The Huawei Watch 3 was released at an odd time for Huawei. On the one hand, Samsung and Google are utterly disrupting the Android wristwatch market, while Apple continues to be the wearable of choice for iOS consumers. Google acquired Fitbit.
The Watch 3 runs Huawei’s HarmonyOS 2 even though there isn’t much room for flagship smartwatches running proprietary OS. What you get is a smartwatch that appears to want to follow up where Samsung’s now-defunct Tizen OS left off but falls short owing to events beyond Huawei’s control. As a result, the smartwatch is both stunning and frustrating at the same time.
Huawei’s Hardware Isn’t the Issue.
Let me get right to the point: This smartwatch has an excellent design. The Huawei Watch 3 comes in various models; the one I examined was the base model. The circular 1.43-inch AMOLED touchscreen is beautiful, and notifications are easy to see.
The colors are vivid, and the small animations accompanying tasks like charging are charming. It’s made of stainless steel and ceramic, and it’s comfortable to wear. Overall, I thought it was adequate for a 46mm smartwatch, that is, it was tolerable but not perfect for my tiny wrists. The OnePlus Watch is similar to the OnePlus Watch.
I found it a little uncomfortable during longer runs and had to wear it a little higher on my arm than a 42-44mm watch.This is a more masculine-looking watch. As a result, it may not be suitable for those of us who have smaller wrists. This is a well-made smartwatch aside from the appearance.
Specifications
In terms of specifications, the Huawei Watch 3 is excellent. You get all the essential sensors, such as built-in GPS and heart rate tracking, and more advanced sensors like SpO2 and skin temperature measurement. Sleep tracking, in-depth fitness insights, stress, and blood oxygen level tests, and VO2 Max are all possible with these.
The watch also includes 2GB of RAM, which allows for quick app loading and menu scrolling. It also has a 5ATM water resistance rating with Bluetooth, LTE, and wifi capabilities. (Note: When paired with my iPhone, eSIM functionality was unavailable.
Thus I couldn’t test cellular connectivity.) However, a few items are missing. NFC payments, for example, are prohibited, and Huawei’s Celia voice assistant is unavailable in the United States. Several functions, such as gesture controls and a hand-washing timer, aren’t accessible at launch. Others have limitations based on where they live or what phone they have.
Huawei’s MeTime calling, for example, is limited to a few European and Asian nations, as well as Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Because of the Trump administration’s restriction on Huawei conducting business in the United States, the Huawei Watch 3 is currently unavailable in the United States. It is, however, available for £350 in the United Kingdom.
Battery Span
The Watch 3’s battery life is rated at three days, but I’ve only ever gotten around two days with regular use. That’s not bad, especially considering the Apple Watch’s battery life is still only a day, while Samsung’s watches have a battery life of roughly two days.
The watch managed to track a 90-minute 3.5-mile walk through Newport’s Cliff Walk with less than 30% battery and didn’t die until I returned to my hotel many hours later while on vacation. When it comes to charging, it takes roughly 90 minutes to get from zero to 100 percent, which is standard for most smartwatches.
Final Say
In terms of the fundamentals, Huawei has created a solid gadget. I’d even go so far as to say that the hardware is fantastic. The Huawei Watch 3’s hardware, on the other hand, was never going to be an issue.
