• Huawei Watch GT 4 is launching two watches that have all the makings of being included in the list of the best value-for-money smartwatches of 2023.
• There are two versions of the Huawei Watch GT 4 to suit all tastes.

Now, two new members of the family arrive, available in two different sizes and designs to suit any wrist. After two weeks with them, here’s our review of the new Huawei Watch GT 4.

Now, the company has taken another step forward, and both models boast an impeccable design thanks to their clean lines and the premium feel of the stainless steel. However, as you can see in the photos, it’s not just a matter of two different sizes; the design changes radically between the 46-millimeter and the 41-millimeter models.

Each in its own style, Huawei Watch GT 4 has taken a step forward in refining the designs. Both feel on the wrist like much more expensive watches.

The essentials remain the same in both: both have a fully functional crown that allows us to use it as a button, but also to navigate through menus and applications. It provides haptic feedback when rotated, and the feeling is very positive.

In addition, we have a customizable action button on the right (by default it takes us to the exercise selection mode), microphone and speaker holes, and the back of both is made of polymer fiber.

During my two weeks of testing, I haven’t had any problems with this material. The area hasn’t gotten hot, so the watch manages the temperature well even with the GPS, and I haven’t experienced any allergies.

Both models feature a strap changing system operated by a button (rather than the classic pull tab), and we were very impressed with the straps that come standard with our review unit.

In both cases, the straps are interchangeable with any straps you already have at home or buy, using the standard pin system. For the 46-millimeter Huawei Watch GT 4, you need to choose 22-millimeter straps, while the 41-millimeter version requires 18-millimeter straps.

The most sophisticated Huawei Watch GT 4, now available in two versions.

The Huawei Watch GT 4  is quite unique. While the “GT” designation might suggest a sportier or more casual version, the truth is that from its first generation it boasted a very refined design, reaching a spectacular level with the Huawei Watch 3 GT, which was priced in the 250 euro range.

Now, once adjusted, since the watch is considerably smaller, I didn’t find it uncomfortable. And don’t worry about wrist size: the steel straps on both watches come with a series of links with a quick-release system, and in the box of each watch, there’s a set of extra links in case you need to make the strap longer. That’s a nice touch, Huawei Watch GT 4.

Regarding the finish, it’s immediately noticeable: textured steel in the case of the larger model and a case that features an octagonal shape. In the 41-millimeter model, the case is circular and the finish is polished steel with a screen bezel in a shade between gold and copper.

In short, these are two very elegant watches that don’t look out of place at all at social events, but also wouldn’t look out of place at the gym if you choose the right strap.

Screens that are enviable in their category.

Huawei Watch GT 4 doesn’t disappoint in terms of design, nor in displays, and here we find two spectacular AMOLED panels, both in terms of resolution and brightness. The rounded edges are gone, and both models feature a completely flat screen.

In the case of the 46-millimeter model, we don’t have the classic black bezel around the screen because Huawei Watch GT 4 simulates it with the minute hand, but in the 41-millimeter model, we do find that black bezel that leads to the aforementioned copper-colored perimeter, which is now metallic and not made of glass. The pixel density and brightness elevate these models above their category.

If I have to choose between screens, I’ll go with the bigger one, but it’s a matter of personal preference. Both are spectacular, and the larger model has a 1.43-inch diagonal screen with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels, which gives us a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch.

In the 41-millimeter model, the diagonal screen size is 1.32 inches, and the resolution remains the same, so the pixel density is even higher: 352 pixels per inch. It doesn’t quite reach the 372 pixels per inch of the Galaxy Watch6 Classic, but what’s clear is that you won’t be able to distinguish individual pixels.

All the screens look great, I like the design of the Huawei widgets, and the colorful icons look fantastic on the display.

The smaller model hasn’t had any problems, but the 46-millimeter one has taken a couple of knocks and it’s still like new. On the other hand, I find the brightness level outstanding on both models.

Finally, the always-on display mode works flawlessly. You shouldn’t look for it in the ‘Display and brightness’ options menu, which is where it should be to be more intuitive, but rather in the ‘Watch face and home screen’ menu.

