Buzz
The realm of smartwatches has evolved into an indispensable tech accessory, rivalling the importance of smartphones. Among the plethora of options available, the Huawei Watch GT4 emerges as a prime candidate for purchase due to its diverse range of attributes encompassing design, features, durability, and affordability. Of paramount significance is its ability to seamlessly connect across multiple devices and platforms. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of this timepiece following an extended period of usage.Design
Regarding design, the Huawei Watch GT4 this year adopts a design language quite similar to its predecessor, the GT3, but upon closer examination, there are certain distinct differences. The current bezel ring is positioned on a frame with an octagonal shape, a layout that renders the overall design of the Huawei Watch GT4 more robust and masculine.
The design of the Huawei Watch GT4 truly leaves a lasting impression on both myself and those around me. The GT4 comes in four primary colors with two different materials: black, silver, blue, and gray (steel version). Personally, I opt for the silver color with a leather strap as it offers versatility in matching with various strap options.Wearing Experience
The experience of wearing it largely depends on the choice of strap. Personally, I found the leather strap a bit uncomfortable, so I ordered an authentic Huawei rubber strap for everyday wear. The leather strap feels a bit restrictive and not very practical for daily use. For instance, when washing hands, water splashes onto the wrist area, making it inconvenient.
On the other hand, the rubber strap makes everything much easier. You'll feel confident using it in wet or dry conditions. The only minor downside is that the rubber strap may feel stiff initially, but with frequent usage, it becomes more comfortable.Speaking of the wearing experience, one cannot overlook the importance of weight. I opted for the aluminum version as I found the steel variant slightly heavier for daily wear. The Huawei Watch GT 4 46mm version weighs around 48g, and in reality, it feels quite light to wear. Your hand movements won't be hindered much. I prefer wearing lightweight watches because they are less prone to slipping off compared to heavier ones. I've had experiences where heavier watches slipped down my wrist, which is why I avoid wearing heavy ones like Garmin, despite liking them.
Performance and User Experience
In general, I've always found Huawei Watch GT series to be smooth as I've been using them since the first GT model. The only thing is that its motion hasn't been as fluid as the higher-end Huawei Watch models like Huawei Watch 3 or 4. However, since I don't interact too much with the watch, this aspect doesn't significantly affect my user experience.
Apart from the slightly less smooth motion, I've never encountered any performance issues with this watch. Honestly, when it comes to buying tech gadgets, I rarely pay attention to specifications, let alone for a smartwatch. Whether it's simple tasks like checking notifications or more hardcore activities like sports tracking and GPS, it performs smoothly throughout my usage. In reality, there are few watches in this price range that perform as well as this one.Display
I'm quite contradictory when it comes to liking or disliking the watch face design haha. I really enjoy wearing watches with round faces because of their fashion appeal, but I prefer viewing content on a square screen like on the Apple Watch. This contradiction stems from being accustomed to viewing content on devices with square screens like phones, iPads, and laptops. When viewing content on a round screen, it feels like the corners are missing, especially when setting my picture as the watch face background. Ultimately, it's a physical contradiction, so it'll persist haha.
Going into more detail about the quality aspect, it's similar to the concept of 'Retina' that Apple has set. At a normal distance, it's difficult to discern pixels, especially considering this is a rather small screen compared to other devices we use nowadays. Colors appear more vibrant than reality, but since it's just a watch, there's no need to stress about it too much. This becomes evident when setting a personal picture as the watch face.
The touch response on the screen is excellent. It closely follows the movement of my finger, without any feeling of lag or sluggishness like some other watches in this price range that I've experienced before. Swiping left, right, up, and down feels a bit sharp due to the screen edge not being as rounded as on the Apple Watch or some other Android Wear watches. However, I accept that for a more masculine design. A rounded screen edge would make it softer and more feminine, which I'm not too fond of.Pricing and Considerations for Buying Used
Talking about the general price range for all versions, it seems to fluctuate around or below 5 million, depending on where you buy it, what promotions are available, and I've heard there are additional gifts sometimes. If buying used, I've noticed the price ranges from around 3.8 to 4.5 million, depending on the model.If you choose to buy second-hand items, remember to note the following:- Check if the appearance is okay because using something too ugly can be quite uncomfortable
- Especially with the leather strap, make sure it's not worn out. Huawei leather straps worn in the rain tend to wear out and look very unsightly
- Check the warranty to see if it's genuine, so it's easier to claim warranty if anything goes wrong later on
- Make sure the buttons are still functional because if they get bent due to impact, they might feel awkward to press
Harmony OS Software Interface
The software interface is a standout feature on the Huawei Watch GT4, specifically, and GT products in general. It's not because it's a mid-range watch that Huawei doesn't pay attention to the software aspect. What has always bothered me is the sharp corners of components in any OS. Harmony OS addresses this issue by rounding off the components within the operating system, providing a more comfortable user experience.
On the main watch face, you can swipe left to check the weather and control music quickly. Swipe right to access widgets like weather, moon phase, sports tracking, health stats, yes indeed. The widgets' UI is intuitive and optimizes information very well (lots of info in one widget). When accessing the menu interface, it feels a bit familiar 😁, so I'm posting the picture below for you to comment on why I find it familiar haha.
Regarding watch faces, Huawei offers many beautiful options to suit different watch versions. Additionally, they have premium watch faces, but I don't use them. I find Huawei-made watch faces beautiful, but I've never considered buying watch faces from Huawei's store because I haven't found other developers' paid faces appealing.How Huawei Watch GT4 Helps Me in Life
- Measuring health metrics like heart rate, sleep,... What I measure the most is sleep; I almost use this feature every day to know how many hours I slept.
- Sports tracking, usually I use it to track running and soccer, I find it quite accurate for these two sports. I haven't tested it for more hardcore sports, so I can't make a judgment yet.
- Receive notifications and quick replies when it's inconvenient to hold the phone.
- It makes my wrist look more fashionable, stronger, and more tech-savvy haha, in short, it's beautiful.
- It allows installing calculator apps, so sometimes I quickly calculate when shopping in the market.
- When used with an Android phone, it can install Petal Map, which is quite useful. You can have it guide you directly on the watch, but it loses to iPhone.
- The phone-finding feature is handy. Previously, finding my phone was a bit complicated; I had to find my iPad first, then use Find My iPhone. Now, the phone-finding tool is right on my wrist, quick and convenient.
- Sometimes, I make calls directly from this watch, especially when bathing or cooking and can't hold the phone. The call quality on the Huawei Watch GT 4 is good enough for conversations in not-too-noisy environments. On iPhone, it receives most calls from third-party apps.
Some Minus Points
- Cannot manually input numbers and make calls to others
- In some situations, the watch's response is not sensitive when raising the wrist to check (very rare)
- There are still many limitations when replying to messages
- If using an iPhone, some features will be restricted
- There are fewer watch faces compared to other smartwatches (referring to default watch faces)
Recently, I wrote a detailed review of the Huawei Watch GT4 46mm version based on very personal usage needs. I've been using it consistently for 1-2 months, and it's one of my favorite watches of 2023. I think if you're looking for a watch around 5 million VND with almost all the premium features, the best option would undoubtedly be the Huawei Watch GT 4, especially with all the extra gifts you get when you purchase it now. If any of you are wearing this watch, feel free to share your experience below.Do you prefer wearing a round or square smartwatch?
