Apple Watch Pros

Workout Tracking

Proactive Health Monitor

Sleek Design

Design has always been an essential aspect of any Apple product, and the Apple Watch is no exception. The watch has a sporty, sophisticated, and classy look with its rounded corners and interchangeable straps. The display is sharper than other smartwatches, and the digital crown allows users to scroll or zoom without blocking the screen.

Large Display

The Apple Watch Series 7 has the largest display to date. The larger 45mm version has a display of 396 by 484 pixels, equal to 1,143 sq mm display area. The smaller 41mm model has 352 by 430 pixels.
(904 sq mm) display area. That’s more than 50% larger than Series 3.
Apple had increased the screen size of the Apple Watch Series 4 to be 30% than the Series 3 and passed that size increase on to its later watches up to the Apple Watch Series 7.
The 4 and 5 models are available in two sizes: 40 mm and 44 mm. The case is larger than that of the previous Apple Watch Series 3 (and Series 1 and 2 models), which were available in either 38 or 42 mm sizes. The bezels have also been reduced, making the display feel more immersive.
With the larger screen, users can see more complications (apps that run on the watch face). These include heart rate, workout status, weather, and battery life. The larger display also makes it easier to read text messages, view photos, look at websites, etc. While the watch has a large screen, it doesn’t feel bulky on the arm, and this is because the Apple Watch Series 4 is thinner than its predecessors.

Send and Receive Calls

When paired with an iPhone, the Apple Watch allows you to make and receive calls (you can use the speakerphone). Although this feature is not as useful if you always have your smartphone close by, it will still appeal to many users.

Water Resistance

You may wear an Apple Watch during exercise (exposure to sweat is fine), in the rain, and while washing your hands. But can you take a shower or go swimming while wearing an Apple Watch? Well, it depends. Apple Watch Series 1 is splash and water-resistant, but submerging isn’t recommended.
Apple Watch Series 2, through series 7  are rated as water-resistant (Swimproof) to 50 meters, meaning you can use them for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool. However, you shouldn’t use them for scuba diving, water skiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water like water-skiing or submersion in deep water (not for scuba diving)
Showering with Apple Watch is okay (Series 7 and earlier models back to the Series 2), as long as you don’t expose it to soaps, shampoos, lotions, and perfumes. These products can negatively affect acoustic membranes and water seals.
Keep in mind that not all bands are appropriate for water use. If you want to upgrade to a steel or leather band, you shouldn’t expose it to liquids. Additionally, an Apple Watch should be cleaned with clean water and dried with a lint free-cloth if it comes into contact with anything other than fresh water.

Cellular Connectivity

Stream music, send text messages and call people through a data connection without the need to be connected to an iPhone. The Apple Watch has had GPS + cellular capabilities starting with the Series 3 (and every model since then).

Storage Capacity:

Apple Watch Series 7: 32GB of storage
Apple Watch Series 6: 32GB of storage
Apple Watch Series 5:  32GB of storage, doubling the 16GB included in the Series 4
Apple Watch Series 4: 16GB of storage, 2X the capacity of the Series 3 and earlier.
Series 3 (and earlier):  8GB of storage

Charging Speed

One of the main advantages of the newest Apple Watch Series 7 is the improvement in charging speed. The

Apple Watch Cons

Price

Like the iPhone, the Apple Watch targets the upper-middle to high-end market segments. As you may have guessed, the Apple Watch is pricey – the Series 7 launched with a price starting at $399, and the model with GPS and Cellular
starts at $499. There is a GPS-only model for $199, but most users looking to take advantage of smartwatch functionality, such as calls and notifications,  will want a cellular connection.
This price is higher than most brands available on the market, and many of the best smartwatches are under $300. Unless you’re looking for a high-end multisports watch (from brands like Garmin or Suunto), you won’t break into the $400-500 price range of the Apple Watch.
In part, you are paying for the name, not only the product. Some brands you may not have even heard of (such as Mobvoi) make feature-packed smartwatches for half the price of an Apple watch.
That being said, you get what you pay for, so you can expect high quality and a ton of features if you choose to buy an Apple Watch.
If you really want an Apple Watch and the price is holding you back, you can save quite a bit if you buy an older version (like the Series 3) since you’ll always pay a premium for the most recent model.
Another option is to look at pre-owned and refurbished products (rather than brand new ones).

Battery Life

Battery life is an essential aspect of all electronic gadgets, and it allows users to use a device continuously without recharging it. A fully charged Apple Watch can last up to 18 hours, even if you use the watch throughout the day. Still, it lags behind other smartwatches like Garmin, Fitbit, and Samsung. When it comes to battery life – these smartwatches outperform Apple by a long shot.

Limited Compatibility

This is a deal-breaker for many android users. You need to have an iPhone to set up an Apple Watch. You need to use the Watch app on your iPhone to activate the Apple Watch, set up things like Apple Pay and iCloud, and activate cellular connectivity if your watch has LTE. An Apple Watch will only pair with an iPhone, not Android. While it’s a Bluetooth device, the watch is specifically designed to work exclusively with an iPhone.
There are plenty of other options. You may be surprised to learn there are several smartwatch operating systems on the market, and users that do not own Apple products are likely to look elsewhere.
Conclusion
The Apple Watch is both stylish and functional. What started as a fashion statement is now focused on health and wellness. Depending on the model, this smartwatch offers workout tracking, health monitoring, and cellular connectivity.
With its sleek design and innovative features, the Apple Watch certainly deserves its place as one of the best smartwatches available today. After weighing the Apple Watch pros and cons, are you now ready to jump on the smartwatch bandwagon?
To learn more about the history and evolution of the Apple Watch, read our article dedicated to that topic.

Best Swiss Smartwatches

Montblanc Summit Collection
 

Despite Huawei’s recent struggle in the US market, Huawei is still one of the best performers and most successful tech giants in recent years. Everything from their smartphones, smart home devices, and smart wearables have been well received by the public.   
Their smartwatches, in particular, have quickly risen in popularity ever since they made the move from Wear OS to their own dedicated platform.
The Huawei Watch GT 2 and GT 2 that we reviewed managed to impress us and serve as the watches to beat in their respective price points. 
But those two aren’t the only exceptional smartwatches in Huawei’s lineup. Huawei has been on a roll with releases of new models at every price point. In this article, we will be going over Huawei’s best smartwatch offerings. 
We will be tackling everything from their flagship Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro up to their budget fitness-focused Huawei Fit so keep on scrolling to learn more. 

Best Huawei Smartwatches in 2021

Best Overall: Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro

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Huawei’s best offering is their flagship smartwatch, the Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro.
This model is the successor to the highly successful Huawei Watch GT 2. It builds upon the GT 2’s impressive speech sheet and software performance and adds new features that make it worthy of its “Pro” moniker. 
The GT 2 Pro is the best-built model in Huawei’s smartwatch lineup. It is utilizing more premium materials such as titanium for its body and sapphire to protect its 1.3 inch AMOLED display. 
Its internal components are also as advanced as its aesthetics. The GT 2 Pro now utilizes TruSeen 4.0, which is capable of producing more accurate results than previous models. 
Familiar elements such as the fast and reliable UI make their return but with some tweaks that are exclusive to this model. The most notable one being the ability to install apps which expands the GT 2 Pro’s functionality. 
The GT 2 Pro also features the great workout selection found on the fitness-focused GT 2e. Additionally, the GT 2 Pro has a built-in GPS with a route back feature to help you return to your point of origin. 
Just like its predecessors, the GT 2 Pro has a fully customizable notification system. It also has a built-in mic and speaker for calls and potentially for the upcoming Celia voice assistant. If you are looking for Huawei’s best offering, the GT 2 Pro is your best bet.

Runner Up: Huawei Watch GT 2

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If you are willing to give up some of the GT 2 Pro’s “Pro Features,” the second-best smartwatch in Huawei’s lineup is the Huawei GT Watch 2. This watch was the first to use the Kirin AI processor and set the bar for all Huawei smartwatches to follow. The main highlights of this watch are its beautiful aesthetics, vast feature set, and amazing battery life. 
The Watch GT 2 has a gorgeous design with a curved display. On the outside, it looks very similar to high-end analog wristwatches. And on the inside, it carries the latest tech that Huawei has to offer. 
This watch is powered by the Hisilicon Kirin A1 processor that is also seen on other current generation Huawei products such as the Huawei Freebuds 3. This efficient processor allows the watch to have a lightweight and efficient operating system as well as a 2-week battery life. 
Unfortunately, the Watch GT 2 cannot install applications like the Watch GT 2 Pro. This may limit its functionality. However, the Huawei Watch GT 2 arguably has everything that you would need with a smartwatch. 
If you do not need the GT 2 Pro’s “Pro” features and just want a stylish but solid and feature-packed smartwatch with long battery life, the GT 2 is a worthy alternative. Make sure to read our full review of the GT2 to learn more.

Best for Style: Porsche Design Huawei Watch GT 2

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All of Huawei’s smartwatches are gorgeous looking and will satisfy anyone looking for a watch with good aesthetics. But if you are looking to take your smartwatch game to the next level, the Porsche Design Huawei Watch GT 2 is like no other. 
Huawei has collaborated with Porsche in the past to make an ultra-premium version of their flagship smartphones. However, this is the first time that the two brands will be collaborating with a smartwatch. 
The Porsche Design Watch GT 2 is based on the Huawei Watch GT 2. However, most of its specs have been revamped to match its significantly higher price point. The watch case is made of pure titanium, giving it a more solid and sturdy feel compared to the GT 2’s aluminum case. 
And just like the GT 2 Pro, the screen is protected with sapphire crystal which is more durable than glass. However, one unique feature of this watch is that its strap is also made of titanium. Additionally, the strap has a quick-change mechanism that makes removing and replacing the strap a lot easier. 
The Porsche branding can be seen on the top of the smartwatch. It doesn’t try to steal the show and maintains the classy and minimalistic look of the watch. 
The internals of the watch has also received an overhaul. The Porsche Design Watch GT 2 is equipped with Huawei’s latest TrueSeen 4.0 heartrate sensor, which produces more accurate results than the original Watch GT 2. 
Additionally, there are watch faces that are exclusive to this smartwatch. All of the icons have also been redesigned to fit the Porsche Design aesthetic of the watch.
The rest of the watch is pretty similar to the Watch GT 2. It is powered by the Kirin A1 chip and features a fast and clean software experience. If you enjoy the reliability and feature set of the Watch GT 2 but want an even more premium experience, then don’t skimp on the Porsche Design Watch GT 2.

