This is the Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2

This is the Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2…
…and it’s the best-looking smartwatch I’ve ever used.

I’m well aware, as I’m typing this, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s all a matter of taste, but how can you take an already gorgeous smartwatch, the HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro, and make it even more appealing?

This is not a review per se, as there are no differences in functionality compared to the previous model, the aforementioned GT 2 Pro. If you want to know about specs, features, functionality, hardware, and software, we advise you to read our Watch GT 2 Pro review.

We’re having more of a lifestyle and purist approach when looking at a Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2. As with any Porsche Design HUAWEI product, it’s not for everyone. It’s for purists, it’s for the exclusivists, and it’s for the die-hard fans of either one or both brands. We touched on that with the occasion of our Porsche Design HUAWEI Mate 30 RS feature.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 in Porsche car

Exclusivity

There are two aspects that make a product exclusive, unique, and valuable. On one hand, they are manufactured on a small scale, immediately making them scarce, and, on the other hand, their price tag, which is a reflection of that, and immediately takes them out of reach for most.

We can use the analogy of pebbles versus diamonds. Pebbles have no value because they’re abundant and you can find one within minutes if you look around. Diamonds, on the other hand, are rare to come by, and, if properly polished, are not only unique but also only affordable to a select few, while the others are left dreaming about them.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 on keyboard

That’s exactly the case with Porsche Design HUAWEI products in general.

But, on the flip side, you do get something special in return, and you expect that once you shell out £629.00 for a product that has a £229.99 alternative, granted, not labeled Porsche Design.

Design

Porsche Design took the Watch GT 2 Pro and made subtle changes to leave its minimalistic and purist design philosophy fingerprints.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 on wrist

First of all, the materials have been exchanged for premium ones. The watch dial is made out of sapphire glass (similar to the GT 2 Pro), which is more resistant, and has a unique feeling to it when you touch it. The watch case itself is lightweight and durable, made of titanium, with a smooth finish which makes it both look good and feel good. 

Last, but not least, the watch strap. It is made out of the same titanium blending in seamlessly with the watch case. The back of the watch is made of ceramic, ensuring that the part which is in contact with your skin is both durable and comfortable at the same time.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 unlinked

A subtle Porsche Design (PD) logo is etched on the clasp, with the full Porsche Design branding at the top of the watch dial. PD also brought in the automotive touches from Porsche cars and racing cars to the usage of the color red, visible on the watch dial, subtly around the two side buttons, and all the way throughout the software (more on that later).

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 on coffee table

The simplicity and excellence go into every detail of the strap. The butterfly deploying buckle not only conceals the connections to make the transition between the strap and itself seamless, but it is also simple to lock and unlock in a safe way.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 buckle

The strap itself is not only easily detachable (there’s also a secondary strap inside the box, which is pretty much the premium strap the GT 2 Pro ships with) but very easy to resize, thanks to the attention to detail Porsche Design and HUAWEI invested.

Seven links on each side have their own telescopic connections, so you can easily snap them off, link by link, from both ends, to ensure a perfect fit.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 links

Aside from being a smartwatch person, I am a watch person first. Never have I received as many compliments on a watch as when wearing this Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2, and believe me, I have quite a collection ranging from premium brands to designer editions.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 buttons

For Porsche Design, conforming with their philosophy, every product is a statement, and that particular minimalistic and purist approach instantly makes you proud in showing off not only a beautiful product but making a statement yourself, knowing you’re part of an elite group of people who appreciate the work behind a unique product.

Software

While functionality-wise, the watch offers the same features as its non PD variant, there are some subtle changes you’ll notice across PD HUAWEI smartphones and now the smartwatch.

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 menu

Just like in the case of the PD HUAWEI Mate 40 RS and Mate 30 RS before it, the icons (and overall theme) on the PD Watch GT 2 are red. This not only sets them apart from their non-PD brethren but this way Porsche Design brings in that particular automotive and racing component into technology.

Furthermore, the watch comes with exclusive watch faces that you can only find on this model, all built around the same signature design of Porsche car dashboards. These are Chronograph, Ultimate, Racing, and E-Pure. It also comes with an always-on watch face that carries that design over into a minimal power consumption mode.

