Runners, rejoice! Amazon's 2026 Prime Day sale brings with it a 15% discount on the Amazfit Active 3 Premium, which is an especially good fitness smartwatch for those hoping to spend under $150.

Great battery life, fitness features, and responsiveness make the Active 3 Premium a worthy competitor, even amongst higher-priced fitness watches. It's backed by the Zepp platform and sports a 1.32-inch AMOLED display that users love. It's specifically designed with runners in mind, sporting a durable yet lightweight housing, GPS tracking, and features like structured training presets that draw on a wide range of health metrics. The Prime Day price drop is also available in all three of the Active 3 Premium's color options, including the Aero White, Apex Silver, and Atlas Blue.

• Prime Day 2026 is LIVE: see the full list of deals

✅Recommended if: you're looking for one of the best Amazfit smartwatches out there, but you don't want to spend more than $150; you like a medium-sized watch face of around 1.3 inches, and you'd prefer a vibrant AMOLED display; you want a watch with a wide range of workout modes and health sensors, GPS, and a battery life suitable for longer outdoor excursions.

❌Skip this deal if: you need a watch with dual-band GPS for hyper-accurate readings; you prefer a smartwatch with an actual crown; you'd rather upgrade to the Active Max for up to 25-day battery life and a larger screen.

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is packed with features that make it feel like a true premium smartwatch, but without the hefty price tag. From health monitoring and training programs to cycle tracking, sleep monitoring, and stress readings, it's a user-friendly pick for runners at any level. I also like the Zepp App platform, which makes it easy to sift through the many features and data points, while also offering a thorough analysis of a range of health and training factors.

Where it falls a little short is in its exclusion of dual-band GPS. However, those who find that to be a dealbreaker should probably consider upgrading to the Active Max anyway.

More Prime Day 2026 - quick links

• Phones: major savings on Pixel, Samsung, and beyond
• Wearables: up to 50% off Garmin, Galaxy Watch, and Fitbit
• Tablets: Galaxy Tab, Kindle, and Amazon Fire tablets from $50
• Chromebooks: discounts on ASUS, HP, and Lenovo
• Smart Home: up to 60% off Alexa devices
• Headphones/earbuds: huge discounts on Beats, Sony, and more
• Smart TVs: cheap smart TVs from $69.99

Smartwatch deals aren't a bad way to get into the devices if you're new to the game. One such deal includes Amazon offering the Amazfit Active 2 for $20 off, bringing its price down to just $80.

To be sure, the Active 2 is our favorite Amazfit smartwatch for under $100, and it also boasts a bright AMOLED display with 2,000 nits of brightness, over 160 sport modes, and some of the latest tech in the heart rate, skin temperature, and altimeter areas. It also includes GPS capabilities and up to 10 hours of battery life when not using the full range of features.

This deal is for the version of the watch with a basic black wrist band, though it's also worth noting that the company has a few other upgrade options for those with the budget.

✅Recommended if: you're looking for a basic fitness smartwatch for $80 or so; you want a watch with a fairly bright AMOLED display that you can still see in brighter environments; you're looking for a watch with HR monitoring, sleep tracking, blood oxygen, and other common sensors and features; you like having a smartwatch with a sporty style over something that looks more like a traditional watch.

❌Skip this deal if: you need a smartwatch that also includes dual-band GPS; you'll need a watch with more than 10 days of battery life for backpacking journeys and other serious outdoor excursions; you prefer a smaller smartwatch with more of a fitness band style, and you'd rather consider some of the less hefty options out there.

The Active 2 is the best Amazfit smartwatch under $100, especially because it offers everything from heart rate and sleep monitoring to basic GPS and fitness and sport modes. It also offers up to 10 days of battery life or up to five days with heavy use, along with a 1.32-inch AMOLED display and easy compatibility with other devices.

Perhaps the watch's biggest downsides are its lack of dual-band GPS, and its lack of a crown, which some may prefer. However, it's a pretty solid pick amongst competitors at this discounted price point, especially for those who are just getting into smartwatches or who don't need some of the more advanced features found on premium options.

The usual rule for Black Friday is that you need to spend more to save more. You can save $350 on a Garmin Fenix 8, but you're still spending $850. Sometimes, you need to turn down the flashy hundreds-off watch deals and find a device that was already affordable to begin with, like $80 off the Versa 4. And even that might be too pricey for you, once you add the subscription.

I frequently cover the best cheap Android watches and best fitness watches for this site, and so I'm well-equipped to point out the best under-$100 Black Friday deal for anyone looking for a cheap watch that doesn't skimp too much on quality. My advice? Start with the Amazfit Active 2 at $99 ($30 off) on Amazon.

✅ Recommended if: You want a budget watch that doesn't feel cheap, with hardware upgrades like an accurate PPG with skin temperature data for sleep analysis, a bright AMOLED display with sapphire glass, and up to 10 days of battery life.

❌ Skip this deal if: You want to save even more with the Bip 6 for only $64.99 — which has similar perks like a 2,000-nit display, mic and speaker for calls, and GPS — or if you're willing to pay extra for a Balance 2, with its premium specs and three weeks of battery life.

Generally speaking, Amazfit watches have higher-quality hardware than you'd expect for such low prices, but they have steadily risen over time, with models like the T-Rex 3 Pro and Balance 2 falling into Garmin territory, even with Black Friday deals. The Active 2 is the best option at a price range where other brands can't compete.

Otherwise, you can look at cheap alternatives like this $49 Nothing smartwatch with an 11-day battery life and an impressive list of features. But having personally tested the Amazfit Active 2, I'm more confident about its quality level.

If you're willing to spend a little more than $100, however, the Galaxy Watch 7 at $129 ($120 off) is an easy recommendation and an immediate upgrade over the Active 2 — if you have an Android phone and don't care about daily charging.

Black Friday 2025 - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Black Friday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Black Friday
• The best Samsung deals of Black Friday
• The best Motorola deals of Black Friday

It has been approximately two years since I reviewed the Amazfit Balance. Initially, I was impressed by the smartwatch's seemingly endless battery life that refused to drain weeks in. Now that the watch is a few years old, we've seen a decent price drop. In my eyes, this makes it an even more worthy buy in 2025.

Two years on, I still use the Amazfit Balance every other day. It covers all the basics and performs smoothly until today, and the battery has not degraded either. I get to track all my health and fitness metrics, there's onboard storage for music, and there are plenty of other useful features like the ability to respond to texts.

The Amazfit Balance launched in September 2023 at a neat $199.99 price tag. You can currently buy the Balance smartwatch for $149.99 at Amazon or other retailers. And with Amazon's October Prime Day on the horizon, you could probably score an even sweeter deal on this Amazfit wearable. Compared to the newer Amazfit Balance 2 that costs an insane $299.99, I still recommend the original Balance model if you're on a tight budget. This smartwatch was so well-rounded that I continue to recommend it as the best starter option when looking at top Amazfit smartwatches.

• Prime Day returns October 7th - see the full list of deals

One of the biggest perks of the Amazfit Balance, after its two-week battery life, is ease of use. If you're new to smartwatches and fitness wearables, this is an excellent entry point. The software isn't very complex, the initial setup is pretty straightforward, and you don't need to be very familiar with a wearable to figure out where everything is.

The has Alexa built-in, along with an onboard speaker and mic, so you can control your smart home and give Alexa commands or prompts. There's local storage if you want to store music on the watch and connect a pair of wireless headphones or earbuds with it. There's even NFC for contactless payments.

The 46mm case doesn't even feel like it's there, because the watch is so lightweight. The overall design is stunning, and the AMOLED display stays bright, crisp, and easily visible under the merciless sun.

If you're going out for a run or working out, the Amazfit Balance is a comfortable fitness tracker that can keep track of your activities for you. Like any great Amazfit watch, the Amazfit Balance has hundreds of sports modes and can track a wide variety of activities beyond just walks and runs.

Since it has GPS, you can even record the location of your workouts. I like to log my walks and runs so I can view the route I took later. It's a great way to plan and track your activities. And with AI features like Zepp Flow and Zepp Coach, you can harness the power of AI to reach your fitness goals.

Amazfit introduced the full-sized QWERTY keyboard to reply to text messages on the Amazfit Balance. Back when I first tested the watch, it was a little janky. But now, this feature works much better than before.

This is a fantastic smartwatch overall, ideal for newbies in the wearable space who still want some extras but can't commit to Wear OS just yet.

The very first Amazfit product I've ever used was the original 2016 Amazfit Fitness Tracker. This simple gadget tracked steps and sleep, and even had a vibration motor inside to alert you to phone notifications. Since then, Amazfit has morphed into a fitness powerhouse, offering dozens of different smartwatches at every price level and functionality you could dream of.

The Amazfit Balance 2 is my favorite smartwatch from the company in a long time, and its impressive capabilities are only matched by its sleek appearance. Of course, my trusty Garmin Instinct 2X Solar is still cranking right along, good as the day it came out, and is, quite frankly, hard to beat for most fitness-related tasks.

I wore both of these watches on my latest Spartan Race and had a difficult time finding any reasonable differences in the data they provided at the end of the race. Which leads me to wonder: why would I pay more for a Garmin than an Amazfit watch? I found a few reasons, and they might help you decide.

Price

Price is the area where Amazfit wins most handily. Garmin is known for producing high-quality watches that aren't inexpensive, which has given the brand a premium image over the years. Amazfit started from the other end of things, offering dirt-cheap products and upping their game over time (but still undercutting rivals on price).

Take the Amazfit Band 7 vs the Garmin Vivosmart 5, for instance. Both of these are the latest fitness bands with displays from each respective company; yet, Garmin's is still three times the price of Amazfit's. Plus, because of software updates and a fresh Zepp app, some of the shortcomings we found in our original Amazfit Band 7 review have been rectified.

This same argument can be made for many of Amazfit's products. In many cases, competing Amazfit products offer 90-95% of the features of Garmin's at something like half the price, and that's a ratio I'm willing to work with.

Fitness tracking

For years, Amazfit watches felt like an obvious second-rate choice for fitness tracking. While they have offered more options for workout types — 180 on the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro I just got versus around 90 on the Garmin Instinct 2X I have — I wasn't convinced of the accuracy of the heart rate monitoring until this year's products.

Both the Amazfit Balance 2 and T-Rex 3 Pro have superb heart rate accuracy, matching all the best fitness smartwatches I've tested to date. I've taken these watches out for paddleboarding sessions, run a Spartan Race with them, and spent plenty of time in my CrossFit-style gym trying out everything from cardio days to strength training.

The only area I found where Garmin more consistently has the edge over Amazfit is during strength training and weight-lifting exercises. While several Amazfit workout types will give you a breakdown of what muscles you used and keep track of your reps, Garmin more consistently shows the correct workout type automatically.

For instance, my most common workout type is HIIT since it most closely aligns with my gym's typical activity types. If I look at the data from my Garmin Instinct 2X Solar, it's got muscle heatmaps of what it thinks I used, which is helpful for going back and remembering why my shoulders are suddenly sore two days later.

Amazfit only offers this kind of muscular heatmap for strength training or weightlifting exercise types. I've also found that Amazfit's watches have a harder time differentiating nuanced workouts than Garmin. If I select strength training and do a bunch of front squats with a barbell, Garmin almost always marks it as "barbell squat," while Amazfit's watches might figure that out 30% of the time.

Companion apps and syncing

Here's where things get a little mixed. As an app, Amazfit Zepp is superior. It's got a better, less convoluted UI when compared to the Garmin Connect app, and it offers a ton of additional features that Garmin just doesn't have. LLM-powered food logging is probably the greatest single feature I've used in any holistic workout app, and it's something only Zepp has.

But as good as the Zepp app's features and UI are, it's held back by a number of bugs that are just plain frustrating. Reddit users have complained about this many times, and it often takes Amazfit a long time to address these problems. Coding and workout algorithms are hard, no doubt, but it seems like Amazfit's team isn't able to crank out fixes as fast as some other companies.

I don't often run into problems with the app, but my original intent for this week's column was to compare data from the Spartan Race I just ran. The problem is, the Amazfit watch had my entire workout on it, but the Zepp app simply wouldn't sync the entire thing.

This left me with missing workout data when I exported the workout to quantified-self.io, the service we typically use to directly compare smartwatch fitness data. Unfortunately for my original idea, the entire stack of GPS data was missing, and the Zepp app confirmed that.

Holding Amazfit back

The problem is that there's no way to manually sync fitness data from Amazfit watches or even export from the watch itself. The Zepp app normally automatically syncs all data from your watch at the end of a workout. When this fails, there seems to be no real way to resync.

Amazfit's support will tell you to force stop the app, reinstall it, clear the cache, etc. But none of these options forces a total resync, even though I can still view all the data on my watch.

It's these little annoyances (that are sometimes big problems) that Amazfit needs to fix and, ultimately, what holds it back from beating Garmin once and for all.

Amazfit is known for offering great smartwatches that won't set you back a lot of money. Beyond price, these smartwatches work with virtually any smartphone, the same experience regardless of brand or type. Plus, they still offer premium features and reliable tracking, despite the low cost of entry. There's a wide variety of models, too, from entry level options to rugged ones for adventurers.

Of the extensive line, the Amazfit Balance 2 is our top pick as the best Amazfit smartwatch. From the polished design to the accurate tracking, it pretty much checks every box. For something even more affordable, the Active 2 is worth considering. Are you an outdoorsy person who loves to hike or participate in other intense outdoor activities? Check out the T-Rex 3 Pro.

With Amazon Prime Day coming up soon, you're best to wait until then as you'll probably be able to find some killer deals. But read through this best of list to pare it down to the models that make sense for you. Bookmark them and get ready to add to cart when the big sale begins. If you simply can't wait, though, the good news is that Amazfit smartwatches are always competitively priced.

At a glance

Best overall

The Amazfit Balance 2 continues the company's expansion beyond the GTS and GTR lines, delivering a premium experience with a rugged and stylish design. It builds on the original Balance with new features, including HYROX training, scuba support, and a brighter sapphire-glass display. Battery life remains a highlight, easily lasting up to two weeks with everyday use. While it's heavier than past models, this watch still looks sharp enough to wear all day.

The Amazfit Balance 2 pushes even closer to Wear OS territory, offering features like Bluetooth calling through its built-in speaker and microphone. It also supports smart replies with a full QWERTY keyboard, making it easier to respond on the go. You'll find a solid mix of built-in apps, including NFC for payments via Zepp Pay. The large 1.5-inch AMOLED display is bright enough for outdoor use, and the upgraded sapphire glass and aluminum frame give the watch a premium, durable feel.

The Balance 2 isn't without its drawbacks. Zepp OS lacks the flexibility, app ecosystem, and optional LTE support of Wear OS watches. This is true of all Amazfit watches, but that's easier to accept in a $100-or-less model; the Balance 2 is meant to compete more with affordable fitness watches like the Garmin Vivoactive 6, rather than true smartwatches.

While we haven't yet tested it, the Amazfit Balance 3 is the upgraded option with double the storage, a brighter screen, built-in flashlight, and native HYROX racing support. There's also the Amazfit Balance Ultra is for more serious users with a more rugged design and longer battery life. But you'll still get a great experience with the Amazfit Balance 2, and a presumably even better one with the Amazfit Balance 3 if you want the latest and greatest and would make use of the upgrades.

Best value

The Amazfit Bip 6 is a solid choice for those seeking a fitness-focused smartwatch with more advanced features. It maintains the familiar rectangular design that many users love, but upgrades the experience with a larger, sharper 1.97-inch AMOLED display. The lightweight aluminum frame strikes a good balance between style and durability, and at 27.9 grams without the strap, it's comfortable enough for all-day wear. You can choose from a range of colors, including black, charcoal, stone, and red.

The 14-day battery life is comparable to some of the more expensive Amazfit watches on this list, which is impressive. When you compare that to competitors that last for a day or two, this is a great accomplishment. The Amazfit Bip 6 offers over 140 sports modes, including popular options like outdoor running, strength training, and cycling. You'll also find more specialized activities, such as HYROX racing, yoga, and high-intensity interval training, providing fitness enthusiasts with a wide range of options.

