Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro review
Huawei’s Watch GT 6 Pro looks the part and packs plenty under the hood, but is it a true training tool or just style with smarts?
220 Triathlon Verdict
Insufficient granular detail for experienced triathletes, but a still impressive watch for many. Score: 78%
Pros
- Lots of health metrics and smartwatch features
- Bright and crisp screen
- Lots of stylish design options
Cons
- Not specifically multisport focussed
- Bulky and not all sections useful
The Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro is a bonafide smartwatch. Which seen through a triathlon lens often means it’s a jack of all trades, master of none. Not so with the GT 6 Pro, which Huawei launched in September, where there’s a lot to like.
Firstly, the price, which is incredible value for £330. It’s also the same price as its predecessor when it hit the market. It doesn’t scrimp on quality when it comes to its material composition.
How we test multisport watches
Our expert reviewers take triathlon watches on several rides, runs and swims to assess their heart-rate and GPS accuracy, multisport modes, health and fitness metrics, comfort, clarity of screen, connectivity, value for money and extra features. For more details, see how we rate and test products.
Design and display
The body’s forged from titanium alloy, the screen is protected, while the rear is crafted from a polished nanocrystal ceramic. The 46mm AMOLED screen is appreciatively clear. And a rare octagonal bezel completes what I feel is a pretty stylish number.
As you’d expect from a company the size of Huawei, the list of health and performance features is immense, some of greater worth than others.
I’d probably sidestep the Emotional wellbeing app, which tells you how to improve your mood – I know the answer: swim, bike or run – and I’d question how accurate a wristwatch is when it comes to arterial stiffness detection (another of the apps), but they’re outliers.
Metrics and performance
More usefully, the GPS and heart-rate readings are impressive and instilled confidence from the very first stride. And pedal, which is one of the major advancements over the previous model.
Huawei’s heavily pitching this watch at cyclists (and triathletes) with the new ‘virtual power’ feature using ‘advanced algorithms’ to estimate your power output without the need for a power meter.
It’s certainly a cost-saving. But at the cost of performance? Maybe as it didn’t match my real power meter. You also couldn’t do a lot with that information – training by power zones, for instance – but the readings are consistent between rides and is arguably a good first step into cycling by wattage.
It also employs Bluetooth, so you could simply sync to your real power meter, albeit ideally you view this info on a head unit.
You can swim with the GT 6 Pro in both the pool and open-water with solid results. I also liked the warm-up guidance – a computer-generated figure to take you through the stretches.
Impressively, the run metrics include vertical oscillation and ground contact time, while battery life is mighty, coming in at up to 45h for GPS mode.
On the downside, when it comes to navigation, you can download the Petal Maps app on your smartphone, but only for Android, which isn’t ideal for all.
The bottom line
Finally, the Huawei app is slick – if not a little busy with health sections you won’t use – and I particularly appreciated the fun runback of a training session, which you could accompany with music.
Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro specs
| Price | £329 (UK only) |
| Weight | 1.9oz / 54.7g (strap excluded) |
| Screen | 1.47in AMOLED, 466×466 pixels |
| Dimensions | 45.6 × 45.6 × 11.25 mm |
| Battery life | Up to 21 days (light use); up to 12 days typical use; up to 40 hours GPS mode |
| Tech | Multi-GNSS: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC |
| Storage | 64GB |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth |
James Witts
Freelance sports writer and author 