Best For Small Wrists: Huawei Watch GT 2 42 mm 

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If you like the design and feature set of the Huawei Watch GT 2 but find its watch case too big for your wrist, the Watch GT 2 is also available in a 42 mm version. This smaller and more lightweight version manages to pack most of the essential features of the larger Watch GT 2 in a more affordable package. 
Aside from its smaller size, the weight has been significantly reduced on this model. It only weighs 29 grams, almost half of the GT 2 44m version’s weight. This ensures that the watch will be comfortable to wear throughout the day regardless of what activity you are doing. 
The 42 mm version of the Watch GT 2 has the same internal specs as its bigger brother. It is powered by the Kirin A1 chip and is utilizing Light OS. All the various workout and other software features are also found here. 
There are, however, some differences to take note of. The AMOLED display is slightly smaller at 1.2 inches instead of 1.3. The 42 mm version also lacks a microphone, making it similar to the Huawei Watch GT 2e. 
The most significant change is the battery life. The 42mm version only lasts up to seven days. While this isn’t bad, it is way below the GT 2 and GT2e’s 14-day battery life. But overall, if you are looking for a smaller smartwatch that has the same feature set and gorgeous aesthetics as the GT 2, the 42mm GT 2 is worth a look. 

Best for Fitness Tracking: Huawei Watch GT 2e

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The Huawei Watch GT 2e serves as Huawei’s mid-range model and fitness smartwatch. It may have a lower price point, but it still embodies everything that was well-loved with the Watch GT 2. 
The GT Watch 2e and the GT Watch 2 are very similar in terms of their specs. They both have the same Kirin A1 processor, the same two-week battery life, the same Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, etc. 
What separates these two models is the design. Both are high-quality and premium feeling smartwatches, but the GT 2e has a simpler look that is reminiscent of the classic digital watches. This allows the GT Watch 2e to be more lightweight and better suited for workouts. 
Both the buttons and the wristband have also been redesigned. The large buttons and strap locks often on the GT 2e bumped into the wrist when doing exercises. This is why the buttons are smaller, and the strap locks no longer allow the GT 2e to be laid flat.
The wristband is also different and is more optimized for sports. The holes in the wristband allow for better airflow. The buttons have also been changed in order to bump less with your wrist during heavy workout sessions. 
There are some trade-offs with the GT 2e. There is no longer a speaker and microphone, and the RAM is reduced. But overall, if you are looking for a more budget-friendly and sports-optimized version of the GT 2, then this watch is a great choice. Make sure to check out our full review to learn more. 

Best for Battery Life: GT 2e, GT 2, or GT 2 Pro

Regardless of which model you choose, all of Huawei’s smartwatches are champions when it comes to battery life. The Huawei Watch GT 2, GT 2e, and GT 2 Pro can all last up to two weeks even when using most of their features. Of course, features such as GPS and always-on display (AOD) may potentially reduce the battery life to one week. 
But even then, one to two weeks of battery life easily beats the one/two-day battery life of competing smartwatches such as the Apple Watch and Wear OS watches.

Best Budget: Huawei Fit 

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If you are looking for an even more affordable Huawei smartwatch, the Huawei Watch Fit is by far the most affordable and feature-packed option on this list. This watch aims to bridge the gap between their fitness trackers and smartwatches. It encompasses the lightweight and boxy design of products such as the Huawei Band 4e with the feature set of smartwatches such as the Huawei Watch GT 2 and GT 2e. 
The most notable change for the Huawei Watch Fit is the new rectangular AMOLED display. This new design gives more real estate compared to Huawei’s traditional watches. Its 70% screen to body ratio gives enough room for more advanced graphics such as the new personal training assistant feature with on-screen instructions. 
Given its more affordable price tag, some feature cuts are expected. Unlike Huawei’s other smartwatches, the Huawei Watch Fit cannot be paired to Bluetooth earbuds for music listening. Answering phone calls through the watch is also not possible. 
The Watch Fit also features fewer sensors than the Watch GT 2e. While the heart rate sensor has been upgraded to TruSense 4, the rest of the sensors aren’t up to par with the higher-end watches. 
The battery life is also a bit shorter as it can only last anywhere from seven to ten days, depending on the features you are using. It does have a fast charging feature meaning the battery life shouldn’t be an issue. 
If you are looking for a fitness-focused watch with a unique design and a budget price point, the Huawei Watch Fit is a worthy alternative to the likes of the Huawei Watch GT 2e.

Huawei Brand Overview

Huawei is no stranger to the smartwatch market. They have made successful smartwatches in the past, such as the original Huawei Watch and Huawei Watch GT. However, the success of their watches has largely been overshadowed by the success of their smartphones. 
Their wearables have been mostly a side project in the past. However, in recent years, they have been consistently revamping their lineup and are proving to be a fierce competitor in the smartwatch market. This is evident with the successful release of the Watch GT Series. 
Huawei has most notably moved away from Google’s Wear OS platform and has developed its proprietary operating system called the Huawei Light OS. Their current lineup is simple and is easy to follow. It consists of the flagship Watch GT 2,  the midrange Watch GT 2, and the original Watch GT (which may be discontinued in the future). 
You can learn more about Huawei’s history and product lineup in our Huawei Brand review. 

What Makes a Smartwatch Tactical?

Build and Material

Materials such as sapphire crystal for the dial window are crucial due to their extreme scratch resistance. As for the case, a stainless-steel watch is always a safe bet. An alternative will be polymer-plastic if you wish something lightweight or ceramic for those with metal allergies.

Timekeeping Precision

Of course, what is a tactical watch that is not a reliable timekeeper? When it comes to these rugged watches, we recommend you go for quartz movement rather than mechanical. The reason is that mechanical watches tend to not be as continuously accurate compared to quartz watches. 
Also, mechanical watches need to be handled with extra care as temperature and shocks can affect their performance. Quartz watches tend to be more rigid in this area, which is why it is the watch movement of choice for outdoor timepieces. 

Luminosity

Considering the police, military, and outdoor activities require you to be ready 24/7, a timepiece that can provide excellent legibility even in pitch-black darkness is crucial. Specifically, we recommend tactical watches that have a constant faint afterglow as there will be occasions wherein both hands are in use. 

Water Resistance

Finally, the watch needs to be reliable in both land and water. High-level shock resistance is essential, but so is a solid water resistance rating. Check the ATM (atmosphere) rating of the watch and go for the timepieces rated 100ATM and above. These tactical watches can be used for swimming, while models with higher ATM ratings are suitable for scuba diving.   

Best Tactical & Military Smartwatches

Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical

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With its solar-powered batteries in tow, the Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical certainly takes the lead when it comes to other smartwatches in the market. Seeing as battery life is a constant issue with this modern digital timepiece, having one can charge itself via sunlight is a welcome feature. 
The Gamin Instinct Solar Tactical comes equipped with all the essential features one needs to tackle rough terrains. In addition, this tactical smartwatch is durable as it comes with its U.S. military standard 810G that makes it shock and thermal resistant and solid 100-meter water resistance. 
When it comes to functions, the Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical Smartwatch comes with a built-in GPS (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo), 3-axis compass, altimeter, barometer, and compatibility with numerous notable apps.
This smartwatch also has a nifty tactical feature that can provide wearers with waypoint projection, dual-position via GPS, and a preloaded tactical activity tracker. The Garmin Instinct does not stop there, though, as it also supports the Pulse Ox application, which can help you monitor your daily health and conditioning. 

Garmin Instinct Tactical (Non-Solar Option)

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If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to the Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical Smartwatch, then you can check out the non-solar version of the impressive timepiece. In terms of toughness, the non-solar version features a similar build with its U.S. military standard 810Grating, which means it is shock, thermal, and water (100-meters) resistant. 
This Garmin Instinct tactical smartwatch also comes equipped with built-in GPS, which utilizes GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellites. In addition, the digital display also features a night vision compatibility mode that is exceptionally convenient for military and special forces that operate on the cover of the night and nighttime hunters. 
Like its Solar-powered sibling, this version also provides tactical-specific features such as a stealth mode, waypoint projection, dual-position GPS format, preloaded tactical activities, and the Jumpmaster app support. 
Despite the lack of solar-powered capability, this version circumvents battery loss by having its dedicated power bank for use during emergencies. 

Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch

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The Amazfit T-Rex comes in various versions, but one constant throughout each model is its excellent reliability, slew of features, and excellent battery life. This is a tactical smartwatch that certainly delivers on all fronts while also having a reasonable price tag. 
Designed to meet military standards, the Amazfit T-Rex has a certification for military-grade (MIL-STD-810), which means provides solid shock and temperature resistance. In addition, the battery life of the Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch currently clocks in at 20 days of regular use and up to one day with the GPS turned on. 
This tactical smartwatch also comes equipped with a pretty decent AMOLED screen which measures at 1.3-inches. As for its outdoor capabilities, this military smartwatch incorporates the premium-grade Sony GPS chip, which utilizes a dual-satellite positioning system.
If there is one aspect where the Amazfit T-Rex kind of falls short, it is in the water resistance department. This smartwatch can only provide up to 50-meters of water resistance, which means the case can only withstand brief immersions or splashes of water. 

Amazfit T-Rex Pro Smartwatch 

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Incorporating a near-identical aesthetic to the standard Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch, the Pro version has several unique tricks. One of the most significant upgrades found in the Pro version of the Amazfit T-Rex is the enhanced 100-meter water resistance. Making this smartwatch suitable for swimming and snorkeling as well. 
Every element of the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is similar to the standard edition. For example, its HD 1.3-inches AMOLED display, built-in Sony GPS chip provides a dual-satellite positioning system, and up to 100 sports modes to track critical data such as heart rate, distance traveled, speed, and calories burned. 
The Amazfit T-Rex Pro also comes with all staple outdoor/tactical/sports smartwatch features along with excellent upgrades. You can expect to take advantage of its compass, altimeter, and barometer. This smartwatch offers a blood-oxygen saturation measurement system and weather tracker as well.
Once connected to your smartphone, you also use the Amazfit T-Rex Pro to check notifications on your phone – as is the standard of any smartwatch. All in all, we recommend the Pro version for its well-rounded and complete package design and capabilities. 

Casio G-Shock Move Solar Assisted Smartwatch (GBD-H1000-8CR)

Casio G-Shock Move Pro Smartwatch (GSW-H1000-1CR)

SUUNTO Core

SUUNTO Traverse Alpha

Garmin D2 Delta PX GPS Pilot Smartwatch

Since the Apple Watch launched, it has become a staple smartwatch with a sleek design, the very best fitness tracking, and Apple’s services easily accessible from your wrist. However, one area that the watch hasn’t performed so well is battery life.
With an average of 18 hours battery life (depending upon the model), you’ll need to recharge it every night and sometimes may even struggle to get through a whole day. However, there are plenty of things you can do to improve this, in this guide we’ll reveal 15 expert tips so that your Apple Watch battery will go further.

