Well, this day has come – the latest series of HUAWEI watches – Watch GT 4 – has been officially presented. The Watch GT 3 series models were extremely popular, and two years later, a new generation was released. What is its peculiarity? We will tell you in the review. We received the Huawei Watch GT 4 41mm Elegant version for testing before the official launch, so we were able to get to know it thoroughly.
Positioning and price
Huawei’s smartwatches are really selling very well. There are some problems with phones due to sanctions, but watches are in demand due to their pricing, operating system, features, and build quality. In 2023, fresh new products from the Chinese brand were released – the top-of-the-line Watch Ultimate, the improved Huawei Watch 4, Huawei Watch D with a blood pressure measurement function, and the quirky Watch Buds (2-in-1 smartwatch and headphones inside). Now it’s time for a new generation of the popular GT series.
In terms of positioning, the Watch 4 / Watch 4 Pro series are flagship watches with a lot of options, you can read our review of the Watch 4 Pro model here. On the other hand, the GT series has always been “closer to the people”. GT models have a few simplifications (simpler case materials, no eSIM support, no ECG, slight differences in software capabilities), but they are cheaper. And they have the added benefit of longer operating time on a single charge: The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Pro offer 4.5 and 3 days of use, respectively, and the Watch GT 4 41 mm and 46 mm offer 7 and 14 days. Simpler software, simpler hardware – and much lower power consumption.
Another point is that in the GT series, we have a really compact 41 mm female model. In turn, Huawei Watch 4, even in the Active version, is quite brutal. Watch GT 4 41mm looks very feminine and elegant. And this is the watch we received for review. It’s worth noting that the differences between the Huawei Watch GT4 41mm and 46mm are only in design, case size, and battery capacity. The software in these watches and the “stuffing” are the same.
The small version is available in three versions:
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (41 mm) Elite: gold-coloured case with a silver bezel, with a silver-coloured steel bracelet with gold elements
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (41 mm) Elegant: gold-coloured case with a gold-coloured Milanese steel bracelet
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (41 mm) Classic: gold case with white leather strap
The Elegant variant (in the centre of the photo) is in our review.
Before we tell you in detail about the new Huawei Watch GT 4 41 mm, we suggest that you familiarise yourself with the entire Watch GT 4 series. The 46mm version is the one we’re focusing on. This is a large model that we believe is best suited for men. Here we have 4 variants:
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (46 mm) Elite: in a silver case with a steel bracelet
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (46 mm) Green: in a silver case (with green inserts) and a green composite strap
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (46 mm) Classic: silver case with brown leather strap
- Huawei Watch GT 4 (46 mm) Active: silver case with brown leather strap
The GT4 41 mm has a conventional round case. Meanwhile, the GT 4 46 mm has a completely new design with flat edges. It’s something new and looks cool.
You can take a look at the “men’s” version of the new Watch GT 4 in the images below.
Now for the prices. You can see them in the photo. As you can see, it all depends on the material of the strap.
The basic 46mm model can be purchased for ∼$280. This is significantly cheaper than the Watch 4 Pro.
The Huawei Watch GT 4 (41 mm) we tested costs from ∼$290.
Well, let’s finally get to the review!
Read also: Huawei Watch 4 Pro review: An incredible watch with one drawback
Huawei Watch GT 4 technical specifications
Let’s compare the smaller and larger versions right away.
| Watch GT 4 (46 мм) | Watch GT 4 (41 мм) | |
| Dimensions | 46×46×10,9 | 41,3×41,3×9,8 |
| Screen |
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| Weight | ∼48 g | ∼37 g |
| Operating hours | ∼14 days | ∼7 days |
| Battery | 524 mAh | 323 mAh |
| Charging |
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| Features |
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| Health |
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Package contents
The box is very presentable, with gold lettering. Everything inside is solid, and you immediately realise that you are looking at a premium device.
Package contents: watch, quick start guide and warranty card, wireless charger. There is no mains charger.
Read also: Huawei Watch Ultimate review: Top smartwatch and competitor for Apple Watch Ultra
Design
We received a sophisticated gold version of the smartwatch for testing, complete with a Milanese loop strap. It looks very expensive and beautiful, and all my friends noticed. And it goes very well with any outfit.
Compared to the Watch GT3, the watch has become more compact, and it’s noticeable. I used to say that the GT3 was too big, but I didn’t get that impression with the Watch GT 4 (41 mm).
Yes, this is still an advanced smartwatch, which is clearly larger than ordinary fitness trackers, but it is a comfortable size and does not interfere with the user in any way. Our Elegant version is relatively heavy because of the metal strap, and you can feel it. But without the strap, it weighs only 37g.