Another subtle signature touch you’ll see is when you boot up or restart the watch. You’re no longer greeted by the HUAWEI logo, but, like in the case of PD HUAWEI phones, you’re booting up to the PD logo. Other people won’t likely see it, but you’ll know it’s there.

The value, the heritage

This is not an everyday watch, at least not in my mind. I couldn’t see myself wearing this to the gym, or shooting baskets. Heck, I wouldn’t even see myself wearing it with an attire below business casual.

The Porsche Design part of it is responsible for the extra price you’ll have to pay, but, by paradox, it is also the one that will reassure you that the timepiece will retain most of its original value. That’s usually the case with low volume/limited edition/exclusive products (only time will tell if the value could actually go up).

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 box

Porsche Design and HUAWEI are aiming this product at a specific niche target audience, one that not only needs no convincing that it’s priced “just right”, but one that appreciates it for what it is: the price of admission in an exclusive club of people who are either fans of the brand, its design, Porsche cars, or all of the above. 

Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 resting

Porsche owners and PD fans will know exactly what I’m talking about, and this watch, similar to this post, is for them, those who most likely read it in its entirety without dismissing it, or the product as expensive (or offering up “cheaper” alternatives).

You can get the Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2, in select markets, for £629.00, or roughly the equivalent in other currencies.

The post This is the Porsche Design HUAWEI Watch GT 2 appeared first on Pocketnow.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review: the outdoor person’s best hiking companion

If you’ve always wanted a HUAWEI Watch GT 2 (and there are three of them: the original GT 2, the more affordable GT 2e, and the premium GT 2 Pro), but for whatever reason, you also wanted an even longer battery life, and a build that is more durable and can withstand the abuse, the HONOR Watch GS Pro is where your attention should be.

It should come as no surprise, given the fact that HONOR is a HUAWEI sub-brand, that the HONOR Watch GS Pro shares most, if not all of its features with the HUAWEI Watch GT 2. Internals aside, this watch is addressing a completely different target audience, one that is not training at the gym and wearing the same classy watch to work. This is a fully ruggedized smartwatch, that promises 25-day battery life and is also MIL-STD-810G certified for those outdoors enthusiasts among the active. 

We’ve been training with this beast for more than two weeks, and this is our verdict, in our HONOR Watch GS Pro review below.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

HONOR Watch GS Pro design

The HONOR Watch GS Pro is the complete opposite of the HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro, which is subtle, elegant, and classy. The Watch GS Pro is chunky, but in a “masculine” way, not in a bad way. Sure, it retains the basics of the original design, with the two side buttons on the right, and the speaker in between, but it has a much thicker case and bezel in order to offer more protection.

Featuring almost double the battery capacity than the Watch GT 2 required HONOR to make the case of the Watch GS Pro thicker. That’s fine if you’re a fan (or just OK) with a chunky watch, but if you are absolutely terrified of wearing an almost 14mm thick watch on your wrist, you should probably look elsewhere.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

The stainless steel bezel nicely blends in with the reinforced polycarbonate body, to offer thermal resistance, shock resistance, as well as water resistance, in addition to 11 more military-grade certifications, for a total of 14. It’s available in Charcoal Black (our unit), Camo Blue, Camo Grey, and Marl White.

On the back, we spot the TruSeen 3.5 heart-rate and blood oxygen setup consisting of four LEDs, as well as the two pogo pins used for charging. The rubber strap is rather stiff, but it’s still comfortable on your wrist, and features a spring-loaded mechanism should you want to switch it out to another 22mm strap.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

HONOR Watch GS Pro specs

You shouldn’t be surprised if you already know these specs from the HUAWEI Watch GT 2-series. There’s a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with 454 x 454 resolution and 326PPI on the top, underneath which the Kirin A1 chip, paired with 32MB of RAM and 4GB of storage (2 available) are doing the heavy lifting.

Fueling everything is a massive 790mAh battery (with 25 days of advertised battery life), all crammed in a case measuring 48mm x 48mm x 13.6mm and about 50 grams.

