The Apple Watch is currently the best smartwatch that money can buy. Be it the conveniences of its smart features or its reliable health monitoring, it has set a high benchmark for the industry. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 comes close to offering a similar user experience but suffers from a laggy chipset. The same goes for Google’s Pixel Watch 2. All these watches also demand a higher price, thereby limiting these to the well-heeled.
Luckily, the wearables segment has been growing fast and brands like Honor have been doing a commendable job in offering premium experiences at relatively affordable prices. Take for example the Honor Watch GS 4, the latest smartwatch from the Chinese tech brand that aims to offer an overall premium experience without burning a hole in your wallet.
Not only does the Watch GS 4 look beautiful but a quick gloss through its specification sheet reveals a tempting package for tech and fitness enthusiasts among upcoming smartwatches. From GPS tracking to NFC-based wireless payments, this baby does it all.
But how much of an upgrade is it over its predecessor, the Honor Watch GS 3? Has Honor done enough to warrant an upgrade or ignore it for the next iteration? A quick Honor Watch GS 4 vs Honor Watch GS 3 comparison could help us find the answer.
Hence, without further ado, let’s dive into this comparison.
Honor Watch GS 4 vs Watch GS 3: Features and price comparison
Design and display
Honor’s expertise in design needs no introduction and these watches are a brilliant example. Although the Honor Watch GS 3 and Watch GS 4 are indistinguishable, the newer model benefits from slight refinements and a stronger stainless steel body. The Watch GS 3’s body consists of a combination of metal and plastic, which dampens the premium feel.
Whichever model you choose, you will get a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with touch gestures.
Winner: Honor Watch GS 4
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Smart features
The Honor Watch GS 3 offered a simpler user experience with a basic proprietary operating system. For the Watch GS 4, Honor has stuck to the same proprietary OS instead of offering a forked version of Google’s Wear OS.
Hence, you cannot download third-party apps from an app store and will be limited to the pre-installed app suite on this watch. You can check your smartphone notifications and even respond to text messages. You can also receive calls on the watch via Bluetooth connectivity and reject incoming calls with preset texts. Honor provides multiple customisable watch faces to choose from depending on your preferences.
That said, the new Honor Watch GS 4 gets an integrated NFC chip, which allows users to make contactless digital payments. Since the watch is available in China only for now, it only supports WeChat Pay, AliPay and other Chinese contactless authentication systems.
Winner: Honor Watch GS 4
Health tracking
The Honor Watch GS 3 and its successor share the same basic health-monitoring features. Like the Watch GS 3, the Honor Watch GS 4 can keep an eye on various parameters like your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, sleep and stress.
When starting your workout routine, you can dive into the workouts section and choose the ideal activity to gain more insights into your exercise progress. All basic activities like running, swimming, cycling, weight lifting, hiking, treadmills and triathlons can be tracked via the workout mode. With GPS onboard, you can even track the course of your runs and walks.
Winner: Tie
Battery
Similar to the health monitoring aspect, the Honor Watch GS 3 and Watch GS 4 also share similar battery life and charging speed benefits. Honor says that you can get up to 14 days of battery stamina on a full charge and if you engage GPS tracking, that duration comes down to 30 hours.
The bundled fast charger promises a full day’s backup with just 5 minutes of charging (when the level drops to zero). A full 0-100 per cent charge takes 60 minutes.
Winner: Tie
Price
The Honor Watch GS 3 is no longer available on sale and hence, you only have the option to purchase the newer Watch GS 4.
The Honor Watch GS 4 starts in China for CNY 999 (approximately HKD 1,099) and goes up to CNY 1,199 (approximately HKD 1,320) for the gold-plated variant. Honor is yet to announce plans for launching it in other markets.
Winner: Honor Watch GS 4
Honor Watch GS 4 vs Honor Watch GS 3: Our verdict
Winner: Honor Watch GS 4
The entry-level smartwatch segment is a tough nut to crack for brands since the pricing dictates all other features and experiences of the product. Honor has done a good job of striking a good balance between luxurious design and a feature-packed wearable experience without making it exorbitantly expensive.
The brand took all the proven aspects of the Watch GS 3 and improved the build quality with a steel body and the convenience of NFC-based payment support. Even the battery life on this watch is exceptional for a product of this category.
To sum it up, if you are seeking an affordable alternative to the Wear OS-based Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and the Google Pixel Watch 2 without losing on a premium design and all the necessary features, the Honor Watch GS 4 is a good option to consider.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Honor)
