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It took some time, but four years after its first sports watch, Huawei is back with a new model, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2.
Alongside its redesigned appearance, this new Huawei watch also introduces numerous handy features especially for runners. Here is the full review.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2Technical Specifications
| Model | Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 43.5 mm x 43.5 mm x 10.7 mm |
| Technology | Li-Po |
| Screen Resolution | 466 x 466 pixels |
| Panel | AMOLED |
| Internal Memory | 64 GB |
| Weight | 37 g |
| Accelerometer and Electronic Compass | Yes |
| Sleep Analysis | Yes |
| Ambient Light Sensor | Yes |
| Protection Rating | IP69, 5ATM |
| Product Sheet |
The watch for this test was provided by the manufacturer.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2A Lightweight and Aesthetic Sports Watch
In January 2022, Huawei first ventured into running watches with the original Huawei Watch GT Runner. To set this model apart from other connected watches in its lineup, the Chinese brand opted for a lighter plastic case, more aligned with other sports watches on the market.
However, for the new Watch GT Runner 2, Huawei seems to embrace its legacy of connected watches, particularly noted for their refined design.
The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 benefits from an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy case. This ensures a metallic look that blends seamlessly with city attire while remaining sufficiently light for sports. The watch weighs 43.5 g with the provided fabric strap and 34.5 g without the strap. Huawei has chosen to offer two strap models with its watch, a Velcro-type fabric model ideal for securing the watch on the wrist, and a fluoroelastomer model. During exercise, the watch does not shift at all and stays firmly anchored to the wrist.
The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is available in three versions: dawn orange, dusk blue, and midnight black. In my case, I tested the watch in the dawn orange version, recognizable by its silver case with an orange accent under the bezel or around the buttons.
It’s important to note the unique size of the watch, 43.5 x 43.5 x 10.7 mm (excluding the heart rate sensor). It’s quite slim on the wrist and also compact enough. Even for someone who usually opts for 47 mm models, like myself, the watch achieves a perfect balance and will also suit thinner wrists.
There are two buttons on the right side: the rotating crown and a lower button, typical for Huawei watches.
Furthermore, the screen of the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 takes up a good portion of the surface of the case, with 59.4% of the case covered by the screen. Although a metal bezel and a thin black rehaut border the panel, it remains within the average for connected watches on the market.
The watch is also equipped with a standard attachment system for straps, thanks to a pair of lugs on each side. This allows for the integration of any quick-release pump strap 22 mm wide. This is practical, for example, if you want to opt for a leather or metal strap for a more dressed-up style.
Finally, regarding durability, Huawei states that its watch can be used for diving up to 40 meters deep. While the case is made of aluminum and thus susceptible to scratches, the screen is covered with Huawei’s 2nd generation Kulun Glass, which is supposed to be lighter and as resistant as sapphire glass.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2A Detailed and Bright Screen for Sports
As was already the case with its first Watch GT Runner, Huawei has once again chosen an AMOLED panel. Indeed, OLED has, in recent years, overtaken traditional transflective MIP screens on running watches, including those from specialized brands like Garmin, Coros, Suunto, or Polar.
In terms of screen definition and format, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 features a circular 1.32-inch panel with 466 x 466 pixels. This offers a pixel density of 352 pixels per inch, higher than the so-called “Retina” screens of the Apple Watch with their 326 pixels per inch. More concretely, the screen of the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is particularly comfortable to view, and it is not possible to distinctly distinguish two individual pixels. A positive aspect.
Regarding brightness, while the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 does not reach the record brightness of the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2, at 3500 cd/m², it nevertheless matches most high-end connected watches on the market, at 3000 cd/m². The peak brightness is thus identical to that of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, or the Google Pixel Watch 4. In practice, this means that you can comfortably view the data displayed on the screen, even in the middle of a sunny afternoon. Naturally, the watch includes a light sensor that will automatically adjust the screen’s lighting to your environment to prevent retina burn.
In addition, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is equipped with an always-on display mode to keep certain data displayed continuously, such as the time or battery level. Good point, this display mode is programmable for certain time slots. On the other hand, turning on the screen by raising the wrist can be automatically disabled with the sleep mode, which is also programmable.
Finally, it should be noted that the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 comes with twelve different watch faces by default—including a customizable photo dial and a video dial—that can be modified by changing the complications or colors. Additionally, hundreds of other options are accessible in the Huawei Health app offered on smartphones.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2A Simple to Use Watch, Yet Still Limited
Regarding the software interface and operating system, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 does not reinvent the wheel. Like all the manufacturer’s watches, it will require the installation of the Huawei Health app, on both iPhone and Android, to connect with the smartphone.
