This story was originally published on September 28, 2023, and last updated on October 6, 2023.
I love the usefulness of a smartwatch, but many of them look more like a gadget than an accessory. And if it’s something I need to have strapped to my person almost 24/7, I’d want it to look good. Huawei heard my plea and doubled down on revamping its Huawei Watch GT 4 to turn it into the ultimate accessory.
Huawei Philippines recently invited me to check out these new luxurious smartwatches for a few hours, and I’m ready to share my first impressions with you.
Say hi to the new Huawei Watch GT 4 design
Huawei introduced a new look for the larger 46mm Watch GT 4 with a 1.43-inch display. It gets a new octagonal watch body that mimics the classic style of luxury watches as well as the “chiseled exterior of octagonal headlights found on performance vehicles. (This is your regular reminder that the GT in Huawei Watch GT stands for Grand Tourer, a performance and luxury car.)
At first glance, it can certainly pass off as an expensive timepiece. But the 46mm model is not for people with tiny wrists—unless you’re going for that oversized look. The brown and green strap options are my favorites from the selection. But you can also get the 46mm Huawei Watch GT 4 in black and with a stainless steel band.
Meanwhile, the 41mm variant appeals to my feminine side with its pendant-like design. It isn’t too far off from the 42mm Huawei Watch GT 3’s look. But it certainly feels more like a beautiful accessory, particularly the one that comes with a white leather strap. I put it on for most of the event and regretted parting with it afterward.
Huawei slimmed down the bezels on the 41mm model, giving a 13% screen-to-body ratio improvement from its predecessor. It doesn’t distract from the gorgeous 1.32-inch screen. The 41mm Huawei Watch GT 4 is also supposedly lighter. And I felt like I was wearing a regular timepiece while I had it on.
Of course, one of the advantages of having a smartwatch is its customizability. If you’re going for a specific look, you have over 25,000+ watch faces to choose from for the Watch GT 4. And that includes Always-On Display (AOD) designs and even the option to create your own.
Health features to expect
As with any other new iteration of any device, the Huawei Watch GT 4 gets some new health and fitness features. It comes with Huawei’s new TruSeen 5.5+ heart rate monitoring tech, promising its most accurate heart rate readings possible.
There are also new sleep-related tracking features, including sleep breathing awareness. It can detect interruptions in your breathing while you sleep. With the combo of its TruSeen and new TruSleep 3.0, the Huawei Watch GT 4 can also monitor and let you know the changes in your blood oxygen levels and heart rate throughout the night, so you can make changes if needed.
This new Huawei smartwatch comes with Activity Rings 2.0 to help motivate you to move, exercise, and stand throughout your day. And if you’re watching your calorie intake, there is a new Stay Fit app that works with its TruSeen tech. It can count your calories and determine how much you need to burn to stay on track.
The Watch GT 4 has over 100 different sports modes it can track. And it gets an improved GNSS that can track your location more accurately, even as you go through different areas. And with continued use, the watch gets increasingly accurate at keeping track of your location.
Let’s not forget the smart features
On top of the health and fitness features, the Huawei Watch GT 4 also gets some smartphone-related smarts, including improved Bluetooth calling. Your watch can be as far as 100 meters from your phone and you can still take calls right from your wrist. It’ll also support custom quick replies for messages, independent music playback, and access to your calendar.
How long will it last?
One of the downsides to smartwatches is that they drain faster than your traditional timepiece. Thankfully, the Huawei Watch GT 4 has one of the better battery life capacities. You can get up to 14 days with the 46mm or up to four days with the AOD enabled. Meanwhile, the 41mm can last up to seven days or two with AOD on.
Huawei Watch GT 4: First thoughts
I can get behind the brand positioning the Huawei Watch GT 4 as a fashionable timepiece. There is a space for that in this segment. And then it promises to offer the essential features we expect from smartwatches, so it’s an equally enticing proposition. I can’t wait to spend more time (pun unintended) with this watch.
You can now pre-order both models and take home freebies like a pair of Freebuds SE 2, a watch strap, and a watch face worth PHP 6,297 (around USD 111). The Huawei Watch GT 4 series gets a starting price of PHP 12,999 / EUR 250.
UPDATE: 2023/10/06, 1:38 P.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
Added pricing and pre-order info
What do you think of this new Huawei smartwatch? Let us know!