Huawei GT3 PRO : Is it Really Worth Buying?
This is a very tricky question to answer and I will do my best to answer it. Only because the Huawei GT3 PRO is a very pricey watch so the best way to answer the question is to build a character profile on who is better suited to buy the device. What I mean buy better suited, is where you are more than likely to use at least 90% of the features that are on offer. That comes down to user intent, if you tick all or most of the boxes of my predicted character profile then the Huawei GT3 PRO is definelty for you.
During my testing, I put the device through it’s paces in six different categories, using my own rating system that will provide unbiased results. In the end the Huawei GT3 PRO has performed really well and is a very well rounded device. For each category I will also provide situations on the ideal person that would benefit from these features. Here is a final summary of my testing results.
| Category | Strength |
| Smart features | Strong |
| Health features | average |
| Third party apps | Strong |
| Workout mode ability | Very strong |
| GPS tracking | Strong |
| Battery life | Very strong |
1. Smart Features Are Very Reliable
| Level | Score |
| Basic | 5/5 |
| Intermediate | 4/5 |
| Advanced | 3/5 |
| Final Score | 12/15 |
The above score table is my final rating for the Huawei GT3 PRO. If you want to know more about how I test devices and the things I look for when testing check out my article Huawei GT3 : Smart feature ability is very reasonable. Since you are here looking for answers, here is what I think a person is better suited, and not suited scenarios which I will explain.
| Not Suited | Better Suited |
| No digital assistant | Answer phone calls |
| No streaming | Make phone calls |
| No NFC* | Control music |
| Critical events | Air pressure reading |
| message replies |
Not suited
- No digital assistant : If this is a must have feature for you, then Im afraid the Huawei GT3 PRO does not have it. It’s a real pity that the Huawei GT3 does not have this feature, because the experience would be far better.
- No Streaming : Since it does not have a digital assistant, then the ability to connect to home devices wont be available to use
- No NFC* : If this is a must have feature for you, check with your bank first if Huawei pay is supported.
- Critical Events : If you are someone that takes your personal safety seriously, the Huawei GT3 PRO does not have the ability to send a SOS call or message, that includes fall detection as well.
Better Suited
- Ability to calls and make calls : Very popular feature and the Huawei GT3 PRO is very reliable. You can only store 20 contacts so chose wisely.
- Control music : Very reliable feature, you can control music from streaming platforms. You can also store music in the Huawei health app music playlist, and connect to that playlist as well. Another great feature is watch controller, which is a third party app that lets you control your Spotify account which is a great option.
- Air pressure reading / Digital compass : Ideal for the out doors person, the air pressure reading can pick up the change in air pressure that can lead to bad weather. The digital compass can be useful, or you can use the Route back feature. The advantage of using the compass is that it uses less battery life.
- Message replies : The Huawei GT3 PRO has the ability to reply to test messages, and other popular chat services like Viber, Facebook messenger and Instagram DM’s.
2. Health Features : Average
| Not Suited | Better Suited |
| Reliable Sleep tracking | Skin temperature |
| Reliable Snore detection | ECG readings/analysis |
| Blood pressure |
Health features are improving with the Huawei devices, but it’s not quite at the same level as Fitbit, Apple watch, Whoop or Withing’s, however I do believe Huawei devices will be one of those reliable brands in the market. In terms of general health tracking, the Huawei GT3 PRO is reliable enough when tracking stress, heart rate, weight management, calorie tracking and women’s health.
Not Suited
- Reliable sleep tracking : The Huawei GT3 PRO does have sleep tacking but but it’s not at the same level as Fitbit, Apple watch, Whoop, or Withing devices. If you are someone that’s not to fussed about sleep tracking and is okay at a general level then the Huawei GT3 PRO could work for you.
- Snore detection : If snore detection is important to you, then the Huawei GT3 PRO isn’t the device for you. The device does have the feature but very little analysis. You have to use your phones microphone to record your sleep, but my only issue with it is that it does not provide a time line when snoring occurred or the total time snored during sleep time. The other thing to is that your recording has a expiry time, and will Huawei Health will delete file after 24 hours
Better Suited
- Skin temperature : Skin temperature readings and analysis has come a long way, and that really depends on how the device uses this type of technology. With Fitbit devices, skin temp is used to detect electro activity for stress levels, and core body temperature for optimal sleep. As for the Huawei GT3 PRO, skin temperature measurements will give you an idea if your skin temperature is at a healthy temperature.
