Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Titanium

Huawei has officially launched its new Huawei Watch GT 5 line at their Innovative Product Launch in Barcelona today. It's the biggest line-up of watches they've had so far, with a total of 12 different watches in both 46mm and 41mm sizes. Of those 12, I've been testing the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Titanium over the past two weeks. My main impression? It's pricey, but this is a premium fashion accessory full of smart features that feel less like a gadget, and more like a quality watch from analogue times.

My previous daily smart watch was the Huawei Watch Fit 3, which follows the square design popularised by the Apple Watch series. As comfortable as this watch is, it doesn't really go well with a more formal outfit, for example when I'm going to work in the financial sector. One of the reasons that the Watch GT 5 Pro feels much more like a quality piece is its novel shape. Huawei has gone for an octagonal design for the edges around the AMOLED screen, and even the crown button has an octagonal detail. To me, this adds a far more interesting visual experience than just the square or other circular shapes found on other watches.

Still purely looking at the outside of the watch, I also really like the titanium material that's used, which is actually TC4 Titanium in the case and bezel. Not only does it give the watch a premium look, it also makes the 53-gram gadget feel lighter than I expected. Moreover, the watch strap neatly fits the watch, and because the links are tight together, no hair gets caught between them. The subtle but permanent red and blue colour accents inside the face further emphasise its premium feel. Due to the quality materials used, wearing the watch day and night is perfectly comfortable, although you will notice it more than lighter watches, such as the Watch Fit 3.

Once you turn the Watch GT 5 Pro on, the 1.43-inch AMOLED display with 466x466 resolution and a 326 ppi pixel density matches the premium vibe from the outside design. The sapphire glass display is crisp and sharp, with good visibility even in bright daylight. There's a number of classy watch faces to choose from out of the box, but plenty more in Huawei's App Gallery if you need something fresh. Most of them are customisable, letting you switch to Roman numerals, for example. I also really like that the official watch faces feature an always-on version, where the watch face stays the same but the background is darker to draw less power. Previous Watch GT devices didn't have this feature and would show a generic, much less interesting AOD screen.

Getting the watch ready to wear requires you to install the Huawei Health App, which can be found on the Google Play Store, Apple's App Store, or Huawei's App Gallery. This app on your phone allows you to track all of your health metrics and completed workouts. While installing and pairing is generally easy, there are some annoyances. First of all, every single metric asks for permission to store your data separately, which is quite cumbersome. Secondly, updating the watch, installing additional apps or downloading watch faces is very slow. You probably won't be doing these things often, but when you do, you're going to need some patience.

Controlling the watch on the screen generally works well, but not everything is equally straightforward. The icons in Huawei's HarmonyOS are of good size, and there's often more than one way to get to an app or metrics by swiping to the sides, or by pressing the top right button. When taking a call, the audio is clear, and music playing in Spotify can be easily controlled through the watch during a workout. A novel feature is also that messages from WhatsApp or similar apps can now be answered with a full keyboard, instead of pre-set replies on earlier models. While it's nice in theory to be able to reply fully using your watch, the keys are tiny and you're better off just grabbing your phone.

While I don't do as much sport as I ought to, I also gave the Watch GT 5 Pro's workout tracking functions a try. I don't have any medical equipment to cross-check what the watch is measuring, but I did wear the Watch Fit 3 and Watch GT 5 Pro simultaneously a number of times. Generally speaking, the results for my heart rate were similar, though the Watch Fit 3 on my right wrist measured more steps than the Watch GT 5 Pro. When going for a walk outside, I also tried setting the Watch GT 5 Pro on workout mode while leaving the Watch Fit 3 measuring normally. This led to a 150 calorie-difference between the watch set to a walking workout and the one measuring without any active workout.

The results above confirmed to me why I'm not that interested in calorie counts from smart watches, as they remain estimates based on the workout, height, gender and weight you add to your profile. What did impress me when doing my walks though, was the improved GPS accuracy in the new Watch GT 5 Pro. It works separately to your phone, so you don't need to bring it when walking or running. I wore the watch on a shopping trip in Amsterdam, and it very accurately measured my steps down to which side of the street I was walking. Inside buildings, the GPS signal is quickly lost, though.

Coming back to everything not being particularly straightforward on the watch: besides logging your trip afterwards, I understood that the Watch GT 5 Pro supports offline maps for navigation. However, at first I really couldn't find out how to use it. In Huawei's Petal Maps, all I noticed were directions on my watch in the way of left and right turns. Installing other mapping apps on the watch also didn't help. In the end, I found out it's available when selecting any outdoor workout. When walking around as a tourist, for example, you'll need to select going for an outdoor walk, and once I understood this, it's a really neat feature for easy navigation by foot without needing a phone.

The metrics I've been tracking the most so far have been my sleeping quality and stress levels. They help me being mindful about getting enough sleep at night and the data reminds me to take a breath when I'm stressed. I've also measured my blood oxygen levels and ECG, which seem to be fine. The great battery life helps a lot with tracking my sleep, with normal use lasting easily a week or so on a single charge. Recharging is equally good, with 50% charge added in 18 minutes of charging by my own measurements.

Overall, the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Titanium strikes a balance between luxury and functionality. Out of the 12 Watch GT 5 versions coming out, it's probably the version that fits me best. It's a beautifully designed watch that feels more like a fashion statement than a piece of tech, all while delivering solid performance in day-to-day use. On the downside, any kind of update is rather slow and the watch and Huawei Health App interfaces aren't always clear. Taken as a whole though, at around €499 at launch, the Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro Titanium offers lots of value to anyone who likes a premium-looking accessory, one that tracks essential health data and can seamlessly transition between work(out) and play.