No smartphone brand will miss out on expanding its device ecosystem, it seems, and as one of the biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world, HUAWEI certainly doesn’t lag behind. One year after the launch of the HUAWEI Watch GT 3, the brand quietly launched the SE version of the smartphone earlier this month.
The HUAWEI Watch GT 3 SE doesn’t sound all that different from name alone, but by book and by looks, the pared-down version of HUAWEI’s popular smartwatch is priced around the same as the original version. So, what’s so special with this “special edition”?
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Jennifer chevron_right
Table of Contents
HUAWEI Watch GT 3 SE Specifications
- Display: 1.43” AMOLED display, 466 x 466 pixels
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Operating System: HarmonyOS 2.0
- Battery Life: Up to 14 days
- Features: Speaker, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, optical heart rate sensor, barometer
- Compatibility: Android 6.0 or later, iOS 9.0 or later
- Dimensions: 46.4mm x 46.4mm x 11mm
- Weight: 35.6g
Design & Display
- Lightweight with a plastic frame
- 1.43" fingerprint-proof screen, slightly on the dimmer side
- Looks more like an actual watch than a smartwatch
Our first impression of the Watch GT 3 SE wasn’t all that great. Compared to the metal frame that came with the standard version, it looks a lot more rugged and less premium with its plastic frame and thick, plastic bezel with printed numbering. If anything, it looks like a regular watch instead of a smartwatch, which might be preferable to some.
It comes in only one size, the 46mm, which isn’t as big as you’d imagine because it’s somewhat slimmer and a lot lighter than other smartwatches. Our review unit was in Graphic Black, which is quite basic yet sensible.
The 1.43” screen is nice and large, providing ample space to view all the data you need. I did like that the screen is fingerprint-resistant even without a screen protector, which is awesome, especially for post-workout sweaty fingers. The screen is non-reflective and doesn’t get as bright as other smartwatches, which is good for the eyes but not so good if you need to view it outdoors.
The best part about its design is that it is extremely lightweight. Weighing only 35.6g (excluding the strap, but the strap doesn’t weigh much either) and measuring only 11mm in thickness, I could barely feel that it was on my wrist, and wearing it to sleep for sleep tracking isn’t as bothersome.
Software
- Easy connection to Android smartphones
- Not a very intuitive UI on the watch itself
The HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 SE runs on Harmony OS and is compatible with both Android and iOS through the HUAWEI Health app. Connecting the watch is quick and simple. Just sign in or set up a HUAWEI ID, and you’re good to go.
The app itself is standard, offering the most features you’d expect a smartwatch to offer: step count, calorie burn, workout modes, heart rate, SpO2, you name it. All of these are placed in customizable tiles in the app.
On the watch, however, things are less intuitive. The tiles did not appear by default when I first powered up the watch — and by that, I meant that there were no tiles at all. I had to swipe around in the settings and manually set up the tiles that I want to have easy access to. I did get everything set up and running fine after a few moments of panic, so it’s not much of an issue rather than a small annoyance.
HUAWEI offers a good variety of watch faces in the app as well. I love the fact that I could use my own photos as the watch face — in fact, I could rotate up to five photos, so it looks like I’m wearing a different watch every day.
Features
The HUAWEI Watch GT 3 SE is a fitness-centred smartwatch, which is quite obvious from its design and the fact that over 100 workout modes are supported on the watch. It sports a 5ATM water resistance, so it can go swimming with you easily. Unfortunately, I can’t swim, so I just took the watch out for a jog in the park.
The auto-detect workouts worked pretty well. The watch was able to pick up on my jog within two or three minutes and stops calculating soon after I stopped running. It collects pretty much everything you need to know about your workout, including distance, duration, speed, heart rate chart and recovery rate, and calories burnt. The built-in GPS in the watch also meant that I was able to get a nice visualised map of my route even without bringing my phone out.
This is one of the only smartwatches that was comfortable enough for me to wear to sleep, so naturally, we can’t forget the sleep tracking feature. It’s hardly a new technology, and the HUAWEI Watch GT 3 SE doesn’t really track much that other smartwatches don’t track, but it definitely wins in the comfort area.
Battery
- Long-lasting battery life
The Watch GT 3 SE comes with a plastic charging puck that plugs into a standard USB port. Alternatively, it can be charged with any Qi-compatible wireless charger.
The battery life on the GT 3 SE was very impressive. Where HUAWEI boasted that it can last a fortnight between charges on regular, it actually did last almost as long as that for me, at 12 days. The watch could probably last another couple of days at 16%, but I caved a little too soon.
This means that you can safely take off on a week-long vacation without bringing an extra charger for your smartwatch.
Conclusion
