A watch that looks like it costs money, but feels stuck in time.
In the evolving story of wearable technology, the HONOR Watch GS 3 presents a familiar tension: hardware that has grown sophisticated while the software animating it remains rooted in an earlier moment. Released in mid-2022 at €219.90, this smartwatch from HONOR offers a genuinely capable fitness companion with a striking display and nearly two weeks of battery life, yet it runs on LiteOS — an operating system that predates the expectations most users now bring to their wrists. It is a device that asks its wearer to choose between endurance and connectivity, between the body's data and the digital world's demands.
- The watch arrives dressed for success — a sharp AMOLED display, dual-frequency GPS, and 100+ workout modes — but the moment you try to reply to a message or install an app, the illusion of modernity collapses.
- LiteOS, inherited from older Huawei devices, imposes hard limits: no app store, no grouped notifications, no message replies, no voice assistant — absences that feel increasingly glaring in a market where rivals offer far richer software ecosystems.
- Real-world battery testing returned nine to ten days with all sensors running, a genuine differentiator that keeps the watch competitive for users who prioritize endurance over interactivity.
- The fitness tracking core holds up well — reliable GPS, an AI-assisted heart rate sensor claiming 97% accuracy, and over 100 workout modes — making it a credible tool for athletes willing to overlook its communicative shortcomings.
- At €219.90, the watch occupies an uncomfortable middle ground: too expensive to dismiss its software limitations, not capable enough to justify the price against smarter competitors, though periodic discounts soften the calculus.
The HONOR Watch GS 3 is a handsome device that arrives carrying the weight of its own contradictions. Its 1.43-inch AMOLED display is sharp and vivid, its metal-and-plastic construction feels premium, and the Classic Gold variant with leather strap held up through two weeks of testing without complaint. Three color options, curved glass, and a satisfying heft all suggest a watch that costs what it charges.
The trouble begins the moment you try to use it as a smartwatch. HONOR chose to run LiteOS — the operating system Huawei used before transitioning to HarmonyOS — and that decision defines the device's ceiling. There is no app store, no third-party software, no way to respond to messages from your wrist, and no voice assistant of any kind. Notifications arrive instantly but pile up ungrouped and unanswerable. For many users, these are not peripheral features — they are the reason to wear a smartwatch at all.
The hardware underneath tells a more encouraging story. An Apollo4 processor keeps things smooth, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity proved reliable across fourteen days of testing with only two brief disconnections, and a full charge takes under an hour via pogo-pin cradle. The fitness suite is genuinely strong: an eight-channel PPG heart rate sensor, SpO2 monitoring, dual-frequency GNSS GPS, and over 100 workout modes performed well during running and cycling sessions. Sleep tracking was adequate, if unremarkable.
Battery life is where the watch earns its most unambiguous praise. With all sensors active, real-world testing returned nine to ten days per charge — and HONOR's two-week estimate feels plausible under lighter use. A five-to-ten minute top-up can carry you through the rest of a day, which is a practical advantage few competitors can match.
At €219.90, the HONOR Watch GS 3 is a capable fitness tracker and a poor smartwatch. For athletes who want long battery life, reliable GPS, and health monitoring without the distraction of apps and notifications, it delivers with quiet competence. For everyone else, the software gap is too wide to overlook, and the price too high to forgive it.
The HONOR Watch GS 3 arrives as a curious artifact—a smartwatch that feels competent in the moment but somehow stuck in time. The device itself is handsome enough: a round face with a 1.43-inch AMOLED display, metal and plastic construction, and a heft that suggests quality. It measures 45.9 by 45.9 by 10.5 millimeters and weighs 44 grams without the strap. The screen is sharp at 466 by 466 pixels, the colors pop, and the curved glass feels good under the thumb. Three color options—Ocean Blue, Classic Gold, and Midnight Black—come with matching leather or silicone straps. For two weeks of testing, the Classic Gold variant with its leather strap held up without visible wear. This is a watch that looks like it costs money.