Ways to Extend the Apple Watch’s Battery Life

Adjust the screen brightness

As with most tech, the screen is responsible for the majority of power consumption so the first few recommendations will help you minimize how much power it uses and should have a significant impact.
Firstly, dimming the brightness of your screen is a sure-fire way to minimize battery consumption.
To do this:
Head to the settings app on your watch

• Select ‘Display & Brightness’.
• Scroll to the brightness indicator.
• Reduce it to a suitable level.

Keep in mind that the ambient light sensor will still adjust the brightness for darker environments.

Disable always-on display

 
Our second recommendation that will have a big impact on battery life is the always-on display. This is a feature in the Apple Watch Series 5 and later (except the Apple Watch SE) that leaves an ambient screen on so you can always see the time.
Whilst this is a nice feature and might be something that you are used to from traditional watches, it’s also a battery life killer so we recommend turning this off.
To do this:

• Open the Settings app on your watch.
• Select ‘Display & Brightness’.
• Toggle ‘Always-on’ to off.

Disable wake on wrist raise

If you have turned off the always-on display or if you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or earlier, your watch will have a feature called ‘Wake Screen on Wrist Raise’ enabled. This does exactly what it says on the tin, it will turn on the display when it detects you have lifted your wrist.
Whilst this is more efficient than the always-on display, it’s still not great for battery life so you can disable it to make your battery last longer.
To do this:

• Go to the Settings app on your watch.
• Select ‘General’.
• Select ‘Wake Screen’.
• Use the ‘Wake Screen on Wrist Raise’ toggle to turn the feature off.

Now that you have disabled this feature, to wake the screen you’ll need to either tap the display or the digital crown. You can also enable ‘Wake on Crown Up’ within the same menu as above to turn the display on by twisting the crown dial upwards.

Minimize screen timeout

Our final battery-saving recommendation that relates specifically to the power consumption of the screen is to minimize the screen timeout. This is how long the screen stays on after you last touched it.
There are two options to choose from, 15 seconds and 70 seconds. By default, the watch is set to 15 seconds, but if you’ve changed this in the past then you’ll want to revert to the shorter duration to save battery.
To do this:

• Open the Settings app on your watch.
• Select ‘General’.
• Select ‘Wake Screen’.
• Ensure ‘Wake for 15 seconds’ is selected.

Limit the notifications you receive on the watch

When you first set up your Apple Watch, by default it will show you notifications from all of your apps on your iPhone. Every time a notification is received, your watch will vibrate to let you know, and depending upon your settings it may even light up too.
Whilst there are essential apps that you’ll want to receive a notification from such as messaging, news, and social media apps, you may not want to waste your precious battery life to hear about daily rewards in Candy Crush.
Luckily, you can select which apps you want to receive watch notifications from and which you’d rather not. To do this you’ll need to use your iPhone:

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
• Choose the ‘My Watch’ tab from along the bottom.
• Select ‘Notifications’.
• Here you can disable notifications on a per-app basis.

Turn off haptic feedback

There are some apps that you’ll still want to receive notifications from such as messaging apps. However, if you’re a member of some overly-active group chats (we’ve all been there), your watch could end up buzzing all day and taking that battery life with it.
You can reduce the impact this has by turning off haptic feedback. To do this:

• Open the Settings app on your watch.
• Choose ‘Sounds & Haptics’.
• Select ‘Haptic Alerts’ to toggle haptic feedback on or off.

If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, you can also turn off digital crown haptics from the same menu. This will disable the haptic feedback that is felt as you turn the crown dial to scroll through menus.

Ensure Taptic Time is turned off

Taptic Time allows the watch to tell you the time using Apple’s haptic feedback engine. It does this using either digits, terse, or morse code.
Whilst this is a neat feature, unfortunately, it does eat away at your battery life in a similar way to notifications. The feature is off by default, but if you’ve turned it on your can turn it off as follows:

• Open the Settings app on your watch.
• Select ‘Clock’.
• Choose ‘Taptic Time’.
• Turn the feature off.

Turn off heart rate monitor and blood oxygen monitor

When you’re not doing a workout, the Apple Watch checks your heart rate every 5 minutes throughout the whole day. If you have an Apple Watch Series 6, it will also check your blood oxygen saturation using the oximeter.
It goes without saying that this can eat away at your battery life in the background. If you’re not interested in this information, you can disable these features.
To disable heart rate monitor, use your iPhone:

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
• Head to the ‘My Watch’ tab in the bottom bar.
• Select ‘Privacy’.
• Use the ‘Heart Rate Monitor’ toggle to turn it off.

To disable blood oxygen (Series 6 only), again, you’ll need to use your iPhone

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
• Head to the ‘My Watch’ tab.
• Select ‘Blood Oxygen’.
• Toggle ‘Blood Oxygen Measurements’ to off.

Choose a simple watch face

The Apple Watch has some really fun watch faces including the ability to turn your live photos into a gif and have them as the background. However, keep in mind that these animated watch faces are going to consume a lot more power so you are best off choosing a simple watch face.
It’s also best to use one with a dark theme, this is because the Apple Watch uses an OLED screen so darker pixels use less power than lighter ones.
To change your watch face on the Apple Watch:

1. Swipe left or right from the home screen to cycle through the current watch faces in your collection.
2. Stop swiping when you land on a watch face you like to keep it.
3. If you wish to add a new face to the collection, keep swiping until you reach the ‘New’ face.
4. Tap this to cycle through additional faces with the digital crown.

Hint: You can also amend your watch face collection from the Watch app on your iPhone, head to the ‘face gallery’ tab to add new faces.

Don’t use watch face complications

Another battery-saving tip related to the watch face is to turn off any complications. These are pieces of information from other apps that you can display on the watch face (similar to widgets among other smartwatch brands).
Whilst the default complications such as battery life and weather aren’t too demanding on the operating system, third-party complications such as showing the current track from Spotify or directions from Citymapper can eat away at your battery so it’s best to turn them off.
To turn off complications:

• Tap and hold on the watch face.
• Select ‘Customize’.
• Swipe left to the last screen to display complications.
• Tap each complication and turn the crown dial until ‘Off’ is selected.

This will remove complications from specific watch faces but it’s also possible to remove third-party complications from all watch faces from the ‘My Watch’ tab of the Watch app on your companion iPhone.

Disable ‘Hey Siri’

As with an iPhone, Siri allows you to interact with your Apple Watch using voice commands. This is particularly useful with a watch as you can still ask questions or control HomeKit devices without getting your phone out.
By default, the watch will always be listening for the ‘Hey Siri’ activation command so you never need to press the watch to use a voice command. However, this uses up a lot of battery so we would recommend you turn it off to conserve battery life.
To do this:

• Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
• Select ‘Siri’.
• Select ‘Listen for Hey Siri’ to toggle it off.

With detection turned off, you can still access Siri by pressing and holding the digital crown until you see the listening indicator on the screen.

Turn off Wi-Fi

The next few recommendations related to the network connectivity of your watch. If you are in range of your phone and you have the Bluetooth connection turned on, the watch will use your phone’s internet.
However, once you leave the range of your phone, the watch will attempt to use its own built-in Wi-Fi chip to stay online. This is a big battery life killer so we recommend turning this off.
To do this:

• Swipe up from the watch face to open the control center.
• Tap the Wi-Fi icon to toggle it on or off.

Turn off cellular connection

If you have the cellular edition of the Apple Watch Series 6 or Apple Watch SE, you’ll be able to use a cellular connection to keep your watch connected even when you don’t have your phone or a Wi-Fi connection.
This is great if you need to take calls whilst out on a run or if you leave your phone at home. However, it’s also a drain on your battery life.
The best way to avoid using a cellular connection is to never set it up, however, if you’ve already gone to the trouble of setting it up, you can simply disable it from the control center as follows:

• Swipe up from the watch face to open the control center
• Tap the cellular icon to toggle it on or off

Ensure you have the latest firmware

Apple is always working on their watchOS software and battery life has been a key priority for them in recent updates. Ensure you have the latest firmware on your watch to take advantage of these.
To do this:

• Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
• Go to the ‘My Watch’ tab.
• Select ‘General’ then choose ‘Software Update’.
• If an update is available, you’ll be able to download and install it from here.

Uninstall Unnecessary Apps

One of the biggest selling points of the Apple Watch over other smartwatch operating systems such as Fitbit OS or Huawei’s LiteOS is the broad range of third-party apps that you can install.
By default, the Apple Watch will install the watch equivalent of any apps you have installed on your iPhone during setup. Over time, you might also accumulate a collection of other apps that you rarely use.
The best way to keep the operating system power usage to a minimum is to uninstall as many apps as you can.
To delete an app:

• Press the digital crown to see all of your apps.
• Tap and hold on the app you wish to delete and press the ‘X’ icon.
• Tap ‘Delete App’ to remove it.

Note: this only works if you are in grid view. If your menu is in list view, swipe left on the app to reveal the delete button.
Summing Up
So there you have it, 15 ways you can extend the battery life of your Apple Watch. The ones you choose to use will depend upon the features you rely on whilst using the watch but hopefully you’ll be able to extend the life and get a full two days of battery.
If you want to get more life out of a smartwatch, we have a full guide to the best smartwatches for battery life that even includes one option with unlimited battery life due to solar recharging.

The Apple Watch is smarter than your typical watch and can be used for far more than just telling time. With so many features packed away in the various menus and settings, it can be easy to miss some of the cool things you can do with it.
That’s where we come in. In this article, we’ll share the coolest things you can do with an Apple Watch, from opening your hotel door to competing against friends in a fitness challenge.

Cool Things Your Apple Watch Can Do

1. Taptic Time

With Taptic Time, your Apple Watch can tell you the time even when it’s on silent by tapping it out on your wrist. It does this using the same haptic feedback engine that the Apple Watch uses to send your notifications.
There are three different ways it can tap your wrist:

• Digits – long tap for every 10 hours, short tap for each 1 hour, long tap for every 10 minutes, short tap for each 1 minute.
• Terse – long taps for every 5 hours, short taps for the rest of the hours, long taps for every 15 minutes.
• Morse Code – taps each digit individually using morse code.

These might sound slightly confusing but it is easy to pick up once you’ve been wearing it for a day or two. Digits is the simplest whereas morse code will take a bit more learning.
To turn Taptic Time on:

• Go to the Settings app.
• Select ‘Clock’.
• Select ‘Taptic Time’ and turn it on.
• Choose from the 3 options above.

2. Use your Apple Watch as a Walkie Talkie

The walkie-talkie feature allows you to easily speak to other Apple Watch users by tapping and holding on their name via the walkie-talkie app. It’s similar to sending voice notes via messaging apps.
You will need to add friends to the walkie-talkie app from your contacts and they’ll need to accept the invite before you can use the feature. Both parties will need to have an Apple Watch and iMessage installed on the companion iPhone.

