Huawei’s long-serving Watch GT series places a greater focus on fitness compared to the company’s more feature-rich smartwatches (namely, the Huawei Watch 3), but that hasn’t stopped it from adding a little luxury to the current GT line; with the new Watch GT 3 Pro series.
The company first took its Watch GT series ‘pro’ in late 2020, with the introduction of the Watch GT 2 Pro, which stood apart from its more conventional siblings by sporting premium materials in its construction, along with a more elegant design.
Huawei has applied that same approach to this year’s Pro entrants. However, there are now two sizes to choose between, each with its own aesthetics and finish: the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition and the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition.
When does the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro go on sale?
Huawei first pulled the wraps off the Watch GT 3 Pro line on 28 April, with a China-exclusive launch event that saw a bevvy of new devices make their debut, the GT 3 Pro among them.
While phones – like the foldable Mate Xs 2, which was also unveiled on 28 April – seemed less likely to make their way to markets further afield, expectations were high for wearables like the GT 3 Pro.
On 18 May, the company then held its 2022 ‘Huawei Flagship Product Launch’ event, which brought practically all of the devices that had just launched in China at the end of April, to Europe and beyond; including the Watch GT 3 Pro line.
Huawei’s wearable presence has become even more important to the company in regions where the brand’s smartphones can’t compete as readily as they once did (still suffering under US-imposed restrictions) and the GT 3 Pro looks to offer up more diversity and competition against obvious players, like Apple and Samsung, in the smartwatch space.
The Watch GT 3 Pro was made available to pre-order between 18 May and 29 May/7 June (Titanium Edition/Ceramic Edition), with the Titanium Edition going on sale on 30 May and the Ceramic Edition going on sale from 8 June, across the UK and Europe.
Availability direct from Huawei’s website ( Titanium Edition/ Ceramic Edition) is the easiest way to get your hands on one of these new timepieces, however, both have also been made available through select retail partners, such as Amazon and Currys in the UK.
Depending on the market, those who pre-order also get a free pair of Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro, in Ceramic White.
How much is the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro?
While you might assume – as with the standard Watch GT 3 line – that the smaller model would be the more affordable of the two casing sizes (the 42mm Watch GT 3 starts at just CNY¥1,488/€229.99/£209.99), you’d be sorely mistaken. Ceramic always comes at a premium where watches are concerned and that’s reflected in the pricing for this latest Pro series.
Titanium model pricing:
- Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition (46mm) w/ fluoroelastomer strap: ¥2,488/€369/£299.99
- Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition (46mm) w/ leather strap: ¥2,688/€369/£299.99
- Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium Edition (46mm) w/ titanium strap: €499/£429.99
Ceramic model pricing:
- Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition (43mm) w/ leather strap: ¥2,988/€499/£429.99
- Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition (43mm) w/ ceramic strap: ¥4,688/€599 (or €699 in some regions)/£499.99
In truth, even the top-tier 43mm ceramic strap-laden Ceramic Edition (as opposed to the leather strap-toting model) undercuts plenty of conventional ceramic watches. With that context in mind, it’s relatively competitive on pricing, even if it might seem dear for a smartwatch (it’s also worth noting that the first ceramic Apple Watch – the Apple Watch Edition Series 2 – cost £1,249/€1,449/$1,249, at launch).
When the Watch GT 2 Pro originally launched in China, it started at ¥2,188 (approximately £260/€270, based on conversion rates in 2020).
However, when the company announced the watch for the international market, it was priced from €329 – a near 22% markup that Huawei then quietly walked back by the time it actually hit stores – arriving instead from £299.99/€299 (just shy of an 11% increase, compared to its Chinese pricing).
What features does the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro offer?
Like 2020’s Watch GT 2 Pro, the primary reason to swing for the Pro line over the conventional Watch GT 3 series is in their design. For a start, unlike the last Pro in the GT series, you now have two sizes to choose between, aping that of the standard Watch GT 3 duo.
The caveat is that the two luxurious materials that these timepieces are clad in are unique to each casing size; with Watch GT 3 Pro Ceramic Edition sporting a 43mm (42.9mm) dial, while the larger Titanium Edition measures in at 46mm (46.6mm).
Beyond their reputation as premium mediums, both materials offer a number of similar benefits; like being markedly harder wearing compared to stainless steel, hypoallergenic, corrosion-resistant and impressively lightweight.
At first blush, the white ceramic finish could be mistaken for shiny plastic but its unique lustre when held against the light gives it away as something more.
Both watches also sport ceramic backs (compared to the standard GT 3 series’ stainless steel) and sapphire crystal fronts (rather than glass), with each watch weighing in at 50g and 54g, respectively (without straps), compared to 35g and 46.2g on the standard models.
One standout health feature that the Watch GT 3 Pro offers is ECG functionality, something the company implemented on a modified variant of its predecessor – a device that never made it outside of China. The caveat to this competitive addition is that – at launch, at least – it’s limited to a select set of markets (China, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Salvador, Chile, Vietnam, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, so far).
Here’s the full rundown of the GT 3 Pro’s specs:
- 1.43in or 1.32in AMOLED display
- 46.6mm or 42.9mm casing
- Power/function button + rotating crown
- 5ATM water resistance
- IP68-certified
- Dive-proof up to 30m
- Titanium or ceramic case
- Sapphire crystal display cover
- Ceramic back
- Wrist size:
- 140mm to 210mm (Titanium Edition)
- 130mm to 190mm (Ceramic Edition)
- 100+ workout modes
- Dedicated running programs
- In-depth health and sleep tracking
- GPS
- Bluetooth
- NFC (varies by market)
- ECG (varies by market)
- Optical heart rate sensor
- Air pressure sensor
- geomagnetic sensor
- Temperature sensor
- HarmonyOS 2.1
- iOS and Android support
- Up to 14-day battery life (Titanium Edition)
- Up to 7-day battery life (Ceramic Edition)
- Wireless magnetic charging
Bluetooth 5.2 is another small hardware upgrade while the new construction means it’s not just water-resistant but dive-proof up to 30 meters, paired to a new freediving tracking mode.
Check out our best smartwatch roundup to see what the GT 3 Pro line is up against.