Tag Archives: Reviews

Huawei MatePad Pro 12” Review: Stunning Hardware, One Familiar Caveat

Posted on by

PROS:


  • Gorgeous PaperMatte display

  • Very thin and light formfactor

  • Big battery

  • Good speaker

CONS:


  • No built-in Google Play Store

  • Long-term software support remains unclear

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The MatePad Pro 12" is stylish, light, and lovely to use, with a PaperMatte display that does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Huawei’s tablet lineup is not doing itself many favors right now. The names suggest one thing, the products suggest another, and if you are just a normal person trying to work out which model is which, the whole range can feel oddly muddled. The MatePad Air sounds like it should be the lighter, breezier option, yet the MatePad Pro 12″ is actually the one that feels lighter and more effortless in the hand.

The MatePad Pro Max, by contrast, is much easier to understand. It is the big brother in the family, and it looks the part too, with a very similar design language to the MatePad Pro 12″. That makes this tablet feel like the middle child in Huawei’s lineup, not in a bad way, but in the sense that it sits between the easy-to-place Max and the more confusingly named Air.

Designer: Huawei

The good news is that the product itself is much easier to understand than the naming. The MatePad Pro 12″ is a slim, striking tablet that clearly wants to be useful as well as beautiful. It aims to cover work, entertainment, note-taking, and creative play in one polished package, and for the most part, it succeeds by being pleasant to use rather than merely impressive on paper.

Aesthetics

The MatePad Pro 12″ looks a lot like a smaller MatePad Pro Max, which is no bad thing. The two share the same slim, polished design language, and that gives the Pro 12″ an immediately premium feel. If anything, this size makes the look more approachable. It still has that high-end flagship polish, just in a form that feels a little less dramatic and easier to live with.

Both tablets come in Blue and Space Gray, and the Blue version I received is especially attractive. It has a soft shimmer finish that catches the light nicely without tipping into anything too flashy or fussy. There is also a nice contrast between the shimmer back panel and the glossy side frame, while the slightly rounded edges keep the tablet from feeling too sharp or severe. Together with the circular camera bump, these details give the design a bit more warmth and character without taking away from its clean, premium feel.

Ergonomics

For a 12-inch tablet, the MatePad Pro 12″ is impressively easy to handle. It measures about 10.4 x 6.8 inches (264.2 x 172.9 mm) and is just 0.19 inches thick (4.7 mm), but at 454g, or about 1 pound, it feels lighter in the hand than its size suggests. That makes a real difference in daily use. It is easy enough to hold one-handed for short stretches, and it never feels as cumbersome as some larger tablets do.

Just as importantly, it does not feel flimsy. Despite how thin and light it is, the MatePad Pro 12″ still feels solid and premium in the hand. That balance matters, because a tablet this slim could easily have tipped into feeling delicate. Instead, it feels refined without feeling fragile.

I also received the optional Huawei Glide Keyboard, which weighs 399g, or about 14.1 ounces, and turns the tablet into something much closer to a compact laptop. The typing experience is good, and one detail I especially appreciated is the way the keyboard neatly nests the stylus. It gives the pen a proper place to sit, which means there is less chance of it going missing while you are carrying the tablet around. Small touches like that make the whole setup feel more thought through.

That said, the keyboard is not perfect. The touchpad is a little too easy to trigger, and I often found myself accidentally brushing it while typing, so I ended up turning off Tap to Click. There is also only one viewing angle, which limits flexibility a bit, and the keyboard is not backlit. None of these issues are deal-breakers on their own, but together they make the accessory feel a little less polished than the tablet itself.

Performance

The display of the MatePad Pro 12″ is the obvious star. Huawei’s PaperMatte screens remain one of the company’s best ideas, and that is true here as well. The 12-inch OLED panel looks sharp, bright, and vibrant, while the slim 3.5mm bezels help give it a more immersive feel. Huawei has also embedded the front camera neatly into that thin border, which keeps the front looking clean and uninterrupted rather than broken up by a notch or thicker framing.

