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The Huawei Watch GT 5 follows the Watch GT 4 from the previous year. Huawei has not fundamentally changed the concept, retaining the octagonal design instead, but now with high-gloss polished stainless steel. The Huawei Watch GT 5 series is again available in two sizes: 46 and 41 millimeters.
The model tested here is the larger version, while the smaller one once again takes a more feminine approach. The GT 5 series starts at 249 euros: New features of the Huawei Watch GT 5 include the new TrueSense sensor, a brighter display, and improved IP certification. Our test model is the 46 mm version with a blue strap.
A Pro model is also being offered again this year, which offers additional health features such as ECG measurement and has a titanium (46 mm) or ceramic alloy (42 mm) case. Unlike the Watch GT 4 the case of the Huawei Watch GT 5 is no longer coated with a titanium alloy but instead features a mixture of matt and shiny stainless steel surfaces. The workmanship is very good and leaves a high-quality impression.
The unspecified display glass is flush with the bezel. This cannot be rotated and has no integrated sensors. On the right-hand side is a crown that can be rotated and pressed, which is also made of stainless steel.
Below this is an additional button, the assignment of which can be set and starts the training overview by default. The underside is made of a polymer composite material. The Watch GT 5 is water-resistant up to 5 ATM and is also IP69K certified.
This means that it is both dustproof and waterproof, including protection against high-pressure and steam jet cleaning. However, the extended diving function in the sea (up to 40 m) is reserved for the Pro model. The same applies to the professional golf mode.
The wristbands have a standard 22 mm quick-release fastener, which allows them to be changed without tools. This means that third-party straps can also be used for the Huawei smartwatch without any problems. The new TruSense 6.
0 sensor ( our report ) is designed to enable even better monitoring of health data; for example, the blood oxygen channels have been expanded from 4 to 12 channels. The smart glass of the sensors also shields stray light better, further improving accuracy. The 41 mm version is identical in terms of technical features, but is even lighter (35 g, without wristband) and has a smaller battery (323 mAh).
The outer packaging of the Huawei Watch GT 5 is completely shrink-wrapped in plastic film. The packaging itself has an FSC label, which stands for sustainable forestry. Cardboard is predominantly used inside, with some foam padding for the smartwatch, and both the glass and the sensors on the underside are protected with an additional film.
This can certainly be done more sustainably. Huawei does not provide any information on the extent to which recycled materials are used or how recyclable the materials used are. There is also no information on the CO2 footprint of the product and no concrete information regarding the duration of the update supply.
The Watch GT 3 for example, received an update in June 2024. Huawei is probably basing this on the usual three years for the Chinese market. The Huawei Watch GT 5 is based on the in-house operating system HarmonyOS 5.
0 and connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth; Wi-Fi is not supported. In order to pair the GT 5, the Huawei Health app must first be installed. This is available directly from the Huawei AppGallery, Apple App Store, or the Samsung Galaxy Store.
It is only not available in the Google Play Store, but can alternatively be downloaded and installed as an APK using the QR code on the packaging. However, iPhone users will have to accept a few restrictions while using the Watch GT 5. Although all apps can send notifications, this can be set less precisely, as most apps are simply grouped under Other .
AppGallery is also missing under iOS, which means that Petal Maps cannot be installed on the GT 5 and navigation via the smartwatch is not possible. The users also can't reply to incoming messages directly from the watch. These restrictions do not apply to Android-based smartphones.
Here, you can set whether each app is allowed to send notifications via the Huawei Watch GT 5, and the AppGallery for the smartwatch is also available. However, this is still very poorly stocked. Although the Watch GT 5 has an NFC chip, it is still not possible to make payments with it.
Due to the lack of Google Pay, the conventional way for Android smartphones falls flat. That leaves Huawei's own Wallet, but this cannot be used, at least in Germany. This would have made it possible to elegantly integrate other payment providers.
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 shows the way with Curve that Google is not necessary, and the paradox is that Huawei has also been working with Curve for smartphones since 2022. The operation of the Huawei Watch GT 5 has not changed compared to the Watch GT 4 . It is primarily operated via the capacitive touchscreen, which responds reliably to inputs.
There are also two physical buttons on board, both of which are located on the right-hand side. The crown is positioned above and can be used to switch between the watch face and apps by simply pressing it while double-clicking opens the task manager and allows you to quickly switch between recent applications. The lower button can be freely assigned and triggers the training mode by default, but can also be linked to any other app.
The swipe gestures on the touchscreen are functional: a swipe from the top edge pulls down the quick access menu, a swipe from the left takes the user back to the previous view, or from the home screen to a small shortcut page with a weather tile and music controls. From the right, it is easy to navigate through the widgets, which can be sorted, removed, or added to the app. Notifications whose status is not synchronized are displayed at the bottom.
So if the messages are read on the smartphone, the notification remains on the Watch GT 5. It's the same the other way around. The linear vibration motor provides crisp haptic feedback and is pleasantly quiet.