While there’s no Wi-Fi and NFC, the Watch GS Pro features an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, heart rate sensor, barometer, ambient light sensor, its own GPS, Bluetooth 5.1, and, of course, the microphone and the speaker.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

Software and experience

The HONOR Watch GS Pro features the same software as the HUAWEI line-up. Our unit is currently running LiteOS 10.1.1.22, and if you’re familiar with the software you should feel right at home. If you’re new to owning a recent HONOR (or HUAWEI, for that matter) smartwatch, it’s an easy learning curve, and getting used to it will be no problem.

There are six screens, including the home screen, you can swipe through in an endless loop. These are your main home screen, which is customizable with tons of watch faces, your heart-rate screen followed by your stress readouts, weather, music controls, and your summary circles (consisting of total steps, workout minutes, and active standing number of hours).

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

More than 100 workout modes are available on the watch (including hiking, skiing, and swimming), so you’ll probably find the one that suits you, except if you play basketball. I mention this every time I review a HUAWEI or HONOR watch, since there are so many sports included, but not a basketball option, and since I’m shooting baskets twice a week, I have to always go with another training mode. I’ll end my short rant here.

Relying on the GPS inside the watch, there’s a neat “Route Back” feature you can use should you get lost in the woods or mountains while hiking. The watch will guide you back to your starting point, which is really convenient for the outdoor lovers. GPS will also record your walks and runs, and other outdoor activities.

You still can’t act on notification, aside from scrolling through them and dismissing them, so forget about replying to a text message. And, while still on the topic, the watch still doesn’t support the display of emojis, so if you get a text or a WhatsApp message that only contains an emoji, like a 👍🏻, the notification will be empty.

We said the above paragraph with the occasion of our HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro review, and it’s just as applicable to the HONOR Watch GS Pro since it’s running the same software. It also comes with the same inconvenience. 

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

You still have no payment options available, but thanks to the speaker (which is really loud) and microphone, you can take calls on your wrist if you find it more convenient than searching for your smartphone inside the backpack.

The rest of the experience relies on the HUAWEI Health app, which is available to download on the AppGallery, as well as the Play Store. You can find more details on the HUAWEI Health App by checking out its section in our Watch GT 2 review.

Fitness and Health

My training routine is unchanged and includes ten cardio sessions per week, 5 CrossFit and weightlifting, and two sessions of shooting baskets. During our two weeks of training with the HONOR Watch GS Pro, I only charged it once. While not exactly a 25-day battery life, as advertised, it’s still double the battery life or the HUAWEI watches, considering the rather heavy use thanks to the high amount of training sessions, during our HONOR Watch GS Pro review period.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

During those aforementioned sessions, heart-rate monitoring and VO2Max readouts seemed pretty accurate and consistent with the readouts of other brand watches.

Sleep tracking was also in line with previously recorded results from another watch, and the Watch GS Pro does a good job at automatically recognizing bedtime and wake up time.

Nothing negative to mention in the Stress monitoring department. The watch takes readouts throughout the day so you have a better sense of how stressed you are, and maybe take a break or a breathing exercise.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

Of course, while you can check your exercise records and daily activity on the watch, it’s the HUAWEI Health app that collects all the data and nicely represents all of your fitness activities and health-related readouts.

With rather accurate blood oxygen level monitoring, you can always keep track of your SpO2 levels; the readings are not automatic, but on-demand, which is something HONOR could include during the night for an even better estimation of your sleep quality.

HONOR Watch GS Pro review

Pricing and availability

Priced at a rather steep €249.99 or ₤249.99, you can definitely grab it at a lower price as there are several discounts and bundles offered in various countries in the EU. If you’re in the US, you’ll most likely have to import it due to the ban on HUAWEI (and HONOR) products. 

Pros and cons

ProsCons
+ rugged design
+ beautiful display
+ insane battery life
+ accurate heart-rate tracking
+ always-on display
+ 100+ activity modes
– no NFC, Cellular, or Wi-Fi
– no payment options
– notification system needs more work
– iOS experience inferior to Android
– chunky design could not appeal to some

Conclusion

If you are the kind of person who enjoys outdoor activities more than the average person, the HONOR Watch GS Pro should definitely be on your shortlist for a companion.

