Are Honor smartwatches good?
Honor smartwatches have an average overall score of 7.7, ranking #9 among all smartwatch brands, and a review score of 7.9, placing them at #11 among brands by review score.
Yes, Honor smartwatches are good for users who want useful core features at competitive prices.
Honor strengths are battery endurance, practical fitness tracking, and easy day-to-day usability with notifications and health metrics. The lineup covers both entry and mid-tier needs well.
Trade-offs include a more limited app ecosystem than top smartwatch platforms, fewer premium-material options in lower tiers, and reduced smart-feature depth compared with flagship rivals.
(Note: A total of 40 brands were evaluated in the comparison in the first paragraph. Only those with at least 5 smartwatches in our database were included.)
The best Honor smartwatch models are as follows:
- Honor Watch Gs 3 Overall score: 7.75
- Honor Watch 5 Overall score: 7.74
- Honor Watch Gs Pro Overall score: 7.49
The chart below ranks smartwatch brands by average overall score.
[horizontal-chart-03302773280258034273180208919870815536630019360859]What are the main advantages of Honor smartwatches?
The main advantages of Honor smartwatches are as follows:
- Long battery life: Most Honor smartwatches last 10 to 14 days on a single charge with normal use, and even with GPS tracking they run 20 to 30 hours. This puts them above many competitors that average 2 to 5 days.
- Accurate health tracking: Honor integrates TruSeen and TruSleep sensors that measure heart rate 24/7, SpO₂, stress, and sleep stages with precision close to medical-grade devices. For example, SpO₂ sensors measure oxygen saturation with ±2% accuracy.
- Lightweight design: Models like the Honor Watch ES weigh only 21 g without the strap, which makes them comfortable for long wear during sports or sleep. Even premium models stay under 50 g, lighter than many Apple and Samsung models.
- Large AMOLED display: Honor smartwatches use AMOLED panels up to 1.64 inches with resolutions around 456 × 280 pixels, which gives sharp text and vivid colors. Always-on display modes improve readability outdoors.
- Advanced sports modes: The watches support 85+ custom workout modes and 10+ professional ones, including running, cycling, swimming (5 ATM water resistance), and rowing. Real-time metrics track pace, VO₂ max, and recovery time.
- Affordable pricing: Honor smartwatches usually cost between £70 and £130, so they undercut premium competitors with similar functions, such as Huawei, Apple, or Samsung, which start at £220 to £340.
What are the main disadvantages of Honor smartwatches?
Honor smartwatches have the following main disadvantages:
- Limited app ecosystem: Unlike Apple or Samsung, Honor smartwatches do not support third-party app installations, so users rely only on preinstalled features.
- No NFC payments in most models: Except for some China-only versions, global variants do not support contactless payments. This reduces convenience for daily use.
- Average smartwatch features: Notifications, calls, and music control work, but features like LTE, advanced voice assistants, or app stores are missing compared to higher-end brands.
- Limited iOS compatibility: While Honor watches sync with iPhones, some advanced features such as detailed sleep data and stress monitoring are locked to Android.
- Few premium materials: Most models use plastic cases with silicone straps. Only top-end versions integrate stainless steel or leather, so they look less luxurious than premium competitors.
