HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro Review

It’s been a hot minute since the last wearable, but surely, the grind for perfection continues with the release of the HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro. The new installment to the brand’s popular smartwatch lineup not only amps up the style–as they always do, but brings about some innovative health features to the table. These features aren’t necessarily new–as they were already somewhat present in earlier iterations. They are, however, more in-depth, supercharged versions of what we already have, and can definitely take their smartwatch game to new heights–and edge out the competition.

The HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro comes out swinging, brandishing these new features alongside some sturdy-yet-gaudy hardware. Off the heels of the very successful Watch GT 4 series, it packs the same amount of premium poundage one would expect from a device of its lineage. From its materials, down to the apps it supports, you’re getting a lot in spite of such a small, wearable package. As such, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to give the new machine a test drive, see how smooth of a ride it delivers, and check out these new health and fitness features from a more or less unhealthy and unfit perspective.

Yes, we know. It’s time to hit the gym.

Geek-sthetic

It’s no surprise that the HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro is a feast for the eyes. The iconic octagon is back, and it’s sporting a sleek and eye-catching 46mm watch face (46.3 x 46.3 x 10.9 mm), with ours comes in a nice shade of black. Now, the clean, metallic finish isn’t all for show. We’re talking about some serious durability, courtesy of an aerospace grade titanium alloy from the watch case to the bezels. Towards the posterior, we’re greeted by some fine nanocrystal ceramics. Yes, HUAWEI really pulled out all the stops when it comes to materials.

Going back up front, the 1.43-inch AMOLED color circular screen is protected by premium sapphire glass–so it not only looks good, but can also withstand those careless bumps to the wall. Are we speaking from experience? Perhaps. As for the watch face, you’re getting a canvas of vibrant colors and crisp details with a variety of watch faces to choose from. More on that later.

Now, you have the choice between a black TPU strap or a metallic wrist strap of the same material as the watch itself. Both measure 22 mm wide and suitable for wrist circumferences of 140–210 mm–guaranteeing it’ll fit just about anyone. In terms of which strap to slap on, it all boils down to preference. Are you classy or sporty?

In our eyes, you’re both.

Speaking of heft, it’s neither a featherweight nor cumbersome, coming in at just 53 grams excluding the strap. When it comes to how it looks and feels, the GT 5 Pro strikes quite the impressive balance between no-nonsense ruggedness and all-day comfort. All the while looking pretty damn good.

Sports & Health

Now, let’s talk about what’s arguably the bread and butter of he HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro–and what makes it quite the powerhouse of health and fitness. At its core is the HUAWEI TruSense System, a feature that brings you accurate, fast, and comprehensive sports health monitoring. We’ll admit that we’re physically incapable of making use of its full potential, but you can best believe we did our best.

Within the system, and in synergy with the patented HUAWEI Health app, you get an advanced heart rate algorithm that’s capable of measuring both heart rate and blood oxygen with ease. If you don’t absolutely dread the results you might see because your resting heart rate is above 100 BPM, it’s quite invaluable in keeping yourself in check. Aside from this, the GT 5 Pro also offers ECG functionality. This feature is great, but some might have to prepare themselves a bit before actually using it. It does require you to lower your heart rate to get the most accurate results, but it gets the job done nonetheless.

It’s the bane of everyone’s existence once we reach middle age, but it’s a known fact that a good night’s sleep is crucial for one’s overall well-being. Sleep-deprived as we were, we made good use of the GT 5 Pro’s Sleep Assistant and tracked our progress for a few days. It does perform comprehensive sleep monitoring, and you will be horrified if you try and use it for less than six hours. We joke around about this, but we do value this feature a lot. It’s been present in HUAWEI’s earlier smartwatches, and we’re glad that they’ve been improving on it since.

One new feature to tinker with is the Emotional Wellbeing Assistant--a very nice addition to the bunch. Aside from monitoring your overall mood during the day via a cute and cuddly panda, it also comes with a few tips and exercises to relieve stress in real time. We have a feeling that it some how draws some of its results from your heartrate. Case in point, it might say that you’re feeling unpleasant when in fact, you were simply going about some mundane chores. How this works leaves us intrigued, and we’ll definitely dig deeper.

Default setting: Unpleasant

Of course, we can’t forget our polar opposites: the fitness enthusiasts. If you’re into more outdoors-y activities that involve a lot of limb action, the HUAWEI Sunflower Positioning System will definitely enhance your experience by boosting positioning accuracy through an adaptive algorithm.

