The Honor Watch 5 Ultra is the brand’s latest premium smartwatch, built with durability and performance in mind. As Honor’s first “Ultra” watch, it features a GR5 titanium case, sapphire crystal glass, and advanced health tracking, making it a serious contender in the high-end smartwatch market. While it takes inspiration from the Honor GS Pro, this model boasts refined aesthetics and top-tier materials, ensuring a rugged yet stylish appeal.
With a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, 60Hz refresh rate, and 10,000+ customizable watch faces, the Watch 5 Ultra offers a smooth and vibrant user experience. The 480mAh battery promises up to 15 days of usage, while reverse wireless charging on supported Honor phones adds extra convenience.
Beyond design, this watch excels in health monitoring with 24/7 heart rate, blood oxygen tracking, sleep analysis, and stress monitoring. The Quick Health Scan feature delivers key health insights in just 45 seconds, ensuring easy access to vital stats. The Honor Watch 5 Ultra also supports 100+ sports modes, including free diving up to 40 meters, thanks to 5ATM + IP68 water resistance.
With built-in GPS, seamless phone syncing, and a unique scenario service card system, it enhances daily productivity. However, limited strap options and the lack of a keyboard for replying to messages leave room for improvement. Is this the ultimate Honor smartwatch? Let’s find out.
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Display & Design:
The Honor Watch 5 Ultra is designed to be both rugged and elegant, with a boxy, octagonal design that sets it apart from typical smartwatches. The GR5 titanium case is highly durable, offering excellent resistance to scratches and impact, making it perfect for outdoor enthusiasts or those who work in demanding environments. The sapphire crystal glass covering the display enhances durability, ensuring the screen remains protected.
One of the standout elements is the crown design, which retains the iconic red line from Honor’s Pro models. The rotatable crown allows for smooth navigation through menus, and the haptic feedback enhances the experience. The ceramic back provides a premium feel while housing the health tracking sensors.
The 1.5-inch AMOLED display is rounded and fully covered with a black border, eliminating unnecessary patterns that might interfere with different watch faces. With a 60Hz refresh rate, animations and icons appear smooth and lively. The 10,000+ watch faces allow for deep customization, ensuring the display can match any style or mood.
At 46mm and weighing 51g, the Watch 5 Ultra has a substantial presence on the wrist but remains comfortable for extended wear. The rubber strap is durable, but a leather strap option is available for the brown color variant. However, Honor could expand its strap selection to include titanium or black metal options for those seeking a more premium feel.
Despite its tough build, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra lacks an official IP rating, meaning users should be cautious in extreme conditions. However, its materials suggest it should handle most daily wear and tear with ease.
Software & Ecosystem:
Running on Honor’s latest smartwatch OS, the Watch 5 Ultra delivers a smooth, intuitive experience. The 60Hz refresh rate makes navigation seamless, while the rotating crown provides an easy way to scroll through settings and apps.
One of the standout software features is the Scenario Service Cards system. This organizes essential information into easily accessible cards, allowing users to quickly glance at health stats, weather updates, notifications, and more. You can also prioritize which cards appear first, ensuring that your most-used features are instantly accessible.
The Morning Reminder feature is another welcome addition, helping users start their day with a customized briefing of appointments, tasks, and health insights. This is particularly useful for those looking to improve their daily planning and productivity.
For connectivity, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra syncs effortlessly with smartphones, ensuring that overnight health reports appear immediately upon reconnection. The auto-syncing speed is impressive, providing real-time access to fitness and wellness data.
Despite its strong software foundation, the Watch 5 Ultra lacks a full keyboard for replying to messages, limiting communication options to preset responses. While this can be addressed through a future software update, it currently remains a drawback.
The watch also supports reverse wireless charging with compatible Honor devices, offering added convenience when a charger isn’t available. Additionally, the reverse notch camera module-inspired design provides a unique aesthetic, distinguishing it from standard smartwatches.
Battery Life & Charging:
The Honor Watch 5 Ultra is built to last, offering impressive battery life that can stretch up to 15 days on a single charge. Its 480mAh battery is optimized for efficient power consumption, ensuring that users can rely on it for extended periods without constantly reaching for a charger.
