Huawei continues to stand out on the wearables stage, creating high quality products at reasonable prices.

In May, Huawei launched the Watch Fit 3 in South Africa, bringing another attractive offering to the market.

I’ve spent the last few months testing the smartwatch and here’s what I’ve found…

Design

While I prefer the design of the Watch GT 4, which resembles a classic watch more closely, I appreciate the design of the Watch Fit 3 in being both economical and at the same time, generous. 

What do I mean by this? The Watch Fit 3 has the rectangular display of a more affordable product, but equips you with an ample size for a smartwatch. It even includes a rotary dial to add to the premium design. 

This sets it apart from the competition as it achieves a balance of both worlds – the sleek appearance of a modern smartwatch, the generous display of a premium product, and unique Huawei touches like the dial that add to the overall charm of the device.

Its design is also lightweight – the watch weighs 26g without the strap versus the GT 4, which weighs 48g. It comes in a variety of strap colours and materials too. My review device is the green variant, with the pastel strap adding a bit of flair to the device.

But it’s not all about looks. How does the smartwatch perform? 

Huawei Watch Fit 3 battery life

Something I love about Huawei watches is the extended battery life, with models usually lasting between one and two weeks. 

Even though the Watch Fit 3 is a more affordable device, it doesn’t skimp on the battery life. With typical usage, the watch lasts 7 days. But the longevity will differ based on how you use it. 

I found that the watch lasted 10 to 11 days for me, with near daily outdoor walk tracking, WhatsApp notifications, call notifications, and sleep tracking. 

And when it comes time to charge, the watch charges fully in under an hour. This makes using the watch extremely convenient since you’re not constantly waiting for it to charge up.

Managing your health with the Watch Fit 3 

Overall, with its sleep, exercise, and stress tracking, the Watch Fit 3 is great for managing your health. Using the watch has helped me build and alter routines to help get my health back on track. 

After a flare up of migraines and fibromyalgia pain and fatigue, my activity levels were extremely low earlier this year. But I gradually built up a routine where I would take walks and use the Watch Fit 3 to track my distance. I worked up to a daily walk of 1km during my lunch break and have been feeling slightly stronger. 

My next goal is to work up to 2km. I like that Huawei includes a variety of exercise types in its tracking, meaning that you can use it regardless of your fitness levels – you don’t have to start out with running, a simple walk is enough. 

When it comes to sleep, I’ve also been using the watch to reduce my time spent in bed. Slowly but surely I’ve been able to cut down on long sleep sessions that leave me feeling fatigued and sore. 

Meanwhile, the stress tracking helps me notice any spikes in my daily stress and take note of anything that could be contributing to it.

Another feature that I enjoy is the fitness animations. When you’ve been inactive for a period of time, the watch prompts you to move with a quick 3-minute warmup. Each exercise is displayed on your watch screen as you go through the repetitions. It’s actually a feature that I wish would also appear on the GT range of watches.

Drawbacks to the Watch Fit 3

I’ve got plenty of praise for this device, but what are some of the drawbacks that users should be aware of? 

The biggest drawback is that the sleep tracking hasn’t been perfected yet, but this could be a case of my unusual sleep patterns being misinterpreted by the watch. The watch overestimates how much I sleep and underestimates how much I wake up. 

I wake up frequently during the night for short bouts due to pain. I wake up, roll over and get more comfortable, then go back to sleep. But the watch doesn’t note these bouts of consciousness. 

It has occasionally also flagged a physiotherapy session or watching TV on the couch as taking a nap, when in reality I’m just staying still for an hour or so. 

Another feature I wish the watch had is automatic workout detection and tracking. But overall, I have very few criticisms of the device.

Huawei Watch Fit 3 review verdict: Is it worth it? 

Despite a few hiccups with sleep tracking, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 is an excellent smartwatch packed with features. I expected a simpler device for its price range, but instead was pleasantly surprised by its Bluetooth calling, high quality materials, and multiple tracking metrics. 

Priced between R2,999 and R3,499, based on the version you get, the Watch absolutely provides value-for-money. The Watch Fit 3 is another example of quality Huawei wearable design.

You can check out the watch on the Huawei website for more details.

Disclaimer: This product was gifted to Tech Valkyrie.