The Huawei Watch GT 5 has both a microphone and a loudspeaker and can therefore be used with a paired smartphone to make calls. Not only can calls be received with the smartwatch, but they can also be started from there. You can either access the call list or select one of the saved favorite contacts.
However, as the Watch GT 5 does not have Wi-Fi, the distance to the connected smartphone should not be too great. The voice quality of the Huawei Watch GT 5 is quite good, but the microphone is quite susceptible to noise and wind. Pushing notifications works very well on all platforms, but there are no quick replies to choose from when using iOS, not to mention the keyboard.
The former can be customized and sorted on Android. The small keyboard works surprisingly well, and a T9 layout is also offered as an alternative. However, it is a pity that only placeholders for stickers and photos are still displayed on the Watch GT 5.
Voice assistant Huawei's AI Voice Assistant is used as a voice assistant but only works with smartphones that use EMUI 10.1 or newer. Other voice assistants cannot be selected.
The Huawei Watch GT 5 can track numerous body measurements, not just at the touch of a button, but automatically. These include the pulse or heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), your own stress level, and skin temperature. TruSleep also includes comprehensive sleep monitoring, which also logs the breathing rate during sleep as well as snoring and ambient noise.
For some types of training, such as running outdoors, it is also possible to determine the VO2Max. The temperature sensor also supports cycle calendar predictions. Huawei claims to have improved calorie tracking.
In fact, the database of available products seems larger and better illustrated. In principle, however, it remains a calorie tracker: additional analyses and workout plans are hidden behind the Health+ subscription. Synchronizing the collected data only works to a very limited extent with Google Fit; it works better with Apple Health.
It is also possible to synchronize data with Strava and Komoot. The Huawei Watch GT 5 can record a total of 109 different sports and records different data depending on the sport. The training detection can automatically recognize running, walking, cross-training, and rowing workouts.
For everyday activity tracking, Huawei offers two options for setting activity goals: One is via the classic three rings, which record targets for calories, standing, and exercising, and the other is a health cloverleaf. The cloverleaf analyzes several areas separately: sleep, steps, and mood. Huawei Health also determines trends, for example for daily steps, exercise calories, resting heart rate, and sleep duration.
Aerobics Air Walker Fishing Aqua Soccer Car racing Badminton Ballet Parallel bars Baseball Basketball Belly dance Beach soccer Beach volleyball Mountain hiking Biathlon Billiards BMX Bobsleighing Bodycombat Archery Bowling Boxing Bungee jumping CrossFit Cross trainer Curling Darts Dragon boating Dragon boarding Ice hockey Ice skating eSports Parachuting Fencing Badminton Rock climbing Free sparring free training Frisbee Functional training Soccer Gateball Walking (indoor) Walking (outdoor) Group training Handball HIIT Obstacle course Field hockey Hula-Hoop Jazz dance Martial arts Canoeing Karate Kendo Physical training Strength training Cricket Cross-country skiing Laser Tag Latin American dances Running (Indoor) Running (Outdoor) Running (sports field) Orienteering Paddling Parkour Park dance Pilates Cycling (indoor) Cycling (outdoor) Rafting Horizontal bar Horseback riding Tobogganing Roller skating Rowing machine Rowing Rugby Trunk training Swings Swimming (indoor) Swimming (outdoor) Sailing Skipping rope Sepak takraw Skateboarding Skiing Snowboarding Softball Spinning Squash Stand-up paddling Stepper Street Dance Surfing Taekwondo Tai Chi Dancing (general) Tug of war Tennis Table tennis Trail running Stair climbing Triathlon Dodgeball Volleyball Hiking Yoga The new TrueSense 6.0 sensor aims to be even more accurate than its predecessor. To be able to classify this more precisely, we compared the Huawei Watch GT 5 with reference devices in various areas.
The heart rate measurements were taken during a bike ride, during which the smartwatch was compared with the Polar H10 chest strap. At rest, the heart rate values determined are at a similar level and the Huawei smartwatch is only one beat below the chest strap. During the ride, the values also hardly differ from each other, the Watch GT 5 is one beat lower for the peak heart rate and two beats lower for the average value, which is a very good result.
The measurement of blood oxygen saturation is similarly convincing. The deviation is very low at less than 0.7 percent.
The Huawei smartwatch is one percentage point above the reference values of the Braun pulse oximeter 1 in two out of three measurements. Huawei continues to rely on TruSleep for sleep tracking and only shows a few innovations. The Watch GT 5 distinguishes between light, deep, and REM sleep and also reliably recognizes short waking phases in the test.
Breathing detection is back on board, which is designed to detect interruptions in sleep. In addition, the smartwatch now provides data on heart rate, oxygen saturation, and breathing rate. Snoring noises, talking during sleep, and ambient noise can also be recorded, although this requires a smartphone nearby.