3. Pay for Groceries (or Anything Else)

Like the iPhone, your Apple Watch has NFC technology which allows you to make contactless payments.
Even if you already have Apple Pay set up on your iPhone, you’ll need to add your cards to your watch.
To do this:

• Open the Watch app on your companion iPhone.
• Choose the ‘My Watch’ tab.
• Select ‘Wallet & Apple Pay’.
• Here you can add cards from Apple Pay on your iPhone to Apple Pay on your watch.
• You’ll need to enter the CVV number for each card you add.

Once set up, you need to double-tap the side button on your watch to activate Apple Pay and hold it near the card reader.

4. Compete Against Friends

One of the biggest advantages of the Apple Watch compared to other smartwatches is its health and fitness tracking. With the fitness app on Apple Watch, you and your friends can share your progress with each other for a bit of healthy competition.
The Fitness app uses three rings to show your daily progress on calories burned, time spent doing brisk activity, and how many times you’ve stood and moved for at least 1 minute per hour. By sharing this with friends. you’ll be able to watch each other complete the rings and provide motivation.
To do this:

• Open the Fitness app on your iPhone.
• Go to the ‘Sharing’ tab.
• Select ‘Account’ and choose the ‘+’ button.
• Here you can choose up to 40 friends to share your progress with.

Once you are sharing your activity with friends, you can invite them to a 7-day competition in which you earn points by filling your activity rings.

5. Custom Watch Faces

As well as a huge range of watch faces to choose from, you can also use your own photos from your photo gallery.

• Go to the Photos app on your Apple Watch.
• Swipe until you reach the photo you’d like to use.
• Tap the watch icon.
• Then choose ‘Create Watch Face’.

You can use live watch faces and if you have a favorite GIF, you can use a site like Giphy to turn it into a live photo.
However, keep in mind that animated watch faces can use more battery power. If you’re looking to increase the battery life on your Apple Watch, we recommend choosing a static photo or a simple watch face.

6. Use it as a Flashlight

Apple have a feature that allows you to use your Apple Watch as a flashlight. Don’t get too excited as it’s just the screen on at full brightness, but it’s handy for those moments when you’re left in the dark.
The flashlight button can be found in the Control Center menu by swiping up from your home screen and tapping the light icon.
Swiping left and right will allow you to change through different modes including a flashing mode and a red light mode.

7. Use your Apple Watch as a Hotel Key Card

If you’re planning to visit an Aloft, Element, or W hotel, their owner Starwood Hotels announced that their Apple Watch app will now allow guests to open their hotel room doors as well as getting directions to the hotel and checking in. To do this, you’ll need their Starwood Preferred Guests app for Apple Watch.
The number of hotels offering this is expected to grow in the coming years as Apple has updated its Wallet app and partnered with several hotel lock manufacturers.

8. Use Siri Hands-Free

Just like an iPhone, tablet, or HomePod speaker, you can access Siri through your Apple Watch to ask questions, control the watch, send messages, and more.
By default, there are three ways to access Siri, by raising your wrist, saying ‘Hey Siri’, or pressing and holding the digital crown.
You can adjust the ways to access Siri by heading to the Settings app and choosing ‘Siri’ where you will find plenty of options.

9. Find Your iPhone

If you’re the type of person that puts your phone down and then forget where it is, this nest cool Apple Watch feature is just for you. With the built-in Find My iPhone feature, you can locate your device with the tap of a button.
To do this:

• Swipe up from the home screen.
• Choose the ‘Find My iPhone’ icon (small icon of a phone buzzing).

Yes, it’s that simple. Your iPhone should now start emitting a sound. If you’re still struggling, tap and hold the Find My iPhone button and it will turn on the LED light and start a louder chime.

10. Use your Apple Watch as a Bedside Clock

The Apple Watch has a neat bedside mode which you can use your Apple Watch as a bedside alarm clock.
When you plug it in to charge at night, the screen will display the current time, date, and any alarms you set.
To enable it:

• Go to the Settings menu.
• Choose ‘General’.
• Use the slider to turn ‘Nightstand Mode’ on.

11. Control Your Smart Home Devices

With the Home app on your watch, you can control HomeKit devices around your home including lights, plugs, and cameras. You can also trigger scenes that you have set up.
Setting up devices on your watch can be awkward due to the small screen so we recommend using the Home app on your phone or tablet.
You can set scenes as favorites from your phone to make them easier to find on the watch.
To set a scene as a favorite:

• Go to the Home app on your iPhone.
• Choose ‘Rooms’.
• Find the device or scene you want to add to favorites, tap, and hold on it.
• Choose ‘Include in Favorites’.

Remember, you can also use Siri on the Apple Watch to control your smart home too.

12. Access Your Boarding Pass

Many airlines around the world now allow you to have a boarding pass on your Apple Watch. This includes American Airlines, Air France, and more.
In order to use your boarding pass on an Apple Watch, you’ll need to have the airline app installed and use this to check-in.
Once you pull up the boarding pass, your iPhone will save it to your Apple Wallet which will make it available on your Apple Watch too.
However, if you’re traveling to an airport that you’ve never visited before, you might want to take a backup paper copy as the gates are designed for paper passes and some do not have room to fit your wrist or watch underneath.

13. Share Your Location

With Apple’s Find People app, you can share your location with those important to you, and vice versa. The app is available across most of Apple’s devices including iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch.
To do this:

• Open the Find Friends app.
• Select ‘Share my Location’.
• Choose a friend from the list or type in their email address or phone number.
• Finally, choose how long you wish to share your location.

When you share your location, it will appear on their Find Friends map along with anyone else who has shared their locations.
From the same app, you can stop sharing your location or notify friends and family members of your departure or arrival.

What You Need to Know About Blood Oxygen Monitors in Smartwatches

A blood oxygen monitor (also known as a SpO2 monitor or a pulse oximeter) measures the oxygen saturation of your blood.
You can use this to measure how well the heart is pumping oxygen through your body and detect conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and congenital heart defects.
A pulse oximeter must be approved as a Class II medical device by the FDA to be used for medical diagnosis. However, most pulse oximeters in smartwatches (except for Fitbit) have not received approval from the FDA as they have been positioned as informative rather than for medical purposes. This means you shouldn’t rely on them to diagnose or monitor health conditions.
So what else can an SPO2 monitor be used for? Well, they are particularly useful for endurance training, especially at altitude, where you can assess how well your body is coping with the atmosphere. They are also helpful in monitoring your sleep quality and can help detect sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea.

Best Smartwatches that Measure Blood Oxygen Levels

Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

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Pros/Cons:
Accuracy rivals medical grade devices (although not FDA certified)
8GB of offline music storage
The rotating bezel makes it fast and easy to navigate
Battery life will only make 2 days
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 3 is their latest flagship smartwatch and the only one in their range to offer bloody oxygen monitoring via an SPO2 sensor.
The blood oxygen data is integrated into the Samsung Health app, one of the better health apps on a smartphone. You’ll find your SpO2 readings under the Stress tab, where you can also take a spot reading.
Although the watch has not gone through FDA approval for its SpO2 monitor, a report by Medrxiv found that the same monitor found in Samsung’s S9 flagship smartphone did meet the accuracy required for such approval.
The Galaxy Watch 3 runs Tizen, Samsung’s open-source smartwatch operating system used in their wearables and other smart home gadgets. Even with third-party apps installed, the platform is speedy to navigate, aided further by the watch’s 1GB of RAM.
Thanks to 8GB of offline storage, you can store offline music and connect your headphones directly to it for tether-free use. It also has GPS, NFC for making contactless payments via Samsung Pay, and the ability to install third-party apps (although a more limited selection of apps than Google’s WearOS or Apple’s watchOS).
The best feature of this watch is Samsung’s signature rotating bezel used to navigate the user interface. With so many features and the ability to add third-party apps, you have to scroll through a fair amount of menus, however, the rotating bezel makes light work of this, and the feedback makes it easy to choose the right option.

Runner Up: Ticwatch Pro 3

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Pros/Cons:
The dual-screen display gives a battery life of 3-5 days
Dedicated TicOxygen app for monitoring SpO2
Make and receive calls
Next up is the Ticwatch Pro 3 from Mobvoi. This is one of the best WearOS smartwatches on the market and the only one that currently has a pulse oximeter. As Google’s own software doesn’t yet have blood oxygen monitoring built-in, they have created a TicOxygen app that comes pre-installed to take readings.
This is in addition to the broad range of other apps that come bundled with the watch from Mobvoi, including TicZen for stress monitoring, TicBreathe for guided breathing exercises, and TicHearing, which measures environmental noise.
The pulse oximeter isn’t the only area that the Ticwatch Pro 3 outperforms the other WearOS watches on the market. It also features their signature dual screen with an overlaid LCD screen on top of the smartwatch screen.
The LCD screen shows the watch face similar to the display you’d find on a traditional digital watch. The underlying smartwatch screen will turn on instead when you use the smartwatch functions.
This is beneficial for the battery life as the LCD screen uses far less power. For this reason, the Ticwatch Pro 3 has a battery life of 3 days with regular usage or up to 5 days with light usage. This is almost double the battery life of any other smartwatch running WearOS.

Best for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 6

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Pros/Cons:
New always-on display
Integrates with Apple Music, Apple Pay, and Siri
Large range of third-party apps
Only works with iPhones
Battery life of 18 hours
If you’re an iPhone user, then the Series 6 Apple Watch is a great choice. It’s the latest generation of the Apple Watch with the new blood oxygen app.
Whilst most blood oxygen monitors found in smartphones use a green light to measure oxygen saturation, the Apple Watch has green, red, and infrared LEDs that work together to compensate for natural variations in skin color (source).
The watch can either take a spot check of your blood oxygen or, with ‘background measurements’ turned on, it can periodically take a reading to provide readings across the day. It will attempt to take readings when you aren’t moving. Both spot readings and background readings can be seen in the Health app on your iPhone.
That’s not all that’s changed in the latest Series 6 device, it’s much faster than before, thanks to a new S6 SiP processor, which Apple claims improves app launch speed by 20%. It also introduces an always-on display and brings the digital crown with haptic feedback that Apple launched in the Series 5.
The biggest downside to the Apple Watch is that you can only use it with an iPhone, so it’s best avoided if you have an Android phone. However, if you have an iPhone, the watch integrates seamlessly with the rest of Apple’s Ecosystem, making it easy to access Apple Music, Apple Pay, and Siri.
As always with Apple, design plays a huge role, and the watch looks seamless and is comfortable to wear. The Series 6 comes in a choice of aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium with several band color choices.

