Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 Review: A running watch after Garmin’s crown

Finest Costs Right now: Huawei Watch GT Runner 2

It’s been an extended look forward to a successor to Huawei’s running-focused smartwatch, however the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is lastly right here and able to compete.

Although Huawei has change into a reasonably large title within the smartwatch house, I’d think about that even essentially the most die-hard Huawei followers may need forgotten that the corporate as soon as had a as soon as aimed particularly at drawing runners away from the likes of Garmin and Apple.

I’ll be sincere, as somebody who solely began correctly testing the model’s wearables from the superb Huawei Watch GT 4, the unique Huawei Watch GT Runner had gone fully underneath my radar – till now.

Flashforward to the current day and after a four-year delay, we lastly have a follow-up within the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2, however as any tech fanatic will let you know, the competitors has by no means been extra fierce than it’s now.

Even the entry-level Apple Watch SE 3 works as a price range smartwatch for working, and Garmin’s watches have by no means felt extra competent, even on the decrease finish. So the query that I’ve been asking myself all through this evaluation is whether or not or not the GT Runner 2 does sufficient to face out in 2026.

Design & Construct

• Sits very comfortably on the wrist
• New titanium alloy chassis
• Just one dimension choice obtainable

Virtually any probability I get, I’ll gladly level out (years after its launch, thoughts you), that the inexperienced Huawei Watch GT 4 is without doubt one of the best-looking smartwatches I’ve ever used, and the second I noticed the GT Runner 2, I knew that Huawei was onto one other winner.

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There are three color methods this time (Midnight Black, Daybreak Orange and Nightfall Blue), however I’ve had the Daybreak Orange choose, which stands out in quite a lot of methods. The chassis itself adheres to a largely stainless steel-like aesthetic with just some touches of orange tastefully scattered across the bezel and bordering the push button. It seems to be implausible, and though I wasn’t positive about it at first, I’ve additionally come to understand the aptitude of the default watch band, which slowly adjustments color across the wrist. It has much more of an id than even the Huawei Watch GT 6.

The up to date design isn’t only for present both, because it’s extra sturdy than earlier than – making use of a titanium alloy chassis and a harder glass on the show, which Huawei calls Kunlun Glass. It’s additionally IP68 rated for mud and water resistance.

Within the two weeks that I’ve had the GT Runner 2, the watch has been worn just about across the clock, to mattress, the gymnasium and out on runs, and I’ve but to see any worrisome marks or scratches seem, so that you’d actually need to exit of your solution to make a dent within the watch.

What I’ve appreciated greater than the sturdiness, although, is simply how comfy the GT Runner 2 is to put on. One of many the explanation why the Garmin Venu X1 has change into my go-to smartwatch in between evaluations is due to how unobtrusive it feels on my wrist, and the GT Runner 2 isn’t far behind on this regard. At simply 43.5g, the watch feels very light-weight and I’ve not seen any marks seem on my pores and skin over extended use.

In contrast to a variety of different watches, the GT Runner 2 solely is available in one 43mm dimension choice, which is certainly a bit smaller than a few of the behemoths on the market, just like the Apple Watch Extremely 3, however I believe it’s an excellent compromise. It’s not large enough to really feel cumbersome, however it’s not too small as to depart me squinting on the show.

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Display & Audio

• 3000 nits peak brightness
• Simple to learn in all situations
• Stable onboard speaker

As with all working watch, the 1.5-inch AMOLED display is a significant component, because it must be vivid sufficient to be simply readable when out and about.

I’ll be sincere – after turning into a bit too accustomed the big 2-inch show of the Garmin Venu X1, I did marvel if the GT Runner 2 would possibly really feel like a slight downgrade, however due to its tremendous vivid panel, this by no means occurred.

The show reaches a peak brightness of 3000 nits, which places it proper up there with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Apple Watch Sequence 11, and similar to with these watches, it seems to be implausible. It didn’t matter if I used to be working by means of my native park throughout a sunny morning and checking my coronary heart charge, or making an attempt to learn a notification when taking the bins out after darkish, all of it got here by means of clearly.

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That brightness additionally signifies that the always-on show works a deal with. Every watch face has a low energy state that brings the brightness down and solely highlights a number of key bits of knowledge, however even then, I had no challenge with studying what was onscreen, which has been an enormous assist whereas I’ve been carrying my new child and wanted to rapidly look on the time.

There’s a built-in speaker for taking part in again any audio that you simply’ve regionally saved to the watch in MP3 type, and it sounds fairly respectable. It’s not fairly as detailed (or as loud) as what I discovered on the newest Apple Watch, however it could actually get the job finished for those who don’t have a pair of headphones at hand.

