This flagship smartwatch packs a feature Apple and Samsung only wish they had

Huawei may be banned in the US, but the company is not slowing down its global push. Earlier this year, it launched the world’s first tri-folding smartphone ahead of Samsung in key Asian and Middle Eastern markets, and it continues to lead Android innovation in areas like zoom cameras.

In many regions, however, Huawei is now better known for its wearables. While flagships like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra dominate headlines, Huawei’s Watch 5 gave the Pixel Watch 3 serious competition earlier this year.

Now, the company has introduced two new models: the Huawei GT 6 Pro and the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2. The Watch Ultimate 2 goes head-to-head with other ultra-smartwatches and brings an innovative feature that Apple, Samsung, and Google can only dream of.

Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 has underwater communication

Diving is old news, this watch lets you actually talk underwater

The Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 is a direct challenger to the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. Built with premium, top-of-the-line materials, the Watch Ultimate 2 features a large display and a big battery. It’s designed for adventurers and promises the best smartwatch experience, whether you are hiking in remote areas with no cellular signal or diving deep underwater.

Of course, all Ultra smartwatches make similar claims. Both the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra offer rugged builds and are rated for deep-sea diving. What sets the Watch Ultimate 2 apart, however, is its unique underwater communication feature.

Yes, you read that right. Huawei has developed technology that allows two Watch Ultimate 2 devices to connect and exchange messages underwater, without the need for internet, cellular, or satellite connectivity.

Here is how it works: when two people wear the Watch Ultimate 2, they can connect their smartwatch before diving, and once under the water, they can send a set of 64 preset text messages. It is especially useful in situations where speaking is impossible and divers would normally rely on hand signals.

Not only does this make communication easier, but it also adds a layer of safety. I saw a live demo, and the feature works much faster than expected. Moreover, the watches make a dolphin-like sound when transmitting messages, which is surprisingly fun to hear.

Apple also recently added safety messaging to the Watch Ultra 3, but it still relies on satellite SOS to function. Huawei’s approach, on the other hand, is useful in scenarios where you are traveling with more than one person, since it allows direct watch-to-watch communication without depending on satellites or cellular networks.

Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro proves battery life can be truly exceptional

This smartwatch can go days without recharging

Alongside the Watch Ultimate 2, Huawei also unveiled the Watch GT 6 and Watch GT 6 Pro. Unlike the Ultimate 2, which rivals the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, the GT 6 Pro is aimed squarely at the Apple Watch Series 11 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

The Watch GT 6 Pro features a sporty design with a titanium case and sapphire glass. It comes in two case sizes: 42mm and 46mm. Both models deliver up to 3000 nits peak brightness, ensuring excellent outdoor visibility. As expected, it is focused on health and workout tracking, supporting more than 100 sports and activity modes.

However, one key area where the Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro truly stands out against Apple and Samsung is battery life. Despite its high-brightness display and all-day health tracking, Huawei claims up to 21 days on a single charge.

In my testing, it lasted about 9 days with all features enabled, including skin temperature monitoring, heart rate tracking, daily workout tracking, and Always-on Display mode. And even though the Watch GT 6 Pro doesn’t hit the claimed battery endurance, it is still far beyond what Apple and Samsung currently offer.

Huawei’s new GT models (once again) prove there’s clear room for improvement in this area for other smartwatch makers. And that’s not all — the GT 6 series includes two more standout features that push it ahead of its rivals.

Two more areas show where Samsung and Apple still lag behind

IP69 protection and lug width add polish that competitors lack

Beyond battery life, the Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro also outshines Samsung and Apple in durability and design. While most flagship smartwatches use premium materials that are fine for swimming or rain, the Watch GT 6 series comes with an impressive IP69 dust and water resistance rating.

This means the watches can withstand not only water submersion but also high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. And even though it’s unlikely you’ll face those conditions in real life, it shows that despite offering similar features as other flagship watches, Huawei has achieved better IP ratings than the rest.

On top of this, there’s another design aspect where the Watch GT 6 stands apart. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch also offer small and large sizes, but their overall design barely changes. You still get a rounded-square face even on the smaller Apple Watch models, which can (sometimes) look oversized on smaller wrists.

Huawei, on the other hand, offers a design that adapts to all wrist sizes.

The 41mm Watch GT 6 has a narrower lug width that fits snugly, especially for women with smaller wrists. The band sits close and secure, unlike other smartwatches, where the strap protrudes outward, making the watch look bulky. The Watch GT 6’s band sits naturally against the wrist, giving it a more balanced, elegant look.

All things considered, Huawei’s new smartwatches show that despite Samsung and Apple being dominant players, there’s still plenty of room for improvement and innovation. Huawei, on the other hand, is moving fast, with the company claiming it became the number one brand in wrist-worn devices in the first half of this year, and it’s easy to see why.

Heart Rate Monitor

Yes

Onboard GPS

GPS + GLONASS + GALILEO + BeiDou + QZSS

Display

1.5-inch LTPO 2.0 AMOLED

Battery

Up to 4.5 days

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Wi-Fi 6

Weight

80.5 grams

The Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 comes with a big 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 3500 nits peak brightness. It is the world’s first 150-meter dive-proof smartwatch with sonar-based underwater communication. Additionally, it comes with all standard smartwatch health tracking features, including ECG, SpO2, and Huawei’s own X-Tap technology for quick health glance.

Heart Rate Monitor

Yes

Case size

42mm, 46mm

Display

1.47-inch AMOLED

Battery

Up to 21 days

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, NFC

Durability

IP69 + 5ATM

The Huawei Watch GT 6 Pro offers a large 1.47-inch AMOLED display with 3000 nits peak brightness and premium build material. It supports over 100 workout and sports modes. The Watch GT 6 Pro provides precise location tracking using six satellites, with improved GPS accuracy. Huawei claims up to 21 days of battery life on a single charge on this smartwatch.