A little more about the differences. The Watch GT3 Elegant smartwatch had a rounded display glass. It may have looked beautiful, but it’s not practical enough – such a screen can be easily damaged or scratched. In the Watch GT 4 series (41 mm), the screens are flat – and that’s a plus.
The display frame is minimal, and the interface is designed in such a way that it is simply not visible. The screen glass, according to the manufacturer, has a high degree of transparency and a scratch-resistant coating. It is really high quality. Fingerprints are not visible on it. During testing, I did not catch a single scratch, although I did not handle the watch too carefully.
The golden-steel body looks sturdy, scratch- and fingerprint-resistant, and glistens beautifully in the sunlight.
The 41mm version of the watch does not have a new case shape with flattened sides, but there is something new here. We are talking about the bracelet attachment – the new design is simply charming, a bit retro.
The straps are, of course, interchangeable. The standard size is 20 or 22 mm (suitable for 41 and 46 mm watches, respectively), so you can buy others on AliExpress or elsewhere. The main thing is that the mount is compatible, but these “telescopes” are used on many smartwatches, including Samsung and Xiaomi, so there will be no problems.
There are two buttons on the watch case. The top one is a full-fledged wheel. You can scroll it to control the gadget with tactile feedback. The wheel with a linear motor is mega convenient! You will quickly feel the difference, because the device has become more sensitive and easier to use even with wet or sweaty hands. By rotating the wheel, you can easily zoom in and out of maps and other graphics, scroll up and down the interface, or adjust the volume.
A single press of the crown is responsible for returning to the home screen. And if you are already on this screen, it opens the main menu. In turn, double-clicking it opens the list of recently used applications. A long press on the rotary button brings up the switch-off or reboot options.
The second button is flat and less noticeable when pressed. By default, it opens the training menu, but you can customise it to your liking.
The lower part of the watch is made of plastic. In its centre is the advanced TruSeen 5.5+ health and activity monitoring sensor (heart rate, temperature, saturation).
There is a speaker hole on the right side of the case (high-quality and loud, but obviously not for listening to music, but only for calls), and a microphone hole on the left.
The smartwatch is waterproof to IP68 and 5ATM standards, which means that you can safely swim and dive to a depth of 50 metres. It’s not the Huawei Watch Ultimate with support for submersion modes, but it still offers high-level protection.
At the end of this section, let’s take a look at the complete strap of the elegant version. This is a fashionable Milanese loop, the workmanship is excellent, it looks premium. It is fastened with a magnetic clasp, strong and reliable.
As I wrote earlier, this strap is heavy, you need to keep this in mind. Personally, I would not buy a smartwatch with such a bracelet. Firstly, it’s not my style, it’s more suitable for business suits and fashionable dresses. Secondly, I go in for sports every day, I run several times a week. The braided metal strap clings to the hair on my arm, it doesn’t wick away sweat very well, it’s heavy and quite stiff. I’m not saying it’s bad, just not for me. I would immediately change the bracelet to some kind of silicone or textile one, and hide the metal strap for special occasions.
Read also: HUAWEI Watch Buds review: smartwatch… with headphones inside
Huawei Watch GT 4 screen
The display here is in no way inferior to the flagship Watch 4: the bezels are small, the matrix is AMOLED. The only thing that is missing here is LTPO (a technology that allows you to adjust the refresh rate from 1 to 60 Hz, which helps to save energy), but this is not a big problem, since the GT4’s battery life is more than satisfactory.
The resolution is 466×466 pixels, which is quite a lot for a 1.32-inch screen, and the image is very clear, even the smallest elements. The previous 46mm model had a 1.43-inch screen with the same resolution.
The quality of the matrix is excellent: colours are vivid and blacks are deep and rich. It’s definitely one of the best screens you’ll find on a smartwatch.
The display brightness is very high – up to 1000 nits, so everything on the screen is visible even in bright sunlight. The automatic brightness adjustment also works well.
There is a smart Always-on-Display mode (the selected watch face adjusts to the constantly on screen in power saving mode). Of course, this drains the battery faster, but some people prefer AoD.
Below we will show you a couple of examples – a regular screen and its AoD counterpart.
Equipment and speed of operation
We have no information about the processor of the new product and how much RAM it has. But we think that everything is more or less the same as its predecessor, and only the older version of the Watch 4 has a new chipset. By the way, these indicators are not important at all, the most important thing is that the smartwatch works quickly and very smoothly in all tasks, we like it. We would say that this is the level of the Apple Watch, even the Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch do not stand out with such smoothness.
