Images of a new Huawei GPS watch have leaked, and they show an interesting feature that we've not seen before from companies like Garmin, Coros, or Polar. The forthcoming Huawei Watch GT Cyber appears to have a central case that can be popped right out of the bezel, and presumably inserted into something else.
We had an early hint at this unusual design when Huawei released a teaser image showing a 3D render of the watch in two segments, but at the time we weren't certain whether the 'exploded' look was simply an artistic representation.
The two-part design might simply be a way to give the watch a new look with different colors and materials (easily switching from a rugged outdoor style to a more classic look for the office), but it's also possible that the watch might adapt for different form factors. For example, it might have a clip-style case reminiscent of the Coros Vertix 2's carabiner attachment, which lets you attach the watch to your clothing or harness to keep your wrists clear while rock climbing.
The new pictures were originally posted on Chinese social media site Weibo, and shared by Finnish Twitter user @RODENT950.
Huawei's new time piece looks interesting 🤔#HuaweiWatchGTCyber pic.twitter.com/BJAtBsRvw2October 31, 2022
It certainly looks like Huawei has built the Watch GT Cyber with adventurers in mind. The new photos, which were originally posted to Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter), show a watch bezel engraved with cardinal directions. There's also a large crown control like that of the Apple Watch Ultra, which looks easy to operate with wet, cold, or gloved hands. It also looks enormous.
As Huawei Central explains, this wouldn't be the first time Huawei has released a device with a removable body. The Watch GT Cyber's design harks back to the Huawei Talkband, which had a central case that could be removed and used as a Bluetooth earpiece.
The design does, however, make us question how accurate the watch's GPS will be. Many new sports watches have their wireless antennae integrated into the bezel for better signal, and this isn't possible if the bezel is a completely separate element.
Will this be a revolution in rugged GPS watches? We won't have to wait long to find out. The Watch GT Cyber is expected to launch in China tomorrow as part of a larger hardware launch event.
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