I come from a Garmin Instinct 2 and what the GT5 Pro offers can only be matched by equivalent Garmin models at double or triple the price. Sapphire screen, titanium case and bracelet at €404. It also accepts simple 22mm straps very easily. With Garmin, you pay over €1000 for all these features and the straps are extra. The software that comes with it is miles ahead of Garmin's equivalent. The GT5 Pro is more focused on health measurements and even provides an ECG with arrhythmia detection (very important for those over 50) as well as many other health metrics. Of course, it also has training programs tailored to your age/physical condition. Also, very advanced sleep monitoring, and through the app on your phone, you can simultaneously monitor and RECORD snoring and talking in your sleep (!). You start sleep tracking and leave your phone 50 centimeters away, and it records the moments you snore or talk in your sleep, and you can listen to them in the morning (see photo). It does not record the entire duration of sleep. It combines sleep measurements with whatever the watch detects and produces very detailed reports.
For training, it has many activities and the tracking is very accurate. In fact, the running/walking path is much smoother than what Garmin provides (probably because it supports GNSS like the newer Garmin models).
The only comparative disadvantage is that it does not have GPS routing. You download an offline map of Greece to see your routes during activities, it shows points of interest but does not allow you to route a course to a specific point. However, it can display routing instructions on the watch when you install the Petal Maps app on your phone and set a destination. Then it sends the instructions to the phone, which appear as arrows, roads, etc., on a black background.
Call quality is excellent and the person you are talking to cannot tell you are speaking from a watch. The speaker is quite loud and you can hear it even when there is noise on the street or outdoors. It allows up to 10 favorite contacts, which is more than enough for most people.
I had no problems with notifications or with installing Huawei's extra software, which is very easy to do from the official website.
The first charge lasted 7 days and I still have 20% battery left, but I won't let it drop further. Charging is wireless and takes 1 hour.
Finally, I should mention that the inability for contactless payments is due to European Union restrictions and not Huawei.
Overall, very satisfied.
Update July 2025.
The new firmware version 5.1 at the end of July 25 will also add voice memos AND HRV! It seems Huawei is seriously targeting Garmin with its own ecosystem.
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