But the moment you interact with it, you sense the compromise. The HONOR Watch GS 3 runs LiteOS, the operating system Huawei used before moving to HarmonyOS. There is no app store. There are no third-party applications. You get what HONOR installed, and that is all. The notification system does not group messages, and you cannot respond to them from the watch itself. These are not minor inconveniences—they are the core reasons most people wear a smartwatch in the first place. The watch does push notifications instantly from your phone, which is something, but the inability to reply or organize them feels like a step backward from what competitors offer. Two buttons sit on the right side; the top one handles menu and home functions, while the bottom can be customized to launch music or fitness menus. It is functional but dated.
The hardware, though, performs admirably. An Apollo4 processor powers the device without lag or stuttering. Connectivity via Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4GHz WiFi proved reliable during testing, with only two disconnections in fourteen days, both of which reconnected automatically. The watch requires the HONOR Health app to pair with Android 8.0 and above phones, though iOS support remains unclear despite HONOR's website mentioning an OTA version. The charging cradle uses pogo pins rather than wireless charging, which means occasional cleaning is necessary, but a full charge takes less than an hour.
Where the HONOR Watch GS 3 truly shines is fitness. The device includes an eight-channel PPG heart rate sensor with frequency tracking and an AI algorithm that HONOR claims achieves over 97 percent accuracy. A SpO2 sensor is present, though it occasionally displayed false warnings about improper wear placement. The watch supports over 100 workout modes—85 custom modes plus more than 10 professional ones—with auto-detection for certain activities. During testing with running and cycling, the watch performed well, and the dual-frequency GNSS GPS worked reliably. Sleep tracking was adequate, though not exceptional, which is typical across the wearable category.
Battery life is the watch's strongest asset. HONOR rates it for two weeks of typical use, and real-world testing with all sensors active yielded nine to ten days per charge. With lighter usage patterns, the company's two-week estimate seems plausible. A quick five to ten minute charge provides enough power for the remainder of the day. The speaker is loud enough for phone calls, though the audio quality is what you would expect from a smartwatch speaker—passable but not pleasant. There is no voice assistant of any kind, whether Google Assistant, Alexa, or otherwise.
At €219.90, the HONOR Watch GS 3 occupies an awkward middle ground. It is a genuinely capable fitness tracker with excellent battery life and a beautiful display. For someone who wants a watch that tracks workouts, monitors heart health, and lasts nearly two weeks between charges, it delivers. But for anyone expecting to manage notifications, install apps, or use voice commands, it falls short. The software feels borrowed from an earlier era of smartwatches, and HONOR has not modernized it. The watch would be more compelling under €200, and the company does offer periodic discounts through HiHonor.com. The real question is whether you can accept what this watch refuses to do in exchange for what it does well.
Notable Quotes
The notification system is one of the main pain points of LiteOS—notifications are not grouped and you cannot respond to them via the watch.— Review findings
HONOR rates this watch for two weeks of typical usage, and real-world testing with all sensors active yielded nine to ten days per charge.— Battery testing results
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a watch that looks and feels this good end up feeling old?
Because the software inside it is old. HONOR is using LiteOS, which Huawei stopped using years ago. It's like putting a 2018 engine in a 2022 car body.
But the hardware specs seem solid—the display, the processor, the sensors.
They are. The Apollo4 chip is snappy, the AMOLED screen is genuinely nice, and the fitness sensors work well. The problem is that none of that matters if you can't do basic things like reply to a message from your wrist.
So it's a fitness watch, not a smartwatch.
Exactly. If you want it to track your runs and monitor your heart rate and last two weeks on a charge, it's excellent. If you want it to be a companion to your phone, it's not.
The battery life seems almost too good. How is that possible?
LiteOS is lightweight and efficient. There's no app ecosystem draining power, no constant syncing with third-party services. The trade-off is that you get less functionality, but you get longevity.
Is there anything about it that feels genuinely modern?
The display is current—1.43 inches, AMOLED, 466 by 466 pixels. The dual-frequency GPS is solid. But everything else—the notification system, the lack of an app store, the charging cradle with pogo pins—it all feels like it was designed three or four years ago.
Who should actually buy this?
Someone who runs or cycles regularly, who doesn't need to reply to messages from their wrist, and who values two weeks of battery life over everything else. If that's you, it's worth considering, especially on sale.