What’s much less spectacular is the built-in microphone – after recording a number of voice notes, taking part in them again on the watch felt a bit like listening to myself talking by means of a thick layer of mud, so I wouldn’t suggest taking calls on the watch until you wish to hear complaints from the individual on the opposite finish.

Sofware & Options

• HarmonyOS could be very slick
• NFC now works with Curve
• No offline Spotify actually hurts on a working watch

Given how a lot I really like the design and the show of the Watch GT Runner 2, I want I might preserve that sentiment going when transferring over to the software program, however as anybody who’s used a Huawei watch might little doubt guess, that is precisely the place the general expertise is at its worst.

As a result of Huawei stays locked out of the Google ecosystem (and Put on OS because of this), the GT Runner 2’s capabilities as a smartwatch are severely hampered, and for those who’re somebody who appreciates having fast entry to key apps in your wrist, then you definately’re much better off testing the likes of the Pixel Watch 4 or the OnePlus Watch 3.

Nonetheless, I do suppose that the influence is lessened right here because the GT Runner 2, by its very nature, is being marketed particularly as a health watch versus a smartwatch.

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Plus, there’s one large function that the Runner 2 is delivery with from the purpose of launch and that’s NFC compatibility with Curve Pay. Though I want you would merely add particular person financial institution playing cards to the watch, very like how one can with Apple Pay and Google Pay, Curve does at the least function like an mixture app that offers you entry to your varied banks by way of a single card, and also you select which ones foots the invoice after the actual fact.

The function hasn’t been obtainable to me throughout this evaluation, however it’s good to see Huawei excited about how one can bridge the hole between its wearables and the competitors.

Sadly, the Runner 2 continues to be lacking a handful of the important thing options that I would like from a working watch. Crucial function of all is offline music playback, as I hate to deliver my cellphone with me throughout an out of doors run, and though you may technically do that by transferring MP3 recordsdata over to the watch, it’s a much more cumbersome course of than merely downloading playlists from Spotify, which you are able to do elsewhere. One other non-negotiable, significantly throughout these darker months of the yr, is a built-in torch.

Most days, I’m solely in a position to go for a run early within the morning or later within the night, and that’s the place the built-in torch discovered on sure Garmin watches has been an enormous assist as I attempt to navigate my native park. I perceive why the GT Runner 2 can’t fairly match up on the software program entrance, however given simply how prolific Garmin’s LED torches have change into (now you can get one on the mid-range Garmin Venu 4), I’m stunned that Huawei hasn’t tried to do its personal spin on the function. Certain, you may have the display flip white, however it’s not the identical and nowhere close to as highly effective.

I’ll say, nevertheless, that HarmonyOS itself seems to be nice and it’s simple to zip from the watch face and right into a exercise. I’m positive that for these utilizing Huawei watches within the East, the entire expertise have to be to a degree that genuinely rivals Put on OS, however this simply isn’t the case within the West, even when the interface is that this slick.

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Health & Well being Monitoring

• Sensible Coaching Plan is nice for marathon prep
• Prime notch coronary heart charge monitoring
• Sleep monitoring continues to be as detailed as ever

Now we are able to begin diving into the true meat and potatoes of this watch, and right here’s the headline – in order for you a wearable particularly for enhancing your working skill, sleeping higher and getting loads of exercise inspiration, then the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is a superb choice to go together with in 2026.

Although I’m somebody who largely sticks to working 5K and the occasional 10K if I’ve had a reasonably productive time in increase my cardiovascular well being, I respect how the Huawei Well being app makes the idea of working a half or full marathon much more accessible to my mind, and it does so by way of its Sensible Coaching Plan software program.

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As an alternative of needing to place in my current exercise data and reply a litany of questions, all of the Sensible Coaching Plan wished to know from me was what aim I had in thoughts and after I wish to attain it, at which level it might then analyse my current exercises robotically and draft up a plan based mostly on the place it believes my working skill to be.

The plan itself was clearly laid out, and it was even peppered with a handful of weightlifting workout routines in between working days to assist my general skill. These weight periods additionally include little animations exhibiting you precisely how every transfer must be carried out.

If I did all of the sudden really feel the urge to coach for a marathon, I can let you know now that I’d really feel much more comfy in regards to the prospect with the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 in tow, however for the informal crowd, I’d sooner level them in direction of a less expensive watch just like the Apple Apple Watch SE 3 or the OnePlus Watch Lite.

Relating to coronary heart charge information, the Watch GT Runner 2 carried out admirably in comparison with a chest-worn Garmin HRM 600. Throughout two treadmill runs, the GT Runner 2 was often solely 1BPM off the mark from Garmin’s tracker, which is negligible as you’re nonetheless getting a strong concept of how your physique has reacted to a given exercise. At one level, that elevated to a 2BPM discrepancy when recording my peak coronary heart charge, however I by no means noticed the GT Runner 2 stray any farther from that mark.