What really makes the screen stand out, though, is the PaperMatte finish. Huawei’s PaperMatte displays have impressed me before, and this one is no exception. The matte treatment cuts down on glare without making the panel look flat or dull, which is not always easy to pull off. Huawei says anti-reflection performance is 30 percent better than the previous generation, and that feels believable in everyday use. Even in bright environments, the screen comes remarkably close to reflection-free, and with up to 1600 nits of peak brightness, it stays comfortable for reading, browsing, and longer work sessions without constantly fighting the light.

The speakers are another pleasant surprise. The MatePad Pro 12″ uses a four-speaker setup, and for something this thin and light, it gets plenty loud and has more bass presence than you might expect, which gives music, dialogue, and video a bit more body than a device this slim really ought to manage. It never quite feels like the sound is coming from such a small and thin tablet. The audio can get a little sharp at times, especially at higher volume, but for casual listening and streaming, it still does a very good job.

Battery life has been solid in my use. The MatePad Pro 12″ packs a 10,400mAh battery, and in a fairly normal day of writing, emails, keeping up with my team on Slack, web browsing, and YouTube, it got through to the end of the day without me worrying too much about battery. Huawei rates it for up to 14.7 hours of local video playback, and there is also 40W reverse charging if you need to top up another device.

Software is where the MatePad Pro 12″ becomes a more conditional recommendation. The tablet runs Harmony OS 4.3 out of the box, and there is no built-in support for the Google Play Store or Google Mobile Services here, and while there are workarounds, there is no guarantee every app you rely on will work exactly as expected. That is the main thing potential buyers need to understand going in. The hardware is easy to appreciate straight away. The software side asks for a bit more patience and flexibility.

Huawei’s AppGallery does offer options like GBox, which can help you access apps that depend on Google services, but the experience is not always seamless. In my testing, GBox did not support split-screen, which felt limiting on a tablet that is otherwise clearly built for multitasking. I had better luck with apps downloaded through Aurora, which did work in split-screen, but that still leaves you deciding how comfortable you are relying on third-party app sources. For some people, that will be a manageable compromise. For others, it will be reason enough to hesitate.

On the plus side, Huawei’s own built-in apps for productivity and creativity are genuinely quite capable. GoPaint, in particular, feels feature-rich, with a wide variety of brushes and granular control over how they behave. There are also more ambitious tools like animation, which appears to build movement from your layers, and a timelapse feature that lets you replay a drawing from start to finish. Even if not everyone will use those tools seriously, they help the app feel more than just a token extra.

The Notes app is also packed with features, including AI handwriting-to-text. In my case, the results were not always perfectly accurate, but that may say as much about my handwriting as it does about the software. Either way, it is another example of Huawei putting real effort into its own app ecosystem. So while the lack of built-in Google support remains the bigger issue, the tablet’s first-party software is stronger than you might expect.

Sustainability

Sustainability is not the strongest part of Huawei’s pitch here, at least not from the information currently available. There is plenty of talk about thinness, portability, and productivity, but much less about things like recycled materials, repairability, or broader environmental commitments. More notably, Huawei has not made any official statement about how long the MatePad Pro 12″ will receive software support, which makes it harder to judge the tablet’s long-term value from a sustainability point of view.

What Huawei does emphasize is durability. The company says the MatePad Pro 12″ offers 50 percent better bend resistance than the previous generation, which is a meaningful improvement for a device this thin. A tablet that is less likely to flex or fail in everyday use is at least more likely to stay in service longer. That is not the same thing as a full sustainability strategy, but it still counts for something.

Value

Value is where the MatePad Pro 12″ becomes more complicated. Pricing starts at €1,199, or about $1,330, for the 12GB and 256GB model with a folio cover, rises to €1,299, or roughly $1,440, with the Glide Keyboard, and reaches €1,449, or around $1,610, for the 12GB and 512GB version with the keyboard. For context, Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro with 256GB of storage starts at $1,199 in the U.S., so Huawei is clearly pricing this in direct flagship territory.

