Huawei Watch GT 2e review - For the casual athlete - Android

Design and hardware: This is a nice watch

This is my first time wearing one of Huawei’s GT devices, and I’ve gotta say: I like it. The Huawei Watch GT 2e is bulkier and heavier than I imagined, but it’s not unwieldy. However, I tended to notice it on my wrist more often than most other wearables because I’m not used to wearing a watch this big. It might be too big for people with smaller wrists. It dwarfed my wife’s average-sized wrist.

The big design means there’s room for a big display. The GT 2e’s 1.39-inch AMOLED panel is big and offers plenty of contrast. I never had issues with outdoor visibility when out on a run.

There are two buttons on the right side of the case: one for your app list and one customizable button. The buttons are more flush with the case compared to the Watch GT 2, making the design less of a nuisance for your wrists when working out. Unfortunately there’s no speaker like you’d find on the GT 2, so don’t expect to take Bluetooth calls from your wrist.

Also read

The best Wear OS watches (March 2020)

In the early days of Android Wear, there were only a few decent smartwatch options — mainly from Motorola and LG. Since then, the platform has been rebranded to Wear OS, and many other companies have …

The silicone strap also gets an upgrade compared to its classy predecessor, with perforated holes for increased breathability. I like the quality of the straps. They’re not too sticky or gummy, and they don’t collect lint. You can swap the Huawei Watch GT 2e bands out with other 22mm watch straps, though you probably won’t want to — the way the watch lugs curve downward makes for an awkward look when connecting another style of strap.

One of the headline features of Huawei’s smartwatches is battery life. Wear OS and Apple Watches top out at a couple days, while Garmins and Fitbits can last around a week. The Huawei Watch GT 2e can last a whopping two weeks on a single charge thanks to its 455mAh battery. That about lines up with what my watch achieved during testing.

There is an always-on display option that will decrease your battery life by a few days. Even with it turned on, along with the heart rate sensor and the occasional GPS workout, I still managed to get great battery life.

Fitness and health tracking: Saving grace

Here’s where the Watch GT 2e really shines. The GT 2e has all the standard sensors you’d want out of a midrange fitness tracker, including onboard GPS, an optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and more. It’ll keep track of your steps taken, distance traveled, active minutes, resting and active heart rate, stress levels, calories burned, floors climbed, and sleep. All standard stuff.

There are 15 GPS-enabled workout tracking modes available, including running, cycling, swimming, climbing, and more. Using these modes, the watch will give you route details, pace, duration, calories burned, heart rate zones, cadence, and altitude details.

Don't miss

AA essentials: The best running gear, running watches, and more

Whether you’re into hiking, biking, photography, or drone piloting — getting started and making the right equipment decisions can be a serious investment. But sometimes it’s hard to know where to get started, especially if …

Huawei also boasts 85 other workout modes for the GT 2e, and a lot of them are fun exercises you don’t see supported on other watches: belly dancing, parkour, skateboarding, and other “general” activities. For these types of activities, the GT 2e will keep track of your total duration, heart rate, and calories burned. The GPS isn’t running for these activities, though.

04/05/2020 04:07 PM

androidauthority.com