Of course, any watch this cheap has to have some compromises. The Bip 6 relies on your phone's GPS for location and elevation tracking, doesn't have a mic & speaker for calling like most of our other picks, and isn't as traditionally stylish or rugged as the other options. But at this price, you can accept those cutbacks.

Best under $100

The Amazfit Active 2 is a great choice for those who care as much about fashion as they do function. It features a modern design and a bright 1.32-inch AMOLED display that's easy to navigate.

While some other Amazfit smartwatches offer better battery life, the Active 2 claims up to 10 days of battery life with typical use and five days with heavy use, which is still far better than many other brands. It boasts a 5ATM water resistance rating and excellent fitness tracking, including over 150 sports modes. Some other features include heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, blood oxygen monitoring, and more.

Simply put, if you want a fitness smartwatch that doesn't compromise on style, the Amazfit Active 2 is a strong contender. Like other recent Amazfit models with Zepp Flow, the Active 2 allows you to reply to Android messages using speech-to-text without needing the on-screen keyboard. The built-in speaker and microphone also enable you to make and receive Bluetooth calls directly from your wrist.

Keep in mind that Amazfit sells a "Premium" version for $30 more with a leather strap, sapphire glass, and a steel bezel instead of aluminum. Further, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium is another to consider. Geared towards entry-level runners who are just getting into structured training, it has features like six-satellite positioning and offline maps that will appeal specifically to budding runners.

Most recently, Amazfit introduced the Amazfit Active Max. While we haven't yet gotten our hands on one for testing, it boasts pretty impressive specs, including up to 25 days rated battery life, BioCharge readiness insights, 4GB on-board storage for music, podcasts, and downloadable maps, including ski resorts, 170+ sports modes, and more. It looks pretty sleek, too, so it's one to consider as well.

Best rugged

Amazfit wants to challenge Garmin by making serious, Pro-level fitness watches, and the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro fits that description perfectly. It takes the same core software and training tools as the Balance 2, but with military-grade durability: the grade 5 titanium case and buttons can withstand hard falls and water pressure, including dives down to 45m depths. The sapphire glass protects the display from damage.

We've tested the T-Rex 3 Pro and found that it has "superb heart rate accuracy" for activities like Spartan races or CrossFit, staying firm on your wrist despite its bulk. And it has a full suite of training tools like downloadable maps, training load, daily BioCharge recovery score, and a flashlight, undercutting the pricier Garmin Instinct 3.

You could always pick the T-Rex 3, with its "military-grade" stainless steel body and 10 ATM water resistance for over $100 less. But the lack of sapphire glass and dive-proofing, combined with the significantly heavier weight, makes it a little harder to recommend.

This isn't the only model Amazfit has in the ultra-rugged line. Michael Hicks was not a fan of the T-Rex Ultra that launched a few years ago, however, finding it too heavy and missing essential apps. But recently, Amazfit launched the T-Rex Ultra 2 for extreme adventurers. While we haven't tested it yet, it's purportedly a massive upgrade over the original model with the addition of features like a more durable body, brighter screen, enhanced GPS, improved battery life, and even a built-in flashlight. So, it might be one to consider as well if you prefer a bigger, bulkier, more rugged-looking design and need something for serious outdoor adventures.

Best for runners

The Cheetah Pro is well worth considering for serious runners as the Amazfit watch that best suits your needs. It uses dual-band GPS, but with a special "MaxTrack" antenna that picks up more signals at once than other Amazfit watches. In practice, it does quite well, on par with other dual-band running smartwatches on the market.

This is one of the older picks on our list, and we'd like to see a newer Cheetah with the latest OS and BioActive sensors. But one upside is that the price has fallen significantly, giving you "Pro" perks like a titanium bezel, mic/ speaker, downloadable maps, and an altimeter for the same price as a Forerunner 165 or Coros Pace 3 with more budget cutbacks.

Choose the Cheetah Pro over the Balance series if you're a frugal. But serious runners will benefit from front and center training load data and running recommendations. And as noted, budding runners can consider the Amazfit Active 3 instead.

The Cheetah 2 Pro and Cheetah 2 Ultra are newer versions to consider that we haven't tested yet. The Cheetah 2 Pro is a performance running watch as well, with a brighter screen, more durable build, more internal storage, upgraded sensors, and a built-in flashlight. The Cheetah 2 Ultra, meanwhile, is geared more towards trail versus road marathoners, with a focus on stats and metrics like elevation and handling unpredictable terrain. Naturally, then, it has an upgraded trail running mode, making it the ideal option if trail running is your thing.

Best starter option

The Amazfit Balance used to be our best overall pick, delivering an excellent all-around experience. Now the Balance 2 has replaced it with several major upgrades, but the Balance 1 remains available — and often on sale for half the price of the Balance 2! So it's worth recommending if you want to try your first Amazfit watch but don't want to spend too much money on one.

Battery life is one standout feature, as the Balance easily lasted for two weeks on average during our testing — though the Balance 2 lasts a week longer. It's also lightweight and stylish, a great combination that makes you want to wear it constantly. And you get perks like Bluetooth calling, message responses with the QWERTY keyboard, contactless payments (Europe only), and Alexa voice commands.

It has the same downsides as the Balance 2 in terms of being somewhat limited for apps and smarts, but that's easier to accept at this price. The 1,500-nit display is still excellent for outdoor visibility, and the Balance 1 is slightly lighter, making it more comfortable day-to-day.

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How to choose

Amazfit sells a fitness watch for just about everybody. You have the Bip series for budget-hunters, the T-Rex series for outdoor types who put their watches through tough treatment, the Cheetah and Active watches for runners, and the Balance lineup for a more generalized training experience with extra health and AI smarts.

Generally speaking, Amazfit watches are all packed with value, with hundreds of sports modes, the same Zepp app experience, and similar BioActive health sensor data. So which you choose will come down to specific features and if you want to pay extra for longer battery life, extra ruggedness, niche sport modes, or brighter displays.

The Amazfit Bip 6 gives you the core experience, but it's limited. Upgrading to the Active 2 nets you GPS and an altimeter, better sensors, and (with the "Premium" version) sapphire glass.

From there, paying extra for an entry option in the Balance or Cheetah lines nets you better GPS accuracy, a rotating crown for easier navigation, extra music storage, contactless payments (on the Balance), and more battery life. And if you jump from there to the T-Rex series, you get doubled water resistance, military-grade protection, better maps and smarts, and other premium training perks.

Only you can decide how many of these higher-end perks you really need. Amazfit makes them more affordable than other fitness watches, but you shouldn't upsell yourself if you can make do with a cheaper model!

How we test

Testing smartwatches at Android Central involves much more than strapping them to our arms and taking a few pictures. Android Central Senior Editor Michael Hicks runs a weekly column called Sunday Runday, where he discusses how smartwatches and exercise can help improve your life and promote health. Other smartwatch reviewers on the team, like Managing Editor Derrek Lee and Senior Editor Nicholas Sutrich, take numerous watches to the gym and competitions, putting them to the test exactly as you might.

In addition to comparing various watches during workouts, we wear each one to bed to evaluate sleep tracking and take them on long walks to test step accuracy. These everyday routines help us judge comfort, durability, and battery life over time. Therefore, when we recommend a smartwatch, it's because we've thoroughly tested it in real-world conditions and have the data to back it up.

Then there's the watch's operating system itself. Like Amazfit's smartwatches, many watches use proprietary operating systems that are compatible with Android and iOS devices. However, that can sometimes mean they aren't as full-featured as the OS made by Apple or Google. We take these things into account and ensure that you understand what might be missing from the experience on these watches, because, often, they excel in areas where watches from Google or Apple fall short.

Of course, all this affects how long a smartwatch's battery lasts. More features can sometimes mean worse battery life, but watches from brands like Amazfit or Garmin aim to help you stay healthier without requiring daily battery charging. We wear our watches for weeks or months to ensure accurate data and testing, so you can expect our battery life estimates to be exact.

If you're in need of a good outdoor smartwatch deal, the final hours of Prime Day 2025 are a great time to look. Right now, buyers can get 29% off the Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch, which sports Bluetooth, dual-band GPS, and a classic sports watch look combined with a highly utilitarian AMOLED display.

The T-Rex 3 features over 170 workout modes, AI-generated training programs, and 180 hours of battery life in GPS mode. This deal is currently available for all three of the watch's colors: onyx black, lava, and haze gray.

Built out of 316L stainless steel, the body is rated for military-grade weather resistance, suitable for temperatures between -22 degrees and 158 degrees Fahrenheit. It also offers water resistance in up to 45m for free-diving, or up to 100m otherwise, making it suitable for a wide range of water sports.

• Prime Day Garmin smartwatch deals

✅Recommended if: you're looking for a deal on a good GPS smartwatch that's durable enough for a wide range of outdoor excursions; you want something with dual-band GPS for improved accuracy; you need something rugged enough to manage multi-day backpacking trips, hikes, water sports, or other high-intensity outdoor activities.

❌Skip this deal if: you'd prefer to upgrade to some of the more expensive options within the best Amazfit smartwatches category; you want a smartwatch that has solar charging; having NFC or LTE is a priority for you when it comes to a smartwatch.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 offers a highly durable housing with a good-looking, 1.5-inch AMOLED display, along with dual-band GPS, offline map modes, workout programs, and useful AI features that make it worthwhile for some buyers.

The T-Rex 3 sports up to 114 hours of battery life in GPS Long Battery Life Mode, while disabling other features can lead to up to 180 hours of battery life for longer hikes and backpacking trips. With typical use, the company says you can get up to 27 hours of battery life, or up to 42 in the more-accurate GPS Accurate mode.

Prime Day 2025 quick links

• Prime Day ends TONIGHT: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to %45 off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

• Take a look at our full 2025 Prime Day deal guide

Amazon Prime Day is winding down to its last few hours. There are still great deals on high-end Apple and Android watches, but if you're bargain hunting in the final few hours, you're probably looking at much cheaper watches. You can't trust a lot of these no-name brands on Amazon, but I've personally used the Amazfit Bip 6 and still can't believe it's only $64.99 (19% off) until the deal ends.

We're talking a smartwatch with 14-day battery life, a 1.97-inch, 2,000 nit AMOLED display, a built-in mic and speaker for calls, 5ATM water resistance, built-in GPS, 140 sports modes, and the same HR, SpO2, and stress measurements as pricier Amazfit watches. Add in Zepp Coaching, downloadable maps, and hundreds of free watch faces, and it's a pretty comprehensive experience for so cheap!

✅Recommended if: You want to prioritize an affordable purchase but don't want to feel like you're compromising too much on quality. You'd rather have a long battery life than the smarts of an Android or Apple Watch.

❌Skip this deal if: You're willing to spend a bit more on the Amazfit Active 2 or Amazfit Balance for a few key upgrades, or if you want a "stylish" watch.

I've personally used the Bip 6 and have been impressed by its performance. It's a huge step up over my old Amazfit Band 7 and doesn't feel like a major downgrade compared to my Balance 2.

On that note, if you're willing to spend another $15 on the Amazfit Active 2 at $79.99, you'll get an altimeter for elevation data, a skin temperature sensor, 20+ extra sports modes, and a more traditional, rounded watch look with stainless steel. The Bip 6 does last a few days longer per charge, however.

Either way, you're getting robust software to help you get fitter, paired with a display as bright as a top-tier smartwatch for notifications, for hundreds of dollars less. They're both Prime Day deals worth jumping on while they last!

For everything on Amazon Prime Day, head to our ultimate shopping guide.

Prime Day 2025 Android deals — quick links

• Prime Day is coming: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to 45% off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

With Amazon Prime Day in full swing, you're probably on the hunt for a cheap Android fitness watch. Amazfit best fits the bill for combining quality with low prices, and as the site's Wearables editor with years of experience wearing them, I can point you to the two best deals: the Amazfit Balance for $129 (35% off) or the Amazfit Active 2 (up to 23% off).

Although my colleague absolutely loves the Amazfit Balance 2, which still costs $299, putting it in the same realm as true smartwatches. It's worth that price, but consider the much cheaper alternatives first.

The last-gen Amazfit Balance has a 1.5-inch, 1,500-nit AMOLED display, 14-day battery life, dual-band GPS with offline maps, Bluetooth calling, a mic & speaker with voice commands, contactless payments in Europe, and a ton of fitness insights like readiness and recovery.

✅Recommended if: You want a well-rounded, long-lasting smartwatch with all of Amazfit's best training tools, a large display, and easier navigation via the crown.

❌Skip this deal if: You're willing to spend more than double for the Balance 2's sapphire glass, extra week of battery life, newer HR sensor, 28GB more storage, and upgrades to the mic, speaker, and haptic motor.

That said, you may want to spend even less on your fitness watch, or prefer a smaller watch! And in that case, I'll point you to the Amazfit Active 2: It's a lighter option with a 1.3-inch, 2,000-nit display, more stylish steel bezel, and a next-gen PPG for more accurate HR data, while still costing less! You do lose days of battery life and the rotating crown, but it's a fair trade for the lower price.

The best price is the standard Active 2 for $84.99 (15% off), but if you upgrade to the Active 2 Premium ($99, 23% off), you get sapphire glass, contactless payments in Europe, and a second leather strap with the normal silicone one. I'd say it's worth the $15 surcharge for the better display protection alone!

✅Recommended if: You want a full-fledged fitness watch for the price of a fitness band, with an excellent display and tons of sports modes.

❌Skip this deal if: You want the Balance's larger display, rotating crown, body fat calculator, more accurate GPS tracking, and other high-end perks.

Whichever watch you end up picking, you're getting the value of a "normal" fitness watch for a cheap price. The Active 2 is normally the better deal — getting perks like a mic & speaker in a $99 watch is already impressive — but the Balance 2 has the bigger discount for Prime Day.

For everything on Amazon Prime Day, head to our ultimate shopping guide.

Prime Day 2025 Android deals — quick links

• Prime Day is coming: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to 45% off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

I'm a pretty late bloomer when it comes to working out regularly. I sailed through my teens, 20s, and half of my 30s without giving much thought to my long-term health or wondering if a gym life would be the right fit for me. However, something changed around 35, and I've been using smartwatches, such as the Google Pixel Watch 3 and OnePlus Watch 3, to track my heart rate and ensure that I'm not overexerting myself.

But I'm learning that there's so much more to workout tracking than just heart rate monitoring, and it took the Amazfit Balance 2 to get me to this point. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and have since gone on several hikes, multiple paddleboarding sessions, and plenty of WODs at HEW Fitness, my favorite local CrossFit-style gym.

And while I've even taken several watches and smart rings on Spartan races, a lot of the data I'm given has to be combed through and manually compared in a way that I don't usually take the time to do. That's all changing for me with the Amazfit Zepp app.

Effortless tracking

Shy of having a robot humanoid alongside me to log everything I do — I'd rather not have that for robot apocalypse reasons, if nothing else — I can't see workout and health tracking getting any easier than what Amazfit has crafted here.

Let's start with food logging. I'm horrible at logging my food. Even the slightest bit of friction to the experience will make me stop. I've tried all the popular apps over the years and have given up on all of them. Doubtless, something better has come along since the advent of modern AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, but Zepp builds it in for me, and I don't have to juggle multiple apps or services.

Right on the main screen, I can log food in one of two ways: take a picture or use a voice/text prompt. Just before I wrote this, I went upstairs and grabbed some tuna and crackers for an afternoon snack. I took a picture of the box of crackers and another of the tuna pouch. Bam, afternoon snack logged.

Before that, though, I was really craving some Oreos. I forgot to take a picture of it because I left my phone in my office downstairs, but I know I only took a single serving of Oreos because I'm at least good about looking at the label and grabbing what I should. So I told Zepp I ate "one serving of Oreos." Two seconds later, my poor nutritional choice was logged for AI to judge me with.

Yep, I could definitely get used to logging food this way. Even taking a quick voice journal of the stuff I ate throughout the day and dropping it into the text prompt section of the app will log everything I ate, from that errant piece of Dominos pizza my friend offered me while we were playing games, to the smoothie I ate with one banana, a cup of almond milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and a scoop of protein powder after I left the gym.

