Honor Watch 5 Ultra: Pros, Cons, and Unexpected Discoveries Revealed

Honor Watch 5 Ultra: Premium Design, Questionable Software

The Honor Watch 5 Ultra, unveiled at MWC 2025 in Barcelona, immediately draws comparisons to the OnePlus Watch 3. Boasting a striking design and premium materials, it presents a compelling initial impression. However, a closer look reveals a important drawback: its custom operating system. This single factor may impede its potential success in a competitive market.

Design and Materials: A Masterclass in Aesthetics

The Honor Watch 5 Ultra’s 46mm titanium casing exudes a premium feel, blurring the lines between technology and traditional timepieces. The angular, machined design gives it a robust, masculine appeal. “The front casing…is immediately eye catching, with premium titanium that helps this look less like a piece of technology and more like a legitimate timepiece.”

• Octagonal Dome: The sapphire glass watch face is framed by an octagonal Dome, featuring soft, straightened lines on the outer edges and a circular inner design.
• Angular Casing: The casing connecting the 22mm watch bands reinforces the watch’s boxy silhouette,making it less suitable for smaller wrists.
• Rotating Crown: The functional rotating crown incorporates short, spiky rows for enhanced grip, a notable advancement over the OnePlus Watch 3’s tapered design.
• Customizable Button: A flat, customizable button below the crown allows users to launch various actions, mirroring the functionality found on the OnePlus Watch 3.

The 1.5-inch AMOLED display, protected by sapphire glass, delivers vibrant colors, sharp visuals, and a smooth 60Hz refresh rate. An Always On display option is also available. The watch features a 5ATM/IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, ensuring durability in various environments.

Honor OS: A Missed Chance?

the Honor Watch 5 Ultra runs on Honor OS, a proprietary system that provides a responsive and organized user experience. While the OS covers essential functions, including fitness tracking and health monitoring, it lacks the broader app compatibility and Google services integration of wear OS.

the speedy settings section closely resembles Wear OS, perhaps misleading users at first glance. “If I didn’t know going in that this was a different OS when I first saw it, I might not have questioned it at first,” notes one reviewer.

This decision to forgo Wear OS raises questions about Honor’s strategy. By not deepening its relationship with google, Honor has limited the watch’s appeal to Android users who value access to the Google Play store and its extensive libary of apps and watch faces. According to a 2024 study by Statista, Wear OS users download an average of 7.3 apps per month, highlighting the importance of app availability. [Statista,2024]

Battery Life: Promising Endurance

Honor claims the Watch 5 Ultra can achieve up to 15 days of battery life with normal usage,attributing this extraordinary performance to onboard AI and a less demanding operating system. The 480mAh battery, combined with efficient power management, positions the watch as a potential leader in battery endurance.

Value Proposition: A Challenging Sell

Priced at €279 (approximately $300), the Honor Watch 5 Ultra competes in a segment where consumers expect thorough software support. The lack of Wear OS considerably diminishes its value proposition. “With a price and design that shows Honor stepping into a more ‘ultra’ segment in wearables, the lack of comprehensive software support ultimately diminishes the value proposition for the people who might be most likely to want to buy one in the first place.”

This pricing strategy raises concerns about the watch’s market competitiveness. Alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (expected release in Q3 2025) and the updated Google Pixel Watch offer superior software experiences and broader app ecosystems at similar price points.

Conclusion: A Promising Start, But Software is Key

The Honor Watch 5 Ultra presents a compelling package with its premium design, durable build, and potentially long battery life. Though, the decision to use Honor OS limits its functionality and overall appeal. for the watch to truly succeed, Honor needs to address its software shortcomings, either by partnering with Google or significantly expanding its own ecosystem. Until then, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra remains a puzzling proposition in a crowded smartwatch market.

Call to action: Share your thoughts on the Honor Watch 5 Ultra and the importance of software in smartwatches in the comments below!

Given Honor’s decision to skip Wear OS, what strategies can Honor implement to build a compelling app ecosystem for its Honor OS smartwatch platform?

Honor Watch 5 Ultra: Interview with Tech Analyst Sarah Chen on Honor’s OS Gamble

Today, we’re diving deep into the Honor Watch 5 Ultra, fresh off its MWC 2025 debut. To help us dissect this intriguing device, we have Sarah Chen, a leading wearable technology analyst at Tech Insights Daily. Sarah, thanks for joining Archyde!

Design and Build: A Premium Experience

Archyde: sarah, the Honor Watch 5 Ultra is turning heads with its titanium build and octagonal sapphire glass. What are your initial impressions of its design and materials?

Sarah chen: Absolutely stunning! Honor has clearly invested heavily in the aesthetics. The titanium casing gives it a genuine premium feel – it bridges the gap between tech and a traditional luxury watch. The rotating crown with the spiky rows is a thoughtful detail. No doubt, the design is one of its strongest selling points.

Honor OS: A Bold Choice,But Risky?

Archyde: Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Honor OS. Skipping Wear OS is a bold move. Do you think this was the right strategy, especially concerning app ecosystem and integration?

Sarah Chen: That’s the million-dollar question. On one hand, a custom OS allows for tighter control over performance and battery life – as Honor is proposing to deliver. It could lead to smoother user experience if optimized well. However, the lack of Wear OS significantly limits its app compatibility. in a market where users expect diversity via app ecosystems such as the google play store, this could be detrimental. The average Wear OS user downloads a considerable number of apps monthly. Honor is betting users won’t miss that, or that it won’t impede user experience. It’s a risky move.

Battery Life and Performance: A Silver Lining?

Archyde: honor claims up to 15 days of battery life, perhaps fueled by its OS and AI. If these claims hold true, could this compensate for the software limitations?

Sarah Chen: Definitely a strong possibility. A two-week battery life would be a huge win.If the Honor Watch 5 Ultra can deliver that while maintaining a responsive and bug-free experience, some users might overlook the lack of Wear OS apps. But it has to perform exceptionally well.

Market positioning and Value: A Tough Sell?

Archyde: Priced around €279, it’s competing with established players like Samsung and Google. Does the Honor Watch 5 Ultra offer enough value to stand out given its software limitations?

Sarah Chen: It’s a tough sell, no doubt. At that price point, consumers expect a complete package, including a robust software experience. The premium design helps, but ultimately the lack of Wear OS will make it a harder sell against competitors offering a similar, powerful option.

Archyde: What would you say to a potential customer considering the Honor Watch 5 Ultra?

Sarah Chen: Consider what most appeals to you, do you value the esthetics and design and are cozy with only essential functions? Or are a larger variety of app availabilities most crucial? the answers to these questions will direct you to the right product.

The Big Question: What’s Next for Honor?

Archyde: Ultimately, where do you see the future of Honor’s smartwatch strategy going? Do they need to reconsider their OS approach?

Sarah Chen: Honor faces a crossroads. They either need to significantly enhance their own ecosystem, attracting developers and building a compelling app library, or they need to explore a deeper partnership with Google. Sticking with the current strategy risks limiting their market share. This is especially true if they want to rise above the competition.

Archyde: Sarah, thank you so much for your insights!

Sarah Chen: My pleasure!