Huawei’s deal with wearables over the previous few years has clearly paid off. Its newest flagship, the Watch GT 5 Professional, brings spectacular upgrades over what was already a extremely aggressive bundle.
That is the primary worldwide wearable to characteristic the brand new TruSense well being monitoring system and HarmonyOS 5.0. After in depth testing, we’re able to share extra about its real-life efficiency.
Design and construct
The GT 5 Professional is available in two sizes: 46 mm and 42 mm. We reviewed the premium Titanium mannequin, with each the physique and strap made out of titanium alloys.
It feels strong at 53 grams (with out the strap), a bit heavier and bulkier than its predecessors, the GT 4 and GT 3 Professional. The strap, although having a hardly ever seen in smartwatches premium really feel, has a minor downside; its steel parts can rattle as a result of watch’s robust vibration motor.
Nonetheless, as normal, the GT 5 Professional helps commonplace 22 mm straps, so discovering various kinds is a bit of cake. Whereas all commonplace straps match, not all match the premium look of the titanium.
The GT 5 Professional has a crown button on the highest and a steel button beneath it, each on the appropriate facet. Urgent the crown opens or closes the app menu, whereas double-press lets you change between lively apps. The decrease button is customizable, although it is inactive whereas an app is open.
On the again, the watch options the brand new TruSense six-sensor system, claiming to have rather more correct well being monitoring than its predecessor.
TruSense integrates medical knowledge from companions like hospitals and researchers, providing higher coronary heart price accuracy, SpO2 readings, blood stress, and sleep monitoring. Though Huawei additionally guarantees psychological well being monitoring, they have been unavailable in our testing area.
Software program
So, how effectively do these options work? The quick reply is: impressively effectively. Huawei wearables have steadily improved accuracy, and the GT 5 Professional is a top-notch instance.
Huawei already acquired ECG well being certifications just a few years in the past, and now the GT 5 Professional can ship extra detailed coronary heart well being insights. Throughout our exams, the watch reported regular outcomes, which aligned with the health of our reviewer, an avid ultrarunner.
Talking of operating, the GT 5 Professional introduces new options for runners. Customers can now import GPX tracks onto offline maps by way of Huawei Well being, a giant enchancment from earlier fashions that displayed routes on the nothingness of a black display screen.
Petal Maps, tailored for wearables, offers offline mode however nonetheless lacks detailed metrics like hill gradients.
Huawei Watch GT 5 Professional can now take screenshots
Pre-designed operating routes with waypoints on the telephone map additionally debut right here, a novel characteristic impressed by the 12 zodiac indicators, every with an identical distance. Whereas artistic, these routes may gain advantage from refinement, as some have sharp turns that will disrupt a smooth-running expertise.
Huawei tends to boost options over time, so there’s potential for these routes to enhance with future HarmonyOS updates, probably by summer season 2025.
HarmonyOS 5.0 additionally brings broader enhancements, reminiscent of bigger, interactive notifications with a QWERTY keyboard, accessible on the GT 5 collection and newer gadgets.
Battery life
Huawei stays a pacesetter in wearable battery life, because of its power-efficient chipset and the 1.43″ AMOLED show, a confirmed selection because the Watch 3 collection.
The GT 5 Professional presents a variety of watch faces with various energy calls for and improved satellite tv for pc sign monitoring for correct positioning throughout exercises.
We examined battery life underneath completely different situations: with 100 every day notifications, half-hour of train each different day, and minimal show brightness, we achieved as much as 10 days – much like Huawei’s declare.
Operating with GPS on consumed simply 1% of the battery for a 30-minute session, translating to solely 5% for a half-marathon. Charging from 0 to 100% took 70 minutes, barely longer than Huawei’s estimate.
In a heavy-use situation (10-hour ultramarathon, GPS monitoring, voice calls, and a high-power watch face), the GT 5 Professional lasted 6 days – spectacular for such intense utilization. Utilizing At all times-On Show (AOD), nonetheless, considerably diminished battery life to 4 days.
The GT 5 Professional prices by way of any Qi charger, however the included magnetic puck is essentially the most secure possibility, because the titanium strap could make it difficult to suit on most traditional chargers.
Verdict
Our variant of the wearable prices €499 in Europe, which is unquestionably not low-cost. The black variant with the fluoroelastomer strap is a little more reasonably priced at €379, which we imagine is a extra smart buy, notably in case you plan on utilizing the GT 5 Professional in your runs.
Huawei usually presents its gadgets in bundles on its web site, and the Watch GT 5 Professional may be bought with an additional strap free of charge, in addition to some Freebuds and Huawei Well being+ subscription the place accessible.
Huawei Watch GT 5 Professional is a testomony to how far the corporate has gotten because it shifted its focus towards wearables after its smartphone enterprise basically disappeared exterior China. The smartwatch is hard and constructed to final, with a formidable battery life and an prolonged vary of options.
It may be the go-to wearable for lively sportspeople but in addition shoppers who desire a useful smartwatch that appears good.