Judged purely on hardware, the MatePad Pro 12″ feels convincingly premium. It is slim, light, beautifully made, and fitted with an excellent display. The problem is that the software caveats do not disappear just because the hardware is this polished. The lack of built-in support for the Google Play Store or Google Mobile Services still makes this a more selective recommendation than the price might suggest. If you are already comfortable with Huawei’s ecosystem, the value makes more sense. If not, the asking price may feel harder to justify.

Verdict

The Huawei MatePad Pro 12″ makes its strongest case through hardware. It is slim, light, beautifully made, and fitted with a PaperMatte display that remains one of Huawei’s real strengths. The speakers are better than you might expect from something this thin, battery life has been solid in my use, and the overall experience feels properly premium. It is the kind of tablet that makes a strong first impression and, for the most part, keeps earning it.

What stops it from being an easy recommendation is software. There is no built-in support for the Google Play Store or Google Mobile Services, and while workarounds exist, they are still workarounds. For buyers already comfortable with Huawei’s ecosystem, that may be manageable. For everyone else, it adds friction to a tablet that is otherwise polished and appealing. The MatePad Pro 12″ is a very good piece of hardware, but it is not the most straightforward premium tablet to buy.

The post Huawei MatePad Pro 12” Review: Stunning Hardware, One Familiar Caveat first appeared on Yanko Design.

Redmi Note 17 5G Review: Built Around a Battery, Not a Benchmark

Posted on by

Verdict 3.6 out of 5 Average of 5 criteria
Aesthetics
3.5 out of 5
Ergonomics
3.5 out of 5
Performance
3.5 out of 5
Sustainability / Repairability
3.5 out of 5
Value for money
4.0 out of 5

What works

  • Huge 7,700mAh battery with 45W charging
  • Stays cool and stable under sustained load
  • Four Android upgrades and security patches until 2032
  • Matte back and bundled case both shrug off fingerprints

What doesn't

  • Screen readability dips in direct sunlight
  • Haptics are softer than on premium phones
  • No ultra-wide or telephoto cameras
  • Video recording tops out at 1080p
The Redmi Note 17 5G spends its budget on what people actually run out of, battery and years of support, and asks for a calmer chip in return.

Phone prices went up this year, and not because phones got dramatically better. Memory and storage cost more, so every brand had to decide what to keep and what to cut. Some raised the price. Others trimmed the camera or the chip to hold it. Xiaomi made a very clear choice with the Redmi Note 17 5G, and you can feel it the moment you pick the phone up.

On paper, the whole phone is built around one number: a 7,700mAh silicon-carbon battery. Around it sit a 6.99-inch AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 chip, a single 50MP camera, IP65 protection, and security updates until 2032. I used the 6GB and 256GB version for about two weeks to see whether a phone designed for endurance is also a phone you actually enjoy using.

Designer: Xiaomi

Aesthetics

The Redmi Note 17 5G doesn’t try to shout, and that works in its favor. I received the Black version, and the interest is in the details. Xiaomi describes the back as a dual finish, which means the panel and the camera plate are treated very differently. The panel is a fine matte that turns almost graphite in low light, while the camera plate is glossy.

That plate is where the design gets its character. It’s a rounded square in the top left corner with a glossy, pill-shaped module holding two circles: the 50MP camera and a small second lens above and the flash below, plus a small brushed disc with “50MP” printed on it. The arrangement is balanced and calm, and it makes a single-camera phone look complete. The matte back stays clean through daily handling, and only the glossy plate picks up the odd fingerprint.

The frame is flat with rounded corners and a metallic-look finish, and the front is just as simple: a flat 6.99-inch screen with a small punch-hole camera. It’s a tidy, well-proportioned design that favors restraint over flash, and in black it keeps a low profile. If you want more personality, Xiaomi also sells it in Sky Teal and Celestial Purple.

Ergonomics

The numbers tell most of the story. The Redmi Note 17 5G measures 169.7 x 79.14 x 8.45mm and weighs 225g. It’s a substantial phone, and the weight is the first thing you notice when you pick it up. That’s the fair price of fitting a 7,700mAh battery into a body under 9mm thick.