Best for Battery Life: Amazfit GTR 2

Read our full Amazfit GTR 2 Review

Pros/Cons:
Premium looking design at an affordable price
Realistic 10-day battery life
Make calls from the device via the built-in microphone and speaker
Lift-to-wake can take a couple of seconds to wake the screen
The final watch on this list is the Amazfit GTR 2. This is the second Amazfit that I’ve included in these recommendations, however, the GTR 2 is a premium device from the up-and-coming smartwatch brand.
Unlike the Bip U, this device has a circular display and has upgraded from a plastic design to a stainless steel body, giving it a more luxury feel. The AMOLED screen is bright and works well when outside.
It has an always-on display, 3GB of onboard music storage, and a built-in microphone and speaker that allow you to take calls from your phone directly on your watch. However, you will still need your phone in range, as the watch doesn’t support a cellular connection.
The design is ideal for everyday use, but there are also a ton of fitness features too. For example, there is GPS for tracking your runs, 12 different sports tracking modes, and the blood oxygen monitor.
Battery life is where this smartwatch excels over the others shared here with a claimed 14 days from the manufacturer, although it is closer to a week when using multiple features on the watch in our tests.
As the watch does not have an always-on display, you’ll need to rely on the lift-to-wake action, although there is a slight delay of around 2 seconds for this to work.

FDA Approved: Fitbit Versa 3

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Pros/Cons:
Pulse Oximeter approved by the FDA
Industry-leading sleep score
Alexa and Google Assistant built-in
Some advanced reports require Fitbit Premium subscription
Fitbit is the only smartwatch manufacturer that currently has its pulse oximeter approved by the FDA (Source) This means that they have proven the accuracy of the device compared to other medical-grade pulse oximeters that would usually clip onto your finger when being used by a medical professional.
Despite this approval that gives them a clear advantage over the competition, Fitbit still advises that their watches are intended for general wellness and discourage their use for managing any health conditions.
Fitbit is known for its industry-leading sleep score, which takes lots of data sources to provide a score and suggestions to improve. It uses time awake/asleep, how much REM sleep you got, and your heart rate. Fitbit has not yet added blood oxygen levels to be a factor in this score.
However, the watch will still track your blood oxygen levels while you’re sleeping and display average and SpO2 ranges on your watch face when you wake up. This is important because significant fluctuations in your blood oxygen at night can be indicative of asthma or sleep apnea.
Fitbit even has a dedicated SpO2 Signature clock face, this allows you to cycle through blood oxygen stats, among other vital measures easily.
Aside from these key health and fitness features, the Versa 3 has many apps that will come in handy for everyday wearing. For example, it has both Alexa and Google Assistant for issuing voice commands, Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, and a limited selection of third-party apps such as Uber.

Budget: Amazfit BIP U

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Pros/Cons:
Very affordable smartwatch
5-7 day battery life
Detailed health and fitness tracking via Zepp app
Cannot make contactless payments
No GPS for tracking your running routes
If you’re on a tight budget but still want to get a smartwatch with a blood oxygen monitor, you’re in luck, thanks to the new Amazfit Bip U.
This watch was crowned our favorite budget smartwatch because it packs in many features while still keeping a sub-$100 price tag. It excels at health and fitness tracking, in addition to the blood oxygen monitor, there’s also a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and sports modes for tracking your workouts.
Amazfit is known for having a great battery life in their products due to their lightweight proprietary operating system. Being at the budget end of their range, this one has a reduced battery capacity compared to the others in the range but still manages to last 7 days with light usage or 5 days with regular use.
There are some drawbacks to the device, for example, there is no GPS for tracking your running routes, nor is there an NFC chip, so you can’t make contactless payments with the device. But, if you’re just looking for some great fitness tracking and your daily fitness goals presented neatly in an intuitive app, the Bip U is ideal.

Best for Fitness: Garmin Vivoactive 4

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Pros/Cons:
The pulse oximeter can monitor blood oxygen through the night
Training plans that adapt based on your performance
Onboard music storage and NFC
Garmin’s background in fitness trackers is evident from the features in their smartwatches. Their Vivoactive range sits nicely in-between fitness tracker and smartwatch with lots of handy features to monitor your health and fitness. Their latest flagship, the Vivoactive 4, also adds a pulse oximeter into the mix.
The pulse oximeter was first introduced in the earlier Vivoactive 3, but Garmin has continued to improve upon the usability in the Vivoactive 4, it can now monitor your blood oxygen throughout the night too. The watch can then alert you if it detects large changes in your blood oxygen throughout the night, this is a symptom of sleep apnea, although the watch will not specifically tell you this as it does not have FDA approval.
The pulse oximeter on the Vivoactive 4 will show your blood oxygen percentage alongside your current altitude, this is helpful for endurance exercise to see how your body reacts to the changing environment.
The Vivoactive 4 gets my pick as the best fitness watch with a pulse oximeter, this is thanks to advanced fitness tracking, animated onscreen workouts, over 20 preloaded sports to track, and the Garmin Coach app. The latter is particularly great as it provides personalized training plans that dynamically adjust based on your performance as recorded by the watch.
There is also a large selection of third-party apps you can install, most of which are fitness-related. Unlike the previous generation, the new Vivoactive 4 has onboard music storage so you can download tracks and listen to them tether-free during your workout.

Best for Outdoor Sports: Coros Vertix

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Pros/Cons:
Tough watch suitable for extreme conditions
Quick access to blood oxygen readings
Great battery life of 60 hours with full GPS
SpO2 recordings not saved in the app for tracking
No music storage
I mentioned in the introduction that bloody oxygen monitors are very useful for monitoring training at high altitudes. If that’s your reason for purchasing a smartwatch with a blood oxygen monitor, then the Coros Vertix is an excellent pick.
Coros will be a familiar brand to any elite runner or endurance athlete as their performance sports technology has played a role for many years.
This watch is suitable for almost any environment you can think of. It has a Sapphire screen that makes it very scratch resistant, it has an operating temperature of -4°F to 140°F, and it’s 15ATM rated, which means you can use it up to 150m underwater.
The watch runs its own proprietary operating system which is very much geared towards adventure sports tracking. This means it is missing some of the everyday features you might like from a smartwatch, such as music storage or NFC for contactless payments.
As for the SpO2 monitor, this can be quickly accessed by long-pressing the lower right button. When you’re at high altitudes, a gauge will appear to advise whether the reading is of concern or not.
The downside to the SpO2 monitor is that it’s only a spot check, and the readings are not saved within the app as with other models here. This means you cannot look at your blood oxygen over time, which the watch would benefit from in the future.
One final thing worth mentioning about this watch is the battery life which can last an incredible 45 days with regular usage or 60 hours with GPS on. If you’re an outdoor fanatic, this is well worth investing in.

Tips to Get a Good Blood Oxygen Reading on Your Smartwatch

Here are some key tips to ensure you are getting blood oxygen reading on your smartwatch that is as accurate as possible:

• Rest your arm on a surface with your palm facing downwards while you take a reading.
• Make sure the watch is not loose on your wrist.
• Ensure the watch is sitting flat on your wrist and ensure your wrist bone isn’t obstructing the pulse oximeter.
• If your hands are cold, you’ll get a better reading if you rub them together beforehand to get a bit of warmth. This is helpful if taking a reading at higher altitudes.
• If you have a tattoo on your wrist, try to ensure this is not directly under the pulse oximeter, as the saturation of the ink can make it difficult to get an accurate reading.

Overall Verdict 

The Amazfit GTR 2 is one of the most feature-packed smartwatches at this price point. And thanks to its well-implemented software, the GTR 2 has finally earned its place as my daily driver. 

PROS	CONS
Great Design and Build Quality	Need to Use the Companion App for Sleep Tracking
Fast and Responsive Software
Curved Display
Alexa and Offline Voice Assistant

Amazfit GTR 2 Review

The Amazfit GTR was Amazfit’s attempt at making a highly competitive mid-range smartwatch. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to convince us due to its poor software and lackluster design. Amazfit has the right ideas but couldn’t pull them off due to budget constraints. 
This time around, Amazfit is looking to try again with the new and improved Amazfit GTR 2. Everything from the aesthetics to the software has been fully revamped. And as seen on its sister model, the Amazfit GTS 2, Amazfit seems to be taking a different but better direction with their newer watches.
However, addressing the issues of their older models won’t just magically make the GTR 2 a great watch. It has to provide something that no one else in this price range cannot. In this review, we will find out w

Amazfit Brand Overview 

If you’re a fan of smartwatches, then you have most likely heard about Amazfit. They are currently the second-largest wearable manufacturer. They also produce some of the best and most affordable smartwatches. They are the recommended brand for anyone looking to get into smartwatches. 
Amazfit is owned by Huami, who is the exclusive business partner of Xiaomi. Huami made Xiaomi’s fitness trackers but established Amazfit to make more advanced smartwatches that can compete with brands such as Fitbit. 
Today, Amazfit not only makes great smartwatches. They have also ventured beyond smart wearables and have made devices such as the Amazfit Powerbuds and Amazfit Zenbuds. The company continues to grow, which can be seen with products such as the Amazfit GTR 2 and GTS 2. 
Check out our Amazfit brand overview to learn more.

Packaging & Accessories 

The original Amazfit GTR came in flashy packaging that was very interesting but a bit too much for my tastes. Amazfit has toned their packaging down by presenting the GTR 2 comes in a cleaner and more minimalistic box. 
Of course, this does not mean that the GTR 2’s box is bland. There are some unique elements, such as the 3D-looking product photo on the front. There is also enough relevant information on the sides of the box. 
Aside from those, the unboxing experience is simple and straightforward. Amazfit does not waste your time and lets you immediately experience the watch. With the box out of the way, let us proceed with the rest of the review.

Design & Build Quality 

The Amazfit GTR 2 features a round watch face that resembles classic analog watches. But unlike its predecessor, the GTR 2 has a lot of nice design elements that help give it its premium look. One of them is the new case material.
The Amazfit GTR 2 now comes in both a stainless steel and aluminum variant. The watch that is featured in this review is the classic model that features an aluminum case. 
Compared to its predecessor, this new case material feels better on the hand. It also gives the watch a more sturdy feel without adding any additional weight. 
Additionally, the plastic material used for the underside of the watch where the heart rate sensor is located has been changed to give a smoother feel. And overall, I had no issues while wearing the GTR 2 throughout the day.

The new case materials aren’t the only thing that has changed with the GTR 2. The entire front portion of the watch has been redesigned. And the most noticeable part is the new curved display. The curvature is quite subtle and not as pronounced as the GTS 2. However, it certainly adds to the look and feel of the watch. 
The new case material isn’t the only new design element of this watch. The GTR 2 now features a 3D curved display. It isn’t as noticeable as the GTS 2’s display, but you can certainly feel it when touching the edges. 
The only design element that I didn’t like about the GTR 2 is the pattern on the edges. It is certainly an improvement over its predecessor. However, it looks a bit fake when looking closely.

