Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Review: Long distance runner
The Huawei Watch GT6 Pro is the latest member of the Watch GT family, a series inspired by the Gran Turismo cars, and your grand tour will last days on a single charge.
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Intro
The Huawei Watch GT6 Pro is the latest member of the Watch GT family, a series inspired by the Gran Turismo cars. The idea ventured into the automotive world back in the 1960s when Gran Turismo cars were designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury.
Huawei applied the same idea to its GT series watches, and in the past couple of generations they have been associated with premium materials, stylish design, and, of course, the equivalent of long-distance driving—amazing battery life.
The Watch GT6 Pro takes this to another level with its high-silicon battery. It's a variation of the silicon-carbon technology we've been seeing more and more from brands like Honor and OnePlus, and it offers up to 21 days on a single charge.
The watch comes with other upgrades across the board, from the new Sunflower positioning system to the heavy focus on outdoor cycling. There's also an upgrade to the TruSense health tracking system, a new titanium alloy for the body, and 3000 nits of peak brightness. Let's dive into the review.
Huawei applied the same idea to its GT series watches, and in the past couple of generations they have been associated with premium materials, stylish design, and, of course, the equivalent of long-distance driving—amazing battery life.
The watch comes with other upgrades across the board, from the new Sunflower positioning system to the heavy focus on outdoor cycling. There's also an upgrade to the TruSense health tracking system, a new titanium alloy for the body, and 3000 nits of peak brightness. Let's dive into the review.
What’s new:
- New design
- 1.47-inch AMOLED screen 3000 nits peak brightness
- 10% reduced bezel
- Sapphire glass
- TC4 titanium alloy case with an ultra-hard metallic coating
- New high-silicon battery (867 mAh)
- Upgraded Sunflower positioning system
- Pro-level outdoor cycling tracking
- All-new TruSense health monitoring system
Table of Contents:
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Specs, Models and Prices
In terms of different variants and models, there's only one variant of the Pro version (there's also a non-Pro model), and it's a 46mm Bluetooth-only device with no LTE or Wi-Fi connectivity. There are three color variants for the Pro model.
Here's a quick look at the Huawei Watch GT6 Pro specs:
| Specs | Huawei Watch GT6 Pro |
|---|---|
| Models (Size, Weight, Prices) | 45.6 x 45.6 x 11.2mm, 51 grams (watch only), Bluetooth only, £329 ($449) |
| Processor, RAM, Storage | Undisclosed chip and RAM |
| Software | Harmony OS 6.0 |
| Battery and Charging | 867 mAh 12 days battery life (regular use) 21 days max Magnetic charger, 0-100% in 60 min |
| Sensors | HR, blood oxygen, ECG, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, ambient light sensor, depth sensor Double band GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo/QZSS |
| Features | New design TruSense health monitoring Pro-level cycle tracking Emotional wellbeing Arterial stiffness detection Temperature sensor NFC Wireless charging Sleep breathing awareness Gold mode 40-meter freediving mode Terrain map Trail running Offline maps HRV tracking |
Spec-wise, the Huawei Watch GT6 Pro comes equipped with all the bells and whistles the GT series is known for. There's your ECG, arterial stiffness measurements, a temperature sensor, and HRV (heart rate variability) feature, along with some new additions such as the power meter for cyclists and the new emotional wellbeing metrics.
What really stands out is the battery capacity of 867 mAh, which is substantially larger than what the Galaxy Watch Ultra (590 mAh) and Apple Watch Ultra 2 (564 mAh) have on board. This is down to the new high-silicon battery tech employed by Huawei, and we suspect it's similar to the silicon-carbon tech we've been seeing from other brands in the past couple of years.
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Design, Sizes and Bands
An octagon
The 1.47-inch AMOLED display now has a 10% smaller black border around it, and the 24-hour labeling on that border further reinforces the illusion of a screen that covers the whole face of the watch. There's sapphire glass on top of the screen, which has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, so it's almost unscratchable.
The 3000 nits of peak brightness is a hard metric to measure on a smartwatch, but subjectively, the watch looks very bright and stays bright even under direct sunlight. We didn't have any troubles reading the display during our testing.
The rotating serrated crown is still there with an engraved Huawei logo and a stylish red accent. The second, pill-shaped button on the bottom serves as a quick launch, and you can program it to start a workout or launch a feature of your choice.
The bottom of the watch is made out of ceramic, which is a hypoallergenic material that doesn't react with your sweat, so it's the perfect choice for such an application. All the sensors are positioned in the center.
The 46 mm size should be okay for most wrists; it's not the smallest watch out there, but it also doesn't feel too big or bulky. The thickness is around 11 mm and the weight around 50 grams, similar to other smartwatches of the same caliber.
The retail box is nothing too lavish, just the usual job. You get the watch (of course), a wireless charger, and some paperwork. There are no additional straps or other case candy included.
The Huawei Watch GT6 Pro comes in three color options, and each one goes with a different strap. The Classic Black model comes equipped with a fluororubber band, the Wilderness Brown features a composite woven strap, and the Titanium color variant comes with a titanium band for maximum exotic metal treatment.