Better yet, the app provides you with insights based on what you've logged, including how much you've exercised, how well you slept, and more. This morning, it suggested that I try adding fruits or vegetables to my breakfast to make it more balanced. After realizing I had forgotten to log my orange juice, that insight alert disappeared.

Best of all, you don't need a paid subscription or a specific phone to make this all work. This is a dream come true for me, and I can't believe how well it works!

How about the workouts?

While I love the accuracy and comfort of both the Pixel Watch 3 and OnePlus Watch 3, I've never used a watch that understands what I'm doing quite like the Amazfit Balance 2. This week, two of our WODs (Workout Of the Day) at the gym included barbell exercises. I know from wearing Samsung Galaxy Watches that some watches are better at tracking workouts like this than others, but the Amazfit Balance 2 was on a totally different level.

I selected "strength training" before beginning the workout, then selected my weight and the number of reps I planned to do. Each round, I clicked the lower button on the watch, adjusted the weight and number of reps, then hit go.

After I was done, I sat down to look at the data the watch generated and couldn't believe my eyes. It got all the expected stats — average heart rate, calories burned, etc. — but then I scrolled down and saw the muscle groups I worked. "How could it possibly know this?" I wondered. The best Garmin watches also offer this feature, but they are often slightly more expensive than Amazfit's watches, and I find the app to be somewhat convoluted.

Scrolling one more "page" down revealed the answer. During each rep, the Amazfit Balance 2 uses its sophisticated sensors to identify exactly what you're doing during those logged reps. But this isn't just some generic list of activities; this is a list of thousands of things, all sorted by different muscle groups.

OK, so it picked up my deadlifts correctly on Tuesday, but how about Friday's back squats? Surely these activities are similar enough to trick it? Nope. Right in the app after my workout today, "Barbell squats" stared me in the face. It's been a long time since I've felt like technology was magic — my job makes me a little jaded, what can I say — but man, does this feel like magic.

If that wasn't enough, it also gives me insights for consistency, stability, continuity, rhythm, and speed decay, all with personalized descriptions that actually make sense. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'd be able to interpret this data in a meaningful way.

The rest of the watch is just as fantastic as this experience, too. So far, it's lasted me nearly a week on a single charge, and there's nothing here that feels like it's a lesser experience when compared to the best Wear OS watches.

Zepp has an app store that offers a wide range of content, from utilities like calculators to games like Sudoku, yoga courses, and more. I'm not someone who uses extra apps on smartwatches very often, but everything I felt like I needed to use was either already included on the watch or found in the Zepp app store.

And, much to my surprise, responding to messages on the watch was as easy as could be. At first, I was confused because you have to swipe on a notification to get actions for it — this seems more like an iOS paradigm than an Android one — but once I figured this out, things were swell.

I've been super impressed with smartwatches lately. The Amazfit Balance 2 feels like another upgrade on my previous favorite, the OnePlus Watch 3, and I think you'll love it, too!

What you need to know

• Amazfit dropped two new devices: the Balance 2 smartwatch and the Helio Strap.
• The former, available for $299, brings a 1.5-inch display, 21-day battery life, and over 170 workouts/sports modes to keep those on the go moving.
• The Helio Strap, available for $99, is Amazfit's first screen-free device that focuses on continuously tracking your health data in a comfortable way.
• Amazfit touts that using the Balance 2 and the Helio Strap in combination takes things to a new level, and that bundle is available for $379.

Amazfit, owned by Zepp Health, is dropping two new wearable devices that shine even brighter when used together.

In a press release, Amazfit announced the launch of its Balance 2 smartwatch and its Helio Strap, the company's first screen-free tracker. To kick things off, the Balance 2, which is available globally for $299, focuses on those "high performers." Those who love running daily or strength training throughout the week will have a 1.5-inch scratch-resistant Sapphire glass display. With 2,000nits of peak brightness, Amazfit says the Balance 2 will remain bright even while outside.

For training purposes, the post says the Balance 2 supports running, cycling, golf, diving, to name a few of its over 170 available workouts/sports-related activities.

However, it takes golf to another level by providing a "full in-round experience." The Balance 2 features 40,000-plus course maps, hazards, scoring, and swing feedback. Alongside this is the watch's HYROX-Optimized Training. With three available modes, the Balance 2 gives users interval planning, heart rate zones, recovery, and more. If you are running through the city, Amazfit highlights free downloadable maps for users.

Keeping the Balance (2)

Your workouts and sleep will benefit from the Balance 2's "enhanced" monitoring capabilities. This involves better tracking and data capture for your heart rate, HRV, blood oxygen, and more. Even divers will benefit from this and the watch's dedicated diving support. Amazfit states the Balance 2 fully supports freediving and scuba divers up to 45 meters, and the watch is water-resistant up to 100 meters.

After all of these features were packed into the Balance 2, Amazfit detailed one more thing: BioCharge Score. This new feature is still "coming soon;" however, it's said to become your "personalized body energy management" system. BioCharge Score will monitor your energy levels constantly throughout the day, working with your sleep data, exertion, stress, and more to help you understand if you need to rest more or make that extra push.

The smartwatch comes packed with a 21-day battery life to keep you going without worry.

As previously stated, the Balance 2 is available for $299 globally on Amazfit.com, Amazon, and "select" retailers.

All data, no distractions

Alternatively, the Amazfit Helio Strap is the company's first screen-free tracker that focuses on gathering your health data comfortably. Available for $99, the Helio Strap is comfortable enough to wear to bed to take full advantage of its 10-day battery life. Moreover, the Helio Strap's continuous heart rate monitoring is said to deliver "high precision" data to understand training load and overall cardiovascular health.

The BioCharge Score feature that is "coming soon" for the Balance 2 is already available on the Helio Strap.

Accessible via the Zepp app, Helio Strap owners will find 27 workout modes, including cycling, walking, and yoga. Alongside this are some available Strength training and HYROX modes for tracking your reps, rest periods, and sets. Additionally, Amazfit says Helio Strap owners will have access to the exclusive HYROX Race mode.

Like the Balance 2, the Helio Strap is already available on Amazfit.com, Amazon, and "select" retailers.

It's worth reiterating that the Balance 2 and Helio Strap take your health data to another level when used simultaneously. When combined, Amazfit says its analytics systems elevate, giving you increased insight into your heart rate, fatigue, and recovery analysis. All of this is synced to your Zepp app on your phone without a necessary subscription.

So, if you're interested, Amazfit details a special combo bundle, which delivers the Balance 2 and Helio Strap for $379.

Memorial Day smartwatch deals are officially here, and those in the market will appreciate this next entry. Amazon's Amazfit Balance is 25% off for Memorial Day, marking $50 in savings on our favorite budget smartwatch for Android.

While this watch already offers a ton of bang for the buck at $200, this discount knocks the price down to $150, making it an even more competitive pick. The Amazfit Balance features weeks-long battery life, an excellent balance (no pun intended) between its lightweight build and its large AMOLED display, and a wide range of apps, health and sleep monitoring features and more. This particular deal is for the 46mm version of the watch, which comes in both Midnight Black and Sunset Grey. Sure, the best Amazfit watch may not match the power found in Pixel or Galaxy watches, this deal makes the Balance an outstanding pick.

• Amazon just launched its Memorial Day sale early — I found the 20 deals that no Android user should miss

✅Recommended if: you're looking for a budget smartwatch that won't compromise on features; having a watch with a long battery life is important to you; you like having a large, bright AMOLED screen.

❌Skip this deal if: you need an extremely small smartwatch; you want a watch that can be upgraded to include built-in LTE; you'd rather go with a Wear OS watch.

The Amazfit Balance is a great affordable smartwatch, featuring up to two weeks of battery, dual-band GPS, and a massive 1.5-inch AMOLED display. Plus, it includes Bluetooth calling with an onboard speaker and microphone, as well as easy access to the Alexa voice assistant, heart rate and stress level data, fitness training coaching programs, sleep analysis, and more.

While it's certainly on the bulky side, it's actually fairly lightweight for its size, though some may prefer a smaller, thinner smartwatch. Overall, this wouldn't be a bad pick for those trying to get the most bang for their buck on an Android smartwatch.

I've reviewed dozens of running watches, and several of my favorites are now affordable thanks to Cyber Monday. But I'm reevaluating one watch I reviewed, the Amazfit Cheetah Pro, now that it's fallen to $179 (40% off) for Cyber Monday, a much more reasonable price for what it offers.

The Amazfit Cheetah Pro hardware is (mostly) solid: the 1.45-inch AMOLED display, week-long battery life with heavy use, titanium bezel, mic/speaker for Bluetooth calls, dual-band GPS and altimeter for accurate location and elevation, and a lightweight 43g (with strap) frame all make for a compelling package!

The display could be brighter, the speaker louder, and the GPS and HR data slightly more accurate to match Garmin's. But the training software itself is solid: it gave me reliable post-run recovery time estimates and realistic training load numbers after my test workouts. My complaints are much easier to stomach at this price point, and anyone worried about optical HR accuracy can always connect an external HRM.

✅Recommended if: You don't want to pay for a fitness subscription for Zepp Coach AI insights, you need Bluetooth calling and voice commands on a non-smart watch, and you need guidance on what kind of workout to do to improve as a runner.

❌Skip this deal if: You can accept a cheaper-looking Garmin watch with no titanium bezel or downloadable local maps, but which will beat the Cheetah Pro for battery life and GPS accuracy while at least matching it for workout suggestions and training load insights.

I prefer Garmin watches, but only the $599 Forerunner 965 (currently $499 for Cyber Monday) has a titanium bezel and topographic maps, and you'd need a Venu 3 (which doesn't have specialized running tools) for a mic & speaker. So, in theory, the Cheetah Pro was already a bargain at $299 and is now a steal at $179.

If you're more interested in a Garmin Cyber Monday deal on a running watch, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is $199 ($50 off), making it only slightly more expensive than a Cheetah Pro. It has a smaller display, cheaper-looking design, only breadcrumb navigation, and no training load — but makes up for it with daily suggested workouts, recovery time, and better HR/ GPS accuracy. Still, you can see how Amazfit's ultra-discounted Cheetah Pro is a compelling alternative now!

You can also look into a proper smartwatch like the Pixel Watch 3 45mm LTE ($170 off for Cyber Monday), which has much better Bluetooth calling, commands, Cardio Load, and AI smarts for workouts through Fitbit. But most runners would prefer the Cheetah Pro's 7-day battery life to the Watch 3's 2-day battery!

Even though I find the Zepp app and Cheetah Pro software a bit less polished than other brands, and I really wish its display got brighter in direct sunlight, the Amazfit Cheetah Pro is an all-around winner at this Cyber Monday price.

It is finally here! Cyber Monday 2024 has kicked off with a bang and boy are the deals good. The recently launched Amazfit Balance has now gone on sale, even though we didn't see any Black Friday discounts on it. The Balance has many pros to its name, but the best feature about this smartwatch is undoubtedly its battery life which goes up to 20 days.

This Cyber Monday deal brings down the price of the Amazfit Balance by a whopping 30%. If you want to take up on this offer, it's available on Amazon for $139.99 for the Gray variant. The black colorway is also on sale, but for $144.99 at Amazon. For a wearable that usually costs about $200, that's an insanely good discount!

I just reviewed the Amazfit Balance and gave it a very good rating. What sets this watch apart is the AI features baked in, like Zepp Flow, Zepp Coach, and Zepp Aura. It uses AI to learn from your metrics and design strategies for you to hit your fitness goals smartly, based on the data collected.

The smartwatch also has plenty of watch faces, a solid companion app, and over 150 sports modes. Then there's also a ton of health tracking metrics such as heart rate monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, menstrual tracking, and more! It's one of the best Amazfit smartwatches for sure, and easy on the eyes too.

✅Recommended if: you hate charging your wearable, require NFC for payments, want Alexa onboard, and like to track your health and fitness metrics.

❌Skip this deal if: you want access to a lot more third-party apps and need an accurate pedometer as a serious sportsperson.

If you're interested in a full-length evaluation of the Amazfit Balance, you can read my in-depth review. What I can summarize for you is that this is an excellent budget smartwatch that works really well for everyday use. This smartwatch has Alexa onboard, a built-in speaker and mic combo, as well as GPS and NFC for payments.

I also love the fact that you can store music locally on your Amazfit Balance and pair your Bluetooth headphones or earbuds with it directly. And if you forgot your earbuds, it just plays the music out loud through the watch's speaker.

Although the Amazfit Balance doesn't support hundreds and thousands of apps like Wear OS, the current selection of apps is decent enough. You can respond to messages on the notification bar with a full QWERTY keyboard too, which was not an option on older Amazfit smartwatches. It's not as capable as a Wear OS watch, but still an excellent smart wearable for the price.

I recently reviewed and was in awe of the incredible Amazfit Balance smartwatch. Sadly, that model isn't on sale for Cyber Monday, but you can still get the next best thing for nearly half the price! The superb Amazfit GTR Mini rivals the battery life of the newer Amazfit Balance. You can score an excellent 15% discount on the GTR Mini while the Cyber Monday deal lasts on Amazon or Best Buy for $84.99.

The round-shaped Amazfit smartwatch looks just like a cool wristwatch, but don’t be fooled, there are tons of tracking and premium features inside. Along with more than 120 sports modes, heart rate tracking, GPS, sleep monitoring, and compatibility with an AI fitness app, the GTR Mini can somehow manage to run for up to two weeks per charge.

Thankfully, Amazfit uses standard quick-release connectors, so compatible bands are super easy and cheap to find. Oh, and did I mention it’s also 5ATM water-resistant so you can swim with it, too?

✅Recommended if: you're a beginner who is just getting into the world of fitness, health, and wellness tracking and who tends to get daunted by complicated menus and apps.

❌Skip this deal if: you need something more robust with advanced features and third-party app access.

Along with the “unbelievable battery life,” I absolutely loved the bright AMOLED display, advanced GPS (perfect for runners and cyclists), preset replies for messages, breadth of sports modes, and the ability to summon Alexa from your wrist during my testing for my review.

Another factor that I admire about the GTR Mini is that it is super thin and lightweight, so you won’t even know you’re wearing it. The Zepp OS 2.0 interface is clean and easy to use, with no learning curve, something someone unfamiliar with using smartwatches will appreciate. It has some limitations though, including no third-party app support nor a speaker or mic (when you summon Alexa, your phone needs to be connected and nearby), but you might not even care. 

Sure, this smartwatch isn’t the newest, most powerful and feature-rich smartwatch you can buy. But for beginners looking to kickstart their fitness or health and wellness journey, it’s a good budget option that doesn’t act like a budget watch. And at just $84.99 during the ongoing Cyber Monday weekend sales, it’s worth the investment. When you’re ready to move up to something more premium, hand this one down to a friend or family member and they’ll love using it, too.

Once you decide you want a smartwatch, it can be difficult to decide what to get. There are expensive premium models with more features than you might need, so what if you just want to track some exercises, check vitals, and keep on top of notifications?

The short answer is you can find great smartwatches for less. But how do you know which one is cheap because it doesn't work well and which one offers impressive performance without breaking the bank? That's why we're here. Whether you're looking for a cheap Android smartwatch for yourself or shopping for the "grads and dads" during the upcoming graduation and Father's Day season, you can find a great Android watch on a budget.

In this guide, we define a cheap Android smartwatch as one that's about $200. We include models with Wear OS as well as ones without, and even ones that are under $100 if you're on a very tight budget or want a first smartwatch for your teen heading off to high school. Having tested dozens of Android smartwatches over the years, I know which budget smartwatches are actually worth it.

At a glance

Best overall

Samsung watches are getting more expensive; the Watch 8, Classic, and Ultra range from $350 to $650. But they're also the best Android smartwatches for most people, and the Galaxy Watch 7 — which you can now find for under $200 — is frequently on sale.

Unlike the latest Galaxy Watch 8 with its skinny squircle redesign, the Galaxy Watch 7 has the same flat, circular look and digital bezel as years of past Samsung watches. You're getting a 2,000-nit, high-res AMOLED display, fast performance, and accurate health sensors in a comfortably light, yet rugged, frame.