Screen Quality 

 
The screen quality was one of my favorite things about the original GTR. And it is very nice to see that Amazfit has further improved the display in this new version. 
The GTR 2’s screen is brighter, more vibrant, and sharper than the original. This makes the GTR 2 a lot better for outdoor use. 
Additionally, the bezels on the GTR 2 are significantly smaller. This gives more room and screen real estate for easier navigation. And speaking of navigation, doing swipes was a lot easier thanks to the curved display. Edges feel smoother, and doing actions in those areas feels more accurate. 

Features 

The Amazfit GTR 2’s feature set is similar to its predecessor. It has all the essential smartwatch features but is lacking more advanced features such as app installations. However, there are also new innovative features that help make it feel closer to more advanced watches, such as the TicWatch C2+. 
The biggest addition to the Amazfit GTR 2 is its voice assistants. You get a built-in voice assistant for navigating the watch as well as Amazon’s Alexa for more advanced tasks. 
Additionally, the Amazfit GTR 2 now has a built-in speaker and microphone for phone calls, local music storage, and alerts. Having a mic and speaker was starting to become essential since all of Amazfit’s competitors were starting to implement it, so I’m glad that Amazfit isn’t falling behind. 

Also, having a speaker makes features such as “find my watch” more useful. The original GTR also had this feature, but it was almost useless since its vibration motor was not loud enough to be heard. 
Bluetooth audio on the GTR 2 is also a welcome addition. This allows you to directly connect your wireless earbuds or wireless speakers to your watch. This can be extremely useful for your workout sessions or for activities where you do not wish to get distracted by your smartwatch. 
Overall, the Amazfit GTR 2 does not only surpass its predecessor. It also surpasses all basic watches that it is competing against at this price point. 

Voice Assistant 

Since I consider the voice assistant to be a big feature of the watch, let us talk more about it. The offline voice assistant comes preinstalled in the watch. It is used to access shortcuts and other local smartwatch features. 
Unlike other smartwatches with a voice assistant, the GTR 2’s assistant is not triggered via a hardware or software button. Instead, the watch automatically listens for commands once the screen is activated. Also, you have to specifically follow this syntax: open + app name.
I initially did not like the implementation of the voice assistant. I found that the window to say my commands were too limited. However, once I allowed the watch to continuously listen to commands as long as the screen was on, the experience became better. Just take note that enabling this feature consumes more battery. 
Aside from the voice offline voice assistant, you also get access to Alexa via a software update. Alexa works similarly to Google Assistant. You can access Alexa either through the home screen or by long-pressing the power button. 

Health and Fitness Tracking 

One of Amazfit’s weaknesses is the health and fitness tracking features of their watches. Both the previous generation GTR and GTS were inferior to competing watches such as the Huawei Watch GT 2e when it came to this area. 
Fortunately, Amazfit acknowledges their weakness and has put in the time and effort to improve in this area. The result is still not as good as their competitors. However, it is more than enough for casual users. 
In terms of health features, the GTR 2 now has SpO2 tracking and stress tracking. Throughout my testing, the results were pretty similar to both the Huawei GT 2 and GT 2e. These are nice features to have, but I wouldn’t say the results are accurate on any of these watches. 
Additionally, the GTR 2 now features a more advanced heart rate scanner. The original GTR had a very dodgy scanner, so I am glad that Amazfit finally improved on this. Also, 24/7 heart rate monitoring is now finally available. 
As for fitness activities, you get the same twelve basic activities that were featured on the original GTR. However, the GTR 2 features additional activities such as combat sports, leisure sports, swimming sports, and many more. 
My only complaint with the GTR 2 is that it still does not give you the option to view your sleep data on the watch. Almost all competing watches give you this option, so I do not understand why Amazfit refuses to implement this feature. But overall, I am very happy with the improvements in the GTR 2’s health and fitness tracking features.

Amazfit GTR 2 Software Experience 

The improvements and new additions to the GTR 2 are all great. However, Amazfit still has to prove themselves in the software department. After all, this was the one thing that prevented me from using the original GTR as my daily driver. 
I wasn’t expecting much when trying out the GTR 2. But to my surprise, I found the software to be one of the best features of this watch. It is fast and intuitive and has all the elements that I want to see on a good smartwatch software. 
It follows all the basic conventions that all smartwatches use. Unlike its predecessor, the power button is now used to access the menus instead of shutting off the screen. There is also now a dedicated notifications menu that can be accessed by swiping up. 

Additionally, you can now finally customize which apps appear on your home screen. This is an incredible feature to have and was only previously available in Wear OS watches.
And best of all, most settings and features can now be accessed within the watch. You can still use the companion app, but you do not have to rely on it. 
The software is pretty much identical to the Amazfit GTS 2. But the main difference is that the software has been optimized for a round screen. 
And since the screen is bigger, you get access to more information. Notifications are now more readable since long texts and contact names are fully displayed. 
Lastly, the aesthetics have finally been redesigned. Everything now looks cleaner and more professional. Overall, the software experience is arguably one of the best ones that I have experienced at this price point. 

Watch Faces 

Watch faces have also gotten a massive improvement on the Amazfit GTR 2. You get a completely new watch face library with designs that are optimized for the GTR 2’s AMOLED display. Additionally, some watch faces can be customized to display the most relevant information to you. 
At the time of writing this review, there are only 85 available watch faces. It is uncertain if this library will steadily increase over time. But at its current state, we are very happy with the diverse selection available. 
In terms of downloading and syncing watch faces, the GTR 2 isn’t the fastest. However, the speed is certainly an improvement over its predecessor. And honestly, despite not being instantaneous, the whole process is pretty bearable. 
Also, since the GTR 2 has larger internal storage, you can now store more watches. This is a pretty big deal considering that the original GTR could only store one watch face. 
Lastly, the GTR 2 features AOD watch faces that are not only better than its predecessor but also with the rest of its competition. Most basic smartwatches only offer an analog and a digital AOD watch face. 
But with the GTR 2, you get AOD watch faces that are based on your current watch face. This is a great feature that has finally convinced me to use AOD despite its effects on the battery life. 

Battery Life 

The best thing about the GTR 2 is that it manages to retain its 2-week battery life. Of course, utilizing features such as AOD will reduce the battery life. However, even with most settings turned on, you are still getting at least 1 week of use. 
Given how many great features you have, it is very impressive that you still get a long-lasting battery. The only downside with the GTR 2 is that its charger is still proprietary and features a non-removable cable. This isn’t a big deal since you will barely use the charger. 
However, for long-term use. I wish that Amazfit would finally transition to a USB Type-C connection. With this setup, you would only need to bring the magnetic charger with you since you can simply reuse the Type-C cable of your smartwatch. 
But overall, I am very happy with how much juice you are getting out of the Amazfit GTR 2.  

Verdict

Check Price on Amazon

Amazfit has finally done it. They have made a great-performing smartwatch that has the potential to compete with much more expensive watches. And because of that, the GTR 2 has finally earned its place as my daily driver. 
It is certainly not a perfect smartwatch. There are still some issues, such as the sleep tracking, that I wish they implement via software update or with a future revision. I also wish to see further improvements in their health and fitness tracking technology. 
But overall, for its asking price, the GTR 2 is a great performer. If you are looking for a smartwatch that has a good balance of features and battery life, then the Amazfit GTR 2 is an easy recommendation. 

Specifications 

Brand	Amazfit
Model	GTR2
Screen Size	1.39” Touch AMOLED
Screen Protection	Diamond Carbon Surface- 9H Scratch Resistance
Screen Resolution	454 x 454 pixel
Pixel Density	326 PPI
Input Type	Physical Button/Touch Screen
Watch Dimensions	46.4×46.4×10.7mm
Weight	Sport model-31.5g (without strap), Classic model-39g (without strap)
Watch Case Material	Polyamide & glass fiber
Bezel Material	Bezel-less
Watch Design	Circular, Curved
Strap Size	22 mm
Watch Colors	Obsidian Black
Water Resistance	Waterproof (5ATM)
Swim-proof	Yes, recommended
NFC	Yes
GPS	GPS + GLONASS
CONNECTIVITY      Wi-fi	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes
SENSORS       Accelerometer	Yes
Heart Rate	Yes
Compass	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes
Altimeter	Yes
SPO2	Yes
Elevation	Yes
Ambient Light	Yes
Barometer	Yes
FITNESS TRACKING      Sleep tracking	Yes
Steps	Yes
Floors Climbed	Yes
Heart Rate Monitoring	Yes
Calories	Yes
Distance	Yes
Stress	Yes
VO2 Max	Yes
Blood Oxygen	Yes
Blood Pressure	No
Menstrual cycle tracking	No
Swim tracking	Yes
Underwater heart rate             tracking	No
On-screen workout modes	–
Triathlon mode	No
ECG tracking	No
Preloaded sport modes	Yes
Safety tracking	No
Battery Life	Typical Usage-14 days; basic usage-38 days; heavy usage- 6.5 days
Battery Technology	Li-Ion
Charging Time	Approximately 2 hours
Charging Type	USB based charging dock
Compatible OS	Android iOS
NOTIFICATIONS      Email Alert	Yes
SMS Alert	Yes
Calls Alert	Yes
Event Reminder	Yes
Weather	Yes
Third-party Apps	Yes
MEDIA      Audio	mp3/mp4
Music Streaming	Yes
Bluetooth Music	Yes
Radio	No
Loud Speaker	Yes
Microphone	Yes
CLOCK FEATURES      Time/Date	Yes
Stopwatch	Yes
Alarm	Yes
OTHER FUNCTIONS     Control camera	No
Music Control	Yes
Find Phone	Yes
Text Response	No
Answer Call	Yes
MISC       Payment System	NFC(Alipay)
Companion App	Zepp App
Customizable watch face	Yes
Interchangeable band	Yes
Voice command	Yes
Internal Storage	4 GB
Operating system	Amazfit OS

How To Extend Battery Life on Wear OS Smartwatches

Change the Battery Mode

A quick way to save battery is to change the battery mode to battery saver. This will disable vibration, stop your watch from sending you notifications, and reduce a lot of background activity.
To activate different battery modes:

• Swipe down from the top of your home screen.
• Tap ‘Battery modes’ and select the relevant mode.

Some manufacturers have added other battery modes to WearOS watches.
For example, Fossil smartwatches have: Daily, Extended, Time-Only, and Custom modes. Their custom mode gives you much more control over which features and sensors it uses.
The ‘Time Only’ mode is common in several smartwatches that run a Snapdragon processor. This will turn off most of the smart features so that it functions more like a traditional wristwatch, useful if you are low on battery but still want to know the time.
It’s worth checking the different modes for your manufacturer.