The flat sides and rounded corners make that size easy to live with, and the matte back isn’t slippery. The power button and volume rocker sit on the right edge, and the fingerprint reader is an optical one under the display. Xiaomi’s Wet Touch 2.0 keeps the screen usable with damp fingers, which is handy in humid weather. At almost 80mm wide, it’s most comfortable in two hands, which suits the large screen for reading and video.

Haptics are the one area where the price shows. The vibration motor’s feedback is softer and less precise than on flagship phones. It’s a small detail, yet it’s the kind that reminds you how much good haptics add to everyday use.

Xiaomi includes a case in the box, and it’s better than the usual clear plastic shell. It’s a soft, matte silicone case in dark gray with a raised lip around the camera, and it doesn’t pick up fingerprints either. On a phone of this weight, the extra grip is welcome, and the phone is protected from day one.

Performance

Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 and HyperOS 3

Inside is a Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, made on a 4nm process, with Adreno 613 graphics, 6GB of LPDDR4X memory and UFS 2.2 storage. It’s a chip built for efficiency over outright speed, and that efficiency is what lets such a large battery fit in a body this thin. Messaging, maps, browsing, streaming, and photos run comfortably, and demanding 3D games run best at lower settings.

3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme stress test shows where the chip’s strength lies. The headline scores sit where you’d expect for this class, but the consistency stands out. Over 20 minutes of full graphics load, the phone held 99.5 percent stability across all 20 loops, and its temperature only rose from 33°C to 35°C. It stays cool and steady when pushed.

It runs Xiaomi HyperOS 3 on Android 16, with Google’s Circle to Search and Gemini, Xiaomi’s HyperIsland for live notifications, and AI Erase Pro promised in a later update. It’s pretty much Xiaomi’s whole UX experience, crammed into a lower mid-tier phone.

Display and Sound

The 6.99-inch flat AMOLED has a 2,396 x 1,080 resolution and a 1,800-nit peak. There’s no option to lock the refresh rate. The panel adjusts itself up to 120Hz, so scrolling stays smooth and the phone saves power when the image is still. Indoors and in shade, it looks great, and TÜV Rheinland certifies it for low blue light and circadian-friendly viewing. Direct sunlight is the one condition where it struggles to keep up.

Audio comes from a single speaker on the bottom edge, tuned for calls, alarms, and spoken content. For music, earbuds bring out more, and since there’s no headphone jack, Bluetooth or USB-C is the way to go. Two useful extras round things out: an infrared blaster for TVs and air conditioners, and NFC for contactless payments.

Main Camera, 1x
Main Camera, 1x, Evening
Main Camera, 1x, Human Skin

50MP Camera

Main Camera, 1x
Main Camera, 2x
Main Camera, 10x

The single 50MP main camera has an f/1.8 lens, and in good light it does a good job. Photos come out bright and clean, greens are punchy, and skies lean towards a deeper blue. Dynamic range holds up well too. Shooting up a dark underground stairway into a bright sky, it kept both the tiled mural and the clouds. The 2x option is a crop from the main sensor and stays sharp in daylight. Beyond that, the zoom is digital, and at 10x a group of turtles on a rock took on an almost watercolor softness, so 1x and 2x are where this camera does its best work.

For designers, it’s a handy reference camera. The 50MP and Ultra HD modes save files of around 48 million pixels, which leaves room to crop into textures like bark, stone, or lacquered wood later. It won’t replace a proper camera, but for collecting material and color references, it does the job.

Night Indoor
Night Default
Night Mode

Night mode is worth using. On a street corner at night, the normal shot used ISO 250 at 1/100s, while Night mode chose ISO 400 at 1/50s and brought the lanterns and shopfronts out of the dark without blowing out the lights. In very dim restaurants, around ISO 2000, the processing leans on noise reduction for a cleaner image at the cost of some fine detail. The 16MP front camera gives natural skin tones in daylight, and both cameras record video at up to 1080p and 30fps.