I can't overstate how fast and powerful the Galaxy Watch 7 is with its Exynos W1000 chip and 2GB of RAM, compared to other picks on this list. Fitness watches with weeks-long battery life give you basic notifications and a few smarts, but only the Watch 7 can use Gemini commands to communicate directly with your favorite Google or Samsung apps, like checking your calendar or summarizing your latest email.

As a former mainline watch, the Galaxy Watch 7 has very few downsides, especially compared to the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, a "budget" smartwatch released the same year that essentially rereleased the Galaxy Watch 4 with new software, three generations out of date. It's probably going to go out of stock soon, especially with the Galaxy Watch 9 on the horizon. So, I'd suggest grabbing one now.

Honorable mentions: The Google Pixel Watch 3 is another watch that I can't call "cheap," but is affordable during sales periods. You can see our Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Pixel Watch 3 guide for the specifics, but Google's watch is arguably more stylish but less rugged. It has Fitbit sensors and insights, but fewer Wear OS software updates. It will also work with the new Google Health app, which is replacing the Fitbit app.

Best Wear OS alternative

For all their smarts, Wear OS watches are typically expensive and need to be charged every day or two. Amazfit's watches can't compete in some ways, but it's consistently been one of the best bang-for-your-buck brands we recommend, with the majority of the best Amazfit watches falling in the sub-$200 range.

The Amazfit Balance, as its name implies, is one of the brand's most well-rounded options, and like the Galaxy Watch 7, it's frequently discounted as Amazfit clears out stock for the new Balance 2 with better sensors and battery life. You can get it for a ridiculously low price for its value.

The Amazfit Balance includes a built-in mic and speaker for Bluetooth calls, as well as Amazfit's offline voice assistant. Its newest feature, Zepp, powered by ChatGPT-4o, takes things further, letting you reply to messages hands-free, ask about your health stats, check the weather, and a lot more. It was occasionally glitchy during our review period, but it has continued to improve and get smarter over time.

Amazfit is also well-known for its health and fitness insights. It has 150+ sports modes, a daily readiness score, an AI coach that guides your workout suggestions, offline maps and routes, and meditation tools. It's still missing AFib detection and skin temperature readings, but you can at least take quick readings of your heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress levels at any time.

Honorable mentions: As I said, Amazfit has plenty of cheaper options that eliminate specific features. Consider the Amazfit Active 2 if you want similar health and fitness tools for half the price of the Balance, or the Amazfit Bip 6 squircle for even less if you want something a bit more basic for reading notifications. The Amazfit Balance 2 is closer to $300 but has some worthwhile upgrades if you can save up a bit more.

Best cheap fitness watch

The Fitbit Versa 4 gives you the essential Fitbit health and fitness experience. You get nearly a week of battery life in a skinny, lightweight frame, with a large AMOLED display that's much better for notifications than a Fitbit Charge 6 or Inspire 3. More importantly, you get accurate HR and SpO2 data, used to catch any AFib warning signs or judge your sleep quality and HRV levels.

Google acquired Fitbit before releasing the Versa 4, and it led to an odd mix of upgrades and downgrades. You get Google's apps like Google Maps, Google Wallet, and YouTube Music, but you lose some of the Versa 3's smarts, like Google Assistant, phone music playback controls, and a few third-party apps. At least you still have a mic & speaker for Bluetooth calling.

Most importantly, Google continues to upgrade its Fitbit insights, so the Versa 4 experience improves even as the hardware gets older. For example, the new Fitbit Cardio Load score judges how difficult your workouts are and shows whether you're exercising enough. In fact, the watch itself will be supported through 2027, so there's still a lot of life left in this model even though it was introduced years ago.

With the new Google Health app, which replaces the Fitbit app, you can leverage features like Health Coach. Speak to a Gemini-powered AI coach to create a plan, even adjust your plans if you're injured or busy. It can also use your health data as context to answer questions, and the redesigned app will show weekly "insights" into your data trends.

Honorable mentions: We've seen the Fitbit Sense 2 available for $199 or less quite often, and it offers better health sensors than the Versa 4, mainly an ECG and a stress (cEDA) sensor. You might also be interested in the cheaper Fitbit Charge 6; you lose the pretty squircle display and altimeter, but gain the ECG and skin temperature, an upgraded HR sensor for accuracy, and a lighter fit. If you want to go the screenless route, the new Fitbit Air is an interesting entry that relies entirely on the app to provide data, but it costs a mere $99.

Best cheap Wear OS watch

Most Wear OS watches are pricey, but if you're looking for a cheap Android watch, there's no better Android experience. I've previously recommended cheaper, older options like the TicWatch E3, but my experience with them is very limited. The best compromise I can find today is the OnePlus Watch 2R, which was released in 2024 and remains a compelling option, especially at discounted prices.

When I reviewed the OnePlus Watch 2R, I praised it for delivering comparable performance to a Pixel Watch at a lower price, as well as for battery life and charging speeds that beat those of your typical Galaxy or Pixel Watch. That still holds true today.

It has a sporty look, one that proved surprisingly popular during a smartwatch beauty pageant I held last year, thanks to its classical scale look, but you won't find a smaller size option, nor crown navigation, advanced health sensors, or other perks you might expect on a smartwatch. It is a budget watch with downgrades to hit its lower price, unlike the Galaxy Watch 7.

Still, this is a much better compromise option than, say, a Galaxy Watch FE, and its 2–3 days of battery life — recharged from 0% in 60 minutes — is much easier to manage. My main complaint is that OnePlus missed its Q3 2025 deadline to bring Wear OS 5 to this watch; this update began rolling out in 2026, and it should get Wear OS 6 later this year.

Honorable mentions: While its pricing is inconsistent, the TicWatch Pro 5 is frequently available for under $200. Like the OnePlus Watch 2R, you get a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with minimal bezels, the same Snapdragon chip and RAM, and about three days of battery life. The main downside is that Mobvoi hasn't managed to bring Gemini to its watches, one of the biggest perks of Wear OS.

Best cheap Garmin watch

You can find some Garmin watches in the sub-$300 range, but very few "cheap" watches, and most are years old at this point. The Garmin Vivoactive 5, relatively new and frequently discounted, is the best compromise option I can still recommend.

Like most Garmin watches, the Vivoactive 5 will track if you're getting enough Intensity Minutes to stay healthy. After every workout, it'll describe the "workout benefit" for your body and give a recovery time suggestion so you don't overtrain.

If you wear it for sleep tracking, it'll give you a Body Battery estimate and Sleep Coaching guidance to help you get better rest. With the November 2025 update, it tells you whether your HR, blood oxygen, breathing rate, and other stats are within your usual baseline or show "outliers" indicating illness or overtraining.

If you splurge for the Garmin Vivoactive 6 or Venu 4, you get a much better range of smarts, more personalized training suggestions, Bluetooth calling, and so on. But price-locked features are how Garmin gets people to splurge, and the Vivoactive 5 gives you the essentials without taking you past a price range you're comfortable with.

Honorable mentions: The Garmin Forerunner 165 is more specialized for outdoor athletes, with specific perks like an altimeter for elevation tracking and daily suggested runs tailored to your VO2 Max, but it's not as stylish or well-rounded as the Vivoactive 5. The Garmin Lily 2 or Vivomove Sport trend the opposite direction, with stylish hybrid designs and a few essentials, but without core perks like GPS and Garmin Pay. And outside of Garmin, the COROS PACE 3 has fantastic training tools and battery life, but the MIP display won't work for some people.

Best ultra-cheap watch

Closing out our list of the best cheap Android smartwatches, we had to include the CMF Watch Pro 2, a smartwatch that sounds expensive but costs less than half of what you'd pay for our top budget picks.

Nothing's sub-brand CMF has packed an impressive set of features into this sub-$100 smartwatch. Alongside essentials like heart rate and blood oxygen tracking, you get built-in GPS, plus a mic and speaker for Bluetooth calls, which are rare at this price point. It even has tools like reminders, a calendar, and alarms, though they're not as advanced as those on a typical Wear OS watch.

The AMOLED display isn't the brightest at 620 nits, but its 353ppi pixel density and 60Hz refresh rate match higher-end watches. You can use it for an entire week before it needs a recharge, and Nothing promises dozens of hours of GPS battery life, too. The rotating crown is helpful for navigation, and its distinct aluminum bezel is interchangeable if you want to switch up your style.

Of course, this low price point comes with trade-offs in accuracy and performance, and you won't find the robust apps you'd expect on the Galaxy Watch FE. That said, it's genuinely impressive how much Nothing has squeezed into a wearable that is this affordable. I can't name another in its price range I'd trust enough to recommend.

Honorable mentions: The CMF Watch Pro 3 is also extremely cheap and offers key improvements, including an upgraded HR sensor, more sports modes, AI-powered running guidance and real-time coaching, dual-band GPS, and more. It's probably the better choice, but if price is your priority, the Pro 2 is where to start.

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How to choose

Choosing among the best cheap Android smartwatches

There's a wealth of cheap Android smartwatch choices. Your first, most important decision comes down to the operating system. Wear OS provides the most advanced Android experience, with Gemini support, apps, and years of feature updates to come. Most fitness watches will only have a few tools like timers and weather summaries. If they have voice assistants, they're only built to understand the most basic commands.

The downside to Wear OS watches, aside from the fact that they're usually more expensive, is that you'll need to charge them much more often. They can sometimes be bulky to fit all their extra hardware. You may prefer a cheaper fitness watch that's more comfortable for sleep tracking and only needs to be charged once a week.

Some fitness watches are smarter than others, but you'll typically have to pay much more than $200 to get the best smarts in a fitness watch. So you'll have to decide what features you need and what you can sacrifice. Garmin watches, for example, give you great fitness tools at a "cheap" price but charge much more for perks like Bluetooth calling or ECGs. Meanwhile, a cheap Fitbit gives you these tools but not the same level of training guidance.

Make sure to do your research before you buy so you don't regret your choice. There's no point in "saving money" on a cheap watch that doesn't serve your needs!

How we test

When our wearables team reviews a new smartwatch, the device undergoes a series of hands-on tests and use-case scenarios to prove that it's a proper match for our favorite Android phones.

We test for performance, battery life under heavy and light use, and, most importantly, health and fitness tracking accuracy. After all, accuracy matters if you rely on a smartwatch for health data. That's why we never take manufacturer claims at face value.

That means that we are hitting the streets with chest and arm straps to verify heart rate accuracy, wearing a pedometer to confirm step counts, and comparing the results of multiple GPS watches simultaneously to test mapping data.

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What you need to know

• Amazfit Helio Ring buyers can get $150 off if they buy it with T-Rex Ultra, Falcon, or Cheetah Pro smartwatches.
• They also get three months of Zepp Aura and Zepp Fitness free of charge.
• The Amazfit Helio Ring comes in two 10 and 12 sizes.

Introduced at CES 2024, Amazfit’s first smart ring, Helio Ring, is finally hitting the U.S. market. The health monitoring ring is finally available to order and is bundled with some exciting offers.

The Amazfit Helio Ring is priced at $299.99 and comes in 10 and 12 sizes. Early this month, Zepp Health announced that it would go on sale on May 15, and it appears the lightweight ring has finally hit U.S. stores. As promised, the Helio Ring comes with a bunch of bundles, where users can get some discounts on the company’s other smartwatch offerings.

If a user chooses to get only the ring, they’ll have to pay $299.99 as mentioned; however, if they decide to pair up with Amazfit’s other smartwatches like T-Rex Ultra ($399), Falcon ($499), and Cheetah Pro ($299), they get $150 off on the entire order plus three months of Zepp Aura, and six months of Zepp Fitness without any extra cost. 

Amazfit wants its users to take advantage of the new Helio Ring, aided by the top smartwatches mentioned above, combined with the Zera app, to draw data from both devices to analyze better health metrics. 

The Helio Ring, which boasts itself as “Crafted for Champions,” features a skin-friendly Titanium alloy build coupled with a lightweight design. It weighs less than 4 grams and is 2.6mm in thickness. It is also equipped with a 10 ATM water resistance rating.

The smart ring, which competes with the Oura Ring and the upcoming Galaxy Ring, equips health features like heart rate, SpO2, monitoring, and stress tracking. It further includes in-depth sleep monitoring, mental and physical readiness analysis, and sports data tracking.

The Size 10 Helio Ring has an 18.5mAh battery, and the Size 12 model has a 20.5mAh one. Both take around one hour and forty minutes to fully charge and are promised up to four days of battery life. 

Additionally, it supports wireless charging. The Oura Ring gives users up to seven days of battery. However, use conditions like settings and health monitoring features may vary the promised battery life in both cases. 

Lastly, Amazfit Helio Ring users should pair the smart ring with devices running Android 7.0 and above and iOS 14.0 and above for iPhones.

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What you need to know: 

• Zepp Health announced that its Amazfit ring will hit the U.S. market on May 15.
• The lightweight smart ring weighs less than 4g and looks a lot like the Oura ring. It has built-in sensors to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and sleep.
• Amazfit Helio Ring will be priced at $299.99 and could come at a lower price if purchased in a bundle. 
• Zepp Health says that it is working on a global rollout soon.

Another competitor in the 'ring' seems to be against Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring. Zepp Health, the health technology company, announced on Wednesday that the Amazfit Helio Ring is set to launch on May 15, either as part of a bundle with the Amazfit Cheetah Pro or Amazfit T-Rex Ultra or as an independent purchase via the official Amazfit website in the United States. 

Unveiled at CES 2024, the Amazfit Helio Ring is lightweight and measures 2.6mm thick. Its built-in sensors monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and sleep. Amazfit says the ring will use this data to help analyze performance and provide a 'readiness' score within the Zepp app.

"At Zepp Health, we're empowering athletes with elite-level performance and recovery analysis right at their fingertips," said Wayne Huang, CEO of Zepp Health.

The Zepp App, Huang said, will seamlessly integrate data from the athlete's smartwatch and their Amazfit Helio Ring, giving users complete access to all their insights in one place. 

"It's not just about monitoring; it's about leveraging every bit of insight to push boundaries, unlock potential, and redefine athletic excellence," Huang added.

The Amazfit Helio Ring will be priced at $299.99. According to the company, the initial inventory carries limited sizing, presumably 10 and 12. However, Zepp Health says additional sizing and general availability to other markets will follow soon.

Amazfit is also set to offer this ring in bundles; when paired with their smartwatches, the ring will be priced at $149.99. However, the full bundle details and its global rollout information have yet to be announced. 

What you need to know

• The new Amazfit Helio Smart Ring was announced at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.
• The Helio Smart Ring is focused on improving athletic performance by analyzing physical and mental data.
• The ring can be worn as a standalone wearable or in tandem with an Amazfit smartwatch for additional data points.
• Amazfit plans to release the ring in spring 2024 for an unspecified price.

Smart rings haven't exactly taken off aside from the Oura Ring, but that's not stopping companies from releasing their own models to get a piece of the pie. So far, other smart rings have come from relatively unknown companies, and while Samsung has been rumored to have a Galaxy Ring in the works, Amazfit just joined the fray with the new Helio ring.

Announced at CES 2024, the Helio Ring is built using "skin-friendly" lightweight titanium with a chassis 2.6mm thick. With the built-in sensors, the ring is capable of monitoring your heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and sleep. Amazfit says the ring will use this data to help analyze your performance and provide a Readiness score within the Zepp app.

Amazfit also notes that users can wear the ring in tandem with the company's own smartwatches, like the T-Rex Ultra, which will allow the Zepp app to draw in data from both devices for a more comprehensive look at your metrics. However, if you don't own an Amazfit app, you can still use the Helio Ring on its own.

So far, it sounds not too unlike the Oura Ring, although Amazfit hasn't revealed all the details about its upcoming smart ring, such as battery life. It will have 10ATM water resistance and the ability to track running, walking, cycling, and treadmill workout modes, although it's not known if there will be any more than that. Amazfit also says it will be available in sizes 10 and 12, which seems fairly limiting.

What we do know is that the Helio Ring will be available in Spring 2024. We don't know how much it will cost, but Amazfit smartwatches are known to be more affordable alternatives to the best Android smartwatches, so we wouldn't be surprised if it undercuts the Oura Ring.