Its rugged build is shock resistant and with 14 military-grade certifications, it will continue to perform in all extreme conditions. Not only that, but with extreme battery life, you can rest assured that it will not give up on you, and the “Route Back” feature will safely return you to your starting point.

The post HONOR Watch GS Pro review: the outdoor person’s best hiking companion appeared first on Pocketnow.

HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro review: you can now train with style

We’ve been using the HUAWEI Watch GT2 Pro as our daily driver for close to one month. Usage scenarios detailed within the review below.

I was fortunate enough to live and train with the original HUAWEI Watch GT2, and then with the more affordable Watch GT 2e. They are great lifestyle and training companions, and I enjoyed my time with both of them long after my review period.

With the recently announced HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro, the company addresses a totally different target audience. If the base model GT 2 got a more affordable GT 2e companion, the GT 2 Pro is the watch’s premium version. You can not only wear it to the gym or dressed casually, but you can also dress up and still use the watch, which no longer looks like a sports-only accessory.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

While most of the things are unchanged, there are some differences though compared to previous models. We’ll check those out in our HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro review below.

The looks

The Watch GT 2 e was aimed at the active users, so HUAWEI flattened the side buttons to avoid accidental presses if you’re bending your wrist during your workouts.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

For the Watch GT 2 Pro, the manufacturer returned to the original rounded buttons that were featured on the initial GT 2. However, the GT 2 Pro being a more elegant accessory, HUAWEI replaced the numbers on the watch dial with a more discrete signage consisting of a triangle at 12 o’clock, and subtle lines at every hour mark.

While still rubber, the watchband nicely imitates a leather strap to keep the elegant look consistent. This is the first aspect of the premium materials HUAWEI has been using for the GT 2 Pro.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

Next is the watch case itself. It is now made of titanium, which is lighter and more durable. The watch face itself is sapphire glass, which is also more durable and deals with scratches better, while the watch’s backside is ceramic.

Last but not least, still in the looks department, the default watch face is an elegant one, called “Black Tie” (there are 13 pre-installed on the watch), for obvious reasons. You can, however, easily change it from within the HUAWEI Health app. You’ve got endless options to choose from.

The display – a 1.39-inch OLED panel with 454 x 454 resolution and 462 PPI – is gorgeous, but it should come as no surprise since the entire line-up features the same, beautiful panel.

What’s new

While previous generation GT2 models were pretty damn accurate in determining your heart rate and blood level oxygen, for the GT 2 Pro HUAWEI upgraded the sensor on the back. It now features a TruSeen 4.0+ sensor, which, according to the manufacturer, offers better light transmission and utilization, it’s more power efficient and features AI-assisted intelligent heart rate algorithms.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

The other significant change, which is a very welcome one, is the addition of wireless charging. Sure, if you’re using the supplied charging pad, it makes no difference whether it’s a pogo-pin approach or a wireless charging approach, but with this charging technology, you can use your smartphone’s reverse wireless charging capabilities to charge your watch.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

HUAWEI claims that a 5-minute charge offers you 10 hours of usage, and we’ve verified that to be true.

The smarts

The HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro features, more or less, the exact same software (LiteOS) that powers the predecessors. Sadly, it comes with the same cons we’ve mentioned with the occasion of our past reviews.

You still can’t act on notification, aside from scrolling through them and dismissing them, so forget about replying to a text message. And, while still on the topic, the watch still doesn’t support the display of emojis, so if you get a text or a WhatsApp message that only contains an emoji, like a 👍🏻, the notification will be empty.

Also, no payment options are supported on the Watch GT 2 Pro, similar to the two predecessors, which, of course, makes sense since, aside from the differences outlined in the segment above, this is, in reality, the same watch.

Unlike the GT 2e, but similar to the GT2, the GT 2 Pro allows you to take calls on the wrist. The loudspeaker (and it’s pretty loud) is back, with a very subtle opening between the two buttons, with the microphone being on the opposite side.

The Kirin A1 chip does a great job of keeping things fluid and snappy, but the lack of cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity means that the watch relies solely on the smartphone for its needs.

