Huawei Watch GT will be available in Malaysia from November

If you’re in the market for a smartwatch, there will be another option for you to consider as the Huawei Watch GT will go on sale in Malaysia from November 6^th.  Two versions are available, the Classic which features a leather strap and the Sports version which sports a rubber strap that’s more suitable for strenuous activities. The Watch GT Classic retails for RM999 while the Sports version sells for RM899. If you’re considering which one to buy, I’d advise you save a hundred Ringgit and get the Sports version as the straps are interchangeable. You can always get the leather strap later if you feel like it.

The Watch GT’s calling card is a claimed two-week run time with regular use. This is made possible thanks to a double chipset architecture that allows the watch to function as a fitness tracker or as a full-on smartwatch. It is when the device functions as a fitness tracker only is the two-week run time is possible.

Aside from that, the Watch GT functions pretty much like how you would want a smartwatch to function with support for all-round sports activity tracking. Be it indoor exercises, outdoor running, mountain climbing, cycling, open water swimming, the Huawei Watch GT probably has more sporting prowess than most of us.

You can also measure calories burned, heartrate, distance, speed and accumulative climbing and falling patterns. For trekkers and trail hikers like our friend Hanif over at SoyaCincau BM, the Watch GT comes with barometer, compass and altitude tools to assist them in their long mountainous hikes as well as a 3D distance.

If you’re the one that likes to venture into the unknown, you’ll be happy to know that the Watch GT supports GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO location tracking so you know exactly where you are in almost any situation in almost any location.

For the sports enthusiast, the Watch GT can also act as a virtual personal fitness coach. The feature analyses your active and resting heart rate in real-time and provides recommendations on how hard to push so you get the best out of every workout. It also monitors your heart rate in your sleep (if you’re one of those weirdos that wear a watch while you sleep).

While we’re in the topic of weird people wearing watches while they sleep, the Watch GT also incorporates sleep monitoring capabilities and is able to identify common sleep-related issues and provide over 200 potential suggestions for you to sleep better. Yes, as if there are not enough people telling you what to do with your life, you can now have a watch that tells you how you should sleep. The future is wonderful. But you’ll be happy to know that this technology was developed through a joint-study with Harvard Medical School CDB Centre to produce a sleep monitor programme for every cycle of sleep especially when travelling.

Take note that the Watch GT runs on Huawei’s own custom wearable OS and not the more widely accepted wearable — Android Wear. This means third-party app support may be a bit iffy but if you’re using it mostly for notifications and fitness tracking, having the Watch GT run on a proprietary OS should not bother you that much.

HUAWEI TalkBand B5

If the Watch GT is too mainstream for you. There’s the Huawei TalkBand B5. The TalkBand B5 is one part Bluetooth headset and one part fitness band. Essentially it is a Bluetooth headset with additional sensors that allow it to track your activity and you can put it in your ear to make a phone call if the need ever arises.

Of course, Huawei has incorporated enhancements in TalkBand B5 over its predecessor. The display is bigger and brighter. The audio is improved with what Huawei says is the industry’s first triple-core audio chip, “high pitch, sweet bass” for end-to-end HD audio. There’s also dual-MIC noise reduction for when you need to make a call in a noisy environment. Other than that there’s a heart rate sensor and the band can also track your sleep with personal recommendations if you want. Huawei says the TalkBand B5 can last a few days between charges, so expect to go at the very least, two days before you need to charge it.

The Huawei TalkBand B5 comes in either brown or black versions. The Brown is dearer of the two with a retail price of RM699 while the black version is one hundred Ringgit cheaper at RM599. Once again, the Huawei Watch GT and TalkBand will go on sale in Malaysia from November 6^th.