- ECG reading/analysis : If measuring your heart’s rhythm is important to you, then this device is ideal for you. I often take a ECG test after intense training stress to see if my heart rhythm can return back to it’s normal rhythm when resting. Also the Huawei GT3 PRO will also alert you when the best time to do a test, which means your heart may have had a irregular beat.
- Blood pressure : Unfortunately I never got to test this feature because it’s unavailable in New Zealand. You may want to check before you buy if this feature is available to you, but this feature will eventually be available to other countries soon.
3. Third Party App Ability : Strong
| Feature | Result |
| Connection Type | Bluetooth |
| Operating system | Harmony OS3 |
| App Stores | 2/5 |
| In Direct Ability | 5/5 |
| Direct Ability | 4/5 |
| Final Score | 11/15 |
When it comes to interacting with third party apps, the Huawei GT3 PRO has performed very well and deserves it’s very strong score of 11 out of 15. If you want to know more, or want to see what I test for when rating a device in this category please take a look at my article Huawei GT3 PRO : Third party app ability is very good
| Better Suited | Not Suited |
| Sharing Data | Direct with Third party apps |
Better Suited
When it comes to sharing data, it’s about sharing your Huawei Health tracking data with a third party application as a partnership, which I call in direct method. I personally like this method of interacting with third party apps because, the Huawei Health app becomes a one stop shop. Once your activity tracking ends, the data will automatically synchronise to the third party app and provide the information that you trust.
During my testing I have used in directly with popular third party apps like Strava, Komoot and Adidas running, and the experience has been extremely good. You can leave your phone at home and track your activity normally using Huawei Health. Once your watch is within Bluetooth range of your phone, the third party app synchronises instantly.
Huawei are gradually expanding their catchment area so that Huawei users can connect to a whole host of popular third apps. Do check if Huawei can connect via partnership with your favourite third party apps. The Huawei GT3 PRO is very reliable in this area.
Not Suited
Direct method is really controlling a third party app directly from your watch. Unfortunately the Huawei GT3 PRO cannot connect to popular apps like Strava or Komoot directly and can only be done indirectly.
During my testing, I have given the Huawei GT3 PRO a very low score of 2 out of 5 when it comes to apps stores. A lot of it came down to availability within your region (not all apps are available in certain countries) and ecosystem (some apps only operate in like for like ecosystems i.e. Huawei phone with Huawei device).
During my testing, the only third party apps that I thought was useful is the watch controller app and the petal maps app. Watch controller allows you to control your Spotify account directly, which is very handy as you flip music on the go and adding new songs. Petal maps is a navigational app similar to Google maps. In my experience, I found it useful when walking, and the voice navigator is very handy as you listen to the instructions, and the watch vibrates as you approach certain change points in the navigation.
4. Workout Mode Ability : Very Strong
| Criteria | Result |
| Speciality | Well rounded |
| Operating system | Harmony OS3 |
| Basic Level | 5/5 |
| Intermediate Level | 5/5 |
| Advanced Level | 3/5 |
| Final Score | 13/15 |
Tracking your workouts is probably one of it’s strongest categories, however after reflecting on the testing results in this category, it’s more suited for a particular type of person, as it’s more specialised in specific areas and not across the board. If you want to see how I rate a device for workout mode ability please refer to my full article Huawei GT3 PRO : workout mode ability is very strong.
It will give you an idea of what I test for at each level and how I go about rating a device as well.
| Better Suited | Not Suited |
| Training management | Basic tracker |
| Fitness levels | Swim performance |
| Recovery times | |
| Run performance | |
| Prepare for a marathon | |
| Sensors. | |
| Diver | |
| Golfer |
Not Suited
- Basic Tracker : If you are after a device that tracks your workouts at a basic level, then this device would not be suited for you, especially the amount of money that you are going to fork out. If you do decide to buy, and only track at a basic level, you would roughly only use 10% of the devices workout tracking capabilities. However if you are someone that’s looking to improve on your fitness, then that’s a different story because you will eventually use the intermediate and advanced level features over time, therefore I would say it is worth buying.
- Swim Performance : If your are looking for a device that tracks your laps, then the device is more than capable, however if you are looking to improve your SWOLF, or cadence for swimming then the device isn’t for you. You can pair to a Bluetooth device to track your heart rate, but apart from that it’s not the device for you. The Polar pacer, or Polar Pacer pro would be the better device for swimming performance.
Better Suited
- Training management : Managing your training load whether your a weight lifter or someone that is into endurance, can be tricky to understand how much your body can withstand. The Huawei GT3 PRO have feature called training load, so if you can manage the level of intensity of your workouts, and prioritise recovery you will get a nice balanced score. If you dont manage this properly, then it will reflect in the training score so this feature can hold you accountable, and make you want to change.
