Review of smart watches HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro: bet on emotions

In fact, not many changes occur in the Watch GT series from year to year – HUAWEI brings out some special, unique details that make this or that watch stand out from the general background into separate models, such as the HUAWEI Watch D2 with a built-in blood pressure monitor ( now working in 24-hour mode), HUAWEI Watch Buds with built-in headphones, numbered HUAWEI Watch with eSIM function, and so on. HUAWEI Watch GT remains in a state of balance, combining an abundance of sports functions and capabilities for maintaining an active lifestyle with a classic design with almost no sporty accents. And in the fifth generation, this balance seems to be struck better than ever.

Left – HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro, right – HUAWEI Watch GT 5

First, it’s worth talking about the different variations of watches. This material is dedicated to the older version – HAUWEI Watch GT 5 Pro with a case with a diameter of 46 mm. There is also a conditionally female version with a case diameter of 42 mm and a slightly different design (a round elegant case without any corners). There is also a HUAWEI Watch GT 5, also in two diameters: 46 and 41 mm.

HUAWEI Watch GT 5

Key differences between the Pro and regular versions: the presence of an ECG sensor on the Pro with the ability to assess arterial stiffness, a titanium alloy (46 mm) or ceramic (42 mm) case on the Pro versus stainless steel on the regular GT 5. And, accordingly, weight and price . Large GT5 Pro weigh 53 grams, GT5 – 48 grams.

HUAWEI Watch GT 5

And yes, it must be said that in the GT 4 Pro generation there was simply no version; there were only “basic” GT 4s – without an ECG sensor and with relatively simple body materials. In the GT 5 generation, this division has returned.

Left – HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro, right – HUAWEI Watch GT 5

Prices for HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro start from 29,999 rubles, for HUAWEI Watch GT 5 – from 19,999 rubles.

⇡#Design and construction

HUAWEI is not lazy to change the design of its watches every year – at least a little. This means launching a different technological cycle, but yes, the Chinese company is not saving in this regard. The above concerns primarily the Watch GT 5 – after all, I repeat, there was no GT 4 Pro. But overall there are not that many changes. A bezel without protruding parts, a contrasting “dial” on the screen – that’s probably all.

HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro is distinguished by a slightly more pronounced brutality – due to the angular body and digital markings on the same dial. But first of all thanks to the materials. The case is made of titanium alloy, as is the strap, and it feels very good when holding the regular GT 5 in one hand and the Pro in the other. Not only are they heavier, but they also feel a little more impressive to the touch.

A titanium strap is a matter of taste; leather ones, for example, are more suitable for me, but in this case there is not much freedom of choice due to the special fastening scheme. It is convenient, but forces you to choose between two options provided by the company: either titanium or fluoroelastomer. However, the width of the fastening here is standard, so perhaps it will be possible to “fit” another strap.

And yes, as convenient as the fastening system of the supplied strap is (a well-implemented button instead of a tiny bracket, as usual), it is so inconvenient to change the number of segments on a titanium strap – here it is precisely those “staples” that are needed, and they are downright tight. Fortunately, you will have to adjust it a few times during the time you use the watch, so the problem is not that big.

As for the control scheme, nothing has changed here for several years. Two keys – with a rotating wheel (with tactile feedback) for navigating key screens, a regular flat key for quick access to training modes, and a touch screen as the main way to interact with the watch.

The screen itself is absolutely the same as it was on the Watch GT 4 (and previously on the GT 3/GT 3 Pro): the 46 mm version has 1.43 inches, 466 × 466 pixels (pixel density – 326 ppi), the 42- millimeter – 1.32 inches with the same resolution. Matrix – AMOLED, without support for higher refresh rates.

On the back of the watch there are sensors and a contact pad for charging. Right there, at the edges, you can see a speaker and microphone.

The case has IP69K dust and moisture protection, with the watch you can dive to shallow depths (it is stated that they will withstand water pressure of up to 5 atmospheres) and swim freely.

HUAWEI Watch GT 5/GT 5 Pro received the latest version of the proprietary operating system for wearable devices, HarmonyOS 5.0, but somehow it is impossible to notice – there are no differences in the interface from the previous version. On the far left screen there is a weather service and a control panel for playing music on a smartphone. Next is a dial, a screen with “Activity Rings”, a combined screen for health indicators, a screen with “office” applications (calendar, calls), a screen for quick access to workouts and a screen with moon phases, which is usual for HUAWEI. The only new thing is the same “Emotions” screen, added exclusively to the GT 5 for now. We’ll talk about it a little lower.

⇡#File not found.

