The flagship smartwatch market in the US is filled with options like theSamsung Galaxy Watch Ultra,Apple Watch Series 10, Google Pixel Watch 3, and many more. However, none of these flagship smartwatches work with both ecosystems (Android and iOS). For that, you have to rely on brands like Garmin and Amazfit, or in some countries, Huawei, a brand that lost its footing in the US a few years ago.
I spent a week using Huawei’s new Watch 5 alongside theGoogle Pixel Watch 3, a smartwatch I’ve grown to love over the past year, to find out if you’re really missing out – and here’s everything you need to know.
Huawei Watch 5
The Huawei Watch 5 is a round smartwatch with a bright AMOLED display and comes in two sizes. It offers health tracking features and a multi-day battery life.
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The Huawei Watch 5 gets the design just right
Classy, but still unmistakably a smartwatch
One of the reasons I love the Pixel Watch 3 compared to theApple Watch Ultraor Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is its minimal design. Unlike those smartwatches – and even some Garmin models – most flagship smartwatches in the US lean into a sporty design that screams “smartwatch” from a mile away. ThePixel Watch, however, has maintained a simple, minimal design since the beginning, and that’s why it’s long been my favorite.
That was, until I picked up the Huawei Watch 5. I’ve been testing smartwatches for a few years now, and I’ve never seen one nail the design quite like this. The Huawei Watch 5 sticks to a traditional watch aesthetic while delivering all the smartwatch features you expect. I’ve lost count of how many times people have approached me wearing it, surprised it’s a smartwatch at all.
As for specifics, the Huawei Watch 5 comes in several finishes, including stainless steel, aerospace-grade titanium, and ceramic for the back. Strap options include a metal link bracelet, a sporty black strap, and a vegan leather composite band – the one I’m currently using (shown above). It comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes, with 1.38-inch and 1.52-inch displays, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch 3 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes but only offers silicone-type straps in various colors.
There are no faux leather or metal link bracelet options for the Pixel Watch 3.
A lot of the Huawei Watch 5’s design success comes down to the display. Huawei has used a fantastic LTPO 2.0 OLED display with 3,000 nits peak brightness (1,000 nits more than the Pixel Watch 3). It’s easily visible even in harsh outdoor lighting and supports a high refresh rate.
Moreover, it’s protected by a dome-shaped glass encased in stainless steel on all sides, offering greater sturdiness compared to the Pixel Watch 3, whose glass remains exposed around the edges.
Now, one of my long-standing complaints with the Pixel Watch has been its charging mechanism. Despite being a flagship product, it still uses a four-pin magnetic charging puck that connects in only one specific orientation (digital crown facing the cable). This isn’t an issue on the Galaxy Watch 5 or theApple Watch, and even the Huawei Watch 5, all of which use magnetic connectors that are stronger and work in any orientation.
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Health tracking feels more complete on the Huawei Watch 5
It covers all the basics – and then some
WhenGoogle took over Fitbitin 2021, I expected the Pixel Watch lineup would benefit greatly from the acquisition and easily surpass competitors in health tracking — and it did, to some extent. However, lately, it feels like that advantage is starting to fade.
Sure, the Pixel Watch 3 tracks all kinds of health data, including sleep and almost every workout type. But many advanced features are locked behindFitbit’s premium subscription, which costs nearly $130 per year in the US. That feels steep, especially considering you already have to buy the smartwatch, and most competitors don’t require a subscription for health-tracking features.
The Huawei Watch 5, on the other hand, not only covers the basics but goes further. It offers step tracking, workout tracking with over a hundred modes, detailed sleep tracking, and extras like a skin temperature sensor and GPS-based outdoor activity tracking. But the real game-changer lies on the side of the watch.
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The Huawei Watch 5 features a new X-TAP engine, which goes one step ahead in terms of health tracking by adding a dedicated fingertip sensor right next to the digital crown. While the watch still uses sensors on the back to measure vitals like blood oxygen levels and heart rate, this fingertip sensor allows more accurate readings, similar to how doctors take measurements in clinical settings.
Huawei claims the data collected through the fingertip sensor is more accurate than readings taken from the wrist sensors alone. Although in my experience, the fingertip readings on the Watch 5 were fairly close to the readings on the Pixel Watch 3, which uses just the rear sensors for vitals tracking.
Software is smooth, even without third-party apps
You won’t really miss the third-party store
Now, one of the major benefits of using a Wear OS smartwatch like the Pixel Watch 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is access to the Google Play Store and a wide range of third-party apps. In contrast, the Huawei Watch 5 runs on the company’s own HarmonyOS. And, as expected, there’s no access to the Play Store (or any Google services).
Initially, I thought this would be a big drawback, considering how reliant I am on Google’s ecosystem. But to my surprise, I didn’t once feel the absence of third-party apps. You can technically install apps through the Huawei AppGallery on the Watch 5, but major apps like Google Maps and YouTube Music are missing.
In terms of usability, though, the software feels smooth and fluid. I didn’t experience any major jitters compared to the Pixel Watch 3. In fact, Wear OS has evolved into a more minimalistic and simple platform, while HarmonyOS on the Watch 5 manages a good balance between simplicity and feature richness.
The Huawei Watch 5 works great with both Android and iPhone.
Navigation is also quite familiar. Like on the Pixel Watch 3, a swipe down brings up quick settings like Wi-Fi, brightness, and Find My Phone. Swiping up shows notifications, while left and right swipes cycle through cards like calendar, weather, and activity rings. Overall, the experience didn’t feel drastically different from what I’m used to on the Pixel Watch 3.
However, one significant advantage the Huawei Watch 5 has over most smartwatches is its cross-platform compatibility. It works seamlessly with both Android and iOS. While many smartwatches remain tied to their ecosystems, like how Galaxy Watches work best with Samsung phones, the Watch 5 can pair with any smartphone using the Huawei Health app. This kind of flexibility is something more smartwatches should adopt.
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The Huawei Watch 5 feels like a full package
On the whole, I’ll be honest – I love the Google Pixel Watch 3. The way it integrates with myPixel 9 Proand the features it offers, all while maintaining a minimal look, make me love the Pixel Watch 3. However, after using both smartwatches side by side for about two weeks, I have to say the Huawei Watch 5 has come as close to replacing the Pixel Watch 3 on my wrist as any other gadget ever has.
Sure, there are a few cons about the Huawei Watch 5: I’m not a fan of its weight, which is noticeably heavier than the Pixel Watch 3, and the battery life isn’t great. But despite these drawbacks, I think I’ve finally found my Pixel Watch 3 replacement.
Google Pixel Watch 3
The Google Pixel Watch 3 builds on the previous model, introducing a new 45mm size along with the original 41mm watch. Both options feature a larger display with double the brightness. It offers plenty of runner-centric features along with more connectivity with Google’s ecosystem.
