introduction
The Watch Ultimate came with a claim to be Huawei’s best wearable ever. Coming with a 100m water rating, Exploration mode for outdoorsy types, and an incredibly durable construction.
We spent nearly a month with one unit and tested all of its features, and here are our results.
The Ultimate Watch comes in only one size: 1.5″ or 48.5mm diagonal. It’s priced close to the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro, but its user experience is different from those two, so caters to a different audience.
Design and build
Our unit came in Voyage Blue color with a titanium band. The body consists of a zirconium-based liquid metal case and a ceramic bezel, while the display has sapphire crystal protection. We also have two hydrogenated nitrile rubber bands in our pack (one regular and another that allows for different wear patterns). The material is designed to be more durable and comfortable than fluoroelastomer bands on other smartwatches.
The titanium strap is certainly nice to look at and much more elegant, but the rubber is obviously much more suitable for our outdoor activities and training.
The Watch Ultimate is an automatic eye-grabber – first, due to its massive size; and secondly, it looks great and washes away the lines between an elegant classic watch and a smart wearable. We did our best to test its endurance in all the elements—rain, mud, fast rivers, bright sun, and lots of sweat—it held up and never showed any signs.
Huawei put an AMOLED LTPO on the Ultimate for the first time – it allows for various refresh rates, reportedly dropping to 1Hz in specific scenarios like AOD. Also new was the third button at the top left, which allows even faster access to certain features.
The top right button is a classic crown that spins and slides; the lower part acts as a shortcut to the preset functions and is also conductive to the ECG functionality. Sensors on the back monitor heart rate and SpO2 levels, allowing for more accurate recording of exercise and sleep.
Sadly, the Watch Ultrimate lacks any cellular connectivity options, which we regret as it limits your options to leave your phone at home when you go for a run. The watch only supports Bluetooth connectivity, but at least it has GPS and can store its records as long as your phone isn’t in range.
Huawei designed the Watch Ultimate body to enhance the antenna signal to work in denser forests, more challenging mountain geography, and urban environments, supporting L1 and L5 satellites.
Software
Huawei launched Watch Ultimate with HarmonyOS 3.0. We liked being able to download some apps from the AppGallery in the Huawei Health app and then send them to the wearable.
We also got to test out the new Exploration mode. The top left button is an automatic shortcut to the feature that lets you get lost and find your way back with only the markers set.
As mentioned, Huawei claims excellent accuracy with global positioning systems, and we had no trouble returning to lunch, only following the markers we set.
That said, we sincerely believe that the Watch Ultimate shouldn’t be the only device for experiencing the wilderness – always carry a charged smartphone, plenty of water and food, and tell a friend where you’re going before you do.
Another essential feature is immersion. The Watch GT 3 Pro was the first watch advertised with such capabilities, but it was limited to free diving, mostly done at a depth of 10 meters at around 1 ATM. The Huawei Watch Ultimate goes much further and is the first smart wearable to be certified for 10 ATM or 100 meters depth. This is organized diving with wetsuits, fins, air tanks on your back, etc.
The touch screen doesn’t work underwater, meaning all three buttons have a designated job when Dive Mode is activated: marking a timestamp, changing the screen, or calling up advanced settings like setting the scuba tank capacity. air.
Battery life
The Watch Ultimate, the largest wearable device Huawei has ever made, obviously comes with a large battery. The cell capacity is 530mAh and we were promised 14 days of battery life with typical usage and 8 days with heavy usage.
First, we tried to go as relaxed as possible: no notifications, no stress or blood oxygen tests, just a sleek band that shows the time and looks good. We managed to get our two weeks in and have to say we were quite impressed. So we charged up the wearable: Huawei promised 60 minutes from 0 to 100% and we achieved that in 63 minutes, which isn’t bad at all.
Then we went into intensive use, i.e. one hour of training a day, notifications activated, all sensors switched on. It didn’t make it through the week – we had to put the Ultimate watch on the magnetic puck on day 6 to charge it. This time we got 64 minutes from 0 to 100%.
Trying all these things with AOD should have meant getting more than half the time as other Huawei Watch wearables: after all, the screen should have refreshed less, thus saving battery. Real-life AOD scenarios showed seven days of battery life with regular use and four days with active use. We recharged the device one last time and once again got a full charge in just over 63 minutes.
Verdict
The Huawei Watch Ultimate is truly the best wearable the company has ever produced, and that shouldn’t even be an argument. Yes, the Exploration Mode and Scuba Diving features are great, but the build and battery life make the device stand out.
We’ve already mentioned a few competitors at the beginning of this article, but each is trying to appeal to a different audience. The Apple Watch Ultra is a wearable for Apple users — its battery life is ridiculous at best, so it shouldn’t be in the same discussion as any Huawei Watch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro is barely an update over its 2021 siblings. It’s a watch for those who want a more minimalist look; Huawei has designed the Watch Ultimate to be much more imposing.
There are also more professional watches from brands like Suunto, Coros and Garmin. However, they target specific sports and it wouldn’t be fair to pit them against the Huawei device for enthusiasts and amateurs (like our resident runner).
Let’s talk about prices now that we know who this device is aimed at and who is not. The Chinese launch at the end of March saw astronomical prices between $900 and $1,000. In Europe, Huawei has priced the Voyager Blue at €800 and the Expedition Black at €750.
Yes, it’s expensive, but it offers a unique feature set and durability, so the price is somewhat justified. Also, Huawei has a lot of cheaper wearables in its portfolio, so it’s a matter of wallet size.
If you have a large chunk of cash to spend on a wearable, the Huawei Watch Ultimate isn’t a purchase you might regret. Plus, the company throws in lots of free gifts with every purchase. For example, the watch in Germany, France or Italy is bundled with free Freebuds 2 Pro costing just €170, which helps cushion the blow.
Start a new Thread