In addition, the watch runs HarmonyOS version 6. We will therefore find gestures similar to those on all recent Huawei watches:
- swipe up: access to notifications
- swipe down: quick settings
- swipe right: widget timeline (weather, calendar, music player)
- swipe left: access to application cards
- long press: manage the virtual dial
Furthermore, the watch is equipped with two buttons on the right side, a rotating crown, and an oblong button:
- short press on the crown: access to the list of applications
- double press on the crown: multitasking management
- long press on the crown: power-off menu
- short press on the oblong button: customizable shortcut (by default, workout app)
- double press on the oblong button: customizable shortcut (by default Huawei Wallet)
Therefore, you can modify two shortcuts on the oblong button of the watch and decide to allocate other functions to it, whether it is launching a specific sports training, a watch app, or a feature, such as the flashlight which will light up the screen in white. Note, however, that the double press on the bottom button can only be assigned to Huawei Wallet or Quicko Wallet, thus necessarily to contactless payment.
The watch indeed integrates an NFC chip for contactless payment. Unfortunately, at the time of the test, the function had not yet been deployed. While Huawei had previously worked with Quicko, the manufacturer indicated that it is now partnering with Curve for this solution, like Xiaomi or Amazfit before it.
Huawei does offer some third-party applications on its Watch GT Runner 2, but few are truly relevant and designed by major app publishers. For instance, don’t count on a native Spotify, WhatsApp, Citymapper, or Shazam app. The AppGallery still only counts about sixty third-party applications, many of which are gimmicks or duplicates of functions natively offered on the watch. For the most part, one will have to settle for the pre-installed Huawei applications such as Contacts, Phone, Music, Remote Shutter, Weather, Petal Maps, Find My Phone, or Calendar.
The watch will also allow, of course, to receive notifications from your smartphone apps when it is within Bluetooth range. You can also respond, with an Android smartphone, to messages received by SMS or on WhatsApp, thanks to pre-recorded messages or by typing on a virtual keyboard.
Finally, the presence of a microphone and a speaker also allows you to answer phone calls from the watch, again provided you are within Bluetooth range of your smartphone. However, unlike Samsung, Google, or even Amazfit, Huawei does not yet offer any voice assistant with generative AI.
Huawei Watch GT Runner 2A Watch Tailored for Sports Tracking and Running
Unsurprisingly, it is in the functions related to health monitoring and, especially, training, that the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 stands out. In terms of sensors, it includes an optical heart rate sensor, a pulse oximeter, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, an electrocardiogram, and a GNSS chip for location tracking.
The GPS Accuracy of the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2
For a watch dedicated to sports tracking and running, GPS tracking must be precise. It is based on this tracking that the distance traveled is calculated, and therefore the speed or pace. If you aim to run a 10 km race in 50 minutes, the pace calculated by the watch must be accurate when it announces 4 minutes and 59 seconds per km. Otherwise, you might be too late or burn out by going too fast.
Here, Huawei has integrated a chip compatible with multi-GNSS (GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS) and multiband. This should ensure, in theory, reliable tracking under all circumstances, whether in open terrain or in an urban environment in narrow streets.
Huawei also announces that it has optimized its GPS tracking thanks to a separation of the antenna—housed in the titanium bezel around the screen—from the rest of the case with a plastic insert. In theory, this offers a 20% improvement in tracking compared to the Huawei Watch GT 6 launched last year.
To assess the accuracy of the GPS tracking, I wore the watch during several running sessions both in the city and in an open park. I then compared the calculated distances and the obtained tracks to those of a high-end trail watch, the Garmin Fenix 8.
| Runs | Garmin Fenix 8 | Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run 1 (city) | 6,002 km | 5,970 km | -0.53 % |
| Run 2 (park) | 15,028 km | 14,970 km | -0.39 % |
| Run 3 (city) | 4,022 km | 4,010 km | -0.30 % |
| Run 4 (city) | 10,023 km | 9,950 km | -0.73 % |
| Run 5 (park) | 13,693 km | 13,650 km | -0.31 % |
| Run 6 (park) | 11,502 km | 11,450 km | -0.45 % |
| Run 7 (city) | 13,388 km | 13,320 km | -0.51 % |
| Total | 73,658 km | 73,320 km | -0.46 % |
Over more than 73 km traveled, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 was only 340 m behind the Garmin watch. Moreover, as can be seen below, the tracks were sometimes more precise on the Huawei watch than on the Garmin model. We are thus dealing with a watch with effective GPS tracking, which can compete with reference sports watches.
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