Everything about the Huawei Watch GT 5, GT 5 Pro and Watch D2

Huawei presented three new smartwatches in Barcelona on September 19, 2024: the Huawei Watch GT 5, the GT 5 Pro and the Watch D2. Here is the most important information on all three.

GT 5 and GT 5 Pro: only a few differences

Both models come in a small and a large size: the smaller version is 41 mm on the GT 5 and 42 mm on the GT 5 Pro, and the large one is 46 mm on both.

• Material: The large GT 5 Pro has a titanium case, the small one a ceramic-titanium case. The GT 5 has a plain stainless steel case.
• Extra features of the GT 5 Pro: A golf mode (which measures things like the speed of your tee shot), a freediving mode (which measures depth and other parameters) and an ECG via the button on the side, plus heart health information at the press of a button. Neither is my thing, I don’t golf and I don’t dive.
• Protection rating: Both are certified to IP69K, the highest protection class for electrical devices. They withstand extremely high pressure and temperatures.
• Battery: The same size on both. The small models have 323 mAh and last up to 7 days, the large ones have 524 mAh and last up to 14 days.

The GT 4 already had the 7 days. That is why it was my everyday watch last year: I find it extremely awful to have to charge a watch every day.

In terms of design, all of them have an octagonal display frame that is supposed to look like a diamond cut. I understand the idea, but I don’t find it especially elegant. I really like the GT 5 Pro in ceramic white with gold. I don’t like the white display bezel at all. It should have been black, like on the GT 5, because it doesn’t look premium on a ceramic watch.

Prices

The small GT 5 Pro with the ceramic strap costs a hefty €599, and its battery only lasts the 7 days, because the 14 days are reserved for the large models. So for women, the Pro only comes in the more expensive variant with ceramic and the smaller battery. The GT 5 is a lot cheaper. Whether the Pro is worth almost twice as much is something you have to decide for yourself.

Features of all GT 5 models

• Compatible with iOS and Android. You can only reply to WhatsApp or SMS messages with Android smartphones, but there is now a full keyboard for that.
• Linear motor as on the predecessors, and it feels even better on the GT 5 Pro.
• Speaker for phone calls, but only via Bluetooth with the smartphone. There is no LTE version.
• Sunflower antenna: Huawei’s new antenna is supposed to improve GPS tracking because it is less affected by interference from other antennas. There are fewer outliers on the map, and the route is recorded more accurately. That matters a lot for runners and cyclists.
• Routes: You can load routes onto the GT 5 and get navigation while running or cycling.
• Screenshot: Press the crown and the button at the same time.
• Tracking: Blood oxygen, sleep and sleep breathing, heart rate, stress and cycle. The sensors have been optimized. I am a big fan of the Huawei Health app, where all the information comes together in a clear layout.

Huawei Watch D2: blood pressure on your wrist

The Watch D2 left me amazed. It is a medically certified blood pressure monitor for regular, discreet measurements and a smartwatch at the same time. It comes in black and gold. It is a bit thicker, but that isn’t immediately noticeable, and neither is the blood pressure cuff under the strap, which inflates almost silently.

• The measurement runs automatically at regular intervals, including at night, or you get reminded to take a manual measurement. That gives you a 24-hour record on the watch or in the app.
• The results can be exported as a PDF, for example for your doctor.
• Thanks to the medical certification, the accuracy is extremely high, and you don’t have to calibrate it beforehand.
• For a measurement, hold the watch at heart level, hold your elbow to stabilize it and don’t move.
• Compared to the Watch D, it has an improved, more accurate measurement, higher-quality build and new colors. It no longer looks like a boring health watch.

Beyond that, it is a smartwatch with a 1.82-inch display and a speaker for phone calls. It tracks heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, stress, blood oxygen, sleep and 80 sports. For people with high blood pressure it is a game changer, because the annoying measuring with a cuff is no longer necessary. For them, the watch is a good gift idea. At €399 it is not cheap, but it is a certified medical device. I don’t have high blood pressure myself, or only very little, but I want to wear it to track how sleep, nutrition and exercise affect my blood pressure.

Availability

All the smartwatches are available from September 19, 2024. Only the 42 mm GT 5 Pro can be preordered.

Verdict

Huawei presented a nice new lineup in Barcelona, and all the watches are a nice upgrade over their predecessors. I would only have liked a nicer design for the women’s version of the GT 5 Pro.