Amazfit GTR 2e Review: a complete smartwatch at a good price

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Amazfit GTR 2e Review Review: A complete smartwatch at a good price
amazfit gtr 2e review: a complete smartwatch at a good

Amazfit has launched the GTR 2e, a complete smartwatch that has excellent autonomy and an intriguing price.

Amazfit GTR 2e Review Review: A complete smartwatch at a good price

 

There are many in this period to have “desire for normality”. It is therefore no mystery that there is the desire to do fitness and that there are not a few who decide, obviously respecting all the rules of the case, to carry out some healthy sporting activity. Speaking of the latter, it may be useful, precisely to “find the desire” to get going, to buy a smartwatch, capable of providing the right objectives and keeping track of all the physical activity that takes place.
Among the most active companies in the world of wearables there is certainly Amazfit, which at the beginning of 2021 made its own official ones new proposals, including Amazfit GTR 2e. We have had the opportunity to test the latter over the past few weeks, analyzing its functionality properly. The price is interesting: 129.90 euros on Amazon Italy.

Design and ergonomics

The Amazfit GTR 2e sales package, once opened, immediately shows the device, while on the sides there are compartments for manuals and magnetic charging base that ends with a USB cable. After extracting the smartwatch, the first thing you notice is the weight, of just 32 grams without the strap, which allows you to wear the device comfortably. The design is very classic, especially in the Slate Gray color that we got to try. For completeness of information, the Matcha Green and Obsidian Black colors are also available on the market. Two physical buttons peek out on the right side: the first is to return to the Home or access the various menus, while the second is linked to the start of the sporting activity. The dimensions are 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.8 mm, while the materials are aluminum for the circular case and silicone for the strap.

Amazfit GTR 2e has a sporty look and therefore winks at that type of user. On the other hand, the target to which the smartwatch is aimed is that, so it is normal that it is not the most elegant product on the market. Speaking of sportsmen, the latter will certainly appreciate the presence ofwaterproof up to 5ATM.
In the world of wearables designed for physical activity, these elements matter more than the look of the product itself. In any case, the GTR 2e contextualizes itself well in its environment, so there is not much to blame Amazift in this respect.

Amazfit GTR 2e software and user experience

Once the configuration is finished using the Zepp application, the smartwatch is presented as a complete product. Scrolling from top to bottom, starting from the main screen, accesses the toolbar. The latter, in addition to showing the day, time and status, has the flashlight function (the screen turns white), the settings to adjust the brightness, the “Do not disturb” mode, the energy saving mode (only records steps and hours of sleep), screen lock, smartphone search, Theater mode (which lowers the brightness so as not to bother other people) and the feature to keep the screen always active. Instead, by swiping from the bottom to the top from the main page, you access the notification panel, which are not interactive but can simply be read.

In any case, at the center of the user experience is the watch face, ergo the main screen. The latter can be configured with over 50 watch faces, which can be set via the Zepp app. The variety is certainly not lacking and you go from full day watch faces, residual battery power and other statistics to “cleaner” dials and able to make the time viewing experience closer to that of a common watch. . We have never liked watch faces that are too “chaotic” and the ability to use dials that only show time and day is a godsend. Among other things, the background can be chosen at will and this is definitely an advantage for Amazfit GTR 2e.

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Always through the application, it is possible in fact upload any image. We could not therefore refrain from showing off the Everyeye logo. For the rest, browsing the operating system using side swipes, you can access the various available tabs. By default, we find daily physical activity report, constant heart rate measurement, multimedia playback player linked to the smartphone (GTR 2e does not have a speaker), weather information, PAI system (a sort of score based on the activities of the user) and total report page that also allows you to check alarms and perform SpO2 measurement. Tabs can usually be scrolled from bottom to top to get more detailed information.

By pressing the Home button instead, you access a circular menu that allows you to take a look at everything, from your goal to the PAI system, through heart rate, training, activity, pressure (stress), SpO2, weather, music, alarms, events and the temperature of the surfaces with which the smartwatch comes into contact (do not make the mistake of associating it with body temperature, since the data could be “high”, but this is a rough indication). There is also a compass, barometric altimeter, stopwatch, timer and the ability to find your phone.

