Huawei is hot on the heels of the likes of Samsung and Fitbit with its latest wearable releases.
Not only the brand is launching the first truly accurate blood pressure monitoring smartwatch – the Huawei Watch D – but it's also busy introducing great value for money fitness trackers (Band 7 and Watch Fit 2) and premium-looking smartwatches (Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic and Titanium Edition).
We went to Milan, Italy, to catch the first glimpse of these wearables and also the new Huawei Mate Xs 2, a fabulous folding smartphone with a €2,000 price tag.
The Watch Fit 2 and Watch GT 3 Pro feature the new TruSeen 5.0+ optical heart rate sensor that's said to filter out noisy signals more efficiently than its predecessors. Both the fitness tracker and smartwatch use the same sensor technology, but the former uses fewer LEDs.
This GT 3 Pro builds on the foundation laid by the Huawei Watch GT 3 (and, to some degree, the Huawei Watch GT Runner) and comes in two watch case sizes (46mm and 43mm), with the smaller one being available in an all-ceramic setup, a first in smartwatches.
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro: Price and availability
The HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition (RRP from £299.99) is available from 30 May 2022 with a pre-order from 18 May through 29 May.
The HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition (RRP from £429.99) is available from 8 June 2022 with a pre-order from 18 May through 7 June.
Both editions will be available from the Huawei Store and selected retailers including Amazon and Currys. Customers who pre-order through the Huawei Store and participating retailers will receive a free pair of HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro in white (subject to availability).
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro: Classy ceramic
As mentioned above, the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro comes in two sizes, the smaller with a 43 mm watch case and the larger model with a 46 mm watch case. The small version is definitely more exciting as it's the first-ever all-ceramic smartwatch people can buy, albeit not for cheap.
When we say all-ceramic, we mean it: the most expensive model's bezel, watch case, and strap are made of ceramic material. The larger version also has a ceramic back, but it features a titanium bezel, sapphire glass at the front and different straps, including a fluoroelastomer and real leather options.
Features-wise, the Watch GT 3 Pro has ECG, heart rate and sleep tracking, all the smart notifications in the world, as well as music storage and a myriad of workout modes. The Watch GT 3 Pro can also measure "arterial stiffness" to help you manage heart health better.
It's worth noting that the ECG and heart health features are not available in Europe as Huawei is waiting for these to be approved in the EU. The hardware is ready and once it has been approved, all extra features can be turned on via software update.
The Watch GT 3 Pro has an IP68 rating and is water-rated to 5ATM. The battery life of the Ceramic Edition is seven days, while the Titanium Edition will last for 14 days on one charge. No information is available on GPS battery life (yet).
The Watch GT 3 Pro looks classy and feels light on the wrist
Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro: Hands-on
The Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition feels different. It's certainly a unique sensation to wear a watch made of this material – to some degree, it feels like wearing a bracelet.
The smaller watch face and the gold/silver-like bezel make the Ceramic Edition feel like it's primarily aimed at women; a bit of shame as the technology is interesting, and I think it would have been better to position at least one ceramic colourway as a unisex option.
There is, of course, the larger version of the Watch GT 3 Pro that has a more 'manly' titanium case and strap. The back of this watch is also ceramic, as mentioned above, which makes it ideal for people with skin allergies to wear. From a functionality point of view, both versions are the same.
The straps might be classy, but it doesn't make them easily interchangeable. As a matter of fact, changing the chain links on the titanium version is hard work. I had to remove two links to make the watch sit properly on my wrist, and it came at the cost of one of my nails getting slightly chipped. There is a sort-of quick-release mechanism on some of the links, but even so, the process wasn't easy.
The ceramic version can be adjusted slightly differently, and there are tools included in the box. It's not a faster process, though.
The Watch GT 3 Pro features Huawei's latest TruSeen 5.0+ optical heart rate sensor
I'll have to test the watch to see if the TruSeen 5.0+ lives up to its reputation. The previous version worked perfectly fine, so I can only assume – hope, more like – the updated version will provide at least as accurate readings as that. The tech and the updates certainly look promising.