Turn Off  Always-On Display

Your display will account for the vast majority of power consumption on your watch so the next few battery saver tips will focus on this.
Firstly, if your watch supports an always-on display, this will be using a lot of power so turn that off.
To do this:

• Head to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Display’.
• Use the toggle to turn off ‘Always-On display’.

Turn Gestures Off

With your always-on display turned off, you’ll need to tilt your wrist or touch your watch to wake it up. However, you can further reduce battery consumption by turning these two features off too.
To do this:

• Head to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Gestures’.
• Toggle both ‘Tilt-to-wake’ and ‘Touch-to-wake’ to off.

With tilt-to-wake and touch-to-wake turned off, you’ll need to press a button on your watch to turn the display on. This can be frustrating at times, especially if you have your hands full, however, the payoff in terms of improved battery life is huge.

 Reduce ‘Screen Timeout’ Seconds

Now that you’ve minimized how frequently your screen turns on, the next battery-saving tip is to minimize your screen timeout so that it’s on for as little time as possible.
Screen timeout is how long the screen stays on after you’ve pressed a button.
To change this:

• Go to the settings menu
• Select ‘Display’
• Choose ‘Screen timeout’
• Select the lowest number from the list

Typically around 5 seconds is the lowest timeout. This isn’t a native WearOS feature so you won’t find it on all WearOS smartwatches although some manufacturers have added it.

Use Cinema Mode

This is a good hack to temporarily turn off your screen so that it doesn’t light up even if you receive a notification, move your wrist, or tap your screen. It’s useful for preserving battery life when your watch is almost out of juice.
To enable this:

• Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal quick settings.
• Tap ‘Cinema mode’ to enable it.

To disable cinema mode you should press the power button or repeatedly tap the screen if your watch doesn’t have a power button.

Lower Your Screen Brightness

Our final battery-saving tip related to the screen is to lower the brightness. Brightness is usually between 1-5 with 3 set as the default. Lowering this will improve your battery life, although could make it harder to see your watch face in brighter conditions.
To do this:

• Go to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Display’.
• Choose ‘Adjust brightness’ to select from different options.

Some newer WearOS watches will have an ambient light sensor so you will have the option of ‘Automatic’ that will adjust based on the brightness of your environment.

Turn Off Wi-Fi

The next few tips center around the sensors and network connections that are active on your watch. These will vary from watch to watch depending upon the specs.
The simplest connectivity to disable with minimal impact to your experience is Wi-Fi.
To do this:

• Head to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Connectivity’.
• Use the Wi-Fi toggle to turn it off.

With Wi-Fi turned off, your watch won’t connect directly to a Wi-Fi network, however, it will still use the internet from your phone. If you are staying tethered to your phone, then you won’t have any negative impacts.
However, if you leave your phone behind, you may need to toggle this back on to access most smart features.

Turn Off Bluetooth

The next tip is to turn off Bluetooth. However, this will impact your experience as your watch will lose its ability to connect to your phone.
The extent of the impact will depend on how many offline features your watch has such as onboard music storage.
One way to have a nice balance between battery life and functionality here is to have your Bluetooth connection turn off at night. Some watches have a feature for this such as Fossil, Michael Kors, and Skagen.
To access this feature:

• Swipe down from the home screen.
• Select ‘Battery modes’.
• Choose ‘Custom profile’.
• Select ‘Bluetooth schedule’ to toggle it on and change the times.

For WearOS watches that don’t have this feature, there is a nice workaround using Tasker and Bubble Cloud which is explained in this YouTube video.

Turn Off Location

Most new WearOS smartwatches have GPS built-in. This is great for tracking your workouts as oftentimes you won’t have your phone.
However, for the rest of the day, you’ll typically have both a watch and a phone so you can safely turn off location features on the watch to conserve battery life without any negative impacts.
To do this:

• Open the settings menu
• Choose ‘Connectivity’
• Use the ‘Location’ toggle to turn it off

Note: if you’re turning off location for privacy, remember to turn it off on both your watch and your phone separately.

Turn Off Mobile and Roaming Data

This tip will only apply to a handful of WearOS smartwatches that allow a cellular connection such as the TicWatch LTE and Oppo Watch LTE.
Whilst having the cellular connection can be very useful for using the watch tether-free, if you have your smartwatch nearby, it’s not needed.
To do this on a supported watch:

• Go to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Connectivity’.
• Select ‘Mobile’
• Use the toggles to turn off ‘Mobile’ and ‘Roaming data’.

Use Airplane Mode

A quick way to turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and any cellular connections all in one is to use airplane mode which acts just like airplane mode on your smartphone.
To use this:

• Go to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Connectivity’.
• Look for ‘Airplane Mode’ and toggle it on/off.

Update WearOS Firmware

Now that you’ve removed unnecessary network connectivity, the next set of tips focus on background processing that your watch may be doing as this can also affect battery life.
First and foremost, ensure you have the latest firmware installed on your watch. Google is often tweaking and updating the software to improve battery life.
Generally, updates will install automatically but here’s how to check manually:

• Go to the settings menu
• Select ‘System’
• Choose ‘About’
• Choose ‘System Updates’
• If there’s an update available it will be displayed here

Use a Simple Watch Face

With so many exciting watch faces, you might be tempted by the more complex ones. However, try to avoid any that have animations or interactive abilities as these will consume a lot more power.

Disable ‘OK Google’

If your watch has a built-in microphone, you’ll be able to use this to access the Google Assistant and issue voice commands. To make life easier, the watch will always be listening for you to say ‘OK Google’ which triggers a command.
You can reduce battery consumption by stopping this ‘Ok Google’ detection.
To turn this off:

• Go to the settings menu.
• Select ‘Personalization’.
• Toggle ‘OK Google Detection’ to off.

You’ll still be able to issue voice commands using your watch, however, you’ll need to press and hold the crown dial.

Disable Notifications

Your WearOS watch will light up and vibrate every time you receive a notification which can impact the battery life, especially if you’re a member of some busy Whatsapp groups or have your work email address connected.
One option here is to completely disable all notifications, to do this you’ll need to turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode as follows:

• Swipe down from the watch home screen.
• Tap ‘Do not disturb’ to toggle it on.

However, if certain apps are more of a culprit, you can disable notifications by app.
For this one you’ll need to get your phone out:

• Open the WearOS app on your phone.
• Ensure the correct WearOS device is selected.
• At the bottom of the screen, select ‘Noficiations’.
• Choose ‘Change watch notifications’.
• Now you can toggle each app on or off.

Uninstall Apps

Our final tip is to minimize the number of third-party apps that you have installed and remove any that you no longer use.
The abundance of third-party apps is one of the key selling points of the WearOS smartwatch operating system. However, it’s easy to get carried away with so many exciting features to add. When setting up your watch, you may have automatically synced all of the apps from your phone but often these will go unused.
To see a list of apps and uninstall those you don’t want:

• Go to the Play Store on your watch.
• Swipe down from the top of the screen.
• Tap ‘My Apps’ to reveal a list of those installed.
• To remove an app, tap on it and scroll to ‘Uninstall’.

This list will only display third-party apps that you’ve installed. However, you may also want to remove pre-installed apps such as those from Google or the manufacturer. One culprit that often uses a lot of power is Google Fit.
To see and remove pre-installed apps:

• Go to the settings menu
• Select ‘Apps & Notifications’
• Choose ‘System Apps’
• Choose to disable any apps you don’t need

Conclusion
Although WearOS is renowned for its poor battery life, hopefully, these tips will help you improve it without damaging your experience too much. Some devices such as the TicWatch Pro 3 can achieve up to 5 days or more when set up correctly but your usage will also make a difference.
If you are considering opting for a new smartwatch, we recommend you check out our list of the best smartwatches for battery-life which includes one watch with unlimited battery life.

TicWatch GTX vs. Huawei Watch GT 2e 

Mobvoi is primarily known for its high-end smartwatch offerings. They often stand at the forefront of smartwatch innovation and are always looking to break the limits of the traditional smartwatch. 
However, Mobvoi has recently been making moves on the budget smartwatch. And while the results have been hit or miss, we always appreciate larger brands making budget versions of their watches. 
One of the budget watches that we have recently checked out is the TicWatch GTX. You can check our full review if you want to learn more. But in a nutshell, given its lower price, the TicWatch GTX offers unbeatable value. 
But one question that may be in budget-oriented consumers’ minds is, what exactly do you get by upgrading to higher-priced budget Non-Wear OS watches? That is what we will be answering in this comparison. 
In today’s comparison, we will be putting the TicWatch GTX against Huawei’s value-oriented Huawei Watch GT 2e. And by the end of this article, you should have a good idea of whether or not it is worth spending extra on the GT 2e. 
Please note, we purchased the TicWatch GTX was bought directly from mobvoi.com on 03/04/2021, click here to check their current prices.

TicWatch Brand Overview  

Mobvoi is a tech company based in Beijing, China. They were founded in 2012 by Nokia employees, researchers from top universities such as Harvard and Cambridge and Google AI experts. The primary goal of this company is the integration and advancement of voice AI communication.
Some of their revolutionary products include voice search engines featured on WeChat. Mobvoi has also developed its own voice search app engine called Chumenwenwen. 
It was in 2014 when Mobvoi started venturing into the consumer electronics market. They developed an Android-based smartwatch operating system called TicWear OS. And soon after, they worked together with Frog Design to release the TicWatch. 
The TicWatch brand differentiated itself from other smartwatches by having a strong integration with their AI technology. Its launch was very successful and only trails behind the Apple Watch in the domestic Chinese market. 
Mobvoi continues to bring its expertise to the smartwatch market with the newer versions of the TicWatch.  

Huawei Brand Overview

 
 
Huawei is no stranger to the smartwatch market. They have made successful smartwatches in the past, such as the original Huawei Watch and Huawei Watch GT. However, the success of their watches has largely been overshadowed by the success of their smartphones. 
Their wearables have been mostly a side project in the past. However, in recent years, they have been consistently revamping their lineup and are proving to be a fierce competitor in the smartwatch market. This is evident with the successful release of the Watch GT Series. 
Huawei has most notably moved away from Google’s Wear OS platform and has developed its proprietary operating system called the Huawei Light OS. Their current lineup is simple and is easy to follow. It consists of the flagship Watch GT 2,  the midrange Watch GT 2, and the original Watch GT (which may be discontinued in the future). 
You can learn more about Huawei’s history and product lineup in our Huawei Brand Overview. 