I like how Amazfit has taken an aggressive approach to its newest watches. Cheaper models like the GTS 4 Mini will remain its bread-and-butter for the near future, but new lineups like the Falcon, T-Rex, and Cheetah prove that it's willing to take on higher-end fitness brands with new form factors.

The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra is for people who love massive stainless steel behemoths like a Garmin Epix Pro or (to a lesser extent) the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm. Having just reviewed the Classic and found it at the upper end of my comfort zone, the T-Rex Ultra crashes through that upper limit like, well, the gate-smashing T-Rex in Jurassic Park.

Even though I know the T-Rex Ultra doesn't cater to my needs — the Cheetah Pro is much more my speed — I'll do my best to give it a fair shake and highlight the aspects that other types of athletes will appreciate. 

Still, it's hard to brush aside the feeling that the Amazfit T-Rex 2 remains a better all-around purchase a year later for fans of rugged fitness smartwatches.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra Price and Availability

The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra costs $399 / £399 / €469 and is available in China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Of Amazfit's usual territories, only India appears to have not received the Ultra (and other high-end models) yet.

The T-Rex Ultra ships in two colors: Abyss Black and Sahara. It's primarily available through Amazon, Best Buy, and Amazfit's storefront in the U.S.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra: What you'll like

The T-Rex Ultra goes all-in on its rugged aesthetic, and my issues with comfort aside, I think it looks pretty badass. It's all hard lines and lugs and loops, with an elevated stainless steel bezel protecting a bright, rich 1.39-inch touch display.

Compared to your typical rugged smartwatch, the T-Rex Ultra uses 316L "marine grade" stainless steel across the bezel, bridge, back panel, and buttons, with hardened polymer alloy for the middle frame. This material helps the Ultra meet EN13319 & ISO 6245 diving certifications to work 30 meters below the surface.

It passes 15 MIL-STD-810G tests, including those for heat, cold, humidity, salt spray, ice, shock, and mud. It's also rated to survive in 70ºC (158ºF) heat or -40ºC (-40ºF) cold. It's all fantastic to have but totally overkill for casual suburban nature lovers like myself. I mainly appreciate the fact that it will survive conditions or damage that would kill me, so I never really have to worry about it. 

If it weren't for the weight — yes, that's a major if — I'd consider the T-Rex Ultra design surprisingly comfortable. The adjustable lugs between the case and strap leave plenty of leeway to loop around your wrist instead of digging into it while still allowing for a secure fit. 

I also appreciate having four textured metal buttons — Select, Back, Up, and Down — since I'm not the biggest fan of how Amazfit designs its crowns. Compared to other fitness watch brands that tend to have squishy polymer buttons (looking at you, Garmin), these give a satisfying, consistent click when pressed. They're easy to use on the trail, while the large touchscreen works best at home. 

Like the Cheetah Pro and Cheetah Round, the T-Rex Ultra has dual-band, all-systems positioning with six GNS systems, matching the highest GPS standard — though it doesn't explicitly have Amazfit's new "MaxTrack" setting with a "circularly-polarized GPS antenna" like the Cheetah series. 

In practice, I've found that it's pretty darn accurate, with only occasional drifting. Purely in terms of distance, you should get accurate enough results with enough battery life to use it across an all-day hike (so long as you charge it at the end). 

Outside of GPS activities, the T-Rex Ultra won't quit (unlike Jurassic Park's electrical system). It likely won't last the full 20-day estimate, but I've found the 9-day "heavy usage" estimate is accurate. That includes continuous heart rate and stress data, occasional blood oxygen tests, regular notifications, higher brightness settings, and at least a couple hours of GPS tracking a week. 

The more you use "Accuracy Mode" GPS, the more that cuts into the powerful 500mAh battery. But otherwise, Zepp OS is designed for efficiency and doesn't really have much in the way of activities like an Apple or Wear OS watch. You should have no trouble avoiding frequent recharging. 

Most Amazfit watches have an absurd number of sports modes; however, the T-Rex Ultra takes the cake with 162 total. It's just four more than the T-Rex 2 — adding niche modes like skydiving, spearfishing, and freediving — but still dozens more than your typical Amazfit, spread across categories like Running, Cycling, Swimming, Dance, Combat Sports, Gym activities, Ball Sports, Water Sports, Winter Sports, and Board Games. 

Although there's plenty of overlap in the key metrics these activities cover (heart rate, time, pace, distance, elevation change, number of sets, etc.), they do have unique data for key workout types that make them feel sufficiently personalized and useful. 

It auto-recognizes eight activities — Running, Cycling, Swimming, Indoor/Outdoor Walking, Treadmill, Rowing Machine, and Elliptical — and up to 25 strength workout types. So, if you really want to wear this mammoth at the gym every day, you won't have to constantly swap between activities; you can trust it to figure out what you're doing. 

And speaking of automation, I appreciate having access to the Zepp Coach AI. Since nothing has changed from my Cheetah Pro review, I'll paraphrase my thoughts here: Zepp Coach gives you similar training load and recovery time data to a Garmin watch, which is considered the gold standard for training recommendations. The recommended workout times target different heart rate intensities, which is quite useful. 

My main Zepp Coach complaint is that it gives you your training status (i.e. if you're over- or undertraining) but doesn't go into enough depth in other areas, leaving you to trust the algorithm blindly. But for some people who don't want to study data and just want advice on how to get fitter, this straightforward approach might be preferable.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra: What you won't like

The biggest problem with the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra is simple: I just don't want to wear it all day because of how heavy it is. During workouts, it's just too noticeably present on my wrist, while a lighter fitness watch would fade out of my awareness pretty quickly.

If you're used to 80g steel watches like an Apple Watch Ultra or Garmin Epix, you might not mind this. So, I'm trying not to weigh my preferences too harshly against it. What can't be denied is that most people are used to 50g watches, and this weighs nearly twice that.

The silicone watch band is decently comfortable but a bit stiff. I find that when trying to adjust the fit or take it off, the tongue tends to get stuck and requires some decent effort to dislodge it. And if you want to replace it with another 22mm option, you're going to need a special tool to remove it. 

As a final design point, Amazfit doesn't specify what kind of glass protection the T-Rex Ultra has, Gorilla or otherwise. So you may want to buy a screen protector for it.

Unlike some other Amazfit watches, the T-Rex Ultra has no mic or speaker, which means no Bluetooth calling or speaking to a smart assistant like Alexa. That leaves extra room for a larger battery, so you may not mind this. 

In terms of other missing features, you don't get some of the more advanced health tracking tools like passive or active AFib detection or skin temperature. You have quick replies to some notifications, but most aren't actionable, and there's no method to write a custom response. And even though Amazfit has some downloadable apps, you won't find proper third-party app support from most major developers — aside from connected fitness apps like Adidas Running and Strava.

These flaws apply to other fitness-focused brands like Garmin and COROS, to be clear. But it's still worth noting. 

Specific to the Zepp OS, it still has its localization quirks and labyrinthian settings. It's gotten a lot better since I reviewed the GTS 2 Mini in 2021 with its poorly translated menus. But it's still not always clear what a Settings field means until you tap on it, nor can you easily find certain settings without a lot of initial searching. On top of that, I still dislike how a lot of text isn't visible until you wait for it to scroll onto the screen — a side-effect of Zepp OS originally being designed for compact Hanzi instead of letters, I suspect.

Competition

Perhaps the biggest problem with the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra is that the T-Rex 2 already does 90% of the same things for significantly less, with a more bearably dense design.

If you compare the T-Rex Ultra against last year's T-Rex 2, the older model uses polymer instead of steel, has no adjustable lugs, and no Wi-Fi downloads. It's not as durable for extreme temperatures or diving pressure, nor as fast to update, and it isn't mud-proof like the Ultra. 

But in every other respect — 1.4-inch AMOLED display, 1,000-nit brightness, MIL-STD-810G certifications and 10ATM water resistance, four buttons, health sensors, dual-band tracking, and Zepp Coach software — the Amazfit T-Rex 2 gives you the exact same experience.

On top of that, the T-Rex 2 has four extra days of battery life (or one extra heavy-duty day), weighs 22.5g less, and costs $170 less than the T-Rex Ultra. Our T-Rex 2 reviewer still called it "thick, heavy, and angular," but it's less burdensome at 66.5g while still handling most of the other rough conditions as the Ultra.

Aside from the T-Rex Ultra's internal competition, you'll want to check out the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm, which has the same price, a 1.5-inch AMOLED with twice the brightness, and a (less rugged) stainless steel design. Its two-day battery life doesn't come close to Amazfit's and lacks a Zepp Coach equivalent. On the other hand, it has significantly better performance, much better third-party fitness apps, a mic and speaker, military-grade shock protection, and Samsung Health. 

If you're more interested in rugged fitness, take a look at the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar, which costs just $50 more. Its uglier plastic appearance aside, the 2X Solar lasts 8 hours longer in multi-band mode or 99 hours longer in GPS-only mode thanks to its solar panel. You get MIL-STD-810 thermal, shock, and water resistance, a built-in LED flashlight for nighttime excursions, and Garmin's excellent Training Readiness tool that matches or beats everything Zepp Coach has to offer. 

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra: Should you buy?

You should buy this if...

• You want one of the most rugged fitness smartwatches on the market.
• Battery life, tracking accuracy, and a large display are all important to you.
• You're a big fan of extreme sports.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want a fitness watch you can strap on and forget about.
• You can make do with the T-Rex 2's compromises. 
• You need a smart smartwatch with great app support, Bluetooth calling, and actionable notifications.

Review ratings always feel somewhat arbitrary because your criteria for a tempting wearable will be different from mine. From my perspective, the T-Rex Ultra is barely a 3-star watch simply on the grounds that I don't want to wear it. I got the Ultra months ago and stalled on reviewing it simply because it felt like a chore to test. 

But for a specific class of extreme sports athlete, world traveler, worker who spends time in rugged environments, or people with beefier arms than mine, the T-Rex Ultra has very few rivals and is seriously worth considering despite my dislike for its bulk. Just take a long, hard look at the T-Rex 2 first. 

Amazfit has come a long way from its early days of budget Apple Watch lookalikes and Xiaomi Mi Band clones. It strikes a unique balance with its fitness tech, offering similar fitness data and battery longevity to what you get in a Garmin watch, only with more mainstream watch features packed in at a lower price.

Its new high-end fitness smartwatch focus is really apparent in the Amazfit Cheetah Pro, the brand's first watch "engineered for runners." I had a chance to test both the Cheetah Pro and the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra, and immediately preferred the Cheetah Pro for its comfortably light design and focus on affordable GPS accuracy.

Available for $299.99 — with the Cheetah Round $80 cheaper with some trade-offs — it undercuts popular running watches like the $349 COROS APEX 2 and Garmin Forerunner 255 while surpassing them in key areas, such as the built-in mic and speaker. It's honestly surprising how much tech Amazfit manages to pack into its watches. 

That being said, the Cheetah Pro isn't for everyone. Amazfit is targeting runners who may not want to spend a huge amount of money; but are there better compromises available in this price range? Or if you like what it offers, should you just bite the bullet and spend a little extra on other running watches? Let's run through the key points you need to know. 

Amazfit Cheetah Pro specs and design

Purely based on the numbers, the value that you get out of this $300 running watch is fantastic. 

The AMOLED display is nearly as large as you get from the 47mm Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, while the weight is closer to what you'd expect from a 1.2-inch watch. That's partially because Amazfit used a nylon strap instead of silicone, but it's still appreciated. Plus, the display matches the industry-standard 330 pixels per inch and is surrounded by a sleek titanium bezel, which masks the fiber-reinforced plastic beneath. 

My only skepticism is with the display's claimed 1,000 nits of max brightness. I'm not sure when that maximum kicks in, but the watch is best viewed indoors or in the shade. In sunny spots, it's perfectly readable but not at all vibrant — especially for the data screen graphs you'll see in the Cheetah Pro review photos. Still, it's much better than a Garmin MIP display, so I couldn't complain much.

The watch itself has two buttons — one a digital crown — and comes with a nylon band that's a little narrow when sliding my fist through it. Most runners have strong opinions about crowns and nylon straps, so that could influence your opinion. 

I found the strap a little scratchy for my liking; the crown is perfectly fine, though it feels like Amazfit tuned it so you have to turn it pretty far before it moves you to the next data screen during a run. Thankfully, you can use the touchscreen outside of workouts. 

The Amazfit Cheetah Pro battery life is (on paper) as long as a Garmin watch, except with the visual perk of AMOLED. In practice, consider me very dubious that this watch can hit 26 hours of tracking with Accuracy Mode active. The much larger Garmin Forerunner 965 only hits 19 dual-frequency hours, and I found that the Cheetah Pro dips nearly 10% after about 90 minutes (on pace for 16 hours or so). Still, this watch battery is more than good enough to trust for an all-day race, and that's what counts.

What makes the Cheetah Pro especially intriguing is its built-in mic and speaker, something that's fairly rare for fitness-focused smartwatches. This makes it a rival to devices like the Fitbit Versa 4 or Garmin Venu 2 Plus. With these, the Cheetah Pro can take Bluetooth phone calls or speak to a voice assistant, which you can trigger by twisting your wrist or holding down the right button. 

Testing the calling for myself, I found that the Cheetah Pro mic works quite well, really picking up my voice even if I'm not directly holding the watch near my mouth. The speaker, unfortunately, is really quiet. It's audible in silent areas, but you're probably going to ask the person to speak up. This was a problem I noticed with the pricier Venu 2 Plus, but not a traditional smartwatch like the Galaxy Watch 6.

As for the Alexa access, this seems to be the norm now that Google is restricting Assistant to the latest Wear OS models. I'm not one to care much about voice assistants, but if you want to twist your wrist, say "Start outdoor workout," and arrive on the Start screen without having to use any buttons or swipes, you're in luck. 

The Amazfit Cheetah Pro also has music storage, but no NFC tap-to-pay option. 

Just how accurate is the Cheetah Pro and Zepp Coach?

I'm waiting (im)patiently for more smartwatch brands to add data on training load and recovery, along with suggested workouts based on your fitness. Amazfit is one of the few that does, and it now has something called Zepp Coach AI to suggest workouts based on your current fitness level. 

Personally, I look like Futurama's Fry narrowing his eyes in suspicion any time a company tries to incorporate "AI" into their workflow. But the concept really isn't that different from the Garmin algorithm that goes into calculating your VO2 Max and other data, based on your GPS and heart rate data. The question is, can you trust Zepp Coach as much as more well-known brands?

Amazfit's bragging about its "industry-leading" MaxTrack GPS is just marketing. In your post-run results, you'll see your fair share of drifting and suspiciously angled lines. But it's also not nearly as bad as a GPS-only watch like the Galaxy Watch 6, and it followed along fairly closely with my Forerunner 965 map with some occasional deviations. Considering it costs half as much, I'm pretty happy with the compromise.

What I'm more concerned about — the same concern I had during my Galaxy Watch 6 testing — is how the Cheetah Pro registered much less climbing and descending than my Forerunner 965, by a scale of hundreds of feet. I noticed after my last run that it had "altitude calibration" turned on, which is supposed to be disabled by default in Amazfit models with altimeters. This makes me wonder if it's just guessing my elevation gain based on "publicly available data" rather than tracking it itself.

In terms of my heart rate data, my averages and max heart rates across several runs were 1bpm lower. That makes it pretty consistent; I wonder if it has to do with the nylon strap, which lets you wear it a little looser than you usually get with a silicone strap. 

Overall, I found that Amazfit overestimated my training load compared to Garmin, but this is in part because of a shorter sample load of data and because I started running with it when I was "overtraining" according to Garmin, making me look less fit to Zepp's algorithms. 

Interestingly, both watches still gave me the same 72- and 31-hour recovery time estimates at the end of my two runs (respectively), which makes me optimistic that Zepp Coach won't ever advise runners to push themselves before they're ready. And it recommends specific types of workouts — like hitting high heart rate zones for a certain number of minutes — to improve in different areas of fitness. 