In real-world usage, the Always-On Display (AOD) was enabled throughout the test, and the battery lasted about a week, consuming around two-thirds of its full charge. This means that users who disable AOD and use the watch conservatively can likely achieve the full 15-day claim.
For charging, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra supports wireless charging, including reverse wireless charging with compatible Honor smartphones. If you own an Honor Magic 7 Pro, you can simply place the watch on the back of your phone to top it up without a charger—a convenient feature for those always on the move.
Despite its long battery life, charging speed is efficient, ensuring that users can quickly power up the watch when needed. However, official charging time estimates were not mentioned in the script, but based on similar smartwatches, it likely takes around 1.5 to 2 hours for a full charge.
Overall, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra delivers excellent endurance, making it ideal for users who want a powerful smartwatch without the hassle of frequent charging. Whether you’re on a long outdoor adventure or just using it for daily activities, the battery life holds up well, ensuring you stay connected and informed.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Premium Titanium Build & Sapphire Glass – Extremely durable and stylish.
- Vibrant AMOLED Display with 60Hz Refresh Rate – Smooth animations and deep blacks.
- Advanced Health & Fitness Tracking – Heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep tracking, and 100+ sports modes.
- Quick Health Scan Feature – Provides essential health stats in just 45 seconds.
- Long Battery Life & Reverse Wireless Charging – Up to 15 days of use and the ability to charge via compatible Honor phones.
- Scenario Service Cards & Morning Reminders – Enhances daily productivity with customizable information panels.
Cons:
- Limited Strap Options – No titanium or metal straps, reducing premium customization.
- Full Keyboard for Messaging – Only preset replies are available, making communication less convenient.
- No Official IP Rating – While the materials are durable, an IP certification would add more confidence in extreme environments.
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Conclusion
The Honor Watch 5 Ultra sets a new benchmark for rugged, high-performance smartwatches. With its premium titanium body, sapphire crystal glass, and AMOLED display, it combines durability and style effortlessly. The advanced health tracking features, including Quick Health Scan and 24/7 monitoring, make it an excellent choice for fitness enthusiasts.
Its 100+ sports modes, free diving support, and GPS tracking ensure that it excels in both everyday fitness and outdoor adventures. The Scenario Service Cards and Morning Reminders add a layer of convenience, making daily interactions seamless.
Battery life is another strong point, delivering up to 15 days of usage, while reverse wireless charging is a nice bonus for Honor phone users. However, limited strap options and a lack of a full keyboard for messaging slightly hold it back.
Overall, if you’re looking for a rugged yet stylish smartwatch with premium materials, excellent battery life, and pro-level fitness tracking, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra is definitely worth considering.
Q&A – Common Questions About the Honor Watch 5 Ultra
1. What makes the Honor Watch 5 Ultra different from previous Honor smartwatches?
- The Watch 5 Ultra is Honor’s first smartwatch with an “Ultra” designation, featuring titanium construction, sapphire crystal glass, and advanced fitness tracking. It also introduces new software features like Scenario Service Cards and Morning Reminders.
2. How accurate is the health tracking on the Honor Watch 5 Ultra?
- The heart rate and blood oxygen tracking are highly accurate, showing minimal fluctuations throughout the day. The Quick Health Scan provides a comprehensive health overview in just 45 seconds.
3. Can you use the Honor Watch 5 Ultra for swimming or diving?
- Yes! The Watch 5 Ultra supports free diving up to 40 meters, thanks to 5ATM + IP68 water resistance. It can handle swimming and water-based workouts without any issues.
4. Does the Honor Watch 5 Ultra have GPS?
- Yes, it features built-in GPS, ensuring accurate tracking for outdoor activities like running, cycling, and hiking, even without a phone.
5. Can I use third-party watch faces on the Honor Watch 5 Ultra?
- The watch offers over 10,000 built-in watch faces, but currently, third-party custom watch faces are not officially supported.
6. How long does the battery last on a single charge?
- The Honor Watch 5 Ultra offers up to 15 days of battery life, depending on usage. Always-On Display (AOD) reduces battery life but still provides great longevity.
7. Can I make calls on the Honor Watch 5 Ultra?
- Yes, the built-in microphone and speaker allow users to take calls directly from the watch, provided that the phone is connected via Bluetooth.
