Huawei Watch GT Active Review

Something happened to me for the first time in a long time while I was testing the Huawei Watch GT Active. 

On my ride home, I received a phone call. In 2019. Odd, right? It came through on the Watch GT Active. With my Bluetooth earbuds in, I slowed my roll and attempted to answer the call from the Watch GT Active, as I’ve become accustomed to with other smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch. 

After a brief moment of confusion, I found that my only option was to reject the call. It turns out there’s no speaker on the Huawei Watch GT Active, and as such, no phone app or calling options. Even if you have headphones in. 

In-built speaker or not, the Huawei Watch GT Active should have better software solution for handling calls, or even just sending a boilerplate text message response. In fact, software is the root of the small handful of issues I have with the Watch GT, which is otherwise a decent fitness tracker and a classy smartwatch.

Better battery

The Huawei Watch GT Active's strongest feature is its battery life: it will last up to 14 days per charge. Day-to-day, I’m not the most demanding smartwatch user. I don’t use some of the more advanced workout functions daily and I’ve easily seen the Watch GT Active live up to that claim. That’s a huge improvement on my usual 4 to 5 days with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch.

With that said, my Galaxy Watch works a lot harder than the Huawei Watch GT. The Galaxy Watch’s Tizen OS is constantly patting me on the back, telling me to keep up the good work. 

The Huawei Watch GT Active's operating system isn't quite as big on positive reinforcement. It's a lot more passive. You might get a "well done" if you've taken enough steps, but the functionality is a lot more basic. 

By comparison, the Galaxy Watch was a sexy wrist-based cheerleader pushing me to reach my goals, whereas the Watch GT Active only gave me props when I had already crossed the finish line. 

Light as a feather 

The extended battery life can also be attributed to Huawei’s own stripped-back operating system, LiteOS. As the name suggests, the simplified operating system is light on features by choice. Which is fine if you’re all about conserving battery life but honestly, I don’t mind having to charge a smartwatch every couple of days. For me, the trade-off for more advanced features (such as call and messaging options) and customisation (such as third-party apps and downloadable watch faces) is worth the reduced battery life. Different strokes and all that.

If you’re more interested in fitness tracking than you are in smartwatch features, the Huawei Watch GT Active covers most bases for what’s expected in a contemporary fitness tracker: active heart rate monitoring, comprehensive cardio workout options (such as running, cycling and swimming), sleep tracking, a barometer for tracking incline, and GPS tracking.

For its fitness tracking efforts, I’ve found no fault with the Watch GT Active when it comes to accuracy; there are just fewer options for fitness buffs. For example, there's no options for workouts like strength training. 

Wetter the weather

The Huawei Watch GT Active has a 5ATM water and dust protection rating. That gives you general protection in low-velocity, shallow-water activities (e.g. swimming in a pool or singing in the shower) and allows you to dive to 50 metres in depth for up to 10 minutes, as you do.

This is great for getting the most out of the watch. Thanks to the Huawei Watch GT Active's water-resistance, and light, comfortable form factor, I’ve found that I can actually wear it during most everyday activities that I’d typically remove my chunky Galaxy Watch for, such as typing and showering. I've also had no issues sleeping with it on my wrist, so I’m getting a more holistic view of my fitness and wellbeing stats.

You can chalk the comfort factor up to size and weight. While the Watch GT has the same size screen as the Galaxy Watch, it's both thinner and lighter, by a decent margin. It never feels like it's getting in the way. 

The Watch GT Active also looks pretty fly. The Active has a metal body and a ceramic bezel, and would look like a quality analogue watch if not for the striking AMOLED display. I’ve been rocking the silicon fitness strap but there are some fancier bands available if leather bands are more your style.

Who is the Huawei Watch GT Active for?

If the idea of having to charge yet another device every few days is enough to put you off investing in a smartwatch then the Huawei Watch GT Active may be a good fit for you. While there are a few fitness trackers that breeze past the Watch GT Active’s 14-day battery, there are few smartwatches with that kind of longevity.

Fitness fanatics will find the watch does most of what you'd expect from a wearable in 2019. However, the barebone operating system means the Watch GT Active feels less like a smartwatch and more like a fitness tracker. It just happens to be a fitness tracker that looks like a smartwatch. 

The Huawei Watch GT Active is an affordable and reliable fitness tracker but its lightweight operating system makes it a pretty dim smartwatch. While the Watch GT is an elegant wearable, spending just a little bit more can get net a more premium option. 

I don’t want a Huawei Watch GT Active, what else can I buy?

The Huawei Watch GT Active currently retails for $398 via Mobileciti. That’s a fair asking price for a smartwatch/fitness tracker of this quality. But this might be a little less appealing when you consider the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 46mm is currently discounted to $429 on the Samsung Store. That’s a very small price to pay for a fully-featured smartwatch, if you can deal with the extra weight.  

If you'd prefer a smaller version of the Huawei Watch GT Active, you can check out the Huawei Watch GT Elegant. It's almost identical to the Active, but has a smaller 42mm watch face, a subtler design, and a battery that lasts up to a week rather than a fortnight. 

Brodie Fogg

Managing Editor - Streaming

Brodie Fogg is WhistleOut Australia's Managing Editor for Streaming. He's been writing about tech, streaming, games and telco since 2015. He previously managed a team of entertainment editors at Finder, and has also appeared on 7NEWS.

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