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| The Honor Watch GS 5 features a lightweight case, partially made of aluminum. |
In a market crowded with bulky, tech-heavy wearables, Honor is taking a different approach with its latest release. The newly unveiled Honor Watch GS 5 is a sleek, minimalist smartwatch that promises flagship-level battery life and essential health monitoring, all at a surprisingly accessible price point. We’ve dug into the specs and early impressions to see if it lives up to the hype.
Design: Lightweight and Swim-Ready
First impressions matter, and the Honor Watch GS 5 makes a strong one with its classic, unobtrusive design. Featuring a round 44-millimeter case with a slim profile of just 9.9mm, it sits comfortably on the wrist. The use of an aluminum bezel gives it a premium touch, while a plastic back keeps the overall weight down to a featherlight 26 grams. This makes it an ideal companion for 24/7 wear, including during workouts or even a swim, thanks to its 5 ATM water resistance rating.
Display and Battery: Where It Shines
Honor is heavily promoting the watch’s value-for-money proposition, and the display is a centerpiece of that claim. It sports a vibrant 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with a sharp 466 x 466 resolution. The real standout, however, is the peak brightness of 1,500 nits, ensuring clear visibility even under direct sunlight.
Where the GS 5 truly aims to differentiate itself is in endurance. Honor advertises a staggering battery life of up to 23 days on a single charge. As with all smartwatches, real-world usage tells a different story: with the always-on display activated, that number drops to a still-impressive nine days. This puts it far ahead of many competitors that struggle to last a full week.
Features and Health Monitoring: Smart, Not Overloaded
The watch is well-equipped with the standard modern conveniences: built-in speakers and microphones for taking calls, an NFC chip for contactless payments, a GPS module for outdoor activity tracking, and an ambient light sensor for automatic display adjustment.
The health and fitness suite is comprehensive. It includes over 100 sports modes to track everything from running to more niche activities. However, Honor has made a conscious choice to forgo advanced sensor technology like ECG. Instead, it focuses on proactive monitoring using its heart rate sensor. The watch is designed to analyze heart rhythm data to provide early warnings for potential risks such as atrial fibrillation, irregular heartbeat, or even signs of sleep apnea.
For a closer look at its full design and official specifications, you can visit the Honor Watch GS 5 product page.
It is crucial to understand that these features are for monitoring and awareness only. The Honor Watch GS 5 is not a medical device. It cannot diagnose any condition and is by no means a substitute for professional medical advice or consultation with a doctor.
Rounding out the experience are reliable sleep and menstrual cycle tracking, plus an AI voice assistant for hands-free control.
Price, Availability, and Outlook
The Honor Watch GS 5 has launched in China with a price tag of 699 yuan (approximately $100 or €90). This aggressive pricing positions it as a compelling budget-to-mid-range option. Details regarding an international launch remain unconfirmed at this time.
Final Thoughts
The Honor Watch GS 5 appears to be a strategically smart offering. It doesn’t try to win the spec war with the most advanced sensors but instead focuses on delivering a polished core experience: excellent battery life, a bright display, a comfortable design, and meaningful health insights. If it makes its way to global markets at or near its Chinese price, it could become a major contender for anyone seeking a capable, long-lasting smartwatch without breaking the bank.
