They say about the Amazfit GTS that it’s the same as the Apple Watch, but not for all the money in the world and for Android. With the same design, with Always On
What is it?
Amazfit GTS Smart Watches UnveiledSeptember along with the more classic Stratos 3. Equipped with a 1.65-inch rectangular AMOLED display. Waterproof (you can dive to a depth of 50 meters), they can measure steps, heart rate, monitor the pulse, know 12 training modes, allow you to control music playback from your smartphone and cost about $ 200 and are available in six colors.
</ img>
How do they look?
We had a gray model for review.In the pictures they look a little gloomy, but in life they are quite neutral and fit into any color scheme of clothing. And, I think, it is more practical than a light one, since traces of wear will not be visible on the belt. Externally, the Amazfit GTS is really as close as possible to the Apple Watch compared to everything that passed through the hands of the editorsgg.Similar, but completely different in detail.There is only one control key, a traditional strap clasp and its shape is different – on the Apple Watch it's all curved, here – smooth. At the same time, it is just as flexible, so it is more convenient to fasten the watch (the Fitbit Versa 2, for example, is completely oak).
The ends of the watch are metal.The Amazfit GTS control button is located in the center of the right side. I prefer the Fitbit option, when the button is located on the left and does not stick out much, because otherwise it can interfere during training if you bend your arm (for a plank, for example) and do not pull the watch higher in advance. On the other hand, in winter, under layers of clothing, this arrangement is more convenient. Well, it’s more classic, it’s the de facto standard. Rear – as usual, heart rate monitor.
In general, I would characterize the appearance of the Amazfit GTS as utilitarian and worthy of the money that is asked for in hours.
What about the screen, dials and widgets?
And Amazfit GTS has an AMOLED display with1.65-inch diagonal and 341 ppi pixel density, rounded 2.5D glass. The specifications indicate that the color range covers 100% of the NTSC space. There are no questions about the maximum and minimum backlight values. In the dark the watch does not dazzle, but at maximum – the stock is large. The colors are saturated, there are no problems with that either. I have a question about screen timeout – the maximum value is 15 seconds. By default, this is 6 seconds and the watch responds to every upward movement with a battery reminder. Fear God, I offer some minutes to the user – No one died from this. In Always On Display mode, you can select the format of the displayed clock. In addition to the time, the watch shows the day of the week and date and the number of steps taken.
Dial options – sea.And in spirit, in my opinion, they are very reminiscent of the Apple Watch. I liked the standard – one the most. it is ascetic and informative at the same time. Synchronizing the dial takes a couple of minutes at most – Until recently I didn’t even think about how important this was. Moreover, they can be changed both in the application and directly on the watch. But the watch only stores the last three available versions.
This model supports widgets. There are 17 of them at the same time, there can be up to seven (not on all the dials, like in the Apple Watch. For some reason I couldn’t change it, it seems to me that there is something with the software part of the device, because there are a lot of videos on the Internet where everything is changing beautifully.
In addition to the main screen, the watch offers two moredesktops, this is the “state” (here the number of steps, distance and calories burned), as well as heart rate. When you click on the corresponding menu, you can either start the action or see more detailed information.
What can they do?
Amazfit GTS mobile application and the platform as a whole inherit the capabilities of Xiaomi smart bracelets.
The sports menu has 12 training modes,including different types of running, walking, elliptical trainer, free training, skiing. There is no automatic activity tracking. The easiest way to get to the training mode selection menu is by long pressing the control button. But if you're not the type who needs this feature, the button can be used for other purposes. In training mode, the watch displays all tracked indicators on one screen – speed, calories, pulse (with zone color code) and beyond – depending on the mode. Thanks to the built-in GPS, you don't need to take your smartphone along for a run. True, there are no training modes or the option to listen to music directly from the watch. But you can see all your latest workouts in the menu section with the wonderful name “Activities”. For lovers of hiking there is a compass.
Amazfit positions device as suitablefor those involved in swimming. GTS can recognize swimming position and record data such as SWOLF, pace or calorie consumption. The manufacturer's website indicates that they tolerate spray, swimming and snorkeling, but are not suitable for high-speed water sports, hot showers and diving.
Amazfit GTS has an interesting feature – onThe notification shade can be used to lock the screen. I thought that I could use it during training, but that was not the case; the operating system inherited from smart bracelets does not support multitasking. You cannot lock the screen and start workout mode at the same time. The maximum that can work in parallel – This is a training mode and notifications from instant messengers.
But there is constant heart rate tracking in the modereal time. Of course, this negatively affects the battery charge. But here, with autonomy, everything is not so bad as to refuse to monitor this parameter. Moreover, other functions are based on it. For example, such as PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence, that is, activity analytics) – the app motivates the user to move more often to avoid heart disease and provides virtual rewards for consistent exercise. Also in the application you can track on which days something was wrong with cardiac activity or how intense the load on the heart was in general. I was surprised to discover that I have a low resting heart rate; I never thought about which indicator is correct, but everything is written here.
Sleep analysis may also be more or lessdetailed, and the duration of the charge depends on this. But as I wrote earlier, I treat this function in smart watches and bracelets as a toy, because different devices show different phases during the same time. Also, watching a movie in a movie theater can be considered a dream. The sleep analytics here is also some kind of children’s (she lay down late, woke up late, slept longer that night, I know). However, as in all other smart watches, that I have ever seen.