I just miss how Garmin makes your fitness data much more readily available. You're not just blindly following its AI-suggested workouts; you can go into your Training Status widget and see if your Load Focus is properly balanced or is deficient in certain areas, which determines where you should focus next. 

Zepp's data mainly happens behind the scenes, giving you an arbitrary PAI score based on your effort vs. your fitness level. It works to guide you toward better health; it's just not especially transparent. 

Should you buy the Amazfit Cheetah Pro?

The Amazfit Cheetah Pro targets a very specific kind of runner. They're someone who wants running guidance to get fit without having to spend a bunch of time looking at data. 

They don't want to give up on Bluetooth calling, but they don't mind missing out on other traditional smart apps that you'd get on a Wear OS watch. 

They want a long battery life and AMOLED display without the cost of something like the Garmin Forerunner 265, while something cheaper like the Garmin Forerunner 55 or COROS PACE 2 with useful training tools just doesn't have the bells and whistles they want.

If you fall into this camp, and you're unwilling to spend a little extra on a Garmin or COROS that will compromise in other ways but give you more useful fitness data, the Amazfit Cheetah Pro is at least worth considering. 

Amazfit is best known for its budget watches and trackers, but for those who like Zepp software but want a more high-end experience, the Amazfit T-Rex lineup has you covered. The T-Rex 2 delivers high-quality features at a reasonable $230 price point, while the T-Rex Ultra leaps to $399 largely thanks to more premium materials and a few key software upgrades.

Simply from a price-to-value ratio, the Amazfit T-Rex 2 is your best option, while the T-Rex Ultra costs closer to other premium smartwatches with limited upside. But depending on what you want, the Ultra may still call to you. Let's break down the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra vs. T-Rex 2.

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra vs. T-Rex 2: Design and display

Both the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra and T-Rex 2 have a 1.39-inch touchscreen display with 454 x 454 resolution and 1,000 nits of brightness. Their 326 pixels per inch put them on par with most popular AMOLED fitness smartwatches, including the Galaxy Watch 5 (330ppi).

Each watch also has similar design choices that make them incredibly rugged. They both passed 15 MIL-STD-810G tests, including those for heat, cold, humidity, salt spray, ice, and shock — though only the T-Rex Ultra is "mud-proof." Along with 10ATM water resistance, both watches are rated to survive in 70ºC (158ºF) heat or -40ºC (-40ºF) cold. 

For the latter, there's a low-temperature mode active at up to -30ºC (-22ºF) where both watches still function, making them great for mountain climbers or survivalists. Interestingly, the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra lasts five days longer in this mode than the T-Rex 2 (14 days vs. 9 days), despite the T-Rex 2 lasting longer in normal conditions.

Both the T-Rex Ultra and T-Rex 2 share these design perks, the same 22mm silicone watch band, and sport 4 buttons placed at each corner of the display. So where do they differ? Primarily in their materials and weight. 

The Amazfit T-Rex 2 uses a hardened polymer alloy for its materials — most fitness smartwatches use polymer over metal because it's lower-weight and saves on costs — but has a "metal-sprayed" bezel. 

Upgrade to the T-Rex Ultra, and you get 316L "marine grade" stainless steel across the bezel, bridge, back panel, and buttons that are designed for chemical or underwater applications — though portions of it still use the same polymer. It can withstand pressure and corrosive compounds and generally looks more stylish. Plus, it has adjustable lugs so that you can ensure the Ultra rests squarely on your wrist.

While the Ultra looks quite stylish, it's also quite possibly the heaviest smartwatch we've ever tested. With the strap, it weighs 89g/ 3.14oz, a full 23g/ 0.8oz heavier than the "chunky" T-Rex 2; it also measures 0.2mm thicker, though at 13.65mm, it's not as thick as some Garmin and COROS watches we've tested.

Frankly, you're going to notice the wrist weight regardless of which Amazfit T-Rex you pick, but the T-Rex Ultra goes beyond what some people will tolerate. 

The only other difference worth noting is that the Amazfit T-Rex 2 has more color options than the Ultra. Both have Black and desert-themed options, but the T-Rex 2 has a Wild Green finish and a Black & Gold option with gold-colored buttons. 

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra vs. T-Rex 2: Software and sensors

By and large, both Amazfit T-Rex watches give you the same software experience, from the hundreds of sports modes to the same health data tracked in the Zepp app. The only unique software feature on the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra (and Amazfit Falcon) is the AI Zepp Coach beta, but we can assume the T-Rex 2 will get it eventually.

You get a ridiculous 158 tracked activities on the Amazfit T-Rex 2 across Running, Cycling, Swimming, Dance, Combat Sports, Gym activities, Ball Sports, Water Sports, Winter Sports, and even Board Games like Chess. Both the Amazfit T-Rex 2 and Ultra have automatic Smart Recognition of eight activities — Running, Cycling, Swimming, Indoor/Outdoor Walking, Treadmill, Rowing Machine, and Elliptical — and 25 strength training modes. 

With the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra, you get a watch with EN13319 & ISO6245 certifications, meaning it can be used for diving down to 30 meters deep. Even though the T-Rex 2 has a 10ATM resistance (aka 100 meters of water pressure), only the Ultra should really be tested at that depth thanks to its 316L steel. 

Plus, only the Ultra has sports modes for Outdoor freediving, Indoor freediving, Spearfishing, and Skydiving. That brings its total sports modes total to 162. 

When it comes to location tracking for outdoor activities, both watches have Dual Band GPS on both L1 and L5 frequencies and can connect to two satellite systems at once — both of which are popular settings on many of the best Garmin watches. We tested the GPS Accuracy mode on the T-Rex Ultra and found it quite accurate compared to the Forerunner 265, and the same should hold true with the T-Rex 2. 

Both watches will give you 24/7 monitoring of your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and stress levels. And each has the same sensors, including a barometric altimeter, accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. 

In theory, the T-Rex Ultra could offer more accurate data because the adjustable lugs help it rest flatter on your wrist, but it's also heavy enough that you probably wouldn't want to wear it for sleep tracking. 

The main software difference worth noting between them is that the T-Rex Ultra allows Wi-Fi downloads on a 2.4GHz band, whereas the T-Rex 2 relies on the relatively old Bluetooth 5.0 standard. Whether you're uploading your workout data, downloading offline maps, or updating your watch, this data speed boost makes them more convenient. 

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra vs. T-Rex 2: Battery life

Both watches have the same 500mAh battery size. That's quite large for a traditional fitness smartwatch, only falling short of a few models we've tested like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS. And it comes across in their longevity. 

First, we'll lay out Amazfit's own estimates: the T-Rex 2 lasts 24 days in smartwatch mode, 10 days with heavy use, 50 hours with GPS-only mode, or 26 hours with Dual-Band GPS activated. The T-Rex Ultra drops to 20 days in smartwatch mode or 9 days with heavy use, along with 46 hours for GPS-only mode. The Ultra does slightly better with Dual-Band GPS, hitting 28 hours.

In practice, our T-Rex 2 reviewer "enabled all of the health features to monitor 24 hours, always on display, and used automatic sleep tracking every night," as well as some GPS-tracked workouts, and hit "nearly two weeks of battery life." Evidently, he'd need to use the T-Rex 2 even more frequently to hit Amazfit's 10-day estimate. 

We haven't fully tested the T-Rex Ultra battery yet, but it's clear that the watch does tend to use more battery when idling. Still, you can typically count on this watch to last far longer than most competing fitness smartwatches. 

Both watches use a proprietary magnetic charger and should jump back to full in a couple of hours. 

Amazfit T-Rex Ultra vs. T-Rex 2: Which should you buy?

Most of the unique T-Rex Ultra features we managed to spot — scuba diving certification, mud-proofing, better low-temperature battery life — are the definition of "niche." Extreme outdoor sports types may want to upgrade, but for people using the other hundreds of sports modes out there, the T-Rex 2 checks off all of your boxes for significantly less.

You can choose the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra for its stainless steel design and the adjustable lugs, which helps you wear it more loosely for everyday use and then swap to a tighter fit during a workout. You'll have to get used to the weight, but anyone used to the larger Garmin Fenix or Enduro models won't find it too much heavier, and it'll save you hundreds compared to those watches.

Still, if you consider the best Amazfit smartwatches, most of them have reasonable price tags, and the T-Rex 2 fits the bill better on that front. We wish it had wireless downloads like the Ultra, but we can bear slower updates at this price point.

Plenty of reputable fitness brands rely on inhuman algorithms to recommend how hard to work out or when to rest. Amazfit's Zepp app has similar tools with its PAI data, encouraging you to earn PAI based on your specific health and fitness levels. But if you want more specific advice, you can turn to the Zepp Coach AI for answers.

Jumping on the ChatGPT craze, Amazfit is relying on a chatbot to give answers to questions like "advice for increasing my VO2 Max" and "What type of cardio is most efficient at burning fat" as you prepare for your next workout. Here's how to use the AI Zepp Coach, which Amazfit watches support it, and what it can do.

How to use the Amazfit AI Zepp Coach

Currently, Amazfit's Zepp Coach is in beta, so you'll need to apply to receive access.

1. Before you begin, make sure you own either the Amazfit Falcon or Amazfit T-Rex Ultra. Zepp Coach only works with these two smartwatches as of May 2023.

2. Open the Zepp Coach survey link: U.S. link | Global link

3. Fill out the information. You'll need to include your Zepp ID, which you can find in the Profile tab by clicking on your profile picture. 

Before you can access the AI tool, you'll need to set up a standard Zepp Coach plan if you haven't already.

4. In the Zepp app, go to the Profile tab and click Zepp Coach. Note: The author successfully loaded Zepp Coach on the Android app, but the iOS app showed a blank screen despite multiple reboots.

5. Agree to the Data Use Statement.

6. Fill out how many workouts per week you plan to do, your average workout duration, and your average workout intensity. Hit Next.

7. Choose which Training days you're available or prefer to work out on. 

8. Schedule your High-intensity training day, then choose a Start Date for your Zepp Coaching plan. Hit Done.

9. Wait to receive approval for Zepp Coach from Amazfit. Once you're approved, you'll see a green icon on the top of the Zepp Coach feed. Tap it to open the AI chatbot and ask your questions! 

Note: The chatbot is, as of now, only available inside the Zepp app. You can't actually access it on your Amazfit watch itself. 

The Amazfit AI Zepp Coach beta is very limited, and not just because most of the best Amazfit watches — especially the affordable ones — can't use it. Nor that you have to pull out your phone to access it.

It's also limited because it doesn't take your fitness data into account. You can ask for general advice, but you can't ask how your best mile time compares to your age group average, or how you can improve your VO2 Max with specific parameters on how many anaerobic reps to aim for and at what pace to run, because the chatbot doesn't have the data. 

Of course, you may not want an AI database to have your personal workout data; privacy is a concern, and it's unclear whether something like ChatGPT or Google Bard would have the intelligence to properly interpret your data. If it confidently (and erroneously) told you to run as fast as Eliud Kipchoge and you hurt yourself, that has legal ramifications.

Still, several of the best fitness smartwatches will likely incorporate AI solutions in the near future, given Apple is investing in the tech and the now-defunct Amazon Halo was working on using AI to analyze your exercise form. It's intriguing to see Amazfit get in on the ground floor of this movement, and we're curious where things go next.

Amazfit recently partnered with adidas Running so that the two apps would sync with one another. If you run with an Amazfit watch, you can track your GPS and heart rate through the Zepp app, which will then transmit that data to the adidas Running app (formerly Runtastic).

The steps to connect the two apps are simple; whether or not it'll work for you is another matter entirely. Let's start by discussing how to sync your Amazfit watch with the adidas Running app, and then figure out what might go wrong for you.

How to sync your Amazfit watch with the adidas Running app

1. If you haven't already, download both the Zepp app and the adidas Running app. Log into each respective account. 

2. In the Zepp app, tap the Profile tab and select Add accounts.

3. Tap adidas Running, then tap it again. 

4. You'll be taken to a login page; you can't create an adidas account here, so make sure you have your credentials ready first. Either tap an app login icon or enter your email and password.

5. Zepp will request permission for your activity and identity information. Tap Allow.

Now, your Zepp app and adidas Running app should be connected. This will help you get a running start (pun intended) sharing your runs from the best Amazfit watches and trackers.

Syncing Amazfit to adidas doesn't always go smoothly

These steps should be simple, so long as your Zepp app is updated to version 7.1.6. But when I tried to actually follow the steps, I ran into tremendous difficulty.

For starters, if you try logging in through Google on Android, you see a "Please create an account first on Runtastic and then try again" message, even if you have an account already, and an endless ellipsis appears next to the Google icon. On iOS, you get taken to a temporary browser to log in and are forced to give adidas permission to tons of data to progress, at which point you're taken to a loading screen that never loads.

I tried making a secondary Adidas account through Facebook and logging in that way. On iOS, I successfully logged in after some issues with 2FA, at which point it looped me back to the login page and wouldn't advance. On Android, it informed me I wasn't allowed to log in with Zepp's temporary browser and to use the Facebook app, something I wasn't allowed to do.

It's been months since Amazfit announced the partnership, well past the time when we'd expect these kinds of software issues. Hopefully, your adidas Runtastic account has a manual email and password you can use to bypass the issues I encountered because it was incredibly frustrating.

We consider adidas Running to be one of the best running apps available. And affordable trackers like the Amazfit Band 7 and reliable fitness watches like the Amazfit GTR Mini make Amazfit a popular option with plenty of runners who can't afford more expensive brands.

So I can only hope you have better success connecting your Amazfit watch to the app than I did!

Fitness trackers and smartwatches are a dime a dozen, but two brands dominate the budget segment for the most part. Google-owned Fitbit and Amazfit are the go-to choices for most people in need of affordable smartwatches and trackers that come with all the necessary health and fitness features.

Amazfit easily one-ups Fitbit with its extensive lineup of smartwatches that are available at every price range imaginable. There's no going wrong with an Amazfit wearable because they always deliver. Besides your regular sensors that measure blood oxygen levels, your heart rate, and your stress levels, the brand's products also tout water resistance and come with Alexa.

Unfortunately, nearly all Amazfit watches share the same disadvantages as well. Since they use Zepp OS, you don't get support for third-party apps. They also don't have an on-screen keyboard so you can't type out replies to messages received on your phone.

Enter the newly minted Amazfit GTR Mini, a stripped-down take on the GTR series. This brand-new wearable imitates the concept of the GTS Mini, which is a "lite" version of the flagship GTS lineup. As expected, it has a lot in common with all the best Amazfit smartwatches, including the good and the bad.

Price and availability

Amazfit released the GTR Mini on March 14, 2023. The wearable is available in three colors including Midnight Black, Misty Pink, and Ocean Blue. Only the Mist Pink model comes with a rose gold case whereas the other two options feature a silver case. You can purchase the Amazfit GTR Mini from several retailers for $120 in the U.S. and £130 in the UK.

What I like

Amazfit usually comes out with an affordable, slightly less powerful version of its flagship GTS series each year. The square-shaped GTS 4 was accompanied by the GTS 4 Mini, which looked good but didn't perform as well as expected. In a surprise move, the brand also launched a Mini version of the larger and circular GTR series this time.

The GTR Mini borrows many of the design aspects found in Amazfit's excellent GTR watches such as the GTR 4 and the GTR 3 Pro. You get a beautiful circular
1.28" AMOLED panel with one button on the side that doesn't rotate. Since the watch uses 20mm bands with universal quick-release connectors, you can easily swap them out and have your pick from an ocean of third-party options. There are numerous watch faces to choose from, so you can personalize the GTR Mini to your heart's content.

Unlike most GTR series wearables, the GTR Mini is super thin and lightweight. It only weighs 24.6g and measures 9.25mm in width, which means you don't feel like there's anything on your wrist at all. The fitness smartwatch boasts 5 ATM waterproofing, so you can go swimming with it on.

What's most impressive about the Amazfit smartwatch isn't its gorgeous display or sleek design though. What will truly blow you away is the ungodly battery life. I managed to get around 10 days of uptime from the GTR Mini on moderate to heavy use. There's no doubt in my mind that an average user can use this wearable for two weeks on a single charge with light to moderate use.

