Huawei has renewed its range of smartwatches. It has done so by presenting the new Huawei Watch 3 and Huawei Watch 3 Pro, two models that arrive very well-armed but above all stand out for two differentiating features.
The first, being based on HarmonyOS 2, the operating system that the company now pushes definitively and that becomes the norm after the veto of the United States and Google. The second, its 4G connectivity, which allows it to be used completely independently of the phone, something always interesting.
Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro datasheet
| Huawei Watch 3 | Huawei Watch 3 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | AMOLED 1.43″ (466 x 466 px) 326 dpi, 60 Hz, 1000 nits | AMOLED 1.43″ (466 x 466 px) 326 dpi, 60 Hz, 1000 nits Sapphire crystal |
| CPU | Hisilicon Hi6262 | Hisilicon Hi6262 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Sensors | AccelerometerPulsometerGps | AccelerometerPulsometerDual channel GPS, more accurate |
| Connectivity | 4G (eSIM) NFCWi-Fi (2.4 GHz) Bluetooth 5.2 | 4G (eSIM) NFCWi-Fi (2.4 GHz) Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Measuring Sensor | Heart rate, stress, sleep Skin temperature sensor Automatic fall detection Emergency call SpO2100 sports modes, 17 professional, 85 custom | Heart rate, stress, sleep Skin temperature sensor Automatic fall detection Emergency call SpO2100 sports modes, 17 professional, 85 custom |
| Software | HarmonyOS 2 | HarmonyOS 2 |
| Resistance | Submersible (5 ATM) | Submersible (5 ATM) |
| Battery | 450 mAh Standard mode: three days with 4G connectivity Low power mode: up to 14 days | 790 mAh Standard mode: five days on 4G Low power mode: up to 21 days |
| Dimensions and Weight | 46.2 x 46.2 x 12 mm54 g | 48 x 49.5 x 14 mm64 g |
| Price | €369 | €499 |
A round and minimalist design
The new Huawei watches have a round design that departs from the sporty lines and makes a more elegance-oriented design.
The case is made of 316L aluminum, and minimalist lines are used without stridency. This design especially highlights the rotating crown that can control various options of the interface, although the touch screen will be of course the other major element of interaction.
At the bottom, there is a physical button to complement this interaction, and the watch also has a haptic response system that will be used for alarms and notifications, for example.
The Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro also have 22 mm straps made of silicone (Active), leather (Classic), or titanium (Elite), which will allow you to give the watches different ” looks” to adapt them to each situation and customize them to your liking.
The Huawei Watch 3 Pro differs by being somewhat larger, but it is also equipped with a sapphire crystal, titanium body, and ceramic back (the latter is also present in the Watch 3) that make it especially safe from falls. It also has a dual-channel GPS receiver that offers more accuracy than the standard model.
Monitoring at the forefront
In the world of smartwatches, the monitoring of physical activity has become the absolute protagonist in the use of these devices, and Huawei has certainly followed this trend in its devices.
This is true again in the Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro, which features stress, sleep, and heart rate monitoring, but is also capable of monitoring SpO2 levels continuously.
Added to all this is fall detection, which can trigger emergency calls, a very interesting feature for elderly or physically challenged people.
In these models Huawei even highlights the presence of a temperature sensor to measure skin temperature in real-time, something focused on warning of possible infections or even a potential contagion of COVID-19.
All these functions are complemented by the monitoring of sports activities: in the Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro feature support for up to 100 sports modes, 17 professional modes, and up to 85 custom modes, which means that we can monitor virtually any physical activity to keep track of these exercises and sports sessions.
These watches also boast a more than decent battery: the Huawei Watch 3 offers up to three days of battery life if used with 4G connectivity, but in low power, the mode can reach two weeks of autonomy. Its big brother goes a little further, with up to 5 and 21 days respectively in those two scenarios.
HarmonyOS takes over
Huawei’s operating system had made a timid appearance on some products in its huge catalog, but from now on HarmonyOS 2 will be the norm rather than the exception.
That is clear in these watches, which will also be governed by HarmonyOS 2. This operating system adapts to these smartwatches in a seemingly remarkable way and offers some striking options.
For example, there is a “grid launcher”, a launcher that displays application icons and allows you to zoom in and out to select the desired application. The idea is very reminiscent of the Apple Watch interface in this area.
Of particular relevance here is the possibility of installing applications directly from the Huawei App Gallery, which avoids (if we want) having to install applications from a cell phone.
The animated dials are another of the highlights of HarmonyOS 2 in these watches and will be an element of customization for Huawei’s proposal.
The Celia voice assistant is also an integral part of that user experience and will allow the user to control certain sections (multimedia playback, requesting weather information, making calls) of the smartwatch directly by voice.
There is even support for gesture recognition technology, which will allow users to take a call or reject it with a specific hand movement, for example.
4G connectivity frees us from the mobile
Another of the protagonist elements of these Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro is its support for 4G networks as standard. That support comes hand in hand with eSIM compatibility, which allows you to associate a mobile number to the phone to use mobile data networks as we would on our smartphones.
This option that already exists in other smartwatches achieves the same thing in them as in the new Huawei models: it frees us from the smartphone. The smartwatch ceases to be “an accessory” to become a device with more entities.
Thus, we will be able to install applications, make voice calls or answer messages without depending on the mobile. The same applies to the possibility of enjoying music streaming services or podcasts while, for example, we go running: we can do it directly from the watch, no more.
It will be possible to make video calls, although we will see the video of the person we are talking to, the watch does not have an integrated webcam: we will see (and hear) that person.
Price and availability of Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro
Huawei has indicated that the new Huawei Watch 3 and Huawei Watch 3 Pro will be available from June 18 in Germany. There the prices will be as follows:
- Huawei Watch 3 Active: €369
- Huawei Watch 3 Classic / Fashion: €399
- Huawei Watch 3 Elite: €449
- Huawei Watch 3 Pro Classic: €499
- Huawei Watch 3 Pro Elite: €599
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