The Amazfit GTS's smart features are sparse.They show notifications from your smartphone, they have an alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, calendar, and reminders. Everything seems to be there, but there is still a feeling that this is a fitness tracker and not a smart watch. Reminders must be set on your smartphone. The timer cannot be set to seconds. The alarm clock has a bug – the delayed signal does not work. But again, it seems to me that something is wrong with the firmware of our sample, because I haven’t seen any other complaints.
Alerts from the smartphone are displayed in fontcomfortable size, but the alignment is always strictly on the top and the transfer is done without taking into account the rules of the Russian language. Therefore, like that. And space is used irrationally.
It is impossible to reply to messages; this is a characteristic feature of watches not only of Xiaomi, but also of the budget segment in general, although Huawei does not have this option even in the top Watch GT 2 model.
There are several modes in the device settings“do not disturb” – always on, timing (the translators meant the mode launched according to a schedule" and intelligent. I used the latter. They came during the day, and at night the clock did not bother me.
Amazfit GTS does not support third-party applications. In my opinion, this thing has ceased to be stupid and has become an advantage for smart watches. But since we have a budget model, all bribes are smooth from it.
How much battery does it hold?
The characteristics of the watch indicate that they canwork 46 days with disabled modules. This is probably something like a “smartphone in standby mode”, a spherical figure in a vacuum. In the mode of use, 14 days are declared. This is with constant heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, 150 notifications on the screen, 30 time views, 5 minutes of other operations per day and 3 times a week for 30 minutes of GPS operation. I got 5-6 days.
I started using fully chargedhours on Tuesday, by next Monday 10% remained. During this time I went to three training sessions and once – for a short run (when tracking a run outside, GPS works). In the settings, I selected only notifications from all messengers except Telegram, and it accounts for about half of the activity, that is, the load on the battery from vibration alerts was also less than average. Screen backlight – at medium value, timeout – 6 seconds, but Always On Display active. From the gluttonous – continuous heart rate monitoring and detailed sleep monitoring. This is the autonomy of Honor/Huawei smartwatches, which are functionally comparable to this model.
How long do they charge?
Amazfit GTS battery capacity is 220mAh (lithium polymer). It takes 1:15 to fully charge the device. I once ran out of the house, noticed that 10% was left, in 23 minutes on charging it had grown to 46%. Charging, by the way, although not massive, but due to the magnet, the clock on it keeps normal.
What are the alternatives?
The closest competitors of this model in terms ofopportunities – Honor Watch Magic and last year's Huawei Watch GT. The difference, essentially, is only in the design. In my opinion, its competitors have a cooler screen (the Watch GT also has a larger screen, for a round watch this is an important nuance), but the question here is who prefers what.
If you have a small budget, but it is important for you to buyreally a smartwatch, and not a grown-up fitness tracker, I would recommend paying about 20% extra and ordering a Fitbit Versa 2. Perhaps it will be cheaper with delivery from Amazon (if so, we have an article on how to buy abroad online ). They are not just smarter (for example, they allow you to respond to messages, music from a smartphone, or listen directly from your watch through headphones, even from streaming services), but also more intelligent in matters of healthy lifestyle and sports, since the platform has the ability to monitor all kinds of body indicators, optional – buy paid training regimens, habit formation, etc. But there is one big drawback – lack of localization.
In the dry residue
In my opinion, the ideal target audience for thismodels – These are users who started with Xiaomi fitness bracelets, have been using the company’s services for a long time and have accumulated a lot of data about their lifestyle. Therefore, now, on the one hand, we are mentally ready for an upgrade, on the other – already tied to the manufacturer. Amazfit GST cannot be called a full-fledged smartwatch, since it has a closed ecosystem without support for third-party applications and limited smart functions, but it is a more advanced and convenient companion for a smartphone than a bracelet. It's convenient to read notifications and looks nicer on your hand. Thus, if you need a truly smart watch that will replace your smartphone from time to time, then this is not the choice for you. If you want to upgrade your smart bracelet, then Amazfit GTS – a good reason to do this.
3 reasons to buy Amazfit GTS:
- You are already a user of the Xiaomi ecosystem and would like something smarter than a fitness tracker;
- you have a small budget for smart watches;
- you like the Apple Watch form factor.
2 reasons not to buy Amazfit GTS:
- You are looking for a full-fledged smart watch and are willing to pay more;
- You have previously used smart bracelets from another manufacturer that already has its own smart watch.
Specifications Amazfit GTS
Display
1.65 inches, 348 x 442 pixels, 341 ppi, AMOLED, 100% NTSC, Gorilla 3 protective glass
Dimensions
43×36x9 mm
Weight
25 g (without strap)
Compatibility
Android 5.0 and above, iOS 10.0 and above
Sensors
BioTrackerTM PPG, 6-axis accelerometer, 3-axis geomagnetic sensor, air pressure sensor, light sensor
Sport
running outdoors and indoors, walking, ridingindoor and outdoor cycling, open water and pool swimming, elliptical trainer, mountaineering, trail running, skiing, free exercise
Communications
Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Glonass
Protection
50 meters
Battery
220 mAh (up to 14 days of battery life)
Amazfit GTS watch
Fitness tracker in a watch form factor with the Apple Watch design.
This watch is more likely to be considered an advanced watch.fitness tracker. Their strengths are their low price, interesting color schemes and really good battery life. The weak one stems from the benefits received - a minimum of smart functions.
for Xiaomi fans
Thank you
The editors thank the ALLO online store for the kindly provided Amazfit GTS watches for this review.