If there’s one big deal breaker for a smartwatch, its battery life. Agreed, it will be a while before you hit the road for a business meeting and you won’t be packing a charger into your travel bag for a while. But yet, it’s still a hassle to keep reaching out for an additional charger every night or every couple of days. Battery life was one of the standout features of Huawei’s Watch GT 2 that we checked out about six months ago. The GT 2e is the follow up; it’s not really an upgrade but does it have what you need to be your wearable of choice?
Unlike its predecessor, the GT 2e comes in just one size variant – 46 mm. The bezel is slightly larger (the screen: body ratio – 50.5% vs 59.4% for the GT 2 is a dead giveaway) and yet I prefer the design aesthetics of the new GT 2e. It looks more refined and sharper for a business meeting (even though Zoom is the default space for most meetings these days). I am also more partial to the flatter buttons that have replaced the crown-like design of the navigation buttons of the GT 2. The 1.39-inch (454 x 454 pixels) circular display is quite vibrant and packs 326 pixels per inch. It’s similar to the GT 2 (46 mm variant). The silicon strap also fits more seamlessly than on its predecessor. But it’s a large display, one that might stand out on smaller wrists and unlike the GT 2, there’s no 42 mm version.
If style is your thing, the GT 2e doesn’t disappoint. It’s a good looking smartwatch and allows you to swap straps if you like to accessorise in style. We checked out the more staid, black version. There’s also a spiffy Mint Green option with a sporty, perforated strap. Setting up is a breeze on Android, although it isn’t as much fun on the iPhone. You have a choice of watch faces but there’s no option to add third party watch faces. It’s the same story with the App ecosystem, that is quite bare and an area where most players struggle against the WatchOS’ range of apps.
The GT 2e is loaded with fitness features. It’s 5ATM water-resistant allowing you to plunge into the pool and track your swim. Just like most of its rivals, you can track multiple types of workouts from indoor rowing to outdoor runs. Huawei has added a new feature – an SpO2 sensor, that measures level of blood oxygen saturation, that can help gauge how well your body is absorbing oxygen. While this might end up being a ‘good to know’ feature, the ability to track numerous workouts and drill-down sleep data might be more handy in everyday usage.
The internals are similar to the GT 2, this smartwatch is also powered by the Kirin A1 chip that has been created specifically for wearables. There’s 4GB of internal storage, you can store music on the watch. Huawei has knocked off the microphone and speaker from the GT 2. This might be a smart move, given that very few ‘polite’ users attempt voice calls or listening to music straight off the watch. You can hook up your Bluetooth headphones with minimum fuss.
Just like the GT 2, our most favourite feature of the GT 2 is the stellar battery life. Huawei claims 14 days; after 9 days of usage, the battery level was still at 40% suggesting that these battery life claims are not an exaggeration. It’s not just battery life though. Huawei might have hit a sweet spot with the pricing – Rs 11,990, despite certain drawbacks like the lack of third party apps. It’s a compelling proposition for a smartwatch with GPS capabilities, music storage a pleasing aesthetic and of course two-week battery life.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e costs Rs 11,990 and comes in three colour options including Mint Green, Lava Red and Graphite Black.