On the software side of things, the Amazfit GTR Mini runs Zepp OS 2.0 which comes with a clean and lightweight interface that's easy to use. There's no learning curve attached to it, making it ideal for beginners and folks who aren't very tech-savvy. If you need a little bit of help, there's Alexa onboard to get the ball rolling.

You don't get third-party apps, but the GTR Mini still syncs with your phone's calendar and has apps like a calculator and timer. The watch can control music playback on your phone and even respond to message notifications by choosing one of the preset replies.

The Amazfit GTR Mini has over 120 sports modes, including activities like cycling, swimming, rock climbing, fishing, parkour, hunting, skateboarding, dancing, roller skating, boxing, and so much more. The clever fitness tracker starts logging workouts automatically when detected.

Thanks to Amazfit's patented advanced GPS, you can save workout and sports data along with GPS data. This is especially helpful when tracking activities like runs, walks, and cycling sessions. Unlike the GTS Mini, the pedometer works well so step counting is accurate. You can also keep track of your menstrual cycle on the smartwatch.

Other sensors include SpO2 and heart-rate monitoring sensors. The smartwatch tracks your blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and stress levels 24/7 and saves all of the information. If you wear the GTR Mini to bed, it also monitors and tracks your sleep. Amazfit's sleep tracking feature is one of the best in the business. It gives you detailed breakdowns of your sleep and its quality which helps you better understand and improve your sleeping habits.

Amazfit has a fantastic companion app for Android and iOS devices. It has a great health and fitness tracking system that lays everything out in easily digestible pieces, making it easy to comprehend and use the data. Moving your data from one Amazfit wearable to another takes barely a few minutes on the app and requires minimal effort on the user's part.

What I don't like

As much as I love the design of the Amazfit GTR Mini, I do wish it hadn't ditched the rotating crown functionality found in full-blown GTR models. Yes, the round display is very large and easy to navigate with your finger, but a rotating button feels much more premium and is more fun to use. If you've got small wrists like me, the size of the screen could be a potential issue.

My other qualms are the same as the ones I have with almost every other Amazfit watch. The GTR Mini doesn't have any speakers onboard and there's no microphone either, so Alexa only works when your phone is nearby and connected to the smartwatch. There's no on-device storage for music and the watch doesn't support third-party apps.

Since there's no on-screen keyboard, you're stuck with limited text responses to message notifications. Speaking of message notifications, the GTR Mini cannot display images sent as messages.

You don't get much in the box, apart from a ridiculously short propriety charger and the Amazfit smartwatch itself. I wish the brand would include an extra band to spice things up.

Competition

If you're looking to purchase a fitness-focused smartwatch in the neighborhood of $100 to $150, there's no other brand that offers as much as Amazfit. The brand has so many great cheap smartwatches and fitness trackers in its roster that it's really hard to settle on one. All of them pack a punch and offer good value, which makes matters even more complicated.

Those who like square displays can opt for the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini, which has all the same features and costs the same. As a person who has used both smartwatches, I can vouch for the GTR Mini's design and overall user experience to be better than the GTS 4 Mini.

You could also get the last-gen Amazfit GTS 3, which has loads of sports modes, Alexa, plenty of health and fitness tracking features, and more. However, the GTS 3 does not have speakers or a mic like the GTS 2 and GTS 4. Now that it's quite old, the GTS 2 costs the same as the GTR Mini so it's a decent alternative.

Outside picks from Amazfit, the Fitbit Versa 2 is another viable option. It is priced at $120 and comes with Alexa, Fitbit Pay, health and fitness sensors, and Spotify. The Versa 2 does not run Wear OS, nor does it have a built-in GPS.

Should you buy it?

You should buy it if...

• You're on the hunt for a bargain
• You want something with amazing battery life
• You need a fitness tracker with SpO2, heart rate, and sleep monitoring
• You want a smartwatch with Alexa built-in
• You prefer lighter smartwatches with round displays

You shouldn't buy it if...

• You'd like to have lots of third-party apps like Wear OS
• You want speakers and a mic onboard
• You store your music on your wearable
• You like to reply to messages on your smartwatch

Amazfit did a great job with the thin and airy GTR Mini. The round display is very appealing and it looks very crispy thanks to the screen's 326 PPI pixel density. Zepp OS 2.0 is uncomplicated and simple to use. Anyone can master the Amazfit GTR Mini smartwatch in a few short minutes.

Of course, the GTR Mini can't compete with the best Android wearables that come with Wear OS 3 in all of its glory. Still, the price and combination of so many other features try very hard to make up for it. From tracking your workouts to recording your daily run along with its GPS data, the Amazfit GTR Mini is the perfect companion for fitness-focused individuals.

The GTR Mini has extensive health tracking features and the battery life is impressive. You can use Alexa for hands-free usage and the companion app presents all of your health and fitness data in an excellent manner. You won't find a better deal anywhere else.

What you need to know

• Amazfit has just launched the new T-Rex Ultra smartwatch.
• The T-Rex Ultra features a durable design built with stainless steel and a mud-resistant chassis.
• The watch can withstand temperatures as high as 70℃ and as low as -40℃.
• Average battery life is rated up to 20 days on a single charge.

Amazfit is one of our favorite smartwatch brands, and this week, the company unveiled its new high-end T-Rex Ultra smartwatch.

The watch targets outdoorsy types, which shows in its design and tough build. It's made using 316L stainless steel and has a design that Amazfit describes as "mud proof," meaning even the most rugged wearers shouldn't be able to phase this watch.

Adding to its durability claims, the watch can withstand extreme temperatures up to 70℃ and as low as -40℃.

The watch features a bright AMOLED display which should make it easy to see in just about any lighting condition. Battery life is also phenomenal, as the watch can last an average of up to 20 days on a single charge. Amazfit rates the T-Rex Ultra at roughly nine days with heavy use, which is still impressive.

When using GPS, the watch can last up to 80 hours in Endurance GPS mode,  which can put some of the best GPS smartwatches to shame, although battery life dips down to about 10 hours in colder temperatures. The T-Rex Ultra uses dual-band GPS for accurate positioning and supports six satellite positioning systems. Users can also download maps, which can help keep them on the right path.

For fitness, the watch has more than 160 sports modes. It can auto-detect up to 25 workouts and eight sports moves, including outdoor running, treadmill, walking, indoor walking, outdoor cycling, pool swimming, rowing machine, and elliptical. And for swimmers, the watch has 10 ATM water resistance and is good to go for 30-meter free dives.

The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra runs Zepp OS 2.0 and supports various health tracking features, such as heart rate, SpO2, stress, and sleep. The Zepp app also provides access to tons of additional features and over 120 watch faces. The watch can also connect to an array of professional devices and even GoPro action cameras.

All these great features don't come cheap, although, at $400, the T-Rex Ultra undercuts the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro by $50 while offering much longer battery life and being much more geared toward outdoor enthusiasts.

• Smartwatch deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Amazon | Samsung | Dell

Xiaomi may be planning to release a Wear OS 3 watch with full Play Store access in 2023, according to a recent report. After a promising but ultimately frustrating year for Wear OS fans, this news gives us new hope for better Android watches in 2023.

A 9to5Google source claims that this watch will use the Xiaomi Watch branding and the Mi Fitness (Xiaomi Wear) Android app to sync data to and from your phone, and that it'll arrive sometime this year but has no strict timetable yet.

Xiaomi currently has two distinct lineups of wearables: It develops its own Xiaomi Watch series with the MIUI OS and outsources its more sporty bands to Huami, a public company funded by Xiaomi that also produces the popular budget Amazfit trackers. 

The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro is among our favorite fitness trackers, but we've spent little time with Xiaomi's lifestyle watches up until this point. With Wear OS 3, the brand could become much more enticing to Android fans.

This watch will never reach American shores; only Huami wearables tend to show up outside of Europe and Asia, and even excellent phones like the Xiaomi 13 Pro never make it stateside. But we're still very excited about what this news means for the Wear OS ecosystem and fitness smartwatches in general.

Wear OS needs a breath of fresh air

Since its 2021 launch, the operating system Wear OS 3 has been the Google/Samsung show, and other brands have struggled to keep up.

It took Montblanc and Fossil over a year to adopt the update, and in doing so, lost access to Google Assistant — which is currently only optimized for Exynos chips. Meanwhile, Mobvoi missed its 2022 deadline for updating its old TicWatches and releasing the TicWatch Pro 5, and other long-time Wear OS brands like Suunto have yet to adopt it.

The U.S. Android marketplace only has a few heavy hitters, and until Motorola decides to rejoin the Wear OS ecosystem, consumers have to choose between the Galaxy Watch 5, Pixel Watch, and various Fossil watches that have largely disappointed us. Thankfully, you do have two great options, but it's not enough for a proper "ecosystem" to compete with Apple's stranglehold on the market.

In Europe and Asia, consumers have a wealth of Android options. But with Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, Honor, and other Chinese brands largely sticking to their own operating systems for their own wearables, many Android users will see Wear OS 3 as a niche service not worth investing time in.

A Xiaomi Wear OS watch could be a sign of things to come, with Google successfully wooing its Android partners into the fold with the promise of a synchronized phone-watch experience and a customizable UI to match. Consumers will then have more (and better) Wear OS watches to choose between, which will push each brand to iterate and compete with one another more stringently.

Xiaomi's fitness focus will only help Wear OS

Recognizing that Xiaomi watches and Huami-made Xiaomi trackers aren't the same, both sides of that brand put a major emphasis on fitness, whether through the Mi Fitness or Zepp Health apps.

It's one of the rare brands to offer dual-frequency GPS, the next step in more accurate location tracking. I'm sad Xiaomi dropped Firstbeat analytics — the team behind Garmin watches' robust workout data — after its older Mi Watch. Despite that, it still has hundreds of sports modes (many with unique real-time statistics) and makes a point of including the necessary sensors for more accurate tracking.

Best of all, its watches and trackers always tend to prioritize battery life above all else, frequently lasting over a week with heavy use. That probably won't last with the battery-guzzling Wear OS 3, but we can hope for something like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro that lasts for days — and hopefully in a more compact form factor. 

Even though this hypothetical Xiaomi Wear OS watch won't sell in every territory, it could push Samsung — which has twiddled its thumbs with Samsung Health since its Active 2 launch in 2019 — to make a more concerted effort. It'll give Wear OS users an alternative to the Pixel Watch's paid Fitbit subscription and Fossil's simple Wellness app, too.

As for Xiaomi itself, our one major complaint with devices like the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 was its smarts: They lack actionable notifications, an assistant, or third-party app support. A partnership with Wear OS brings that interactivity and more varied software to a series known for stylish designs and solid hardware. Ideally, it's going to mesh into a watch that pushes Google and Samsung harder on fitness and makes U.S. Wear OS users jealous.

With so many smartwatches on the market to pick from these days, many of them tend to blur together. But a common feature that has been around since wearables gained popularity was the fact that many of them are made of plastic and aluminum if you get any metal at all. It isn't necessarily bad — if nothing else, it definitely reduces costs. But when looking for a more premium feeling and looking watch, the options are limited — and expensive. The new Amazfit Falcon aims to fill the gap between high cost and availability. I've spent the past month using the new smartwatch and am ready to give some thoughts on this titanium-encrusted wearable.

Amazfit Falcon hands-on:

I've had the opportunity to test and review several different Amazfit devices over the years, most recently the T-Rex 2 and the GTS 4. The company has made significant strides in the last year with its custom operating system Zepp OS. Many of the issues I had with it during my time using the Amazfi T-Rex Pro in 2021 have been resolved. As for the new Falcon, it adopts nearly all of the features introduced on the T-Rex 2, adds some new ones, and wraps them all up in a durable titanium case.

That casing is slightly larger than its prehistorically-named sibling but surprisingly lighter by a couple of grams. But because they share the same size battery and the more dense titanium led, the weight difference caught me off guard. As for the display, you get a vivid and crisp 1.28-inch AMOLED screen protected by sapphire crystal. Which happens to be .11 inches smaller than the T-Rex 2. 

While the display on the Falcon looks great, it's bright, responsive, and colorful, but Amazfit put a nearly 2mm bezel around it. The bezel on the Pixel Watch has had a fair amount of debate regarding its size, but because the glass covering its screen curves, the border is less noticeable than on the Falcon's flat crystal cover. It isn't a deal breaker for me. But it is noticeable, and I wish it were more like the T-Rex 2's much thinner bezel.

When wearing the Amazfit Falcon, it feels very solid and durable. There's no rattling of any buttons or components. Pressing any of the four physical buttons results in a confident, silent click. Much like with previous T-Rex watches, you can navigate the entire UI using only the buttons. The only noise that comes from the wearable if you wiggle your wrist is from the watch strap.

Amazfit includes what it calls a Liquid Silicone band. As far as pre-installed rubbery watch straps go, it's pretty nice. It has a nice stretch and is flexible so that it wraps around the wrist comfortably. What is different about this 22mm strap compared to the T-Rex 2 is that it is easily replaceable. The strap's method of connecting to the watch is with spring-loaded quick clasps that grab onto the universal spring bars. So to be clear, it's the quick clasps on the strap that rattle, not the watch.

As for the software, as I mentioned before, it runs a custom operating system called Zepp OS 3.0. Overall, it is the same as on the T-Rex 2. Navigating through the different screens is snappy, and many of the apps offer a good amount of info directly on the watch, with more available in the companion app on your phone. 

I really like this version of Zepp OS compared to prior versions. It feels much more complete and has familiar mechanics that I enjoy on many of the other top Android smartwatches. Notifications aren't quite as good as on Wear OS, but at least you can now reply to messages with a quick reply or emoji.

A big part of what the smartwatch, and many other excellent Amazfit wearables, touts are the health and fitness features — and the Falcon boasts a lot of them. When we compared the Amazfit T-Rex 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, there weren't as many differences as one might think. The largest being access to Google Plays and the price, and at $500, the Amazfit Falcon could have a tougher battle.

BioTracker 3.0 PPG biometric sensor is at the heart of the Amazfit Falcon and is what is used to gather loads of health metrics for the software to help you not only gain a better understanding of your body but also to improve your fitness goals. 

The Amazfit Falcon can track over 150 different workouts and even has a new built-in AI coach called Zepp Coach. Users are supposed to enter their goals along with other basic health info from the Zepp app like weight, height, etc, and the Zepp Coach is supposed to help create training plans and provide insight into workouts. 

In my testing I found the Coach to be vaguely helpful. It does provide insight into workouts and different training plans. I can definitely see how it could be beneficial to those who aren't 100% confident in coming up with and managing fitness plans on their own. But aside from the coach, the Zepp app does a great job of providing detailed info on everything from blood oxygen levels to sleep and workout analysis to step history.

Something else that has long been a favorite feature of mine when using Amazfit watches is the battery life. Aside from the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra, very few other smartwatches can consistently provide multi-day battery life in normal usage. Amazfit rates the Falcon for 14 days of normal usage per charge with seven days of heavy usage. I would say that's about right for my testing. Though curiously, the watch gets considerably less use per charge than the T-Rex 2, which is rated for 24 days of normal use.

Another change the Falcon brings is in the charging method. The Falcon uses a proprietary cable end that plugs directly into the watch. For all of the Amazfit watches I've tested before, they all used a magnetic cradle-type connector with POGO pins for charging. While it would be nice for a more standardized charging method to propagate wearables, I do prefer Falcon's approach because it isn't going to come loose as the magnetic style could.

Amazfit Falcon hands-on: Is it for you?

So, who's the Amazfit Falcon for? Well, at $500, I wouldn't say everyone. Outside of the cost, the watch is a very capable daily smartwatch. The highly accurate GPS, a multitude of health data, and extreme durability mean the wearable is an excellent health and fitness companion. 

It's unclear if the Zepp Coach will show up on previously released Amazfit watches, but nearly every other feature of the Falcon is available on the T-Rex 2 if the price tag is an issue. But it's hard to deny the premium look and feel of the titanium casing used on the Falcon. If you need a watch that is durable, looks fantastic, and not only tracks but coaches you on your health and fitness journey, then the Amazfit Falcon is for you. 