You can, however, train without your smartphone, as the GT 2 Pro does feature its own GPS antenna for all your tracking needs. Not only that, but there’s a new “Route Back” feature that relies on the recorded GPS data to help you find your way back should you get lost while being out.

Out of the 4GB of storage, 2GB are available for local music storage. You can listen to music without your smartphone while training, and you can pair any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds directly to the watch in order to achieve that.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

In terms of battery life, in our experience, it lasted the advertised seven days. This is with ten cardio sessions per week, 5 CrossFit and weightlifting trainings, and two sessions of shooting baskets. Also, heart rate monitoring is continuous, and considering that the aforementioned sessions all imply the use of GPS, charging the watch every Sunday evening is an excellent run, considering other competitors barely make it through the day.

Fitness and Health aspects

The HUAWEI Health App is the HQ for everything fitness, sleep, and health-related. That’s where all your data is synced, from your training sessions to your heart rate, from your sleep records to your blood oxygen levels. You can find more details on the HUAWEI Health App by checking out its section in our Watch GT2 review.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro revirew

The HUAWEI Health App is the HQ for everything fitness, sleep, and health-related. That’s where all your data is synced, from your training sessions to your heart rate, from your sleep records to your blood oxygen levels. You can find more details on the HUAWEI Health App by checking out its section in our Watch GT2 review.

The Watch GT 2 Pro supports more than 100 workout modes (sadly, still no basketball, HUAWEI!). Of those, 17 are professional modes, and 85 are custom modes, and new is the addition of Golf Mode and Skiing and Snowboarding Modem in addition to Cross Country Skiing.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

When it comes to training, the watch records your heart rate pretty accurately, as long as you keep the contact between the sensor and your skin clean. This means that if you’re pushing hard and you’re sweating a lot, you might need to occasionally wipe your wrist (and/or the back of the watch) dry.

If you’re walking or running, it will also calculate your VO2Max, and compare it to a general benchmark of people your gender, age, etc. SpO2 readings are on-demand, and the results are synced back to the Health App.

Sleep tracking is also pretty accurate, with the watch precisely detection your bedtime and wake-up moments, with everything in between (sleep stages and awake time).

You can also set a benchmark for your stress level readout, which your watch takes during the day, to see exactly how bad or good of a day you’ve had, and whether you need to calm down by taking some breathing exercises, also available on the watch.

You can also set a benchmark for your stress level readout, which your watch takes during the day, to see exactly how bad or good of a day you’ve had, and whether you need to calm down by taking some breathing exercises, also available on the watch.

Pricing and availability

€349 is what you’ll have to pay for this premium version of the watch, but if you are in the US, there’s no word yet on whether it will officially be available, or you might have to import it yourself.

The Watch GT 2 Pro is available in two options: Sport (with a black rubber band, the one you see above), and a Classic variant with a brown leather strap.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

The Watch GT 2 Pro is available in two options: Sport (with a black rubber band, the one you see above), and a Classic variant with a brown leather strap.

Pros and cons

ProsCons
+ premium materials
+ classy design
+ beautiful display
+ insane battery life
+ accurate heart-rate tracking
+ always-on display
+ 100+ activity modes
+ wireless charging
– no NFC, Cellular or Wi-Fi
– no payment options
– notification system needs more work
– iOS experience inferior to Android

Conclusion

The original Watch GT2 was already a great smartwatch, to begin with. For the current model, HUAWEI took the Watch GT 2 Pro to the next level by using premium materials, upgrading the main heart-rate sensor, and adding in the convenience of wireless charging. Because of the extreme battery life, accurate health and fitness features, gorgeous display, and premium/classy appearance, the HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro is our Editor’s Choice for the best smartwatch in terms of looks, performance, and insane battery life.

The post HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro review: you can now train with style appeared first on Pocketnow.

HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro review: you can now train with style

We’ve been using the HUAWEI Watch GT2 Pro as our daily driver for close to one month. Usage scenarios detailed within the review below.

I was fortunate enough to live and train with the original HUAWEI Watch GT2, and then with the more affordable Watch GT 2e. They are great lifestyle and training companions, and I enjoyed my time with both of them long after my review period.