Battery Life and Charging

This is where the design pays off. Xiaomi rates the battery for more than two days of moderate use, and the EU energy label’s standard test puts it at 68 and a half hours on a charge. My own testing points the same way. The 20-minute 3DMark stress run, with the graphics chip working flat out the whole time, used just 3 percent of the battery.

My unit came with a 45W charger in the box, though that varies by market. Independent tests put a full charge at about an hour and a half, which is reasonable for a battery this size. Charging is wired only, and wired reverse charging at up to 22.5W lets the phone top up earbuds, a watch, or a friend’s phone.

50MP Mode
Ultra HD Mode
Selfie Camera

Sustainability

The strongest sustainability point is software support. Xiaomi promises four major Android upgrades, up to Android 20, and six years of security updates, which means patches until 2032. The updates are already arriving. During my time with the phone, it received a 295MB system update that moved its security patch from June to August 2026. A phone that stays safe to use for that long doesn’t need replacing after two years.

The EU energy label adds useful detail, because it uses the same tests for every brand. It rates the battery for at least 1,000 full cycles before it drops to 80 percent capacity, lists it as user-replaceable, and records 90 drops without a defect in its repeated fall test. Xiaomi’s own lab claims 1,600 cycles, or about six years of normal use.

iFixit hasn’t published a teardown of this model yet. In the meantime, where the program runs, Xiaomi offers one free screen replacement and one free back cover replacement within 24 months, plus one free battery replacement within 36 months. The phone is IP65 rated against dust and water jets, the screen uses Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, and the case covers the back from the start. Recycled materials aren’t part of Xiaomi’s story for this model yet, which leaves room for the next generation to go further.

Value

In Europe, the Redmi Note 17 5G launched at 379.90 euros for the 6GB and 256GB version I tested. With the case, a USB-C cable and, in many markets, a 45W charger in the box, it’s a generous package for the price.

Its own predecessor is the most useful comparison. The Redmi Note 15 5G spread its budget across a faster chip, a 108MP camera and 4K video. The Note 17 5G concentrates on a much bigger battery and a longer support period. Most phones still carry batteries in the 5,000 to 6,000mAh range, so that focus gives it a clear identity in its class.

Xiaomi is betting that battery life and years of updates matter more, and for a lot of buyers, I think that’s the right bet. If 4K video, long zoom, and high-end gaming aren’t part of your routine, this phone gives you a lot for the money.

Verdict

The Redmi Note 17 5G is easy to sum up with one number, but the battery is only the starting point. The weight, the flat and grippy frame, the case in the box, the efficient chip, and the self-adjusting refresh rate all follow from it. It feels like one clear decision carried through the whole product.

Speed seekers and heavy video shooters will find better matches elsewhere. But if you keep your phones for years and care more about something that lasts than something that wins spec comparisons, the Redmi Note 17 5G was made for you. Buy it for the battery, and keep it for the years of updates.

The post Redmi Note 17 5G Review: Built Around a Battery, Not a Benchmark first appeared on Yanko Design.

Huawei Watch GT 7 Pro Review: Refined, Not Reinvented

Posted on by

Verdict 3.8 out of 5 Average of 5 criteria
Aesthetics
4.0 out of 5
Ergonomics
4.0 out of 5
Performance
4.0 out of 5
Sustainability / Repairability
3.0 out of 5
Value for money
4.0 out of 5

What works

  • Distinctive octagonal design with a premium look
  • Strong battery life
  • Bright, sharp AMOLED display
  • Board health and fitness tracking

What doesn't

  • Limited third-party app support
  • Proprietary pinned strap design
The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm shows Huawei sticking to a proven formula and sharpening it further. It is not a bold leap, but it is a confident and well-rounded one.

Huawei has spent the last few years turning wearables into one of the strongest parts of its consumer business. The company has performed especially well in China, with that momentum also carrying into overseas markets. As a result, Huawei has grown into one of the biggest names in smartwatches, offering a lineup that covers different styles, price points, and user needs.

