What’s new in the Huawei Watch GT 4?

Even though it’s only just been released in stores, it’s been slightly over a month since our Huawei Watch GT 4 review went live so if you’re looking to upgrade to the new wearable then here’s our rundown of the watch’s standout features.

The Huawei Watch GT series has long offered solid (and affordable) alternatives to smartwatches from the likes of Apple and Samsung, but for the GT 4, Huawei has decided to take the range in a whole new direction, and you’d be forgiven for needing a moment to get to grips with everything that’s changed here.

It’s still the same core Huawei Watch experience at heart, but there are plenty of new features now that not only separate the GT 4 from its predecessors but also set it up as a different type of competitor against the current best smartwatches of 2023. To know exactly what’s changed about the Huawei Watch GT 4, just keep reading on.

Style comes first

The most obvious change for the Huawei Watch GT 4 is its design. As part of its new ‘Fashion Forward’ philosophy, Huawei has, by its own admission, focussed on the look of the GT 4 first before moving on to other facets.

That might sound like a risky move, and if Huawei didn’t have all of its pre-existing software architecture to fall back on then it could have easily been a mistake here but luckily it’s anything but. In fact, with two new sizes to choose from (41mm and 46mm) and eight unique designs in total, the GT 4 is now among the best looking smartwatches out there, and easy to recommend on its merits as a fashion accessory alone. Speaking from experience, I’ve occasionally swapped out other smartwatches on my wrist for the GT 4 for this exact reason.

Improved heart rate tracking with TruSeen™ 5.5+

Huawei’s continued to improve its TruSeen™ heart rate tracking software with each new generation of watches, so it shouldn’t come as much surprise that the technology has been given a bump on the GT 4.

Now labeled as TruSeen™ 5.5+, the technology makes use of the GT 4’s new sensor to provide more accurate heart rate data which can be a huge help for keeping better tabs on your overall health.

According to Huawei, the new sensor is now more efficient than before when faced with colder environments, so if you’re looking to hike or even climb in places where lower temperatures are expected, the GT 4 should still be able to pick up on any core changes to your heart rate. This also extends to faster blood oxygen readings too, which is important in areas where air supplies are limited.

The all-new StayFit app

Beyond the changes to the design, the new StayFit app is probably the most interesting addition that Huawei’s introduced here. Currently an exclusive feature to the GT 4 (although we have no doubt that it’ll appear on more Huawei Watches down the line) – StayFit allows you to log your meals to keep a closer eye on your calorie intake, and in conjunction with the workout app, you can see how many calories you’ve lost throughout the day.

Because it requires a fair amount of manual inputs in order to log the data it requires, StayFit isn’t quite as seamless as Huawei’s other apps but if a key part of your fitness goals includes weight loss or maintaining a specific weight then it can be very handy for staying on top of things.

More widgets for the always-on display

Much like its predecessor, the Huawei Watch GT 4 benefits from a battery life of up to 14-days which makes it well-suited for using an always-on display, given just how power-intensive the feature is. With past GT watches however, the feature has been limited somewhat but now Huawei has introduced greater functionality with more visible complications when always-on is toggled.

Again, much like the StayFit app, the usefulness of this feature will probably be felt most by a small group of users, but if you do appreciate the ability to just glance at the time and other key bits of information with a small flick of the wrist then it’s very handy.

Improved GPS tracking

Huawei invested a great deal in boosting its GPS tracking chops in the GT 3, and that trajectory continues in the GT 4 with its new Intelligent GNSS directional satellite tracking. In layman’s terms, this technology allows the GPS signal to maintain a strong connection with the GT 4, even if the watch isn’t facing the sky (as is typically the case when one is out on a run).

It’s not the type of feature that’s worth buying the watch for alone, but it is a boon for anyone who prefers to exercise in the great outdoors. Plus it’s the type of consideration for the realities of working out that we’d like to see more of, so it definitely has us intrigued to see where Huawei takes this technology in the future.