The built-in memory is 2 GB (for comparison, Huawei Watch 4 has 10 GB). It doesn’t matter to me, I don’t store music on my smartwatch. But if you’re interested, there’s enough memory for 200-300 songs, which can be downloaded via the app.
Read also: Review of Huawei Watch D with pressure measurement function
Connectivity, communication, notifications
Huawei Watch GT 4 supports Bluetooth 5.2, but there is no Wi-Fi. There is also no eSIM support, this feature is reserved for the older Watch 4/4 Pro model. So you will always need a smartphone to connect to the network. From what is available, GPS and other relevant navigation systems are available. There is also NFC, but without much use, because you can’t use Huawei watches to pay in stores yet. Perhaps this will change someday, so let’s wait.
You can also connect wireless headphones to the watch to talk on the phone or listen to music. On the plus side, you can use the smartwatch as a hands-free headset. The speaker is decent, the microphone is good, so you can talk through the watch without any problems. On the downside, there is no synchronisation of contacts and call list between the phone and the watch (at the moment, Huawei Watch 4 has it). Therefore, selected contacts will have to be added to the watch, and the call list will be available only for calls made from the watch.
Of course, Watch GT 4 informs you of app notifications (by showing their icons), and displays SMS and other messages. For most apps, you can read almost the full text of notifications (up to 460 characters), but for some (like Gmail) you can’t.
You cannot see emoticons in texts and you cannot view uploaded photos on your watch. For now, you can only reply to SMS and messages in messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, FB Messenger, Viber). Either emoticons or ready-made texts are available as a reply (you can add what you want). For comparison, Huawei Watch 4 has a keyboard and you can write any response.
Read also: Huawei Watch GT 3 SE review: smartwatch… not just for sumo wrestlers
Software and dials
Huawei Watch GT 4 runs on the HarmonyOS operating system, in the new version 4.0.0. The system is beautiful, smooth, simple, even a person who buys a Huawei smartwatch for the first time will not have any difficulties.
As always, each new series of Huawei watches brings with it new watch faces. More beautiful every time! In the case of the Watch GT4 series, each model has an individual watch face that matches its design and colour scheme.
Designed for the 41mm golden smartwatch, they are simply irresistible and perfectly match the design and colours of the case and bracelet.
For example, there is a variant with a flower that changes its shape and blooms depending on the user’s activity.
A beautiful detail – by turning the crown, you can change certain elements on the screen. Depending on the dial, you can change the background pattern, the shape of the numerals, the appearance of a flower. There’s even a kaleidoscope dial that makes you want to scroll through it! Everything is shown in the video:
In addition, the possibilities of customising watch faces have been expanded. You can change more elements, their type, appearance, and colours.
To change the watch face, you need to press and hold your finger on the active home screen. Of course, you can add new watch faces to the preset list, there are a lot of them in the Huawei Health app, and it’s easier to search for them there than on the watch itself. There are both paid and free ones, the choice is huge.
If you swipe to the right on the Home screen, the Assistant-TODAY screen opens, where you can find the weather forecast and the music control widget. This screen automatically adjusts recommendations based on your habits. This may also include calendar notifications or workout plans.
Swipe left to access a series of information screens. Including activity wheels, health parameters, workouts, heart rate, calories, weather, sleep quality information and more.
Widgets can be customised – remove unnecessary ones, add others.
A novelty compared to the previous GT3 series is the cumulative screens with numerous data, almost like dials on the screen. For example, with measurements of stress, heart rate, temperature, sleep, saturation. Or with a calendar, music, call list and weather.
Swipe down on the home screen to open the settings curtain. There are nine icons here: settings, locking the screen from accidental taps, cleaning the speaker with water, turning on the screen (not to be confused with AoD), alarm clock, phone search, DND (do not disturb mode), sleep mode, flashlight (increased display brightness – effectively illuminates).
Swiping up on the home screen opens the list of notifications.
The main menu is called up by clicking on the crown. By default, the icons are arranged in a grid (you can zoom in on applications using the same rotary button), but a list mode is also available in the settings.
A sign of a full-fledged smartwatch is the ability to install additional applications. In the case of Huawei Watch GT 4, this is possible, but in a limited format. There is an AppGallery folder, but not on the watch itself, but in the Huawei Health app. But there are not many applications there (although it’s worth noting that there were much fewer a year ago – progress!) and most of them, frankly, are useless. You can’t install decent maps or even a simple browser.
The menu contains an app for analysing activity, training, settings, and the following options: alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, wallet (not necessary as you cannot pay with the watch), flashlight, calorie counter, compass, thermometer, sleep analysis, cycle tracking, barometer, calendar (synchronised with your phone), smartphone search, notifications, SpO2, heart rate and stress levels, run analysis, weather, call list, breathing exercises, favourite contacts, music.