Within Huawei’s smartwatch lineup, the GT series is the company’s sports-focused range. The new GT 7 series stays true to that identity, building on the formula that has made the lineup popular. The GT 7 Pro is not a major leap over the GT 6 Pro, but it feels like a more polished and refined take on the same core idea.

Designer: Huawei

Aesthetics

The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm stays largely in line with the design language of its predecessor, keeping the same sporty character that defined the GT 6 Pro. Its octagonal case continues to give it a distinctive look, helping it stand out from the many conventional round smartwatches on the market. At the same time, Huawei balances that sportier shape with a polished finish, so the watch still feels premium rather than overtly rugged.

The front of the watch keeps that same balance. Its 1.47-inch AMOLED display sits beneath sapphire glass, which adds a more upscale touch while also improving durability for everyday wear. Around the display, Huawei uses 24-hour markings that strengthen the watch’s sporty identity and give the face a more instrument-like look.

Huawei is offering the GT 7 Pro 46mm in yellow, green, and black, and each one gives the watch a distinct personality. The yellow version I received is easily the boldest of the three, pairing a silver case with a black bezel and a bright lime yellow strap. Matching yellow accents around the bezel and on the watch face make it feel the most energetic and overtly sporty of the lineup.

The green version takes a more outdoorsy approach. It keeps the same overall design but swaps in a muted green strap and matching accents, giving the watch a look that feels active without being as loud as the yellow model. The black version, by contrast, is the most understated. With its darker finish and strap combination, it gives the GT 7 Pro a stealthier and more versatile appearance that should appeal to buyers who prefer something cleaner and easier to wear every day.

Ergonomics

Despite its sporty, fairly bold design, the Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm is comfortable to wear for long stretches. At 56g and 11.2mm thick, it has enough presence to feel substantial on the wrist, but it never comes across as overly bulky in daily use. Huawei has also done a good job with weight distribution, which matters more than raw dimensions when you are wearing the watch through workouts, sleep tracking, or a full day out.

The strap has also been revised. Huawei calls it the Easy Cross Strap, and the key change is that the loose end tucks underneath instead of threading through a traditional belt loop. According to Huawei, this makes the watch easier to wear day to day while also creating a snugger fit that can help improve the consistency of health tracking. The elastomer strap feels soft enough for extended wear while still staying secure during exercise. It is detachable and uses a 22mm fitting, but because it is secured with pins, swapping it out is less straightforward than with a standard third-party strap.

Huawei’s control layout is familiar and easy to get used to. The buttons sit within easy reach, and the rotating crown adds a more tactile way to move through menus. That makes the watch feel more natural to use when you are on the move and do not want to rely entirely on touch input. Combined with the curved case and integrated strap design, the GT 7 Pro feels built not just to look sporty, but to wear like it too.

Performance

The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm features a 1.47-inch AMOLED display, and it is one of the first things that stands out about the watch. Huawei claims a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and in use the panel looks sharp, bright, and vibrant. Watch faces have plenty of visual punch, while menus and health data remain easy to read at a glance. Huawei has been consistently strong in this area, and that continues here with a screen that feels right at home on a watch in this class.

Out of the box, the GT 7 Pro runs HarmonyOS 6.1 and supports both Android and iOS devices, which immediately makes it more flexible than some ecosystem-bound alternatives. The software itself is easy to navigate, with clean menus, smooth animations, and a layout that does not take long to learn. It is not trying to overwhelm you with complexity, and that works in its favor on a smartwatch that is meant to balance fitness features with everyday usability.

Health and fitness remain at the heart of the experience, which is exactly where the GT series has built much of its appeal. Huawei includes a broad set of tracking features here, covering the usual essentials such as heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, stress, and workout monitoring, while also adding more unusual tools like the Diabetes Risk Study and Coronary Heart Disease Study. The latter, however, was not available on my test unit during the review period.

