Huawei Watch 3: the stunning new Harmony OS smart watch

The Huawei Watch 3 is the company’s new flagship smart watch that will run its new Harmony OS. As part of Huawei’s product launch this week it debuted the new Watch 3 as well as a premium Watch 3 Pro model.

The first thing that stands out about the new Huawei Watch 3 is the large 3D rotating crown. This is much larger than the two buttons used on the Watch 2 and rotates to switch between screens and presses to enter new applications, much like other digital crowns we’ve seen.

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From the promo videos the watch is beautifully finished with a polished stainless steel, aside from the active edition, which has a matte black coating. Huawei has attempted a design that looks more like a traditional mechanical watch, and it really does look that way on the classic and elite editions.

The screen is big – 46mm big – which is fractionally larger than the Watch GT 2 and without the smaller 42mm version. It’s a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a near borderless design, giving plenty of real estate for all the information you want to display.

Rather than being reliant on pairing with a phone, the Huawei Watch 3 features its own eSIM, so it can take calls and stream music independently. This means you can leave your phone at home if you want to. You can also get live news and stock information straight to the watch too.

The Watch 3 has all your travel needs taken care of, from access to maps, to information on your taxi arrival and even holding your boarding pass for a flight. The mobile wallet allows for mobile payment and a series of third-party apps provide everything from translation on the watch to opening your car door. There’s even a voice assistant, named Celia, to answer any spoken commands.

There are plenty of health features in Watch 3, too. Sensors covering acceleration, gyro, geomagnetic, ambient light, pressure, temperature and heart rate are used to monitor your health and stored in the Huawei Health app. There are 100 sports modes and six activity types in the fitness functions, as well as a range of classes available in the app. For older users, there’s also fall detection and a medication reminder function.

In addition to the standard Watch 3, the Watch 3 Pro comes in classic and elite editions, with a titanium body and sapphire glass screen. It also has a superior GPS system for more accurate location tracking.

The Watch 3 has a four-day battery when used in smart mode, extending to 14 days when in ultra-long battery mode. The Watch 3 Pro has an improved 7-day battery in smart mode and up to 21 days in ultra-long battery mode. 

The Watch 3 launches in the UK on June 18, priced from £349.99. The Watch 3 Pro launches June 28 priced from £499.99. Discounts and Huawei Freebuds Pro are on offer for those who preorder. Price and availability in the US and Australia have not been confirmed.