Huawei GT Runner is an easy-to-use fitness machine in a world of its own

In many ways, Huawei has overcome its Google ban. In 2022, it offers an implied deal on most of its current gadgets and electronics: the kit itself will be very good and very reasonably priced, but you won’t be able to access other ecosystems or access many mainstream third-party apps.

That’s exactly what you get with Huawei’s GT Runner. For what it sets out to do – a precise, feature-rich, nimble accessory for runners – it excels.

Tracking and motion metering is excellent, while the screen is bright and easy to read your status with just the quickest glance.

Battery life is also relatively good for such a colorful display, and navigating through the various functions is very easy thanks to the rotating crown button (this is added to give the appearance of a stopwatch, which is a nice aesthetic touch).

And because it’s a half step down from metallic flagship models like the Watch 3 or Watch GT 3, it’s lighter, which means less pressure for those with slim or small wrists.

On the downside, this watch doesn’t let you load some third-party apps that you might get access to on Apple or Samsung smartwatches. It’s also not useful for things like contactless payments. Interaction with things like news or social media is also minimal.

Perhaps most limiting is the lack of music streaming compatibility; That means you’ll have to go back to an old-school method if you really want music on your GT Runner – by downloading individual music files onto the device.

It’s clear that Huawei is betting that these added benefits won’t deter people from the core appeal of the GT Runner, which costs $299.

After using it for a few weeks I can definitely see the appeal. Every time you take a look at it, it’s clear that it’s more of a fitness tool than anything else. It’s also easy to use.

And its sensor setup for things like heart rate, blood oxygen or sleep tracking is really excellent.

At this point, Huawei Health is a sophisticated health and fitness app (compatible with iOS and Android).