I wore the Huawei Watch GT 6 for 10 days, and Garmin should be worried

There was a time when the distinction between traditional smartwatches and running watches (and multisport watches) was clear. Members of the former category were great for basic health and fitness tracking, like steps and heart rate, while one used performance wearables to track workouts.

Thanks to advancements in smartwatch, GPS and sensor technology, the lines are blurred in 2025, to say the least. Almost all smartwatches from major brands can monitor not only heart rate but also heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, stress, sleep, and much more.

Huawei is one of the more under-the-radar brands, at least in the UK, that has been quietly building the most comprehensive health and fitness wearable systems in the smartwatch world. And the brand's latest model, the hotly anticipated Watch GT 6, yet again pushes the envelope.

The sleeker, more sporty sibling of the flagship Huawei Watch 5, the Watch GT 6 is said to be the first smartwatch to feature cycling virtual power and FTP calculation, eliminating the need for a power meter.

It also offers advanced sports metrics, such as altitude trend charts for trail running, detailed vector maps for golf and on-slope metrics for skiing. In addition to this, the GT 6 also offers improved GPS accuracy, fall detection, and route navigation via Komoot and other third-party apps.

The Petal paradox

It must be noted that, due to the Android ban a few years ago, the smart functionality of the Huawei Watch GT 5 still lags behind in 2025. While Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic users benefit from apps like Google Maps and Google Calendar, Huawei relies on its own versions of these apps, including Petal Maps.

And even though these apps are getting there, I certainly wouldn’t trust Petal Maps to get me through a cross-country trip as much as Google Maps. It’s getting there, though. For example, Petal Maps offers turn-by-turn prompts for walking and cycling, including vibration feedback for turns.

Combined with the new cycling features, it is easy to see why the Watch GT 6 might tempt some cyclists to switch to the Huawei ecosystem over Apple or Samsung. Not to mention, the Huawei Health app, where all your data is fed into, works on Android, Samsung (I appreciate it runs Android, but a custom version) and iPhones.

This system-agnostic approach can help people switch from Apple Watches to Huawei, for example, without having to buy a new smartphone. Can’t imagine droves of cyclists throwing away their Apple Watch Series 10 for the Watch GT 6, but maybe when it comes to upgrading, they might think twice.

Mood swings, quantified

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to test any of these features yet. You see, I was away on a trip and then caught a cold, so cycling and trail running were out of the question for the past week or so. Such is the life of the smartwatch tester.

What I could test was everything else, including – takes deep breath – sleep and stress tackling, ECG, arterial stiffness detection, smart notifications, daily activity tracking, and my favourite new addition, emotional state monitoring.

That's right: the Huawei Watch GT 6 can keep tabs on your emotional state without any input from you. Apparently, I'm calm as I write these words, and I was joyful about 20 minutes ago. Emotional states go hand in hand with stress, of course.

Now, I don't know about you, but I can't say I'm fully in tune with my emotions. I often confuse boredom with hunger, which results in me raiding the fridge half an hour after having breakfast.

As such, it's almost impossible to confirm the accuracy of the Watch GT 6's emotional state readings. However, I can confirm that the Huawei never said I was having a meltdown while I was sitting on the sofa watching TV (looking at you, Oura Ring 4).

Sleep tracking is accurate, and you receive advanced metrics in the aforementioned Huawei Health app. It’s laid out well; I had no issue navigating it. You also get Apple Watch-like rings to complete every day, which, like on other wearables, works fine.

The Watch GT 6 reminds you to move if you’ve been sedentary for an hour, but in my experience, it will do it even if I’ve been pottering around in the kitchen for ten minutes before the prompt. Calorie and activity tracking work fine, though, as far as I can tell.

Sharper and brighter

All this chat about features made me completely forget the physical specs of the Watch GT 6. The watch comes in two sizes, 41mm and 46mm, with the smaller one geared towards female users with its ergonomic pivoting loop lugs.

The Watch GT 6 Pro features a new 1.47-inch AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 3000 nits. The resolution of both the 41mm and 46mm versions is 466 x 466 pixels. The 46mm model now has a raised timing bezel, which is slimmer than before. The larger version also features the octagon design Huawei is now famous for.

In terms of trim and strap options, I won’t go through all of them, as I would have to type all day. As expected, there are a ton of different colours and material choices, from vegan leather to fluoroelastomer. I prefer the latter for workouts, as leather stains quickly when you sweat. Plus, fluoroelastomer feels more comfortable on the wrist if you wear your smartwatch 24/7 as I do.

The real kicker

Battery life is huge on both versions of the watch. The 46mm version can last for up to 21 days on a single charge, but even the smaller 41mm model can run for up to two weeks without needing a top-up. I took the Watch GT 6 Pro out of the box and have used it continuously since then without charging it, and the battery is still at 28%. And that’s with the occasional workout tracking taken into account!

GPS battery life is also impressive: 45 hours in dual-band mode, which, to be fair, is the only mode, as the Watch GT 6 doesn’t allow you to switch to single-band to conserve battery (as far as I know). Compare this with the Forerunner 970 mentioned above, which has a 15-day smartwatch and 25-hour SatIQ battery life, and you can see why one might get excited over the specs of the Huawei.

Again, I’m not trying to slate the Forerunner; the two watches are for different audiences. But unless you’re a pro, it’s hard to justify the premium you must pay for a Garmin when other watches provide more than accurate exercise and wellness tracking for a lot less.

Counting the pennies

And that segues me nicely into the best thing about the Watch GT series: price. The Watch GT 6 sells from £229 (~$309.05/ AU$467.98), while the Watch GT 6 Pro’s recommended retail price is £329 (~$444/ AU$672.32). That’s a handsome price for a wearable this capable.

I would recommend the Watch GT 6 over the Huawei Watch 5, as it represents a much better value for money. Of course, even Huawei admits the flagship wearable is a niche offering, but still, it’s hard to argue with the value proposition of the GT Series.

Will I see a lot of people walking around with the Watch GT 6 wrapped around their wrists in the UK all of a sudden? Probably not, but the Chinese brand is certainly finding its groove with its wearables, and the Watch GT 6 is, if nothing else, a tempting option in the ever-so-saturated market.

The Watch GT 6 Series is available now at Huawei UK.