The Huawei Watch GT 5 is the latest addition to Huawei’s smartwatch lineup, succeeding the GT 4 with subtle yet meaningful upgrades. Priced competitively, it delivers excellent value for Android and iOS users who prioritize health and fitness over an extensive app ecosystem. While it lacks some of the premium features found in its Pro counterpart – like ECG functionality or advanced golf and trail run tracking – our review of the Huawei Watch GT 5 highlights its strengths as a dependable all-rounder with impressive battery life and reliable fitness and health tracking.

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Sporting a sleek, stylish design and a strong focus on sports and fitness, the GT 5 appeals to active users, though its limited third-party app support remains a drawback.

Design and Display

The Huawei Watch GT 5 boasts a sleek and durable design. Compared to its predecessor, the GT 4, it features a slightly slimmer case while maintaining its distinctive octagonal bezel. This bezel has been enhanced with sharper edges, giving it a more refined and stylish look. The watch is crafted from robust 316L stainless steel, ensuring its longevity. Although it lacks the scratch-resistant sapphire glass found in the Pro version, the stainless-steel case still feels substantial and provides a comfortable fit. Despite its sizable display, the Watch GT 5 remains surprisingly lightweight, making it ideal for both daily wear and active lifestyles.

The Watch GT 5’s 1.43-inch AMOLED display is a standout feature. Offering vibrant colours, deep blacks, and excellent outdoor visibility, the screen is a joy to use. The minimal black bezel surrounding the display creates a modern and immersive viewing experience, allowing for a wider range of watch faces to complement the watch’s design.

Customization options abound with the Watch GT 5. The watch is available with three different band styles: black silicone, brown leather, and a new blue option that combines silicone and nylon. Additionally, the standard 22mm band size allows for easy customization with a variety of aftermarket straps, ensuring a personalized look to match your style.

Software and Performance

The Huawei Watch GT 5 runs on Huawei’s HarmonyOS 5.0 and connects to smartphones via Bluetooth, as it does not support Wi-Fi. To pair the watch, users must first install the Huawei Health app, available from the Huawei AppGallery, Apple App Store, or Samsung Galaxy Store. However, it is not accessible through the Google Play Store. Android users can instead download the APK by scanning the QR code included in the packaging.

iPhone users will face certain limitations with the GT 5. While all apps can send notifications, the notification settings are less customizable, with most apps grouped under “Other.” Additionally, the AppGallery is not available on iOS, meaning that apps like Petal Maps cannot be installed, preventing navigation through the watch. Replying to messages directly from the watch is also not possible for iPhone users.

These restrictions do not apply to Android devices. On Android, users can control notifications for each app individually, and the AppGallery for the smartwatch is available, though it remains understocked.

Despite the Watch GT 5 having an NFC chip, contactless payments are not supported. Google Pay is unavailable, leaving Huawei Wallet as the only option, but this is not functional in many regions, like here in South Africa.

In terms of usability, the Huawei Watch GT 5 retains the same controls as the GT 4. The watch is primarily operated via its responsive capacitive touchscreen. It also features two physical buttons on the right side. The crown, located at the top, toggles between the watch face and apps, and a double press opens the task manager, allowing users to switch between recent applications. The lower button, defaulted to trigger training mode, can be customized to open other apps.

Swipe gestures on the touchscreen are intuitive: swiping down from the top opens the quick access menu, swiping left returns the user to the previous screen or displays a shortcut page from the home screen, and swiping right cycles through customizable widgets. Notifications, which don’t sync in real-time with the smartphone, are shown at the bottom—messages read on the phone remain on the watch and vice versa. All the features perform well and have never exhibited any sluggishness or lag.

The linear vibration motor delivers crisp haptic feedback while maintaining a quiet profile, adding to the overall smooth user experience.

Fitness and Tracking Features

The Huawei Watch GT 5 offers an extensive range of workout options, including running, swimming, hiking, cycling, and rowing. Additionally, from the “Custom” section of the workout screen, users can add even more activities, such as strength training, crossfit, and even unique options like eSports.

Runners will appreciate new advanced metrics, including ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and balance, while cyclists can turn their phone into a bike computer, utilizing the GT 5’s real-time data analysis.

Heart rate tracking has been further enhanced with Huawei’s TruSense system, featuring improved sensor positioning and upgraded components for more accurate readings. With outdoor running and strength training, the Watch GT 5 provides mostly accurate results – certainly sufficient for the average user. The dual-frequency GPS is another standout feature, offering precise tracking of running and cycling routes. I encountered no issues or delays when establishing GPS location.

I have been using the swimming tracking, which works extremely well on the Watch GT 5. It automatically detects the strokes you are doing, the number of laps you have (if in a pool, of course), time and strokes per lap, and more. It is also capable of measuring your heartrate while in the water, which can’t be said for many other fitness trackers. For the last several years, the Watch GT series has been my go-to fitness tracker for swimming purposes for these reasons.

Battery

The Huawei Watch GT 5 offers impressive battery life. The 46mm model can last up to 14 days on a single charge under normal usage conditions. However, heavy use with continuous heart rate monitoring and GPS can reduce battery life to approximately a week. The watch charges fully in about an hour using Huawei’s proprietary charging dock.

The smaller 41mm model has a slightly shorter battery life, lasting up to 7 days. Under typical usage, Huawei estimates around 5 days of battery life. While this is a reduction compared to the 46mm model, it’s still commendable considering its smaller size and battery capacity.

Overall, battery life is one of the Watch GT 5’s standout features. The watch’s impressive battery performance far exceeds the typical 1-2 days offered by many other smartwatches from brands like Apple, Samsung, and Google.

Conclusion

The Huawei Watch GT 5 is an excellent choice for those seeking a fitness-oriented smartwatch with exceptional battery life. While it may lack a robust app ecosystem and features like contactless payments, its affordability, attractive design, and impressive performance make it a compelling option in the mid-range market.

With its comprehensive feature set, stunning display, and quick responsiveness, the Watch GT 5 delivers a satisfying user experience. Although it’s not the cheapest smartwatch available, its premium design, quality materials, and distinctive style justify the investment. If you prioritize fitness tracking, long battery life, and a stylish appearance, the Huawei Watch GT 5 is a worthy consideration.