Huawei GT3 : Smart Feature Ability is Very Strong
If you are some one that is thinking of buying the Huawei GT3 but unsure if the built in smart features would meet your requirements?, then you have come to the right place. I will be testing the devices smart feature ability in three different levels, basic, intermediate and advanced.
HarmonyOS 3 has only been released here in New Zealand, so the smart feature review will be based on this operating system version. There are many countries around the world wont have this version. There is a slight difference, especially when responding to messages, which is the only difference.
In the end the Huawei GT3 performed very well and I have given the device a very strong rating of 11 out of 15, which makes it one of the leading devices in the market when it comes to smart features. It’s not the perfect system, and I will indicate those things during the article. Here is a summary of my final results.
| Level | Score |
| Basic | 5/5 |
| Intermediate | 4/5 |
| Advanced | 3/5 |
| Final Score | 12/15 |
In the end the Huawei GT3 doesn’t have all of the smart features that I test for. As I reflect on the final score, I still think it’s a fair score in comparison to a Galaxy Watch or a Apple Watch which are the best devices on the market for smart features.
I will indicate what features that are missing at intermediate and advanced level, just in case those features are important to you. I will also provide a full ranking table so you can see how the Huawei GT3 sits in the market for smart features.
Basic Level : 5 out of 5
When it comes to basic level smart features, the Huawei GT3 does have all of the features that I test for at this level. But the important thing to note is, do those smart features perform reliably and consistently? the answer is yes. Here is a list of things that I test for at basic level.
- Ability to find your phone
- Ability to set alarm or timer
- Ability to reply to messages with preset messages
- Do not disturb ability
Although the device performed reliably and consistently for all of the above features, the device performs much better now with Harmony OS3. Especially the find your phone feature, which didn’t performed reliably enough, but it is now.
Ability to reply to messages is very good, only drawback is that you can only use the preset messages to reply back, otherwise it’s still a more reliable feature. With the latest Harmony OS3 updates, you can now reply back to messages from new sources such as Line, Viber and Instagram direct messages. The only catch is, android and Huawei phones are the only devices that it applies to. Hard luck for those that have a Apple phone.
Verdict : The Huawei GT3 deserves it’s rating of 5 out of 5 for basic level smart features. The experience is a lot better now that what it was before, with the latest updates to the operating system. I can only speak for the device that I have here in New Zealand, because access to features is not always readily available for our region.
It’s a real pity that the Huawei GT3 has not got a built in digital assistant like google or Alexa. With this feature you can activate these feature through a assistant and not manually.
Intermediate Level : 4 out of 5
When it comes to intermediate level smart features, the Huawei GT3 does not have all the features that I test for at this level. Based on the features that I did get to test worked very well and performed reliably and consistently.
I will list down all of the features that are available and not available so you get an idea of what I test for at this level. There are some drawbacks to consider, which I will explain in detail, otherwise here is a table showing what I test for.
| Available | Not Available |
| Ability to answer phone calls | Ability to improve time management |
| Ability to make phone calls | Ability to contact emergency contact |
| Ability to control music | |
| Ability to lock out water | |
| Ability to save battery life | |
| Contactless payment |
Ability to answer phone calls / Ability to make phone calls : Works very well every time I use this feature. Just remember to have your phone within Bluetooth range so the device can connect to the mobile network. Only limitation is the number of contacts that you can store which is 20, so choose your favourite contacts wisely.
Ability to control music : This feature works reliably every time. You can store music in the Huawei Health app and transfer a playlist to your device, or you can connect to your favourite streaming services like Spotify. You can also control the Bluetooth volume, and the speaker volume on the device, but that wont be wise as it will burn through your battery life quickly.
Ability to save battery life : The default battery setting is performance mode, and you can switch to power saving mode to prolong the battery life. There is a catch, power saving mode is a limited feature and is only built in to Hiking and Outdoor running workout modes, so just be aware of this.
Contactless payment : This feature is available, but I never got to test the feature. Here in New Zealand, our banks only support Apple pay and Google pay. This would be the same to all Australian readers reading this because New Zealand banks are run by Australian banks. If this feature is important to you, check with your bank if they accept Huawei Pay as a trusted wireless transaction system.
Verdict : The Huawei GT3 performed very well at this level and it deserves it’s rating of 4 out of 5 for intermediate smart features. When I look at the features that are not available to this device, they would be very nice additions. For example, the ability to make a SOS call if you have an accident, and the ability to manage your time would be nice indeed.
Advanced Level : 3 out of 5
When it comes to advanced level smart features, the Huawei GT3 does not have all the features that I normally test for, but the features that are available did perform reliably and consistently, except for one but here is the full list of things that I test for including what’s available and not available
| Available | Not Available |
| Ability to provide direction (similar to google maps, Petal maps) | Live stream to devices |
| Ability to provide a magnetic compass | Ability to use gestures to quick access features |
| Ability to measure air pressure | Smart touch ability(interact with watch for disabled persons) |
| Ability to connect to smart devices | |
| Ability to provide assistance (google, Alexa or Bixby) |
Ability to provide direction : Huawei GT3 has a feature called Petal maps which is a navigational app similar to Google maps. You do have the ability to provide direction via car, walking and cycling. These types of apps I dont find very useful, Google maps is no different if you are using it directly from your watch. I always tend to look at my phone because I want to look ahead in case there is a turn. It’s up to you if you want to use this feature.
Ability to provide a magnetic compass, Ability to measure air pressure : I have used both features when I am out hiking here in New Zealand. The digital compass does point to true north so that’s pretty good, but I tend to use my GPS direction. The air pressure sensor is a very handy one, especially when the air pressure drops which normally means a change in weather, so having this information can alert you if bad weather is about to come through.
Verdict : The Huawei GT3 does deserve it’s final rating of 3 out of 5 in the advanced category. It’s a real pity that the Huawei GT3 does not have a digital assistant, because it would really make the experience even better. But based on the ones it’s got, it’s not a bad device.
How Does The Huawei GT3 Rank in The Market
If you are wondering how I determine the criteria when it comes to testing smart features, it’s really based off the Apple Watch’s ability because this device has set the bench mark very high and it’s taken other brands some time to match the Apple devices ability.
In terms of ranking, the Huawei GT3 is ranked number 5 for now, which is a few points below the leading brands Apple Watch and the Galaxy Watch series. A 12 out of 15 is a very strong score and when you get a device that’s very smart feature heavy, it does take a toll on your battery life.
Final Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have learnt a lot about the Huawei GT3 smart feature ability. Devices that has a very strong smart feature ability can help bring some for of automation into your daily life. The only drawback from this is that devices that are strong in this category tend to burn the battery life much faster, so keep that in mind.
Overall the Huawei GT3 deserves it’s final rating of 12 out of 15, which is a very strong score. The only things to mindful of is the ability to use contactless payment and a digital assistant, which are two popular features that’s not available.
I never got to test the contactless payment because Huawei pay is not supported here in New Zealand, and is probably the same in Australia because the trusted method by the banks is Google pay and Apple pay, so anyone outside of New Zealand and Australia should check with your bank if Huawei pay is a trusted contactless transactional system.
A digital assistant would be a nice touch that would allow you to access the smart features, without the hassle of doing it manually. This feature would make a very big difference for the end user experience. Thank you so much for reading