With the recently announced HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro, the company addresses a totally different target audience. If the base model GT 2 got a more affordable GT 2e companion, the GT 2 Pro is the watch’s premium version. You can not only wear it to the gym or dressed casually, but you can also dress up and still use the watch, which no longer looks like a sports-only accessory.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

While most of the things are unchanged, there are some differences though compared to previous models. We’ll check those out in our HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro review below.

The looks

The Watch GT 2 e was aimed at the active users, so HUAWEI flattened the side buttons to avoid accidental presses if you’re bending your wrist during your workouts.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

For the Watch GT 2 Pro, the manufacturer returned to the original rounded buttons that were featured on the initial GT 2. However, the GT 2 Pro being a more elegant accessory, HUAWEI replaced the numbers on the watch dial with a more discrete signage consisting of a triangle at 12 o’clock, and subtle lines at every hour mark.

While still rubber, the watchband nicely imitates a leather strap to keep the elegant look consistent. This is the first aspect of the premium materials HUAWEI has been using for the GT 2 Pro.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

Next is the watch case itself. It is now made of titanium, which is lighter and more durable. The watch face itself is sapphire glass, which is also more durable and deals with scratches better, while the watch’s backside is ceramic.

Last but not least, still in the looks department, the default watch face is an elegant one, called “Black Tie” (there are 13 pre-installed on the watch), for obvious reasons. You can, however, easily change it from within the HUAWEI Health app. You’ve got endless options to choose from.

The display – a 1.39-inch OLED panel with 454 x 454 resolution and 462 PPI – is gorgeous, but it should come as no surprise since the entire line-up features the same, beautiful panel.

What’s new

While previous generation GT2 models were pretty damn accurate in determining your heart rate and blood level oxygen, for the GT 2 Pro HUAWEI upgraded the sensor on the back. It now features a TruSeen 4.0+ sensor, which, according to the manufacturer, offers better light transmission and utilization, it’s more power efficient and features AI-assisted intelligent heart rate algorithms.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

The other significant change, which is a very welcome one, is the addition of wireless charging. Sure, if you’re using the supplied charging pad, it makes no difference whether it’s a pogo-pin approach or a wireless charging approach, but with this charging technology, you can use your smartphone’s reverse wireless charging capabilities to charge your watch.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

HUAWEI claims that a 5-minute charge offers you 10 hours of usage, and we’ve verified that to be true.

The smarts

The HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro features, more or less, the exact same software (LiteOS) that powers the predecessors. Sadly, it comes with the same cons we’ve mentioned with the occasion of our past reviews.

You still can’t act on notification, aside from scrolling through them and dismissing them, so forget about replying to a text message. And, while still on the topic, the watch still doesn’t support the display of emojis, so if you get a text or a WhatsApp message that only contains an emoji, like a 👍🏻, the notification will be empty.

Also, no payment options are supported on the Watch GT 2 Pro, similar to the two predecessors, which, of course, makes sense since, aside from the differences outlined in the segment above, this is, in reality, the same watch.

Unlike the GT 2e, but similar to the GT2, the GT 2 Pro allows you to take calls on the wrist. The loudspeaker (and it’s pretty loud) is back, with a very subtle opening between the two buttons, with the microphone being on the opposite side.

The Kirin A1 chip does a great job of keeping things fluid and snappy, but the lack of cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity means that the watch relies solely on the smartphone for its needs.

You can, however, train without your smartphone, as the GT 2 Pro does feature its own GPS antenna for all your tracking needs. Not only that, but there’s a new “Route Back” feature that relies on the recorded GPS data to help you find your way back should you get lost while being out.

Out of the 4GB of storage, 2GB are available for local music storage. You can listen to music without your smartphone while training, and you can pair any Bluetooth headphones or earbuds directly to the watch in order to achieve that.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

In terms of battery life, in our experience, it lasted the advertised seven days. This is with ten cardio sessions per week, 5 CrossFit and weightlifting trainings, and two sessions of shooting baskets. Also, heart rate monitoring is continuous, and considering that the aforementioned sessions all imply the use of GPS, charging the watch every Sunday evening is an excellent run, considering other competitors barely make it through the day.

