If you’re on the lookout for a new wearable to replace the one that’s been taking tenancy on your wrist for the last couple years, Huawei and its Watch GT4 Series of wearables may leave you wanting more, especially if one of your criteria for the said accessory includes a sense of fashion.
What Am I Looking At?
The Watch GT4 Series is Huawei taking the aesthetics of its wearables up to another level, providing users with more options ranging from ruggedness to a softer elegance. All while exuding a sense of fashion, obviously. Depending on what you want, you have a choice between 41mm and 46mm face sizes, plus choices of soft-woven straps or metallic clasps.
Packaging for the Watch GT4 is also kept to a minimum. Each box comes with the wearable unit inside, a proprietary magnetic charging base, and of course the product manual. All standard stuff, really.
What’s Good About It?
Perhaps one of the best features of the Watch GT4 that I like is just how accurate the heart rate monitor on this is. Throughout the review period, the wearable consistently tracks my resting and active heart rate in real time.
I like how the Watch GT4 also prompts me about my sleeping patterns, clueing me in with how long and deep my hours are, as well as how light I can sometimes be. Sure, it’s not a new or groundbreaking feature but to be fair, it’s one of the most accurate I’ve personally seen with a wearable thus far.
Like all wearables, the Watch GT4 is loaded with a variety of apps but more importantly, it will still tell you when an email or message has been sent to your phone, or what track is playing on streaming services, such as Spotify, Tidal, or even Apple Music.
But the Watch GT4’s real party trick? The insanely long battery life – from 100% to single-digits, the wearable makes good on its 14-days longevity, give or take a couple more days before it begins gasping for a recharge. On another note, watch faces are interchangeable but if you’re looking for more, you’ll have to pay for them via the Huawei Health app.
What’s The Catch?
As strong and durable as the watch face is, the same cannot really be said for the rest of the Watch GT4’s chassis. At the time of this publication, I’ve already managed to give the ring a good number of scuffs and even dinged it against walls due to random arm swings whenever I am on the move.
There’s also what I refer to as the “age old issue since 2019” when the then-Trump administration instated a nationwide ban on Huawei from using any US-made software, including Google Mobile Services (GMS) and with it, the titular Google Wallet. Instead, the Watch GT4 features its own Huawei Wallet and the service itself is still limited to a minimal number of bank partners, with Maybank being just one of them.
On that note, you’re not going to find the dedicated Huawei Health app on Google Play; the app is available for download via the official Huawei webpage, meaning that you’ll have to download the APK and manually install it onto your phone.
As that old saying goes, premium comes at a price, and the Watch GT4 is no exception to the rule. This particular model with its Woven Green strap retails for RM1,199 but on the upside, you do get a free 1-year extended warranty, an additional strap, and a free pair of White Freebuds SE.
Should I Buy It?
As Huawei continues to market its Watch GT4 series as a broader part of its fashion agenda, it is difficult to deny that there is an aesthetical allure with the brand’s wearables. While I cannot speak for the ladies, this 46mm configuration and woven strap puts it up there with the other established premium watch brands.
At a starting price of RM1,099, it’s not the most expensive Android wearable out on the market but at RM1,699 for the most premium model and given the relatively minor hoops and bounds that you have to go through to pair it with your phone, the Watch GT4 actually makes you work for its affection before it lets you fully access its functions. And that includes all the aesthetics hiding behind a paywall.
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