Sleep tracking breaks down the results in detail, provides tips for improving sleep quality, and provides soundscapes to help you fall asleep. This is all enhanced if a Health+ subscription is taken out. The data for the previous night can be viewed directly on the watch, and previous days, weeks, months, or years can be called up via the app on the cell phone.
The results seem plausible. There is no smart alarm clock, but user-defined alarms can be set in the watch. The Huawei Watch GT 5 can record 109 different sports at the time of testing (see above).
However, these are not all different sports but are partly adapted to the respective environment. For example, there is running outdoors, indoors, or on the sports field. The same applies to cycling.
Exotic sports such as eSports, laser tag, or car racing can also be tracked. Unlike the Watch 5 Pro, however, (open-air) diving or golf are not available on the GT 5. The revamped and expanded golf mode in particular would certainly also have worked with the cheaper model.
Most of the data is recorded for common sports such as running. This includes the foot strike pattern, distance covered, calories burned, speed, step cadence, and length, ground contact times, and much more. Goals can also be defined in the settings, be it a set distance, calorie consumption, or a certain time.
You can also define a section length or plan an interval training session. Automatic pause detection is also on board. In addition, special performance zones are displayed, which can be used to find your own optimal training rhythm, which is now visually reminiscent of the more modern design of the Huawei Watch Fit 3 .
VO2Max is also determined. When swimming, for example, the rate of pull is also determined, and when rowing, the strokes. The watch can also connect to additional training equipment.
With the help of its Sunflower Positioning System , Huawei wants to improve the positioning of the antenna using adaptive algorithms. The reconfigurable antenna intelligently detects both user activity and movement status and optimizes the orientation of the antenna in the right direction. Dual-band GNSS is also used.
During a test ride on the bike, we compare the Huawei Watch GT 5 with the Garmin Venu 2 . The Huawei smartwatch is much better than its predecessor and is on par with the Garmin Watch in many areas. Only on the second trip around the lake was the tight loop a little too narrow.
Nevertheless, a very good tracking performance. If you have an Android smartphone, you can also display the navigation with Petal Maps on the watch. In this case, only instructions are displayed in text form; voice output is still provided via the connected smartphone.
At least the smartwatch vibrates briefly before we reach the next turn. It is also a shame that no map of the surrounding area is displayed on the watch, even though we have downloaded the corresponding offline maps. These seem to be available exclusively for sports functions.
The round OLED display of the Huawei Watch GT 5 measures 1.43 inches (3.63 cm) and offers a high pixel density for a sharp display.
Huawei puts the brightness at up to 1,200 nits. We measured 1,271 cd/m 2 with the ambient light sensor activated; 589 cd/m 2 is still possible when the brightness is manually adjusted. Although the peak brightness has increased compared to the predecessor it is, however, lower than that of most other premium competitors in the comparison field.
The minimum brightness (11.35 cd/m 2 ) is conspicuously high, which is particularly annoying in the dark. In sleep mode, the display is usually switched off and can be activated with a reduced view by pressing the crown, which is why it is not quite as noticeable at night.
With the oscilloscope, we measured a constant flickering of 60 Hz and its amplitude is quite high at 93 percent, so the display cannot be considered easy on the eyes. However, as the screen time on a smartwatch is rather short, this should not be a problem in everyday use. The 524 mAh battery in our 46 mm version provides a long battery life for the Huawei Watch GT 5.
The manufacturer speaks of up to 14 days, with intensive use it should still be seven days. The 41 mm version halves the battery life. In the test, we wore the Watch GT 5 every night for sleep tracking, switched all measurements to permanently active, had all messenger notifications pushed through, and completed two short training sessions during this time.
With the always-on display deactivated, almost 13 days were possible without charging. If the AoD is activated, the value is roughly halved. The Huawei Watch GT 5 is charged wirelessly on the charging pad supplied.
The smartwatch locks into place magnetically. A full charge took just over an hour and a half in the test. The Huawei Watch GT 5 has the GT (Grand Turismo) in its name for good reason, as the first classic sports cars focused on the same elements: comfort, performance, and endurance.
The Huawei smartwatch also offers all of this. It impresses with its lightweight and flat design, delivers smooth system performance, tracks many basic health data very reliably and accurately, and the battery lasts a really long time in everyday use. The Huawei Watch GT 5 offers an appealing design paired with good technology.
Unfortunately, major innovations are reserved for the Pro model. The display of the GT 5 is now much brighter than its predecessor, but cannot quite keep up with its competitors from Apple and Samsung. The minimum display brightness is also very high.
It is annoying that Huawei has not bothered to make the wireless payment function usable, although suitable partners have been available for years. Nevertheless, Huawei also occupies a niche here, as there is probably no cross-platform smartwatch that offers such a wide range of functions with an appealing design and also enables quick switching between several smartphones. For those who cannot do without the payment function, the OnePlus Watch 2 could be an alternative.
If you are looking for something even more robust and durable, you should take a look at the T-Rex 3 ..