When you activate this AOD mode, some of the pre-installed watch faces display a second style, which is the always-on display version. You’ll be able to configure whether, when you use the raise-to-wake gesture (which works flawlessly), the watch disables AOD mode and shows you the conventional watch face or keeps the AOD Huawei Watch GT 4 face displayed, but with slightly increased brightness.

If, in addition to the time, you want to check something else, simply tap the screen to deactivate the AOD (Always-On Display) and return to the standard screen, so to speak. As soon as you activate the always-on display mode, the watch warns you about the high power consumption, but luckily, this is something you don’t have to worry about with this generation.

Very smooth performance with Harmonious, which still falls short in some areas.

We’ll look at battery performance later, as now it’s time to move on to the interior. First of all: the Huawei Watch GT 4 runs extremely smoothly. The hardware is more than capable of handling this version of the operating system, and scrolling, opening apps, navigating through widgets, notifications, and the weather app all feel fantastic.

We have Harmonious 4 as the operating system, and this is where the Huawei Watch GT 4 family clearly differs from both the Ultimate and the Huawei Watch GT 4 Pro: we’re not dealing with a full-fledged operating system. This means that we don’t have the App Gallery integrated into the watch, and the applications are the typical ones found on fitness trackers.

It includes a calendar (which, interestingly, can be synchronized with Google Calendar), altimeter, timer, alarm, access to various measurements such as sleep tracking, SpO2, workouts, phone camera control, flashlight, weather, and important contacts, among others.

We also have two things that have caught my attention: Wallet and notifications. With the latest version of the software for both the health app and the watch, I haven’t been able to add any cards. The option simply doesn’t appear, neither on the watch nor in the mobile app. Huawei Watch GT 4 payment system doesn’t work here, but since the application is available, I expected to be able to add other cards for everyday use, but nothing.

Harmonious 4 is very fluid, but in practice, it’s like an upgraded version of a fitness tracker’s operating system.

Yes, you can answer calls perfectly on both systems, and in fact, the person on the other end of the phone told me that I sounded very clear, as if I were speaking through high-quality wireless headphones. That’s something I really appreciated because I didn’t even have the watch very close to my mouth, and in some situations, it can be incredibly useful.

Now, there’s some great news regarding multitasking. A recurring complaint with watches that don’t have an advanced system like Wears, Watches’, Onesie, or Huawei’s own gadget or notifications without the workout tracking stopping

Doing sports with the Huawei Watch GT 4

Since we’re talking about exercising with the Huawei Watch GT 4, let’s dive right into a gym session. We have a list of over a hundred exercises that we can monitor individually, but in my two weeks of testing, I only monitored three: outdoor walking, stationary bike sessions, and “other,” which is where I categorize my strength training sessions.

Automatic activity detection supports walking, running, rowing machines, and elliptical training, and it’s disabled by default, but I like to have these features enabled. You can also customize the screen to stay on all the time while you’re exercising. I think that’s a nice touch, and it’s something I’ve kept enabled because, as I said before, battery life isn’t an issue.

That said, Huawei Watch GT 4 has updated its heart rate tracking algorithms and named them Tureen 5.5+. According to the company, this provides greater accuracy in low-temperature environments, performs faster blood oxygen readings, and offers greater precision when measuring sleep and monitoring heart rate in challenging situations.

I can’t tell you much about how it monitors sleep because, beyond accurately (more or less) tracking the times I go to bed and wake up, I’m not aware of my sleep stages. What I can tell you is that the blood oxygen measurement is constant, that it’s faster if done manually, and that even with excessive sweating, the heart rate graph hasn’t shown any crazy spikes.

As always, it’s important to emphasize that this is not a medical device and that the measurement of both heart rate and, especially, calories burned, is not entirely accurate

In similar workouts and at a similar intensity, the heart rate readings are consistent. I think this is what’s important with these devices. If they gave us a radically different measurement each time, we wouldn’t be able to follow a clear plan in our training (if it’s based on heart rate, of course).

