Huawei Watch GT 5 series arrives, including titanium-clad Pro models, Watch D2 joins in

19 September 2024

Huawei watches offer a great mix of design, battery life and features and this year they come with an upgraded TruSense health monitoring system, which was actually announced ahead of time. This generation of GT watches also brings a titanium version with a lightweight body. And we finally get a sequel to the Watch D, for people who want reliable blood pressure measurements.

Huawei Watch GT 5

The Huawei Watch GT 5 comes in two sizes, the same as last year – 41mm and 46mm. Both keep the same screen sizes as before: 1.32” for the small one and 1.43” for the large one.

These are made out of 316L stainless steel and Huawei has worked to slim them down a bit. The 41mm is now 0.3mm thinner than its GT 4 counterpart, for example. There is a mix of metal, leather, plastic and woven wrist straps to choose from.

For the 46mm model, the Blue option is the hero color, which is inspired by the ocean. Like before, it has a graduated bezel, while the 41mm model drops that to reduce its dimensions.

The GT 5 series has an upgraded antenna and algorithm for improved positioning – route accuracy is up 40%, distance and pace accuracy is up 30% and 20%, respectively.

The Huawei TruSense system features the usual heart rate and blood-oxygen measurements, plus sleep tracking. The Sleep Breathing Awareness feature from the GT 4 series has been augmented with Sleep Apnea Detection. The watches also offer women’s health tracking. And this is interesting – they will also be able to record your emotions to track your emotional well-being. However, this feature will not be available in Europe.

Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro

The Huawei Watch GT 5 Pro comes in two sizes, 42mm and 46mm. The small version is 0.9mm thinner than the small GT 3 Pro (which was a 43mm model).

As we hinted above, the Pro models have titanium bodies. The small 42mm model also incorporates ceramics into the body and strap, while the large one uses a titanium or fluoroelastomer for the strap. They also feature sapphire glass for the display.

The GT Pro models also stand out with ECG, which needs 30 seconds to provide you with ECG waveforms.

The improved positioning accuracy ties into the new focus on a superior running and cycling experience. The watches support offline maps with route previews, which estimate the altitude changes and show terrain details. There are real-time directions too, including segment-based navigation and off-course alerts.

Trail running navigation makes use of the offline maps and can guide you through complex cross-country environments. The watch integrates with Komoot, if you are used to that app’s route planning. Once you reach the finish line, the watch will present a Running Form Analysis – it measures ground contact time, vertical oscillation, balance and more.

That’s not all, the watches have over 100 workout modes. The Pro models add a Free Diving mode with water resistance down to 40m (130ft) with depth tracking and reminders. The watches are also rated IP69K for resistance against hot water jets. They are resistant against salt spray corrosion thanks to a special coating for the exterior.

The Pros will have improved mapping features, including topographic maps with contour lines at 10m intervals (outside of mainland China).

Golfers might enjoy this watch too. There are 15,000+ golf maps available with 3D previews and precise directions. You can use the built-in score card to keep track. The golf feature will be available in 69 countries later this month.

The Huawei Watch GT 5 and GT 5 Pro will have long battery lives. The small (41mm and 42mm) watches will last 5 days with Always On Display enabled and up to 7 days with regular use. The larger (46mm) watches will last 9 days with AOD and up to 14 days with regular use. The Pros support wireless charging and can be fully charged in 60 minutes.

Huawei Watch D2

The Huawei Watch D2 is a specialized timepiece. It has an inflatable wrist strap and works just like those wrist cuffs that measure blood pressure. This offers more reliable measurements than the watches that rely on optical sensors. The D2 has been approved by EU’s MDR and by China’s NMPA.

The cuff inflates at regular intervals throughout the day as well as at night. However, the D2 also has an optical sensor, which is used for heart rate measurement (this uses less battery and doesn’t squeeze your wrist like the cuff). On top of that, there is an ECG and skin temperature sensors, so all your bases are covered.

The D2 has a rectangular 1.82” OLED display (408 x 480px), which is larger than the 1.64” display on the original Watch D. The watch itself measures 48 x 38 x 13.3mm and weighs 85g. That’s an impressive feat of miniaturization seeing how it has an air pump and blood pressure sensor inside. For reference, the original D measured 51 x 38 x 13.6mm and weighed 40.9g.

New edition of the Huawei Watch Ultimate

The Huawei Watch Ultimate launched last year with two versions: Blue and Black. Now a third color is available: Green.

The Green edition comes with a dual-color nano-tech ceramic bezel that surrounds the sapphire crystal glass. The Ultimate is also the first to use Zirconium-based liquid metal.

Naturally, the selection of wrist straps has been expanded to include green ones with a woven strap design, HNBR rubber and premium titanium options.

Pricing & availability

The Huawei Watch GT 5 series is launching internationally today. The GT 5 starts at £230 (both sizes, but some color/band combos have a higher price).If you order from the Huawei Store in the UK between September 19 and October 22, you will receive a free pair of Huawei FreeBuds 5i. Aside from the company’s own store, Currys and Argos will also carry the GT 5 series.

The GT 5 Pro series starts at £330 for the 46mm model and £400 for the 42mm one. In Europe, the Watch GT 5 will start at €250, while the GT 5 Pro will be €380 for the large 46mm model and €450 for the small 42mm model. Note that the small one uses ceramic in the body and strap, which is why it costs more.

The Huawei Watch D2 is also launching today at a price of £350. It will be available from the Huawei Store in the UK (between now and October 22 you get FreeBuds 5i for free), as well as Currys and Argos. The European price for the D2 is €400.

The Huawei Watch Ultimate isn't new, but in case you like what you see, you should know that one of these will set you back €900.

The watches are fully compatible with Android, iOS and (of course) EMUI smartphones.