Before we talk specifically about the software features of the HHUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro, a few words about hardware improvements. The manufacturer never discloses details such as the amount of memory (retention or RAM) or the model of the processor used. But this time it is announced that special materials and technologies will be used (here I quote advertising materials): “multi-zone and multi-spatial architecture of light flows and advanced glass dimming technology,” which should lead to significant improvements in measuring blood oxygen saturation and more accurate heart rate counting. In reality, of course, assessing the impact of these technologies is almost impossible.

Another technical update concerns a new antenna for communication with satellites, which, in turn, should improve geopositioning – the watch is equipped with a navigation module (supporting GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS systems) and now it writes a track and finds you in space noticeably more accurately, and this is actually recorded subjectively.

Now let’s talk about the new “Emotions” feature, which can be called the key innovation of the series. In essence, this is an expanded and supplemented stress measurement function that was available before. The watch determines your emotional state based on daily fluctuations in heart rate – and displays an “emotional picture” in the form of a graph. I note that the function really works – I checked the internal “stress meter”. Indeed, waves of good or negative mood are captured quite accurately. Based on identified problems with your emotional mood, the watch can recommend breathing exercises, which the HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro can monitor.

Otherwise, the new model incorporates more or less everything that a high-end smartwatch should be able to do. This is a companion device that connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth (module version 5.2 is used) and can exist to a certain extent without the “mother” gadget, including thanks to the mentioned navigation module and speaker/microphone, which allows you to answer calls without touching the smartphone (but not to exist completely autonomously from it – eSIM is not supported here).

Autonomy from a smartphone is even more conditional. Even for initial activation, you need to install the “HUAWEI Health” application, through which synchronization with the accessory takes place, and control of the basic data obtained with its help, and changing dials, and installing updates (by the way, they are very regular – in a week of testing, two at once), and even installation of additional applications if you do not have enough of the set pre-installed on your watch.

The application is not bad: a user-friendly interface, good localization, a lot of accessible information, a Healthy Living section with an individual plan of tasks that you can set up yourself, and the clock will then remind you to complete them, and so on. There are also some rough edges, such as the weather service not always synchronizing correctly. But basically everything works smoothly.

As an assistant device, the HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro does everything necessary: ​​displays notifications from the main services (can be configured in the Health application, their set is constantly increasing); I already wrote about receiving calls above. Alarm clock, stopwatch, time – everything you expect from a smartwatch is there.

The set of sensors for monitoring health is more or less comprehensive: accelerometer, gyroscope, optical heart rate monitor, light sensor, barometer, skin temperature sensor, ECG sensor. The latter is built into the lower control key – the ECG is not measured in the background; this requires holding your finger on the key for half a minute. I note that here the sensor works more correctly than in the HUAWEI Watch D2, where the readings had to be rewritten regularly. But, unlike the same D2 (and older models of the “numbered” series), it is impossible to conduct a comprehensive health study on a number of parameters at once; they must be collected one at a time and analyzed independently.

The watch can count steps and pulse (correctly and accurately), recommend moving if you have been sitting too long, can determine the level of oxygen in the blood, monitor sleep (and can wake you up in the right phase or at a given point in time), measure skin temperature, control breathing, etc. including during sleep. There is also a system for monitoring the menstrual cycle.

I would like to note successful interface solutions with “Activity Circles” that track how you spend your day (it’s convenient to track not only the number of steps, but also the calories burned and, in general, how many times you stood during the day), and the main health indicators collected on one screen .

Of course, there is a large set of built-in training modes – from running or hiking to cycling and swimming, you can customize it individually. The HUAWEI Watch GT 5/GT 5 Pro even has a built-in cycling computer that displays key parameters on the watch screen in real time while you exercise on the bike. Also interesting is the new “Route Sketch” function, which allows you to create a “drawing” from the track completed during training. And the Reverse Route feature allows the navigation system to navigate to the starting point of your running workout. For several generations now, there has been a “Running Technique Analysis” function, which indicates your shortcomings in this discipline.

Another parameter that HUAWEI never lists in the specifications list is battery capacity. But in any case, there are no surprises with autonomy – up to two weeks, if you use the watch only as a companion device without constantly measuring your heart rate and rarely look at the screen. And up to a week, if you use them in normal mode – with constant measurement of key parameters (including emotional state), several workouts per week – and do not take them off at night.

⇡#Conclusion

The HUAWEI Watch GT series is almost always the product of a smooth evolution. And the HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro is no exception – there are not many differences from the previous version, even taking into account the fact that the Watch GT 4 Pro never existed. In fact, key improvements have been made in the materials (titanium alloy in the 46mm version and ceramic in the 42mm version) and the introduction of the ECG sensor, and technical improvements have also been added regarding the accuracy of some sensors and the navigation system. The main thing, perhaps, is a really interesting service for tracking emotional states.