I had the Garmin Venu 2 for 3 years and was happy with it overall. But unfortunately, I scratched the screen pretty badly, and at one point, the screen came off and broke the ribbon cable. Garmin offered me a refurbished unit for about £144. Now, I’m considering switching to the Huawei Watch GT3 (£136) or GT4 (£159), as there’s only a £23 difference in price right now. The GT series looks great and seems better built than the Garmin, but I’m a little concerned about Huawei being on the USA blacklist. I’m in the UK, though, so I’m not sure if I should worry about this. Does it really matter that the Huawei app isn’t available on the Play Store? The Amazfit Balance looks good too, but it’s not built as well as the Huawei, though it’s priced around £150. Lastly, should I just stick to what I know and get the Venu 2 SQ for £150? It has the same battery life and user experience as my Venu 2, just with a different design. I don’t think I’d miss the missing features like flights of stairs or animated workouts. I mainly want a smartwatch to get notifications for messages (WhatsApp, Telegram), emails, and apps for quick glances at the watch for things that need attention. I don’t need to answer calls or use NFC. I’m a bit unsure if I’d like the Zepp or Huawei Health app, but Garmin Connect isn’t perfect either. I’m looking for a change, which is why I don’t want a Venu 2 again. I didn’t really like the feel or look of it. Battery life is important to me—at least 5 days, which all these models offer. On my Venu 2, I got about 10-11 days with my usage. I’m using an Android phone, Samsung S20 FE. This is my first post, so go easy on me!
I’d say go with the GT4 over the GT3 because it has updated sensors and is definitely worth the extra money. The battery life will be about 8 days (if you keep Always-On Display on) if you want to match the Garmin’s health tracking. The Huawei ban in the UK only affects its 5G equipment, so it shouldn’t be a concern for you. The bigger problem is that Huawei can’t use Google’s services, so you’ll have to sideload the Huawei Health app if you’re using Android. The heart rate monitor works like Apple Watch—it’s continuous when you’re active and switches to periodic readings when inactive. The Huawei watch gives you good heart rate tracking, but their health metrics could be better. If you’re into fitness, you may notice that Garmin and Amazfit have better GPS. As for the Amazfit Balance, it has a slick interface, and its heart rate monitoring is pretty decent too, but the battery life won’t be as good if you opt for the 1-minute frequency for HR tracking. The Amazfit NFC pay works fine in the UK and most of Europe, so it’s not really an issue if you’re not in the US. The Venu 2 SQ would be great if you care more about health tracking—Garmin’s metrics are usually more accurate. However, its watch faces aren’t as good-looking as the Huawei GT series. If customization is your thing, Garmin has the edge, but the Huawei UI is smoother and looks better. As for the app experience, Garmin Connect is more feature-rich than the Huawei Health app, and Amazfit is somewhere in between. Just keep in mind that both Huawei and Amazfit don’t really update their algorithms as much as Garmin does.
@Skyler
That seems to be from 24/7 readings, which is a change they made recently. Also, here’s more info: Huawei’s Support Page. Honestly, I wish they would use a better translator for their manuals. It’s pretty hard to follow sometimes!
@Wylie
That does suggest the continuous readings are only between 10 to 30-minute intervals. I guess that’s not the end of the world, but it’s annoying. The Huawei watch looks fantastic and better built than the Garmin, though. I wonder if this would matter much in the end. If I do a short high-intensity workout for 2-3 minutes, the GT4’s interval might miss that peak, but is it really a big deal? If I’m working out, I’d start a workout activity anyway. I could also check my heart rate manually if needed.
@Skyler
As far as build quality goes, Garmin usually has a really tough design. The resin used is quite durable, and they use Gorilla Glass or sapphire glass for the screen, so it’s tougher than most others. The Pro models from Huawei may have sapphire, but I’m not sure about the standard models. I’m pretty sure if you scratched the screen the way you did, any watch would’ve been damaged the same way, even the GT3/GT4. But, yes, both look great. I’ve played around with the GT4/GT3, and it was fun. UI smoothness is similar to Garmin’s. It’s nothing to get excited about, but both do the job well. If you’re not tracking activity, the biggest thing you might miss is the potential calories burned and HR notifications. But like you said, if you track your activities properly, those details should be fine. The algorithms might be adjusted based on the sport, so the HR, calories, and training benefits might be more accurate when you start an activity.