Huawei Watch 3 Smartwatch Full Review: A New Beginning or 2021’s Loser

Huawei Watch 3 is one of the most interesting smartwatch of the year. It is the first true smartwatch that the company released after their watch based on Wear OS from a few years ago. It’s special because it’s the first smartwatch based on the long-anticipated Harmony OS platform.

Huawei Watch 3 has to offer great features like Apple watch, Tic watch and Galaxy watch to justify the hefty price tag.

Overview

In a hurry, read this short overview stating the pros and cons of Huawei Watch 3.

Pros

• Beautiful design and supreme construction.
• Well implemented fitness tracker functions.
• One of the biggest screen among smartwatches.
• Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity.
• Hundred sport modes.
• Functional smart assistant.
• Ample memory.
• Dual Chip Architecture.

Cons

• Expensive
• Huawei Account Issues.
• Battery life is not great.
• Music sync issues.
• Assistant is not available in our region.
• New OS need some improvements.

Price

Huawei Watch 3 is the most anticipated wearable device of 2021, its first true WearOS smartwatch from the company. The watch is unique because it’s the first product with Harmony OS, Huawei’s own developed WearOS.

The price of Watch 3 is 360$ while the Pro version cost around 500$. I think people will hesitate to buy a 500$ watch because of the software’s uncertainty. Watch 3 has to be good because of its steep price tag, which is even higher than Ticwatch Pro 3 and Galaxy Watch 3.

Unboxing

The unboxing experience is excellent. The box is great; removing the lid will reveal the Huawei Watch 3. The experience is as fancy as a GT2 Pro.

In the box, we have standard items, the watch, charger and user manual.

Appearance and Build Quality

Huawei Watch 3 is a premium smartwatch; it has a great design with exceptional build quality. At first, it looks like a bigger version of the Samsung Galaxy Active Smartwatch or a newer version of GT2 Pro. There are a lot of visual changes regarding the design of the watch.

On top, we have a large, bright and crisp AMOLED screen. Huawei chooses to go with a rotating crown button and another button to select menu items. There are four strap options leather, nylon, fluoroelastomer and titanium. The bottom is pretty similar to GT2 Pro; there are sensors and a charging station.

The watch has stainless steel and ceramic construction. The body is premium to touch, and we all have an idea about the strength and longevity of stainless steel.

Controls

Controlling the Huawei Watch 3 is straightforward; it will take some time if you are used to the button controls. You can control the screen through button and crown or use the touch screen to navigate through apps.

Pressing the crown button once will take you to the main menu; pressing it again will take you back to home page. The second button is programmable; by default, it will open the workouts. It is programmable, and you can use it to open any app. It also has press and hold options you can press and hold it to open smart assistant, but unfortunately, it is not supported in my region. Moreover, swipe up for quick toggles and swipe down for notifications. There is no need to explain touch controls because you have a better understanding of them.

Technical Specifications

• Processor: Dual Chipset Architecture
• Memory: 2GB Ram and 16GB Rom
• Screen: 1.43 inches AMOLED screen with 466 x 466pixels
• Body: Stainless Steel and Ceramic
• Weight: 54 grams
• Battery: 450mAH
• Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Biometric Pressure Sensor, Temperature Sensor, GPS
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, NFC compatible with Android 6.0 and iOS 9.0 or later
• Speaker & Microphone: Yes
• Waterproof: 5ATM

Features

Huawei Watch 3 is a fitness-focused watch with a good range of smart tools. The watch features Harmony OS, Huawei’s take on WearOS. So far, there is a lot to enhance in the coming generation, but it is a good start.

The Watch 3 can install eSim, which allows you to receive calls, make calls, play music and download apps without any Bluetooth connection. There are hand gestures to mute and accept calls. Clench your fist, and releasing it will take the call, and a flick of the wrist will mute the incoming call. It eliminates the need of opening the relevant apps. We can also respond to messages if we are far from our mobile phone because it has a keyboard like a WearOS device.

Huawei Watch 3 is also using Huawei’s proprietary smart assistant Cella. It is not as good as big ones like Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa etc. But it can perform simple tasks like performing simple searches and controlling the connected device.

Another helpful feature is quick voice recording through Notes App. It allows you to record a sudden thought when you don’t have a mobile in range.

Huawei AppGallery is relatively empty; it doesn’t have a lot of apps. But it is expected because it’s a new operating system.

Fitness Tracking

Watch 3 main focus is on fitness tracking; there is a good integration of sensors and has activity rings like Apple watch to keep you motivated.

Heart Rate

Heart rate is quite accurate. Huawei devices are always great with HR sensors, the high-quality device measure precise heart rate and offer 24/7 HR tracking.

GPS

GPS accuracy is way off like it is among the worst ones in the industry. It was not like slightly off the route. There is a difference of around 10 to 15 meters which is not good for a 400$ device.

Sleep Tracking

Sleep tracking is accurate. The watch can precisely map sleep stages.

Sport Activities

As mentioned above Huawei Watch 3 is a fitness oriented watch. It has around 100 indoor and outdoor activities. Watch 3 allows you to prioritize the activities you frequently use so that you don’t have to scroll down through the entire list.

Battery Endurance

Huawei Watch 3 has a 450mAh battery with wireless charging. In smart mode, I was getting four days of battery life without Wi-Fi and Always-on display. I haven’t got the chance to use LTE, but it will further decrease the battery life.

Moreover, there is a battery saver mode that will turn the device into a fitness tracker.

Huawei Health App

Huawei Health is the official app of Watch 3. Android users cannot find the app on Google Play Store due to the conflict between Huawei and Google. So, you have to download it from Huawei’s website. If you are a Huawei or Apple user, you can find the app on the Apple App Store and Huawei App Gallery.

Pairing the smartwatch with Huawei devices is straightforward. But you will face some difficulties when pairing them with Android and Apple devices.

The app is quite nice—a fine and tidy app with a meaningful interface. The charts are detailed and deliver accurate information. There are numerous watchfaces but good ones are not free.

Drawbacks

The list of drawbacks is pretty big, mainly because the OS is new and there are a lot of rooms for improvements.

• Inaccurate GPS
• iPhone app limitations
• Very few apps in App Gallery
• No navigation apps like Maps.
• Short battery life
• Less customizable

Final Verdict

Huawei Watch 3 is a device with great potential. It has a lot of smart features, but the new OS is its biggest drawback. There are very few third-party apps in App Gallery; moreover, the price tag is quite steep. I prefer you to buy GT2 or GT2 Pro at one-third price with almost the same functionality.

Where to Buy?

Click here to find it at the best possible price. You can also watch the video review on YouTube and click here to learn about more cool tech.