There’s also a Petal Maps app, but it’s not quite complete. You need to install the app of the same name on your phone (Android only!), turn on navigation, and the watch will respond with “turn left” and “turn right”, which is not very useful, but better than nothing.
Read also: Huawei Watch Fit 2 Review: Stylish and Hi-Tech
Huawei Health app
The watch can be paired with your phone using the Huawei Health app. It is available for Android and iOS, and has almost no differences, except that iOS will not have an app store and the ability to respond to SMS messages from messengers. If you have an Android phone, it is better to download the Health app from Huawei’s servers, as the version from Google Play may be outdated.
The watch can be paired with your phone using the Huawei Health app. It is available for Android and iOS, and has almost no differences, except that iOS will not have an app store and the ability to respond to SMS messages from messengers. If you have an Android phone, it is better to download the Health app from Huawei’s servers, as the version from Google Play may be outdated.
Huawei Health is all about tracking physical activity and body parameters – you can find all the graphs and reports here.
We tested the watch for official announcements, so we had a beta version of Huawei Health. The final version, of course, does not have the “beta” mark and background inscriptions.
Another great feature is the Health community. Let’s say you have a family member whose health you pay special attention to. You can create a group using the Huawei Health app, add your parents, significant others, or children to it, and access their daily health reports. The condition is that they must also use the Huawei Health app and agree to become part of your “community”.
Huawei Watch GT 4 in use
Activity monitoring
Traditionally, we have more than 100 training modes (even swimming, mountaineering and triathlon), the ability to create personalised training plans in the Huawei Health app, a smart running coach, automatic activity recognition (walking, running, etc.).
For each workout, you can select a goal to achieve (for example, duration or number of calories burned). The electronic trainer will give instructions in a pleasant male voice. The smartwatch has no problems with counting steps, measuring heart rate and tracking workouts in general, the sensors are of high quality, the accuracy is at the highest level.
Thanks to the dual-band GPS (+ Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS), the gadget records the route while running and draws the return path on the screen – a useful little thing.
During training, the Watch GT 4 displays a variety of parameters: pace, distance, duration, steps, heart rate, calories, altitude, training load, and in the case of running training, you can even compete with a virtual sparring partner. A very useful feature, familiar from other Huawei watches, is the ring around the watch face, which displays the heart rate zones reached (warm-up, aerobic, anaerobic, extreme) in different colours. Several summary screens are also displayed at the end of your workout.
All data is transferred to Huawei Health, where it can be conveniently analysed or exported to applications such as Strava, Comoot, Runstatic.
The watch tries to keep the user in shape and motivates them to be active. The new version of the system has more awards and badges.
Read also: Huawei FreeBuds 5 review: Super headphones with a strange design
General health monitoring
Huawei smartwatches are equipped with a variety of health monitoring functions. The improved TruSeen 5.5+ sensor provides continuous heart rate monitoring, and you can also activate continuous blood saturation monitoring – these parameters are visible on widgets, and the watch builds graphs to analyse changes.
In addition, Huawei Watch GT 4 provides automatic measurement of sleep parameters (the improved TruSleep 3.0 system has become even more accurate this year) and stress levels, which are determined by heart rate characteristics.
The smartwatch records not only the duration, but also the quality and complex structure of sleep and naps (including light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and wakefulness). A new feature of the series is the monitoring of breathing during sleep, which helps to detect signs of sleep apnoea.
Heart rate measurement works well both at rest and during physical activity. Based on the heart rate measurement, the watch can also assess your stress level.
Constant saturation measurement, in our opinion, is less effective. Hand movements make the results inaccurate. It is better to measure this indicator manually. You should stand still, and the smartwatch should be facing up. Then the results look quite reliable, but you need to understand that a smartwatch is not a medical device.
There is also a measurement of skin temperature. Let us emphasise: skin, not body. In a healthy person, the normal skin temperature ranges from 31° to 35°. These results are influenced by external factors (including weather), physical activity, and the way you wear your watch, even the strap. So, the usefulness of this option is quite controversial, but if you are constantly in the same environment, you are likely to experience significant temperature changes.
A useful thing for women is an assistant for tracking their menstrual cycle. Of course, you can use any smartphone app for this, but it’s nice to have the information on your watch.
The advanced app tracks the phases of the cycle and calculates the date of ovulation not only based on the information you enter, but also by analysing physiological indicators such as heart rate during sleep, body temperature and respiratory rate. You can also record how you feel during your period.
