Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 Review

Design and screen

• One case size option
• Comes with two straps
• New Kunlun glass for improved screen protection

The GT Runner 2 has dropped in size from the first GT Runner, moving from a 46mm case to a 43mm one. So this is a watch that sits a lot smaller on your wrist and is going to appeal if you like your watches more on the compact side.

That 43mm case is made from a titanium alloy, with two physical buttons on the right side, including a twisting crown. That’s matched up with either a woven or fluoroelastomer strap, both of which are included in the box.

Front and centre is a vibrant 1.5-inch AMOLED screen that’s covered in a new version of Huawei’s Kunlun glass, which previously featured on its smartphones. This gives you tough protection against drops and scratches, all without adding considerable weight to the watch. It weighs 43.5g, making it one of the lightest running watches you can currently put on your wrist.  

While it’s primarily designed for running, it’s also suitable for submersion. It’s fit for pool swimming, open-water swimming, and free diving.

In running watch terms, the Watch GT Runner 2 pretty much fits the bill. It’s lightweight, feels well-built and comfortable. I like that you get two straps and that the screen is bright and visible. While I’d take more buttons, I think it gets most things right here.

Performance and software

• Runs on Harmony OS
• Includes key smartwatch features from other Huawei watches
• Compatible with Strava, Komoot and other leading fitness apps

Interacting with the Runner 2 is the same as picking up most other Huawei smartwatches. There’s the same HarmonyOS and Huawei Health app (iOS and Android) to get things set up, view your stats and adjust settings.

On the watch, barring needing to give consent to most apps and features, the experience is pretty strong. You’ve got a nice mix of watch faces to pick from, with more available via the Health app. The top crown button takes you to the main menu screen, and you can swipe left or right on the main watch screen to see full-sized widgets showing data like activity tracking progress or your current emotional state. 

It’s when you head to the app that things start to get a bit more cluttered. I’ve been using a beta version of the Health app on an iPhone to get early access. What’s striking me, along with recent experiences with Huawei smartwatches, is that there’s a lot going on.

The running tab, for instance, includes links to syncing data with third-party apps like Strava and Komoot, along with guides, AI-powered suggestions, and recommended training sessions. This is all useful stuff, just not necessarily presented in the most inviting way.

As a smartwatch, there’s pretty much everything here that you can find on other Huawei smartwatches. You’ve got a notification feed where the source of notifications is clearly communicated. While the music player doesn’t support offline playback for streaming services like Garmin or Apple does, it does make it relatively straightforward to drag and drop files onto the watch in the app. 

There’s a Find My Phone mode and well-presented weather forecasts, along with a quality speaker and microphone that make handling Bluetooth phone calls worthwhile. You do have access to the Huawei AppGallery, but app support remains pretty limited. Huawei is now adding payment support in the UK too, so you can now pay your way if you want to leave your phone behind on runs.

Tracking and features

• Dual antenna design for improved GPS performance
• Updated TruSense system
• Marathon mode and personalised training plans

While this is a smartwatch predominantly designed for tracking runs, it’s more than capable of doing other things. Outside of running, I’ve used it for swimming, general gym workouts, ECG and skin temperature readings, and even to monitor my emotional well-being. 

From a hardware perspective, Huawei has introduced a floating antenna design. This uses a titanium bezel and what Huawei calls a dielectric bezel to boost the performance of dual-band GPS technology included. This dual-band positioning technology is available on the Apple Watch Ultra and the likes of the Garmin Forerunner 970, though it doesn’t use a floating antenna design.

I’ve been testing that GPS against other top-performing running watches, including Garmin’s Forerunner 970. That includes using it for a 10k race in the centre of London, where there are a lot of tall buildings to wreak havoc on GPS.

For most runs, the GPS has looked good. When tested in more challenging conditions, it did still encounter some issues, and I didn’t find it necessarily better performing than other leading multi-band sports watches.

It is worth pointing out that those two watches cost about double what the Huawei watch costs, and comparing it with a similarly priced Forerunner 570, it outperformed the lower-tier Garmin comfortably, at least in two key areas.

One thing that was consistently better on the Huawei was the time it took to lock onto the GPS signal at the start. From starting a workout to it notifying me that it was locked onto the satellite signal was 2-3 seconds at most. With the Garmin, I would often be waiting – sometimes unpleasantly out in the cold – for upwards of 10-15 seconds. If you want a watch you can just launch quickly into a run, walk or hike – the Huawei won’t leave you waiting.

Huawei was quite bold about its watch’s algorithm and AI’s ability to measure distances accurately, even if you go through a tunnel, and so, on a walk which was covered by trees for a lot of the way, I wanted to test this theory.

Again, testing alongside the Garmin Forerunner 570, with another wearable on my wrist which used my phone’s GPS for location tracking, I got three different results.  But as Huawei said, the GT Runner 2 appears to be the watch that’s least troubled by these blank spots in GPS signal.

Looking at the route on the Huawei Health app, you can see it continues cleanly along the path through the tunnel underground in both directions. Garmin – it’s safe to say – did not. Once it got lost underground, it got confused and drew plot lines between points somewhere near the tunnel, but not cleanly through it – even suggesting I went on a little bit of a paddle in the lake at one point.

The end result was that, by the end of that walk, the Garmin had overestimated my distance by about 200 metres, and that was a short 3km stroll with the family. Even the Withings watch, using my phone’s GPS, did a better job of estimating distance after it lost signal in the tunnel.

Huawei has upgraded its TruSense optical sensor setup on the case rear, which, alongside new algorithms, promises improved heart rate tracking accuracy for runs.

I would say the accuracy has been fine for some runs, but not so much for others. I still found that it reported higher maximum readings and, at times, higher average readings than a heart rate monitor chest strap. You can pair with an external monitor if you crave the best heart rate data.

On the software front, there are new running modes and metrics to make use of. Some of these features have been developed in collaboration with the professional running team DSM-Firmenich. This is a running team that includes an elite roster of marathon runners, including Eliud Kipchoge.

That includes a running power metric for those who want another way to gauge effort during runs. There’s the ability to detect your lactate threshold, which is related to how well you can sustain intensity of longer periods of running. Huawei has also added adaptable training plans and AI-powered running coach suggestions based on metrics like training status and load. There’s also a marathon mode. 

The marathon mode includes features designed to help you train and finish a marathon. It can also be customised to work with races of distances ranging from 3km up to the marathon distance. This mode offers unique features, such as guidance on pace during a race and reminders on when to fuel. The core of these training features is good and can be useful tools for shaping training; it’s the presentation that needs some work.

Battery life

• Up to 14 days battery life
• Up to 32 hours battery life
• Uses proprietary charging cable

The GT Runner 2 includes a 540mAh battery, up from the 455mAh cell on the original Runner. Huawei promises the same 14-day battery life when using it primarily as a smartwatch. When you factor in GPS-based run tracking, the promised numbers are good. Huawei says you can enjoy up to 32 hours of GPS battery. That’s more battery while tracking runs than big hitters like the Garmin Forerunner 970.

The reality is that you won’t be charging this watch every few days, even if you keep the screen on all the time. If you do that, then you’re going to get less than a week out of it. I found you can get a good week out of it, which matches most other running watches it’s competing against.

When it comes to charging, it’s a proprietary setup that at least powers the watch up quickly when you do need to charge. An hour’s charge can get you enough battery for a week’s worth of run tracking and everything else in between.

Should you buy it?