Fitness and Health aspects

The HUAWEI Health App is the HQ for everything fitness, sleep, and health-related. That’s where all your data is synced, from your training sessions to your heart rate, from your sleep records to your blood oxygen levels. You can find more details on the HUAWEI Health App by checking out its section in our Watch GT2 review.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro revirew

The HUAWEI Health App is the HQ for everything fitness, sleep, and health-related. That’s where all your data is synced, from your training sessions to your heart rate, from your sleep records to your blood oxygen levels. You can find more details on the HUAWEI Health App by checking out its section in our Watch GT2 review.

The Watch GT 2 Pro supports more than 100 workout modes (sadly, still no basketball, HUAWEI!). Of those, 17 are professional modes, and 85 are custom modes, and new is the addition of Golf Mode and Skiing and Snowboarding Modem in addition to Cross Country Skiing.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

When it comes to training, the watch records your heart rate pretty accurately, as long as you keep the contact between the sensor and your skin clean. This means that if you’re pushing hard and you’re sweating a lot, you might need to occasionally wipe your wrist (and/or the back of the watch) dry.

If you’re walking or running, it will also calculate your VO2Max, and compare it to a general benchmark of people your gender, age, etc. SpO2 readings are on-demand, and the results are synced back to the Health App.

Sleep tracking is also pretty accurate, with the watch precisely detection your bedtime and wake-up moments, with everything in between (sleep stages and awake time).

You can also set a benchmark for your stress level readout, which your watch takes during the day, to see exactly how bad or good of a day you’ve had, and whether you need to calm down by taking some breathing exercises, also available on the watch.

You can also set a benchmark for your stress level readout, which your watch takes during the day, to see exactly how bad or good of a day you’ve had, and whether you need to calm down by taking some breathing exercises, also available on the watch.

Pricing and availability

€349 is what you’ll have to pay for this premium version of the watch, but if you are in the US, there’s no word yet on whether it will officially be available, or you might have to import it yourself.

The Watch GT 2 Pro is available in two options: Sport (with a black rubber band, the one you see above), and a Classic variant with a brown leather strap.

Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro review

The Watch GT 2 Pro is available in two options: Sport (with a black rubber band, the one you see above), and a Classic variant with a brown leather strap.

Pros and cons

ProsCons
+ premium materials
+ classy design
+ beautiful display
+ insane battery life
+ accurate heart-rate tracking
+ always-on display
+ 100+ activity modes
+ wireless charging
– no NFC, Cellular or Wi-Fi
– no payment options
– notification system needs more work
– iOS experience inferior to Android

Conclusion

The original Watch GT2 was already a great smartwatch, to begin with. For the current model, HUAWEI took the Watch GT 2 Pro to the next level by using premium materials, upgrading the main heart-rate sensor, and adding in the convenience of wireless charging. Because of the extreme battery life, accurate health and fitness features, gorgeous display, and premium/classy appearance, the HUAWEI Watch GT 2 Pro is our Editor’s Choice for the best smartwatch in terms of looks, performance, and insane battery life.

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Watch face animations on your Wear OS smartwatch will now look smoother

Google has updated the Wearable Support Library to version 2.7.0, which opens the door for an aesthetic upgrade for your Wear OS smartwatch. With the new update (via 9to5Google), developers can now request a hardware-accelerated canvas for a watch face. So, what does this mean for users who are rocking a Wear OS smartwatch?

Well, thanks to hardware acceleration support, the watch face you apply on your smartwatch will render at a higher frame rate. As a result, transitions and animations on a watch face will look smoother, all made possible by the arrival of hardware-accelerated canvas for developers. However, it is only available for smartwatches running Android 9 or a later build.

In order to check if your watch face is using hardware acceleration, you have to enable the “Debug GPU profiling” option from the Developers Settings. If that is indeed the case, Google says “you’ll see a new bar (moving from right to left) for each rendered frame of your watch face.” Here’s how it looks:

Source: Android Developers

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Samsung’s new app for Galaxy Watch Active 2 enables blood pressure monitoring

The app has been certified by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and can be marketed as Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) solution.

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