9 things you need to know about the Huawei Watch GT 2

The Huawei Watch GT 2 was unveiled in October and has a range of new features that makes it effortlessly integrate into the lifestyle of consumers.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The Watch GT 2 will be available in two sizes, a 42mm and 46mm version, and features an always-on mode with up to two weeks of battery life. The larger 46mm version has a 1.39-inch OLED display with a 454x454 resolution, and the 42mm has a smaller 1.2-inch OLED display with a 390x390 resolution. It offers precise heart-rate monitoring, detailed sleep monitoring and accurate physical wellbeing reports.

• The new 3D glass display is now full-screen and borderless, which would appeal to anyone looking for a classic and timeless design. The smaller 42mm version is a mere 9.4mm thin, available in a fashionable metal frame.

• Heart-rate tracking on the Watch GT 2 helps monitor bradycardia and heart failure, and with the exception of being in sports mode, it will notify the user if the heart rate is above 100bpm or below 50bpm for more than 10 minutes.

• It’s no secret that battery life is one of the most important aspects about a smartwatch today. The Watch GT will go head-to-head with the recently launched Apple Watch Series 5. Both devices are available in SA. According to Apple, the battery life on its Series 5 is yields up to 18 hours with the “always-on” display activated. When compared with Huawei’s Watch GT 2’s battery life, by comparison, can last up to two weeks on a single charge.A typical-use case for the two-week lifespan includes these functions per day: receiving 50 SMSes and six incoming calls; music playback or Bluetooth calling for up to 30 minutes; smart heart rate and sleep monitoring functions activated in a normal mode; exercise tracking with GPS for 90 minutes; and the screen being lit up about 200 times a day when checking it.

• For anyone doing extreme sports with the GPS turned on, Huawei’s Watch GT 2 may run for up to a whopping 30 hours with GPS positioning activated in all modes. Great for marathon runners or adrenaline junkies.

• The Watch GT 2 has 4GB of built-in memory and supports music playback for up to 24 hours when paired with Bluetooth earphones. However, the watch has a built-in loudspeaker, which can be used to answer calls — while paired to their device over Bluetooth — for a maximum of 10 hours. The watch holds up to 500 MP3 tracks, and supports Bluetooth calls within a 150m radius. When compared with the Apple Series 5, it supports music playback for up to 6.5 hours and up to three hours for calls.

• The key selling point for the Huawei Watch GT 2 is its unbeaten battery life and, according to Huawei, this is because it is powered by the Kirin A1 chip, the world’s first Bluetooth 5.1 heterogeneous wearable chip. The chip set is able to provide a fast connection with high-speed but low-power consumption. The efficient co-ordination of its smart heart rate and sleep-monitoring sensors, fitness tracking, music playback and smart power-saving algorithm 2.0 means it is able to deliver ultra-low power consumption computing.

• The Watch GT 2 is more than just a smartwatch; as a fitness tracker it is able to track up to 192 different exercise data under 15 workout modes. These include running, climbing, swimming, triathlon, rowing machine, cycling, mountain climbing and so on. The result is a comprehensive evaluation based on the exercise data being monitored.

• The Huawei Watch GT 2 is competitively priced at R4,999.

This article was paid for by Huawei.