For holding tabs in your route when working outside, the GT Runner 2 now has a brand new and improved system with one thing that Huawei calls a ‘3D Floating Antenna’, the crux of which includes utilizing the raised sections of the bezel (the orange bits for this evaluation unit) to create a stronger sign, one which’s supposedly 3.5x extra correct than the unique GT Runner.

Whereas a quantity like that’s exhausting to quantify, I can say that the GPS efficiency on the GT Runner 2 has been nothing wanting exemplary. On common, it might solely take 4 seconds to ascertain a sign on my normal route, and when worn alongside the pricier Garmin Venu X1 (which admittedly doesn’t have dual-band GPS), the Runner 2 did a much better job of representing precisely the place I had been all through the run. The monitoring solely wobbled barely after I went underneath a crowd of timber however in any other case it was spot on.

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For sleep monitoring, Huawei and Whoop are the one manufacturers that I level to as having finished the function justice, and with regard to the previous, Huawei doesn’t miss a beat right here both. Diving into the Huawei Well being app as soon as extra, I’m reminded of how so many different manufacturers fall quick as you’re getting detailed evaluation into every side of your circadian rhythm, together with (most crucially) a written clarification of what all of it means.

Admittedly, as a brand new father or mother, my sleep has been dismal as of late, however it’s been fascinating to see all of it tracked nonetheless.

Battery Life & Charging

• As much as 14-days of use
• Count on round 5-days with the always-on show toggled
• A full cost takes roughly 50 minutes

Due to its fitness-first strategy, you’d suppose that the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 would have an extended battery life than the Huawei Watch GT 6 vary however this isn’t the case.

Probably a results of the smaller sizing (the GT 6 and GT 6 Professional have bigger 46mm choices), the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 can final for as much as 14-days between costs, however that period requires mild use to achieve.

Curious to see how lengthy the watch might final underneath extra typical situations, I toggled the always-on show and was in a position to get by means of roughly 5 days earlier than reaching 10%, and this concerned a single go to to the gymnasium, sleep monitoring every night time and the occasional GPS-tracked stroll.

Those that plan on working each different day will most likely get barely much less in these situations, however for those who preserve the always-on show switched off, then I can simply see most individuals getting at the least every week’s value of juice from the watch.

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What’s nice is that, even for those who do however the battery by means of its paces with longer exercises, it doesn’t take lengthy in any respect to cost the watch up.

From a useless battery, I used to be in a position to get the watch again to 100% in roughly 50 minutes, however much more spectacular was clawing again 68% after simply half-hour of being plugged in. All of it works brilliantly, however I do marvel why the charger bundled with the watch nonetheless makes use of a USB-A port when virtually each different charging resolution has moved over to USB-C.

Value & Availability

The Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 is now in the stores now for the worth of £349.99, with European pricing but to be confirmed.

The watch is offered in only one dimension, with three distinct colourways: Midnight Black, Daybreak Orange and Nightfall Blue.

At its value level, the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 could be a troublesome promote for some, because it’s not solely dearer than some smartwatches just like the Galaxy Watch 8 and the OnePlus Watch 3, it’s additionally pricier than Huawei’s personal Watch GT 6 and GT 6 Professional.

What this watch has that the others don’t is an absolute dedication to working evaluation above all, so for those who’re a working obsessive who wants one thing akin to a wrist-based private coach then that is it. And it’s nonetheless cheaper than most of Garmin’s flagship wearables, which is essential.

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Must you purchase the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2?

Due to how single-mindedly targeted it’s on drawing in those that have multiple marathon on the calendar, I can’t actually fault the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 in its core endeavour.

As a working watch, this is a superb choose as you can also make use of the excellent Sensible Coaching Plan to achieve your targets, and it sits so comfortably on the wrist that you simply’ll barely comprehend it’s there, even in demanding exercises.

The aesthetic of the GT Runner 2 is what actually attracts me in, because it proves that Huawei has a greater eye for fashion than most firms working within the smartwatch house at the moment. With the absence of key third-party apps, nevertheless, I solely want that the GT Runner 2 might have had a built-in torch just like the Garmin Venu 4 to offer it an edge towards the competitors.

If I do plan on ever working a marathon, then the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 will possible be my first port of name, however within the meantime, after I’m comfortable simply doing a number of laps round my native park and accessing Spotify as I am going, I’ll discover my working companion elsewhere.

Specs

• 43mm case
• Titanium alloy
• Kunlun Glass
• 1.5-inch AMOLED display
• Colors: Midnight Black, Daybreak Orange, Nightfall Blue
• iOS and Android appropriate
• NFC funds (by way of Curve)
• Twin-band GPS
• IP68
• 43.5g