Copyright walesonline
These days, the smartwatch field is dominated mostly by Apple (with a splash of Garmin and Samsung), but if you dig deeper, there are some really compelling devices out there with specs that can put the Cupertino giant to shame, even if you have to cope with a few foibles and caveats. I tested out the Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro and found it has many strengths and just a few soft spots. First off, it looks great. Made from titanium alloy, sapphire crystal glass and polished 'nanocrystal', the octagonal face and metal strap both have a nice retro feel and certainly can go toe-to-toe with its more expensive rivals. Talking of cost, the GT 6 Pro 46mm comes in at just £329.99 with the choce of three colours (silver, black and brown). This, in my opinion, is a real bargain as you get a lot for your money. The battery life is amazing - especially when compared with the Apple Watch - and is rated for up to 21 days of 'light use' and around two weeks of 'typical use'. This was borne out by my experience; despite having everything switched on, it easily reached over 10 days. My Apple Watch Pro needs recharging every three days, if I'm lucky. It uses a 1.47-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits - this means viewing remains crisp and clear even in bright sunlight. The GT 6 Pro has a number of improvements over its predecessor aimed at the more active among us. It has improved GPS/positioning, for cyclists there is a 'virtual power meter' feature which estimates training power without external hardware, plus heart-rate and HRV (heart rate variability) monitoring, and wellness/emotional state analysis. Runners also get plenty of love, with more data than you'll ever need, including speed, heart rate, pace, elevation, and more. If you're a golfer (which I admit, I am not), you are given access to more than 17,000 course maps from all over the world (3,000+ in the UK). I mentioned the tough materials at the top, but it's also worth noting that the watch has several protective coatings, which make it super sweat-resistant and waterproof to a depth of 50m. The watch also tracks your sleep, while keeping an eye on your stress levels, heart health and oxygen levels. Because of the great battery life, I found that I monitored my sleep patterns much more often than I had before. So that's all the good. But are there are any drawbacks? Yes, with one in particular that could be a deal-breaker for some. While the hardware is strong, the software experience is less polished than its rivals. Smartwatch features beyond fitness tracking are weaker, and you don't have the same selection of third-party apps. I can live with this, but the lack of a payment solution in the UK, despite the watch having NFC support, is a real barrier. I haven't taken my wallet out with me in years, and I don't want to go back! The Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro is a very solid choice if you value battery life, fitness/health tracking, and premium design. For many users, it hits the sweet spot of 'smartwatch + fitness watch' with fewer battery compromises. The trade-off is that it may not match the depth of app features or ecosystem of, say, an Apple Watch or some Garmin/other premium models. The Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro is available for £329.99 from Amazon What users say "It strikes a great balance between performance, comfort, and functionality. If you’re looking for something dependable that just works the way it should, I’d definitely recommend it." "If you demand more of your smartwatch: granular control over training plans for anything other than running, the ability to reply to text messages on screen, extensibility that a comprehensive app ecosystem provides, then you’ll have to put up with shorter battery life and purchase something a little less good-looking." Alternatives Garmin Instinct 3 GPS 45mm Smartwatch KOSPET Tank T4 Smart Watch