The latching mechanism is new and proprietary, sadly no standard 22mm bands fit this watch. The size of the bands is 22mm indeed, and they use pins just like standard straps, but there are two small metal plates that go into guiding slots in the body of the watch.
You could, in theory, try and fit a standard band, but it would probably look funny and ruin the sleek transition between the body and the band.
The fluororubber band of the Black model is quite nice, very soft and elastic, it doesn't irritate the skin and it's comfortable to wear.
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Software & Features
Harmony 6.0
The Huawei Watch GT6 Pro runs on HarmonyOS version 6.0, and it pairs to your phone via the Huawei Health app. Fret not, though, because you can find it both on the App Store and in the Google Play Store. The watch works with iPhone and Android devices, and the process of pairing is quite simple, really—you just scan a QR code on the watch and follow the steps.
The Harmony ecosystem is still quite limited outside of China, especially in terms of apps. There are a dozen or so you can use through AppGallery, and some of those include Petal Maps, Navigation (G-Maps Viewer), Voice Recorder, a camera control app, an app that syncs with your Google Calendar, Spotify controls, etc.
The available watch faces are plenty; some of them you need to pay for, but most are free. There are cards you swipe from the main screen (kind of like widgets) to show you stacks of information, such as your health stats, activity rings, moon phases, the weather, your schedule, etc.
You can answer notifications with the help of the built-in Celia keyboard—it's a full-scale QWERTY keyboard, and it supports most of the popular apps, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Viber. While typing on a 1.47-inch circular screen can be tricky, it's still much better than having to rely on predefined answers.
The available watch faces are plenty; some of them you need to pay for, but most are free. There are cards you swipe from the main screen (kind of like widgets) to show you stacks of information, such as your health stats, activity rings, moon phases, the weather, your schedule, etc.
You can answer notifications with the help of the built-in Celia keyboard—it's a full-scale QWERTY keyboard, and it supports most of the popular apps, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Viber. While typing on a 1.47-inch circular screen can be tricky, it's still much better than having to rely on predefined answers.
Workout features
The area where the Huawei Watch GT6 Pro shines the most is health and fitness tracking. The watch can track a wide variety of activities (over 100) and offers detailed statistics with some really cool metrics.
Runners can use plans and running courses to train for competitions, including marathons and half-marathons, or just improve their times. You get a lot of data, including the industry standard VO2Max stat, HRV, and your average heart rate, but also deeper stats such as vertical oscillation, stride length, average ground contact time, average balance, and more.
The Watch GT6 Pro adds a new Pro-level cycling mode, and it's the first watch to feature the virtual power metric. Huawei spent some time perfecting the algorithms that made this possible, analyzing over 1000 datasets across various bike types, rider heights, weights, and wind speeds.
Runners can use plans and running courses to train for competitions, including marathons and half-marathons, or just improve their times. You get a lot of data, including the industry standard VO2Max stat, HRV, and your average heart rate, but also deeper stats such as vertical oscillation, stride length, average ground contact time, average balance, and more.
The Watch GT6 Pro adds a new Pro-level cycling mode, and it's the first watch to feature the virtual power metric. Huawei spent some time perfecting the algorithms that made this possible, analyzing over 1000 datasets across various bike types, rider heights, weights, and wind speeds.
You can import courses, upload maps, and also turn your phone into a bike computer and track your workout while you're cycling.
The Auto-detect feature works really well; it's quick to react, and it automatically stops the workout when you're waiting at red lights and resumes it when you're on the pedals again. Coupled with the accurate GPS positioning system, it really elevates your outdoor fitness adventures.
The Auto-detect feature works really well; it's quick to react, and it automatically stops the workout when you're waiting at red lights and resumes it when you're on the pedals again. Coupled with the accurate GPS positioning system, it really elevates your outdoor fitness adventures.
Sleep tracking
Health tracking uses Huawei's TruSense technology, and in the Huawei Watch GT6 Pro, it's been updated to be more accurate, and this extends to sleep tracking. The watch tracks and recognizes different sleep stages based on your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and moving patterns during the night.
You get an aggregated sleep score in the morning with some suggestions if improvements are needed.
The new HRV (heart rate variability) tracking in tandem with the SpO2 readings helps detect breathing irregularities and conditions such as sleep apnea.
The new HRV (heart rate variability) tracking in tandem with the SpO2 readings helps detect breathing irregularities and conditions such as sleep apnea.
As with other smartwatches and fitness trackers, sleep tracking is an approximation relying on algorithms (you need a medical-grade REM tracking device and an oxygen mask to accurately track sleep stages and detect sleep apnea).
That said, we found quite a correlation between the increased REM sleep the watch showed and the increase in vivid dreams associated with this sleep stage during our testing.
That said, we found quite a correlation between the increased REM sleep the watch showed and the increase in vivid dreams associated with this sleep stage during our testing.
Health features
The Huawei Watch GT6 Pro comes with a comprehensive health tracking package. The watch can record your heart rate, take down an ECG reading (and save it as a PDF to send it directly to your GP), and it can also assess the elasticity of your arteries. This metric is correlated with stoke risk and other cardiovascular conditions.