On the fitness side, the watch offers more than 100 workout modes, reinforcing its role as a serious sports-focused smartwatch. Huawei has also expanded its support for winter sports, with dedicated indoor and outdoor skiing as well as snowboarding modes. These can track data such as maximum speed, average incline, total descent, and run count, making the watch more useful for users who want something beyond basic activity logging. It also supports downloads for more than 3,000 ski resort maps worldwide, complete with details such as slope names, difficulty ratings, and lift station locations.

Since ski season is still months away where I live, I was not able to test those winter sports features properly. My hands-on time was limited to more routine activities like outdoor walks, yoga, and casual cycling. Even within that narrower scope, the watch performed well. GPS tracking was accurate in my testing, even when I passed under railway bridges and near buildings, where signals can sometimes become less stable.

Battery life is one of the GT 7 Pro’s biggest strengths. Huawei rates it for up to 21 days at the upper end, up to 12 days under typical use, up to 7 days with the always-on display (AOD) enabled, and as much as 51 hours in trail running mode. Those are ambitious figures, but in my time with the watch, its endurance was genuinely impressive.

I took it with me on a nine-day trip after charging it to 100 percent, and by the end of the trip it still had 19 percent battery remaining. During that time, I had all health tracking features on, AOD turned on, and used it for a couple of indoor and outdoor walking sessions as well. That makes the result more impressive, because the watch was not simply sitting idle for most of the trip. In day-to-day use, that kind of endurance makes a real difference, especially on a sports-focused smartwatch where frequent tracking can drain smaller batteries much more quickly.

Charging is handled through a proprietary magnetic wireless charger included in the box, and it is fairly quick. Because of the watch’s shape, though, it does not sit flat on the charger, which can be a mild annoyance in everyday use. It hovers slightly, and I often found myself checking to make sure it was still charging after the initial confirmation screen disappeared. It also feels like time for Huawei to move from USB-A to USB-C, as the included cable already feels a bit dated.

Sustainability

The Watch GT 7 Pro also puts some emphasis on durability. It carries both IP69 and 5ATM ratings, giving it a solid level of protection against dust and water exposure. That makes sense for a watch positioned around sports and outdoor use, where it is more likely to be exposed to sweat, rain, splashes, and more demanding day-to-day conditions.

Huawei also uses sapphire glass over the display, which adds another layer of reassurance. Sapphire is known for its strong scratch resistance, and it also helps the watch feel more premium in the process. Taken together, these details give the GT 7 Pro a tougher, more dependable character without pushing it fully into rugged-watch territory. That said, sustainability is less of a focus, with no clear mention of recycled materials or other environmental measures.

Value

At £379, or roughly $510, the Watch GT 7 Pro is priced like a premium smartwatch, so it has to offer more than just a nice design. For the most part, it does. You are paying for a watch that gets the basics right, with strong battery life, a durable build, a comfortable fit, and a health and fitness feature set that feels broad enough for most users.

The value proposition really comes down to what you want from a smartwatch. If you care most about app support and deeper smart features, there are rivals that make a stronger case. But if your priorities are battery life, fitness tracking, and a watch that looks and feels good on the wrist, the GT 7 Pro makes more sense. It is not a dramatic step up from the GT 6 Pro, so current owners may not feel much pressure to upgrade. Still, for anyone coming from an older device, it feels like a well-rounded package that knows exactly what it is.

Verdict

The Watch GT 7 Pro 46mm is not the kind of upgrade that changes everything, but it does not need to be. Huawei has taken a formula that already worked and polished it further, keeping the GT series focused on the things it has consistently done best. The result is a smartwatch that looks distinctive, wears comfortably, lasts a long time on a charge, and offers more than enough health and fitness features for most users.

It is not without trade-offs. Third-party app support remains limited, and Huawei’s pinned strap design also cuts down your band options compared with a standard 22mm quick-release system. Still, if you want a premium sports-focused watch that feels dependable, lasts well beyond a few days, and fits easily into everyday use, the GT 7 Pro gets a lot right. It is not a radical step forward, but it is a solid and well-rounded one.

The post Huawei Watch GT 7 Pro Review: Refined, Not Reinvented first appeared on Yanko Design.