- Fitness levels : If you are someone that wants to gauge what your fitness level is then Huawei can provide this for you in two different ways which is heart rate recovery and V02 max. The Vo2 max is mart of the running ability index only, whereas the heart rate recovery can determine your fitness level after aerobic exercises like running or dancing and anaerobic like cross fit or weight lifting.
- Recovery times : If managing recovery is important to you, then Huawei recovery feature can be very useful to you. It comes down to the total amount of time your heart rate spends in the extreme, anaerobic and aerobic zones. Today I did a 60 minute weight lifting session, and my heart rate was in the anaerobic zone (144bpm) for at least 45 minutes with a training stress level 3. After my workout my recovery time was 18 hours with a timer counting down, which is very hand.
- Run performance : If you are a Newby and would like to improve your running, then you can use the running courses provided. Im doing it at the moment and slowly building up my aerobic capacity to move to the next level. Also if you are someone that is looking to improve performance the running ability index can help assist you achieve your goals.
- Prepare for a marathon : Within the running ability analytics, the running programs can help you prepare for a marathon and half marathon. There is a feature called lactose threshold that can help you run at a pace before lactic acid rapidly kicks in, to help improve your running capacity for a marathon.
- Sensors : If you are someone that wants to track your performance accurately, then you can pair the watch to a Bluetooth sensor. The Huawei GT3 PRO can connect to heart rate strap, motion sensor Huawei S-TAG (suitable for runners and cyclists), cadence sensor for cycling and power adapter for cycling (attachment to axel).
- Diver : There is a dive workout mode built in and the device is suitable for a free diver at a depth of 30 metres. The device can record your breathing times, heart rate, and a safety reminder if you are diving too deep. Also the device provides real time analytics during your dive as well, which is very handy.
- Golfer : A great companion for any golfer if you are looking to improve your swing. The device can record your down swing, swing speed.
5. GPS Tracking : Strong
| GPS Difficulty | Rating | Comments |
| Easy Level | 5/5 | Excellent precision |
| Hard Level | 1/5 | Not good |
| Very Hard Level | 4/5 | Very good precision |
| Total | 10/15 | Strong |
When it comes to GPS tracking the Huawei GT3 PRO is some what reliable, however there is a flaw with the device during my testing. The only area that the Huawei GT3 PRO didn’t do too well is the hard level test, and many devices that I have tested has performed the same. In the Hard level test, 80% of the planned route is through a township where the main obstruction is tall buildings. If you want to see my full testing results, please check out my article Huawei GT3 PRO : is GPS tracking accurate?
6. Battery Life : Very Strong
| Category | Rating |
| Speciality | All round |
| Operating system | Harmony OS3 |
| Battery Economy Without GPS Tracking | 4/5 |
| GPS Battery Consumption Rate Per Hour | 5/5 |
| Final Score | 9/10 |
If you want a device that has a very reliable battery life, The Huawei GT3 PRO has performed exceptionally well during my testing and almost gained a perfect score. If you want to see my full testing results, check out my full article Huawei GT3 PRO : Battery life is absolutely amazing.
Huawei test labs mentioned that you can get up to 14 days battery life, however during my testing I get 6-9 days of battery life, and there is a reason why I get varied results based on the way I test all my devices.
The first test I do is based on my typical usage without GPS tracking, which I get 9 days. The second test I do the same is based on my typical usage with 1 hour of GPS tracking, which I get 6 days battery life. The battery life is absolutely amazing, especially with the number of smart features, which is a massive battery burner. Like I mentioned earlier, if you want to see my testing results, see my article for more info.
7. Final Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading and I hope this article has given you an idea if the Huawei GT3 PRO is suitable for you. Im not sure what your typical usage looks like, but pay attention to the categories that matter to you and take a look at the suited versus not suited scenarios.
It’s a balance of things to look at before you decide to buy. If you have ticked all the box’s of the suited scenarios and you are okay with the not suited scenarios, then the Huawei GT3 PRO is definelty for you.
However, if the Huawei GT3 PRO is above your budget, Huawei also provide cheaper options. For example the Huawei GT3 Active is another great alternative, but you do sacrifice a few options, which is no ECG analysis, reduced battery life, no lactic threshold, no golf swing mode or diving mode. If you want to know more about this check out my article Huawei GT3 PRO vs Huawei GT3 Active : which will you choose and it should give you the answers you need to know before you buy. Thank you for reading.