We already mentioned the SpO2 sensor on board; you can use it to quickly check your blood oxygen levels and also set it to constantly measure it and track any irregularities. The new emotional wellbeing stats show you emotion and stress data based on your physical stats.
This type of data is highly subjective and can vary, especially if you consume a lot of caffeine or alcohol, but it can give you an overall picture of your stress levels during the day and help you tie certain events to spikes in the metric and make lifestyle changes if necessary.
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Battery and Charging
Long distance runner
The battery inside the Huawei Watch GT6 Pro is one of the key features, as it uses new high-silicon technology. This has allowed the company to cram in a pretty impressive 867 mAh cell inside the sleek body of the Watch GT6.
Huawei smartwatches are known for their longevity when it comes to battery life on a single charge, but this model takes this to another level. Huawei advertises up to 21 days of light usage on a single charge, and while this might be a bit of a stretch, the 12 days of regular use are more than achievable.
We tested the watch for about a week, tracking sleep every night and doing one GPS-tracked workout every day (for at least an hour). We also used the watch to take most of the calls, and all the tracking to the maximum frequency, plus the display was set to always on (because a watch is almost useless without it).
Toward the end of the fifth day the battery level was at 47%, so we do believe you can get at least 10 days on a single charge without any struggles. The included wireless charger fills the battery from zero to 100% in about one hour and a half.
Huawei smartwatches are known for their longevity when it comes to battery life on a single charge, but this model takes this to another level. Huawei advertises up to 21 days of light usage on a single charge, and while this might be a bit of a stretch, the 12 days of regular use are more than achievable.
We tested the watch for about a week, tracking sleep every night and doing one GPS-tracked workout every day (for at least an hour). We also used the watch to take most of the calls, and all the tracking to the maximum frequency, plus the display was set to always on (because a watch is almost useless without it).
Toward the end of the fifth day the battery level was at 47%, so we do believe you can get at least 10 days on a single charge without any struggles. The included wireless charger fills the battery from zero to 100% in about one hour and a half.
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Voice Calls and Haptics
There's a loudspeaker on the Huawei Watch GT6 Pro along with a mic, which means you can make and take calls, listen to music and use the watch for timers and alarms.
The voice quality during calls is very good, we used the watch for calls the whole week and even though it looked a bit strange, we didn't have any problems with the other party hearing us or vice versa. The volume of the loudspeaker is also pretty impressive, you won't miss a call or an alarm.
The haptic feedback is quite strong and precise. You can choose the level of vibration from three settings: strong, soft, and off completely.
Huawei Watch GT6 Pro Competitors
The Huawei Watch GT6 is well-equipped to take your regular Garmin, thanks to the plethora of workouts and the sophisticated health tracking. What about more popular smartwatches such as the Galaxy Watch 7 or the Apple Watch 11?
The Galaxy Watch models have an additional metric that Huawei smartwatches can't do (yet)—body composition. The same goes for the newly launched Apple Watch 11 and its hypertension detection. Huawei has its own model that measures systolic and diastolic pressure, the Huawei Watch D, but the company hasn't made any strides to bring that feature to the GT series.
There is, however, one key area where competitors fall short, and it's definitely battery life. The Huawei Watch GT6 is a battery champion, and even though there are watches that can get close in terms of battery life, none of them offers such a complete package of style and features.
The Galaxy Watch models have an additional metric that Huawei smartwatches can't do (yet)—body composition. The same goes for the newly launched Apple Watch 11 and its hypertension detection. Huawei has its own model that measures systolic and diastolic pressure, the Huawei Watch D, but the company hasn't made any strides to bring that feature to the GT series.
There is, however, one key area where competitors fall short, and it's definitely battery life. The Huawei Watch GT6 is a battery champion, and even though there are watches that can get close in terms of battery life, none of them offers such a complete package of style and features.
Should you buy it?
The Huawei Watch GT6 Pro retails for 329 pounds (around $449), which is slightly more expensive than the base Apple Watch 11 and Galaxy Watch 7 models but cheaper than the respective Ultra models from these two competitors.
You get a lot of bang for your buck in any case. The watch comes in a titanium casing with sapphire glass on top of its display, and it can also do wonders for the sports enthusiasts, especially if they're into cycling, running, or golf.
There are some limitations in terms of apps; the Harmony ecosystem is still very small outside China, but the core smart features are there. The battery life is amazing—the watch just goes on and on for days. In our opinion, this is one of the most important features of any gadget powered by a battery, so it's a big win for the GT6 Pro in this regard.
If you want a good-looking, tough, and long-lasting sports watch with all the base smart features, the Huawei Watch GT6 is a no-brainer.
You get a lot of bang for your buck in any case. The watch comes in a titanium casing with sapphire glass on top of its display, and it can also do wonders for the sports enthusiasts, especially if they're into cycling, running, or golf.
If you want a good-looking, tough, and long-lasting sports watch with all the base smart features, the Huawei Watch GT6 is a no-brainer.
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