You can program the training button to perform a certain activity (for example, detecting your heart rate, but also opening the weather tab). There is also the possibility to reorder the various cards, as well as to set the detection sensitivity of a certain category of physical activity. Finally, you can restart, shut down and reset the smartwatch.
In short, Amazfit GTR 2e has a particularly complete operating system, which guarantees countless possibilities. We remind you that all statistics can also be reviewed via the Zepp application. The latter, which has an interface that is not exactly the best in aesthetic terms, also allows you to set options such as activating the screen by lifting the wrist, the system language, the weather, sedentary alerts, calls incoming (you have to switch to your smartphone to respond properly) and the selection of the applications from which to receive notifications. From the app you can also keep an eye on the remaining battery charge, as well as manage many other settings.

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Too bad, however, for theabsence of Amazon Alexaas well as offline voice options. Alexa is not likely to arrive on the GTR 2e, as it is not even present in English. In any case, think that we are still waiting for support for the Italian language for Alexa on Amazfit Band 5.
In any case, the GTR 2e technically has a microphone and would therefore be able to receive the commands, but remember that the speaker is absent. A real shame that Alexa is not expected to arrive for the smartwatch, as other manufacturers have already managed to introduce support, even in Italian. Furthermore, the time that the brand is taking to update via OTA Amazfit Band 5 is not a good business card, since the update was expected “shortly” for the smartband and four months have already passed without support having arrived. (so much so that our Amazfit Band 5 review has not yet come out, as we are waiting for the update).

In short, the software is both the strength and the weakness of the smartwatch, considering that there are an immeasurable amount of interesting features, but then the support seems to leave something to be desired compared to other brands. During our test, we encountered animations that were not exactly smooth several times while navigating the operating system. Don’t get us wrong: the smartwatch can be used, but there is some lag here and there, as well as “woody” animations.

Coming to the most important aspect for a device of this type, there are more than 90 sport modes. The latter have a certain variety and there is no shortage of classics such as outdoor running and bodyweight exercises, without forgetting climbing and spinning. Among the modes highlighted by the manufacturer are walking, outdoor cycling, treadmill, pool swimming, cross-country swimming, elliptical, trail running and skiing. The other activities are then selectable by categories: Running and walking, Cycling, Swimming, Outdoor sports, Indoor sports, Dance, Combat sports, Ball sports, Water sports, Winter sports, Leisure sports and more. . In short, the user will certainly find what he needs, given the wide range of choices.

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The smartwatch has an integrated GPS chip (GPS + GLONASS). During this time we have been able to test the device mainly through running and walking outdoors and we have not encountered too many problems in this regard. Accuracy is not perfect, however, as we have noticed some inconsistencies compared to other smartwatches. Furthermore, in some contexts the GPS was not flawless, “missing” some stretches.

Not bad sleep and heart rate tracking, while SpO2 measurement takes quite a few seconds and isn’t exactly accurate.
Nothing to complain about instead 1.39 inch AMOLED screen with 454 x 454 pixel resolution. The display can be seen easily even under sunlight and we have never had any problems during use. No problems even with the connection via Bluetooth 5.0, which also allows you to move away from the smartphone a bit.
Finally, the 471 mAh battery allows you to reach particularly high values. Leaving aside the 24 days estimated by the manufacturer, which we have not been able to reach by putting the device under stress, a realistic estimate for the average user is close to 10 days, but we are sure that someone will also be able to go further. It all obviously depends on the use. In any case, in general, the autonomy of Amazfit GTR 2e is excellent.

 

Amazfit GTR 2e
Amazfit GTR 2e is a complete smartwatch with excellent autonomy. It has all the features you can ask for in a device sold for 129.90 euros, from SpO2 monitoring to over 90 sports modes, and generally does everything right. The smartwatch is comfortable to wear and generally manages to detect the main sports activities properly. Also not bad are the customization possibilities, which also allow you to set a background at will for the watch face. However, it is a product that is not exactly perfect: the animations are “woody”, the GPS every now and then some detection is lost (even if nothing exaggerated), the design is a bit anonymous and some measurements are not exactly the most immediate. and precise (see the question of surface temperature). The lack of Alexa, which may not arrive right on GTR 2e, and the classic limitations in terms of interaction with notifications weigh on the general evaluation, making the product less attractive. In any case, the price is interesting and the autonomy and software features represent a not insignificant point in favor. Those who know how to go beyond the aforementioned flaws will therefore find a valid smartwatch, even if the market is crowded these days.