Packaging and Unboxing Experience 

Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
As we always mention, the unboxing experience is mostly irrelevant to the value proposition of the product. However, we highly value them since they give the users a first look at their product. And in this case, the packaging alone makes it clear that one of these products is superior. 
The extremely budget-priced TicWatch GTX does a great job given its price constraints. It has the same general design philosophy as the higher-end TicWatch models. It sports an all-black finish with a relatively clean design. The interior part of the packaging is less impressive but still gets the job done. 
The Huawei Watch GT 2e, on the other hand, takes things to the next level. It has a packaging that is very similar to Huawei’s high-end smartphones. Most users might even think that the GT 2e is part of Huawei’s premium offerings based on the packaging alone. 
Everything from the exterior to the interior of the box feels premium. Even the way the GT 2e is presented makes you want to immediately experience the smartwatch. 
Overall, both companies did well in terms of packaging. However, the GT 2e pulls ahead thanks to its more high-quality presentation. 

Design and Build Quality

Overall Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Both companies show that they can design a great-looking smartwatch even with a limited budget. The TicWatch GTX and GT 2e are arguably some of the best-looking watches in their respective price brackets. However, when we compare these two, there is a clear winner. 
The TicWatch GTX has a very impressive design that is almost reminiscent of Huawei’s premium Watch GT 2. It is based on the classic wristwatch look and even sports engravings on the watch face. Of course, these aren’t quite as authentic as the Watch GT 2, but they are a welcome addition to the GTX. 
Additionally, the TicWatch GTX has two side buttons. This was a pleasant surprise considering the TicWatch E2 and S2 only had a single side button. And in terms of materials, the GTX is made with a combination of metal and plastic. 
The overall build is very impressive for a budget smartwatch, and we believe that it will survive most users’ daily routines. However, when compared to the higher-priced GT 2e, the limitations of the GTX start to show. 
The GT 2e has a very similar build quality to the GT 2. This is saying a lot since the GT 2 has a significantly higher price tag. The GT 2e has an aluminum + plastic build, which feels heftier and more premium than the GTX. It isn’t a heavy watch, but the added weight prevents the watch from feeling cheap. 
And in terms of the side buttons, the two flat buttons of the GT 2e feel way better than the GTX. The stock strap also seems to be made of better materials compared to the GTX. The only thing that we did not like with the GT 2e’s strap design is that it cannot be laid flat. 
But aside from those minor gripes, the GT 2e feels very similar to Huawei’s flagship offering. The GTX, on the other hand, has too many compromises, which make it feel like a more entry-level offering. But again, we highly consider it to be better than most budget smartwatches. 

Display Quality 

Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The display on the Huawei Watch GT 2e is clearly superior. It uses AMOLED and is able to display clear, sharp, and vibrant images. It can get fairly bright and is easily usable in both indoor and outdoor conditions. 
The TicWatch GTX, on the other hand, only uses a TFT LCD display. This isn’t usually a problem since a lot of TFT displays can still look good with proper implementation. But sadly, the GTX’s display doesn’t get very bright and only has three brightness levels. 
It is also no match when it comes to sharpness and vibrance. Of course, these are a given considering the large disparity in their prices. The GTX’s display is perfectly usable as long as it isn’t directly compared to an AMOLED display. 
Both watches do not offer any form of screen protection. However, throughout our testing, both watches survived occasional bumps. But again, we’d give the edge to the Huawei Watch GT 2e and are willing to bet that it is using better glass. 

Features

Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The TicWatch GTX has an excellent feature set for its price. But again, the GT 2e beats it in almost every way. 
The GTX covers most of the basic features. It has limited notification support that is only capable of showing notifications from allowed apps. There is no option to respond to them. 
It also has an optical heart rate sensor as well as a built-in accelerometer. The GTX also has basic features such as a stopwatch, timer, weather, flashlight, and find my phone. It also has music control which is nice to have but a feature that I often do not find useful. It has no internal storage and cannot connect to Bluetooth headphones. 
That’s pretty much it. It is enough for users coming from smart bands/fitness trackers or users with basic needs. 
The GT 2e, on the other hand, has way more features than the GTX. It also has an optical heart sensor and an accelerometer. However, it also has a built-in GPS as well as a load of other sensors. 
Both watches have sleep tracking. However, we found Huawei’s implementation to be more accurate. 
The Huawei GT 2e is considered a basic smartwatch since it doesn’t have deep customization or the ability to connect with Wi-Fi. However, it not only fulfills the user’s basic needs. It delivers it in a very seamless way making it an essential tool for daily tasks, 
Overall, the premise of both watches is similar. However, the GT 2e does more and executes everything the GTX can with vast improvements. 

Health and Fitness Tracking

Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The health and tracking features of the GTX are arguably its weakest point. It has a heart rate sensor as well as support for fitness tracking activities. However, it only has 14 workout modes. It covers the basics, but even a more basic fitness tracker has more activities available. 
In comparison, the GT 2e has more than 100 sports activities right out of the box. This doesn’t even include the other fitness activities and the free training mode. Additionally, Huawei has added activities in the past, which indicates that they will keep on supporting watches part of the GT 2 series. 
Overall, there is no competition. The GTX has some workout modes, but it falls flat to the number and quality of activities found on the GT 2e. 

Watch Software Performance

Overall Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The best part about these two watches is their software experience. Both show that having a simpler but smooth-performing OS beats out more complicated software with lots of bugs and performance drops. 
The TicWatch GTX utilizes proprietary software that is very similar to the GT 2’s Light OS. Navigation is very simple and easy to get used to. There are some design elements that are similar to the icons used on the Wear OS TicWatch models, which certainly help give the OS some flair. 
The surprising thing about the GTX’s software is that it is significantly faster and smoother than the TicWatch E2 and S2’s Wear OS implementation. Of course, those two watches beat the GTX in terms of features, but the speed and responsiveness of the GTX were very astonishing. 
The Huawei Watch GT 2e has a similar but more refined approach. The UI is snappy with a well-thought-out layout to quickly access essential menus and features. The GT 2e is also powered by the same Kirin A1 processor found on all of Huawei’s other GT 2 Series watches. 
It isn’t free from slowdowns or bugs, but these are kept to a minimum. Most people would be very happy with using this watch as their daily driver simply due to the reliability of the software. 

Watch Faces 

Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Despite its excellent software performance, we highly consider the watch faces to be a weak point of the GTX. Despite having some stand-out designs, most of the selection is pretty bland and uninspiring. The watch face selection is also fairly limited. 
Additionally, adding new watches is a huge pain since you have to wait a few minutes. This discouraged us from trying out different watches and instead settled for a simpler look. It is also unclear if Mobvoi is interested in developing the GTX’s platform, given how most of their flagship smartwatches utilize Wear OS. 
The Huawei Watch GT 2e, on the other hand, has a far superior watch face library. They have steadily built it from the ground up and now sports lots of unique and interesting designs as well as collaborations with different artists. The watch face syncing is also very seamless. 

Battery Life 

 
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Both watches offer excellent battery life. The Huawei Watch GT 2e offers two weeks of battery life. And even while using features such as GPS and Always-on display (AOD), you can still expect at least one week of use. 
The TicWatch GTX, on the other hand, can last up to a week. This is very impressive given its price point but is pretty much expected given its fairly basic feature set. 
Unfortunately, the GTX’s charger doesn’t offer a removable cable, and the magnet isn’t very strong. The GT 2e’s charger, on the other hand, offers stronger magnets and a removable Type-C cable. Of course, this shouldn’t matter since you won’t be needing the chargers too much. 

Comparison Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e

The TicWatch GTX is without a doubt an excellent budget smartwatch and is an easy recommendation if you are on a tight budget. However, the Huawei Watch GT 2e easily proves that you get more if you pay more. 
It is superior in every way and is a better fit for both casual users and fitness enthusiasts. If you have the extra cash, we highly recommend going for the Huawei Watch GT 2e. 

Specifications 

	Huawei GT2e	Mobvoi TicWatch GTX
Brand	Huawei	Mobvoi
Model	GT2e	TicWatch GTX
Screen Size	1.39” AMOLED Display	1.28” TFT LCD
Screen Protection	No Official Certification	No Official Certification
Screen Resolution	454 x 454 pixel	240 x 240 pixel
Pixel Density	326 PPI	–
Input Type	Touch Screen	2 Physical Buttons
Watch Dimensions	46.9 x 52.2 x 12.9 mm	48.7 x 48.7 x 11mm
Weight	53.2  grams	57.6  grams
Watch Case Material	Stainless Steel + Plastic	Stainless Steel
Bezel Material	Polycarbonate	Stainless Steel
Watch Design	Circular	Circular, Curved
Strap Size	22 mm	20 mm
Watch Colors	Graphite Black, Lava Red, Mint Green, and Icy White	Black
Water Resistance	Waterproof (5ATM)	IP68
Swim-proof	Yes, recommended	Not recommended
NFC	Not Supported	Not Supported
GPS	GPS/GLONASS/Beidou	No
CONNECTIVITY      Wi-fi	No	No
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
SENSORS       Accelerometer	Yes	Yes
Heart Rate	Yes	Yes
Compass	Yes	No
Gyroscope	Yes	No
Altimeter	Yes	No
SPO2	No	No
Elevation	Yes	No
Ambient Light	No	No
Barometer	Yes	No
FITNESS TRACKING      Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes
Steps	Yes	Yes
Floors Climbed	No	No
Heart Rate Monitoring	Yes	Yes
Calories	Yes	Yes
Distance	Yes	Yes
Stress	Yes	No
VO2 Max	Yes	–
Blood Oxygen	Yes	No
Blood Pressure	No	No
Menstrual cycle tracking	Yes	No
Swim tracking	Yes	No
Underwater heart rate             tracking	No	No
On-screen workout modes	No	No
Triathlon mode	Yes	No
ECG tracking	No	No
Preloaded sport modes	Yes	Yes
Safety tracking	No	No
Battery Life	14 days	Regular: up to 7 days Battery Saver Mode: 10 days
Battery Technology	Li-Ion	Li-Ion
Charging Time	About 1-2 Hours	About 1-2 Hours
Charging Type	USB based charging dock	USB based charging dock
Compatible OS	Android  iOS	Android iOS
NOTIFICATIONS      Email Alert	Yes	Yes
SMS Alert	Yes	Yes
Calls Alert	Yes	Yes
Event Reminder	Yes	Yes
Weather	Yes	Yes
Third-party Apps	No	Yes
MEDIA      Audio	mp3/mp4	No
Music Streaming	No	No
Bluetooth Music	Yes	No
Radio	No	No
Loud Speaker	Yes	No
Microphone	Yes	No
CLOCK FEATURES      Time/Date	Yes	Yes
Stopwatch	Yes	Yes
Alarm	Yes	Yes
OTHER FUNCTIONS     Control camera	Yes	No
Music Control	Yes	Yes
Find Phone	Yes	Yes
Text Response	No	No
Answer Call	Yes	No
MISC       Payment System	No	No
Companion App	Huawei Health	Mobvoi App
Customizable watch face	Yes	Yes
Interchangeable band	Yes	Yes
Voice command	No	No
Internal Storage	4 GB	16 MB
Operating system	Huawei Light OS	Proprietary OS