Has the Apple Watch Ultra found its nemesis? This is what Huawei suggests with its new Watch Ultimate. We attended the presentation of this “ultimate” connected watch, and the least we can say is that it really impresses!
In addition to its premium specifications, the beauty is adorned with an equally premium price which may cause some teeth to cringe…
A smartwatch designed for divers
Apparently scuba diving is all the rage right now. If Garmin was one of the only consumer brands to produce smartwatches geared towards this friendly sport, in recent months the situation is starting to change. We will remember the Apple Watch Ultra, equipped with an application for divers. Well, we will now have to reckon with the Huawei Watch Ultimate, which goes much further than its American competitor.
Equipped with a zirconium body, a lighter and more resistant metal than stainless steel, this connected watch is one of the only ones on the market to guarantee water resistance up to 100 meters deep. The Chinese brand thus announces the possibility of immersing the watch up to 110 meters in salt water, for a maximum period of 24 hours.
Of course, divers will find a set of functions dedicated to their activity on their wrist. Among other things, they can choose from four dive modes or display their GF value.
The Huawei Watch Ultimate uses the Bühlmann decompression algorithm to monitor the body during the ascent phases. The user can also program up to 20 alarms to mark each step of his exit in deep water. La tocante therefore seems much more complete than its rival from Apple, at least on this point.
A connected watch as elegant as it is durable
It’s not just the dive that sets the Watch Ultimate apart from its competitors. In addition to its increased water resistance, the Asian smartwatch is trying the adventure of zirconium, abandoning the classic titanium. The Chinese manufacturer announces that its case is 2.5 times harder and 4.5 times stronger than stainless steel. To this, add the presence of a 1.5-inch sapphire AMOLED screen. As for the bezel, it is adorned with ceramic. All this is reminiscent of the Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro Titanium, whose Ultimate also includes many functions devoted to health.
The premium watch thus retrieves the ECG and the ability to check the pulse wave velocity. SpO2 monitoring is of course included, as is heart rate and sleep monitoring.
Huawei does not forget the sports enthusiasts of trail and other long-term outings. The Watch Ultimate adopts a new, less resource-intensive battery mode called Exploration. This decreases the frequency of GPS and heart rate capture. Note in passing that the tocante uses a dual-band GPS chip, essential at the top of the range. In addition, for night outings, the dial can switch to dark mode so as not to attack the eyes.
Finally, we see the appearance of a new button on the top left side of the case. It complements the rotating crown and the button on the right. In terms of autonomy, it’s always excellent, with two weeks of use announced by the manufacturer. The Watch Ultimate also recharges quickly: 60 minutes is enough to fill up the battery!
Huawei Watch Ultimate: price and availability
The Huawei Watch Ultimate will be available for pre-order from April 3 to 23, 2023. The sale price is set at 749 euros for the Expedition Black model with HNBR plastic strap. The price rises to 899 euros for the Voyage Blue version with a zirconium bracelet.
In order to pass the pill, Huawei is offering a pair of FreeBuds Pro 2 wireless headphones during the pre-order period. Each Huawei watch also offers an additional HNBR strap in the box.
Remember that if the Watch Ultimate is compatible with Android and iOS, it is only with a Huawei smartphone under Harmony OS that you will draw its full potential.
Source: Huawei press conference
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