Also, many women (and possibly men) will be pleased with the new “In shape” calorie counting feature. It is well known that a reasonable calorie deficit contributes to effective weight loss.
So, on the watch, we have a good visualisation, and in the Huawei Health app, we can add the number of calories consumed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc. It’s a shame that you can’t do this directly on the watch.
In addition, popular smartphone applications (for example, MyFitnessPal or FatSecret) have large databases of food and dishes, which greatly simplifies and speeds up calorie counting, but Huawei Health does not. Therefore, we would call the new feature limited for now.
The watch has the familiar Health Clovers option. It is an assistant that reminds you of healthy habits and activities, such as drinking water, taking medication, and exercising. First, you have to choose the problem you want to work on (stress, overweight, insomnia, frequent colds, and “nothing, just want to watch”). After that, the app will create a list of actions for you to take to live a healthier lifestyle. You will receive regular reminders and even the opportunity to compete with other participants.
Read also: Huawei P60 Pro review: The world’s best mobile camera again?
Battery life of Huawei Watch GT 4
Huawei states the following:
- 46 mm version:
- 14 days (maximum)
- 8 days in typical use
- 4 days with AoD function activated
- 41 mm version:
- 7 days (maximum)
- 4 days in typical use
- 2 days with AoD function activated
What is meant by “maximum”, “typical”, etc. is described in detail on the Huawei website.
But in real life, it all depends on the number of workouts, their type, the use of GPS, the frequency of use of the active display, the number of notifications, the brightness of the screen, the regularity of measuring heart rate and other body parameters, sleep tracking, and so on. Each case will have its own result.
We tested the watch in the newsroom for 3 weeks, and the battery usually lasted for 5-6 days. We actively tested all the functions, exercised frequently, installed various apps, watch faces, tried to track sleep, etc. In our opinion, almost a week is a very good result for a compact smartwatch. Especially when compared to the Apple Watch, which needs to be charged daily, or the Galaxy Watch, which lasts up to 2-3 days. And keep in mind that we tested the 41 mm version with a 323 mAh battery, the larger 46 mm watch with a 524 mAh battery will last longer!
Charging takes place using the included charger (round magnetic cradle) and takes just over an hour. You can also use a wireless charger for charging. It’s a little difficult to attach a watch to my Moshi Lounge Q because it’s elevated, but it works great! At the same time, Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, which use such standard chargers, do not charge.
Read also: Huawei MatePad SE 10.4 tablet review
Huawei Watch GT 4: Summary
The new Watch GT 4 from Huawei is a real smartwatch “for people”. Let’s emphasise: an advanced smartwatch, not some kind of smart fitness bracelet. It is a little simplified compared to the older Watch 4 model, but only a little. It has a stylish premium design, 7 colour options to choose from, a beautiful display, advanced sensors for tracking activity, health and sleep, more than 100 workout modes + smart “coaches”, and the ability to answer calls and messages. The operating time on a single charge is very pleasant. The smartwatch works with both Android and iOS. It runs on HarmonyOS, Huawei’s proprietary system – fast, beautiful, smooth.
Compared to the previous generation (Huawei Watch GT 3), the health, activity and sleep monitoring capabilities have been significantly expanded, performance has improved, and the software has become even more user-friendly. The novelty differs from the more expensive Watch 4 series (without the “GT”) in the absence of eSIM, ECG, a version in a titanium case, in addition, there is no contact synchronisation and a keyboard for responding to messages, less memory, but these are insignificant details. Because of this, the price is lower and the battery lasts longer.
The disadvantages of Huawei Watch GT 4 include the inability to use NFC to pay in stores and a poor selection of third-party applications. But the latter is not so important, because the watch has everything you need. As for contactless payments, we are still waiting for something to change for the better.
To summarise: The Huawei Watch GT 4 series will certainly repeat the success of the GT 3, because it has everything – expressive design, super screens, long battery life, and an adequate price. At the same time, the health, activity, and sleep monitoring capabilities have expanded even further, performance has improved, and the software has become even more convenient. The only downside is that there is still no support for contactless payments.
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I whant ti buy it for my wife bday.
What do you think its beter this metal milanese strap or white leather?
Thanks for replay
Hi! Thank you for your attention to the review! You know, it depends on your wife. If she likes expensive accessories, elegant clothes and so on, then the gold milanese loop is more suitable for a “high style”. However, in my opinion, this is an uncomfortable option for everyday wear — heavy, hard, pinches the hairs on the arm, poor for training.
That is, if you give her an option with a metal strap, you will still need to buy an alternative option. But many alternatives can be found on Aliexpress, for example. Personally, I love breathable nylon straps, leather is not very comfortable for me too.