on Wear OS products. Here you can set your own goals such as standing, exercising, or moving, and you can use the circular ring functionality to check how far you are toward your goals at a glance. It’s quite shameless how similar this looks to competing products, but it works as a way to quickly see your stats.
Huawei estimates that the watch can run for 14 days if you opt for the larger model and seven days if you go for the 41mm, but these are for light usage scenarios so don’t expect to be able to get that battery life if you’re doing a lot of fitness tracking. The main problem for many with Huawei products is their limited availability, and it’s similar for the Watch GT 4. It isn’t on sale in the US, and it will be hard to source one for yourself if you live there. If you live in the UK or Europe, the watch will be available from major retailers on October 4. The watch will start from €250 / £230 for both the cheapest models of each size. Prices increase to €400 /£350 for the most expensive variant.
Huawei is focusing on the fashionista market here, and I believe the design here is among the best on the market. We won’t be including the Watch GT 4 in our best Android smartwatches list unless the company releases it in the US. Those in Europe may still prefer its slightly more traditional and high-end design over thePixel WatchandGalaxy Watch 6— not to mention Huawei’s superior battery life. The Watch GT 4 isn’t cheap, but these are premium products, and they may be what you’re looking for in your next smart timepiece.
