HUAWEI WATCH GT 2 (46MM)
Last year’s Watch GT was an honourable mention with great battery life, marred by a sluggish UI and no apps.
The Watch GT 2 now boasts its own dedicated wearable chipset (the Kirin A1), which provides much smoother UI operations and extends battery life even further. Huawei claims up to two weeks per charge, and I’ve actually been able to stretch it almost to the end of the 11th day before it completely died on me; this was inclusive of about two hours of daily workout tracking. The Watch GT 2 basically sipped about 10% battery per day.
I do like how lightweight it is too, both physically and in terms of its app. Unlike the first Watch GT, the GT 2 doesn’t feel as plastic. Its 3D glass treatment gives it a more polished, quality finish. On the software-front, everything is controlled via Huawei’s Health app available on both Android and iOS.
Touch and menu cycling responsiveness have been much improved, though Huawei’s Lite OS is still very sparse as far as smartwatches go. This is the only smartwatch here that currently has no app support. What you get pre-installed, is all you get. Essentials like messaging and music control are there, but that’s about it. It doesn’t even have a dedicated calendar app, though you can get calendar notifications.
You can change watch faces, and supports customisation using your own pictures. The Watch GT 2 has both a mic and speaker built-in, so you can use it as a speakerphone for calls. The speaker is surprisingly loud; when used as a voice prompt during workout sessions, you can low-key flex your training status to everyone in the gym.
The best thing about the Watch GT 2 is its updated fitness tracking modes that’s a lot more comprehensive now, including training programs and options such as a virtual pace setter. Its heart rate sensor is right up there with Fitbit in terms of consistency, and the Watch GT 2 now supports VO2 Max though it doesn’t seem to work with any of the indoor modes. The watch would only give me a reading if I go on an outdoor run; strange as the Watch GT 2 employs Firstbeat technologies for this function similar to Garmin, and all the Garmins are able to give me readings even for treadmill runs.