This means you can keep track of your distance without missing a step. What’s more is you’ll have access to more than workout modes, including workout plans for running and cycling. This also encompasses more specialized activities such as Golf, Freediving, and Trail Running. We’re pretty sure that if there’s a sport to be played, or a workout to be accomplished, the GT 5 Pro has it.

Everyday Reliability

First and foremost, the HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro runs on Harmony OS 5.0, offering smooth navigation via touch screen. In tandem with its snappy responsiveness, you won’t have any problems navigating the apps and features. This comes as no surprise, as the interface has always been intuitive.

One of the standout features is the QR code payment system–which will support GCash really soon. This adds yet another layer of convenience to your daily transactions, as you’ll no longer need to whip out a card, or hover your phone over a sensor. It will all be, literally, a flick of the wrist. The ability to directly answer or hang up incoming calls also makes a comeback. Coupled with message text support, it guarantees you’ll always be always be connected without having to reach for your phone.

Battery life is impressive as always, with HUAWEI claiming up to 14 days of use on a single charge. In real-world testing, we were still going strong at 30% after 6 days of regular use. We’ll be exploring this a bit more in the following days, with full notifications and alerts on.

Another noteworthy characteristic is how the GT 5 Pro doesn’t shy away from the elements. From our perspective, it downright embraces the challenge. Boasting an industry-first IP69K rating with a waterproof level of 5 ATM, you can enjoy a bit of freediving while keeping track of your heart rate. Paired with its aerospace grade titanium alloy and sapphire glass, a heavy downpour will be the least of your concerns. You, yourself, will likely suffer more damage from a hailstorm than the watch.

Just so we’re clear, we don’t recommend you testing our speculation.

Compatibility is no issue, with support for both Android and iOS devices through the Huawei Health app. As mentioned earlier, it’s responsible for storing all your important health data, and for some, more importantly–customizing your watch experience.

Yes, by “some,” we mean ourselves.

On the topic of customization, the GT 5 Pro comes with 13 new watch faces. These watch faces offer a range of widgets and functionalities tailored to the face’s design–each to suit different lifestyles and different moods. Of course, the “gallery mode”–as we fondly call it, makes a comeback. Here, you can either craft your own pattern for a unique watch face, or simply slap on the favorite photo of your favorite person. Or people. One for each day.

Overall, there’s not much more you can say about the GT 5 Pro’s reliability. It’s still that good, and then some.

Geek Lifestyle Recommendation

The HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro is so much more than just a new wearable device – it’s a potential lifestyle companion with a pedigree of reliability, ingenuity, and utmost class. Seamlessly blending into your daily routine while looking damn good, the features it brings get you more than what you bargain for. The health tracking capabilities are both accurate and comprehensive, the fitness options are plentiful and easy to access, and the added emotional well-being feature is something everyone would appreciate to have. There’s a myriad of customizability options, and–as we keep saying, the watch itself just look gorgeous. Our overall experience, brief as it may be, was a pleasant one.

It also warrants a quarterly doctor’s checkup with some bloodwork. Thanks, TruSense.

Now, we can’t speak in detail regarding the base variant of the series–as we only got our hands on the Pro version, but given how they’re cut from the same series cloth, you can’t go wrong either way. That being said, the added durability thanks to some quality materials give the Pro version a definite edge. The Ultimate Design variant is a different story, but you can check it out if you’re interested.

So, if you’re a long-time fan of HUAWEI’s Watch GT series, this is the next step. If you’re in the market for baby’s first smartwatch, this can be quite the worthy investment. The HUAWEI Watch GT 5 Pro will be available nationwide soon, with pre-orders starting on September 26.

If you’re hyped for its imminent release, you can check out its official preview. Of course, you can also check the official HUAWEI store. If you’re keen on some Ultimate Design, click here.

As for online retailers, you can check out your respective TikTok Shop, Lazada, Shopee, and Shopee Mall pages.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Specs:

46mm: 46.3 x 46.3 x 10.9 mm
1.43″ AMOLED color circular screen with sapphire glass
53 g (excluding strap)
Case – Aerospace grade titanium alloy (front case), nanocrystal ceramics (rear case) / Strap options: TPU, aerospace grade titanium alloy
Water Resistance – IP69K, 5 ATM
14 days total Battery
Compatibility – Android and iOS
Sensors – Accelerometer sensor/ Gyroscope sensor/ Magnetometer sensor/ Barometer sensor/ HUAWEI TruSense System
Black, Silver