Aside from this, we can check our workout and sleep statistics directly on the watch, without needing to go to the Huawei Health app, which, incidentally, doesn’t offer much more detailed data anyway. On the Huawei Watch GT 4, you can see the heart rate zone you were in during your workout, your heart rate, the duration, and some additional data if you use GPS, such as steps, a miniature map of your route, and lap times.

Speaking of GPS, good job, Huawei, but there are a couple of caveats. The first is that, when they presented the product to us, they mentioned that they had a technology to maximize coverage using the sides of the Huawei watch GT 4.

There are some areas where it indicates that I’m walking on top of buildings when, obviously, that’s not the case. And on another occasion, with an identical out-and-back route, it shows a slight separation between the outbound and return paths, which shouldn’t happen either.

It’s not a problem for me, but it could be if you train on an athletics track and need the most accurate data possible. But, as I said, if that’s not your case, it’s not something you should worry about.

It’s not a problem for me, but it could be if you train on an athletics track and need the most accurate data possible. But, as I said, if that’s not your case, it’s not something you should worry about.

And something interesting is both the built-in thermometer that measures your skin temperature and displays the data on a graph (everything is automatic, you don’t have to do anything) and a kind of assistant to help you get in shape.

After entering certain information such as age, weight, and goals, it provides a series of parameters to increase or decrease calorie intake, as well as some tips. It’s not something I would follow 100%, and you also have to manually enter the foods you eat into your phone, but for someone who is just starting out and simply wants to begin living a healthier lifestyle, I think it’s a good idea.

As I said, it’s good for increasing motivation towards a healthier lifestyle, and both the classic daily activity percentage rings (many watch faces display this information) and the new badges play a role in this. Last but not least, you can track your menstrual cycle. Besides monitoring it, this feature allows you to make predictions about your menstrual periods with reminders and notifications to help you manage your reproductive health. To arrive at these conclusions, Huawei’s algorithm cross-references data on heart rate during sleep, respiratory rate, and body temperature. This is a good example of the usefulness of a temperature sensor in devices like this.

First-rate autonomy

In my case, with a watch face that doesn’t have a white background, with automatic brightness, with constant vibration on the crown, with five training sessions a week with the screen on, three GPS sessions, and notifications, it lasted me 12 days. I think that’s a spectacular figure considering all of that.

If you always have AOD mode enabled, the battery life may be reduced, but it can also be extended if you receive fewer notifications, don’t use GPS, have the brightness set to a lower level, etc. I think the battery life is very good. Regarding charging, we have the magnetic base with a USB-A connector that we’ve seen on many Huawei watch GT 4 by now, but we can also charge it with any wireless charger.

Below, you’ll find the charging times for the 46mm Huawei Watch GT 4:

20 minutes: 26%

40 minutes: 43%

60 minutes: 58%

80 minutes: 74%

100 minutes: 89%

120 minutes: 98%

123 minutes: 100%

With the always-on display and more GPS workouts, the battery life will be shorter, but it can also last for over a week with a less demanding configuration on the Huawei watch GT 4. Below, you’ll find the charging times for this model:

20 minutes: 34%

40 minutes: 57%

60 minutes: 77%

80 minutes: 94%

90 minutes: 97%

94 minutes: 100%

Huawei Watch GT 4, Xataka’s opinion

After these two weeks of testing the Huawei Watch GT 4, the conclusion is that the company has taken a step forward in the areas it already excelled in. The design truly shines thanks to high-quality materials, a functional strap system (which you can easily change if you don’t like it), and, above all, very refined lines.

Multitasking while exercising is a real pleasure, the health tracking options are excellent, and the consistency in measuring sports activities is exactly what we would expect.

Battery, design, and screen. If these are your priorities, then, for the price, these Huawei Watch GT 4s should be on your radar.

However, it’s still a step below other systems, so forget about paying with your watch, responding to notifications with rich features, or downloading new apps.

Furthermore, they start at 249 euros, which is a very attractive price considering the overall package. However, if you want the models reviewed with the metal straps, be prepared to pay more: 399.90 euros for the 41-millimeter model and 369 euros for the 46-millimeter model.