While Google, Samsung, and Apple tend to get the lion's share of mind share when it comes to smartwatches, they aren't the only ones in the game making excellent wearables. One company that's been offering a wide range of excellent smartwatches and fitness trackers is Amazfit. From rugged watches that can take anything you throw at them to slim-fit trackers, you can find all of them getting some hefty discounts this holiday season. Here are some of the best Amazfit Cyber Monday deals.

Amazfit has a lineup of excellent smartwatches, and many of the best Amazfit fitness trackers and watches are on sale right now that you can pick up for yourself or as a gift for someone else. I've been able to use a few of these devices myself, and they always impress me.

For example, the fantastic Amazfit T-Rex 2 dropped earlier this year, and though it isn't at a deep discount, it is only a few months old, and a sale is a sale, right? This watch is ultra-durable, as in it literally went into space and back unscathed, and is designed to withstand the most extreme of workouts. During my review, I was able to take it on some obstacle course races. Between the sweat, mud, water, being smacked on boards, and other unnecessary abuse, the watch continues ticking as if nothing happened.

But if you want to save a few more bucks than the T-Rex 2 offers and still want a rugged smartwatch, then last year's Amazfit T-Rex Pro is a perfect choice. I reviewed the Amazfit T-Rex Pro this last year, and it really impressed me. For as large and bulky as the watch is, it's really a comfortable wearable. The watch survived workouts, being my mechanic buddy while working on vehicles, and more. There are a lot of similarities between this watch and the newer T-Rex 2, and unless you need the extremely accurate GPS and additional durability ratings of the latest watch, the T-Rex Pro would be a great choice.

Are you looking for something less tank-like for your wrist? Then how about the new Amazfit GTS 4? I've been testing this for a couple of months, and it is a very nice watch. It's very lightweight, and the battery life is really solid. The built-in sensors do a great job tracking workouts, sleep, and everyday things like heart rate and blood oxygen. You'll also get Alexa onboard, so you can have your favorite voice assistant on your wrist should you need it. If you prefer a round watch, then Amazfit has you covered here with the GTR 4. It's the same device just in a round format, and it's on sale too!

For a quality, basic fitness tracker with a large display, look no further than the Amazfit Bip 3 Pro. It offers up to 14 days of battery life while monitoring your health metric and sleep. There are over 60 workouts built directly into the watch, so you can easily track your exercises. But if you want a smaller and slightly more capable fitness tracker, check out the Amazfit Band 7. It gets even longer battery life and can track more than 150 workouts!

Amazfit has even more of its line of fitness trackers and smartwatches on sale over its Amazon storefront if you want to see some other options available.

The American market for affordable fitness trackers is fairly limited. Of the top-selling wearable brands, Apple doesn't make a compact tracker, Xiaomi and Huawei don't officially sell their Bands here, and Fitbit and Garmin trackers are on the pricey side — especially when you take Fitbit Premium into account. Until the rumored Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 arrives, only the Amazfit Band 7 properly slots into this cheap-yet-reliable niche in the U.S.

Compared to the Band 5 — Amazfit skipped the Band 6 — the Amazfit Band 7 has an AMOLED display that's 112% bigger, a battery that's 102mAh bigger, over a hundred new sport modes, and some new software tricks like always-on display (AOD) for the same price and just a few extra grams of weight.

The Amazfit Band 7 makes some compromises to hit its low price, but they're compromises that many people will happily live with. Based on my time reviewing the Band 7, I definitely consider it one of the best fitness trackers simply from a price-to-value ratio; but it does have some drawbacks to keep in mind before you buy one.

Amazfit Band 7: Price and availability

Released on July 20 in the United States, the Amazfit Band 7 soon became available in other "select countries" worldwide, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, and Brazil. Other countries and territories like China, Latin America, Mexico, and India do not currently sell the Band 7.

In the United States, the Band 7 costs $49.99 and comes with either Black or Beige straps by default. It is available on Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other retail sites. You can also buy four alternative band colors — Green, Blue, Pink, or Orange — for $10 extra directly from Amazfit's website, but you'll have to install it yourself.

Amazfit Band 7: What you'll like

The Amazfit Band 7 got a size upgrade compared to the Band 5, with a display that's close in size to that of the Fitbit Charge 5, and significantly larger than many competing brands. Despite that, its weight of 28g or 0.99oz is just slightly heavier than most rival trackers with much smaller displays — and significantly lighter than most fitness smartwatches, which usually fall into the 45-60g range.

At 282 pixels per inch, it falls 44ppi short of the common 326ppi standard found in the Charge 5, the taller Xiaomi Mi Band 7, and most smartwatches. But it can still display very small text details in a way that's perfectly readable, if not 100% crisp. Amazfit didn't quantify how bright the Band 7 gets, but in my experience I had no difficulty reading the display both indoors and outdoors.

I absolutely love how Amazfit handled its "matching" always-on display (AOD) feature. Whichever watch face you choose, the AOD display perfectly matches the font and positioning, whether it shows a numerical time, time and date, or clock hand. Once you turn your wrist to activate the full display, all the other data pops into existence around it. 

In the Zepp app for Android or iOS, you'll find a few dozen charming Band 7 watch faces that you can download and sync in about a minute, all free. You can then edit the watch faces on the app, and swap between them quickly by tap-and-holding on the main screen. Personally, I'd rather this shortcut be customizable too, so I could set it to pull up Alexa instead; but I'll admit that I loved being able to customize my look without having to dive into the Settings submenus.

Speaking of Alexa, it apparently wasn't available at launch, nor were music controls, but both were active by the time my review unit arrived. Compared to my Echo Show 8, Alexa commands on the Band 7 took about a second longer to trigger, but that's really not bad for a budget device. The tracker has a mic but no speaker, so you have to read Alexa's responses; and there's no always-listening option, so you have to trigger Alexa via an app icon. But I personally prefer my wearables don't listen to me, and I'm fine losing the mic for the sake of longer battery life.

Amazfit gives the Band 7 an 18-day battery estimate with light usage, though 12 days with heavy usage is what more people will probably match. That estimate includes heart rate checks every minute, all-day stress monitoring, hundreds of notifications with vibration on, daily app syncs, occasional blood oxygen checks plus nightly sleep tracking, and 90 minutes of exercise tracking. 

Add the AOD setting and more frequent exercise, and the Band 7 is more likely to last about a week per charge, if not less. But that's still much better than most competing trackers that only last a few days with all features activated. So long as you temper your expectations, the Amazfit Band 7 is still one of the best fitness trackers for battery life, ignoring watches that weigh twice as much.

Like most fitness brands, Amazfit doesn't advertise its wearables' CPUs or RAM, since they typically use very little power to optimize battery life. But I found that the Band 7 is acceptably fast at responding to my taps and swipes, with smooth scrolling through the menus and quick access apps.

Amazfit's claim to fame is its PAI score through the Zepp app. It takes your heart rate data, daily activity intensity, and a "dynamic comprehensive evaluation of personal physiological data" and converts it into points that you earn to try and hit a 100 PAI threshold. Basically, you're aiming to work hard relative to your fitness level, and the more fit you get, the harder you'll need to work to maintain your PAI. 

It's not exactly a workout program on the level of Garmin, but it does essentially encourage you to adjust your intensity based on your HRM results, which motivates you to work hard without needing a complicated workout plan. And if you get overwhelmed looking at different stats like VO2 Max or running power, you can just focus on PAI and let the algorithm tell you how you're doing. The only thing it's missing is a Body Battery or Daily Readiness equivalent.

Whatever sports or activities you use to get fit, the Amazfit Band 7 almost certainly has a sport mode for it. Out of the 120 modes available, you'll find the most common modes like running, cycling or swimming, as well as more outlandish modes like parkour, chess, square dancing, or kite flying. 

Across all modes, you can set a workout goal based on time or burned calories. Only a few modes have actual exclusive features, such as swimming X lengths of a pool, walking a certain number of miles, maintaining a certain pace while running, or completing a certain number of intervals. 

So don't buy the Band 7 expecting it to actually measure your number of punches for Boxing or number of jumps for Jumping Rope. The perk here is that you can label your activities instead of just using a default cardio mode, and check which activities are getting you the healthiest. You'll need a Garmin smartwatch for more advanced sports modes, and that'll be both more expensive and much heavier.

As for what the Band 7 can do, I like how easy it is to set up a unique goal before a workout, and Amazfit is very quick to let you know if your pace is flagging or your heart rate has gotten too high for a casual run.

You can set the Band 7 to automatically measure your heart rate and stress at customizable regular intervals, plus check blood oxygen levels at night. You can also spot-check all three metrics, either individually or with a "one-touch measurement" for all three simultaneously. That's something I wish more trackers did instead of separating everything. 

Amazfit Band 7: What you won't like

With a $50 tracker, you can't expect every feature to show up, so let's run through the list of what you won't get. No NFC support means no tap-to-pay. No speaker means no answering Bluetooth calls. No built-in GPS or music storage means you have to keep your phone with you during workouts. And while Zepp OS will show your notifications and allow you to tailor which will buzz on your wrist, you don't have actionable notifications; in other words, clearing them on your Band 7 doesn't clear them on your phone and you can't respond to anyone with quick responses.

Connected GPS is common enough on petite trackers; even the Garmin Vivosmart 5, which costs three times as much, has no built-in GPS. Every time you open a GPS-tracked sports mode, the Amazfit Band 7 prompts you to open your app to establish a connection. It's a bit annoying, but at least the connection is truly instantaneous, as in you open the Zepp app and boom, GPS is active even before the home screen loads.

What's more annoying is that the GPS connection doesn't always stay connected. I ran with both the Band 7 and a Garmin Forerunner 955 I'm currently reviewing, and my Amazfit mileage results always ended up within a few hundredths of a mile of the Garmin by the end of a workout. But when I turned on the setting to maintain a 10-minute pace during one run, there were several moments when the watch suddenly insisted I was only running at a 15- or 16-minute pace no matter how hard I ran, which is a telltale sign that the Band had lost the signal. I ended up making my running goals based on duration, mileage, or heart rate instead; but I hope this is something Amazfit can fix with future software updates.

When I reviewed the GTS 2 Mini in January 2021, I complained about the Zepp app's labyrinthian settings and the "generally lackluster localization." With the Band 7, this is less of an issue but still partially true. 

Finding the settings for specific features will take digging, and the tech-savvy may struggle to optimize the Band 7. But I appreciated the robust options available, so I won't complain about it being complicated. As for the English translation, I spotted a couple of typos and misspellings, such as the "virtrual" assistant and "Your 1 mile time is09'00" with no space, and features are often described awkwardly, as though coming from a translation app. I see this as an Amazfit quirk rather than a debilitating issue, but I can't speak to how well the brand did for other languages.

Like all narrow fitness trackers, the Band 7 can't always display much information at once horizontally, which means you frequently have to wait for text to scroll across the screen before you know what you're looking at. Again, I don't see this as a reason not to buy a tracker, but it does make me miss my larger, rounder smartwatch screens.

The Amazfit Band 7 has no physical buttons, and you're going to occasionally have to swipe more than once for a motion to register, or accidentally activate something while trying to swipe. It's a problem with all touch-only wearables, especially when your fingers get sweaty. Compared to some trackers with narrower displays, the Band 7 is a better choice because the display is large enough that your finger has enough room for deliberate swipes.

This isn't unique to Amazfit, but I've grown sick of proprietary charge cables. I managed to lose the pogo pin cable that came with the Band 7, and the cables I used to charge the GTS and GTR 2 have different pin sizes and didn't work, so the Band 7 eventually died on me, and I'll have to buy some random charger off of Amazon to get it working again because Amazfit doesn't sell replacements on its site.

Lastly, the included band is as comfortable as any silicone strap, but the design makes it difficult to form a tight fit because the strap naturally slides through its holder as you tighten it. I found that it always sits comfortably but has just a little bit of give, which someone who prefers a tighter fit will find annoying. And because of the proprietary design, you won't find many third-party band options to swap in. I do appreciate how cheap the first-party replacement bands are, at least. 

The competition

While the Amazfit Band 7 is a fantastic option for people that don't want to spend much money, you may want to turn to Fitbit if you want more active coaching and in-depth data. The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a sleek tracker alternative that'll last ten days per charge and trades a smaller display for an even lighter weight, with the benefit of Premium to guide you. 

But the best fitness tracker (if money is no object) is the Fitbit Charge 5, which has built-in GPS, ECG and EDA sensors, NFC payments, and the option to quick-answer Messages on Android phones. 

International fitness lovers may want to consider the Xiaomi Mi Band 7, which has a slightly improved display and pretty much all the other perks as the Band 7, including PAI scores. 5ATM water resistance, and a solid 14-day battery life. But it doesn't have built-in Alexa, if that matters to you. 

Otherwise, you can always look at Amazfit smartwatches, which give you a larger display size and similar affordability. We're currently reviewing the GTS 4 Mini and were quite happy with the last generation of devices, the Amazfit GTS 3 and GTR 3 Pro.

Amazfit Band 7: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want a lightweight, budget-friendly tracker
• You hate having to constantly charge your device
• You want quick access to Alexa or the time with AOD mode

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want guided coaching or more in-depth health reports
• You don't like working out with your phone in your pocket
• You want third-party apps or closer phone integration

Plenty of fitness smartwatches and premium trackers make things very complicated. They're targeting serious self-guided athletes who need help maintaining a specific routine, or people who want detailed health reports and warnings about irregular heartbeats or bad falls. And these brands often expect you to pay a lot for this information and wear their devices constantly. 

The Amazfit Band 7 technically does give you health warnings and encourages you to work out harder to meet your PAI score, but it's really the kind of device that you strap on, work out with, and then forget about as it exports your data to your favorite health app. You can ask Alexa questions if you want some basic smarts, but otherwise, it keeps things simple and looks good doing it. 

For athletes not looking to spend extra on features they don't really need, the Amazfit Band 7 will be the ideal choice. Otherwise, don't be afraid to check out other trackers that add in a little bit extra.

Amazfit is a master of its craft, creating stunning wearables focused on fitness and style. Unbelievably, the newly-released Amazfit GTS 4 Mini watch is going for under $100 on Amazon right now, for a limited time only. This wearable is incredibly well-equipped with key features such as various sports modes, Alexa onboard, and an SPO2 sensor. You can get the latest generation of Amazfit's GTS smartwatch lineup at a sweet price this Prime Day.

Get the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini for below $100

We have long been fans of Amazfit's diverse portfolio of wearables. Not only does the brand offer various shapes and sizes, but the companion app for phones is also excellent. This means that storing, tracking, and making sense of the data collected by your Amazfit GTS 4 Mini's various sensors is a simple affair.

Apart from gaining access to the Zepp app on Android and iOS phones, your GTS 4 Mini wearable also brings you over 120 sporting modes, heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen measurement, GPS, Alexa integration, and an impressive 15-day battery life.

Since Amazfit doesn't use propriety bands, you can easily find hundreds of bands for the GTS 4 Mini from third-party sellers at whatever price point you desire. Another big perk of getting this cheerfully cheap smartwatch is the intuitive OS. You can easily navigate the wearable and there are hundreds of watch faces available for free.

This is a budget-busting smartwatch with a stellar value proposition, especially with the price slashed by $25. Looking for more discounts? Don't forget to check out our live blog of today's best Amazon deals.

What you need to know

• The Amazfit GTR 4 and GTS 4 smartwatch information leaks.
• The GTS 4 looks to be moving into a more rectangular-shaped display from the previous square-ish look.
• It appears Amazfit is looking to support both new devices with its Zepp OS 2.0 software.

Leaks have surfaced about the new Amazfit GTR 4 and GTS 4. The newly emerged details give us information about the new pair of smartwatches and what will differentiate them from the current models.

Information about the two upcoming devices has come out via GSMArena. Both the Amazfit GTR 3 and GTS 3 proved to be worthy enough devices when they were released and are regarded as some of the best Amazfit smartwatches. Amazfit is probably looking to recreate that same success with the next generation of its smartwatches. As such, both watches appear to be similar internally but have some differences on the outside.

The Amazfit GTR 4 may be bringing a 1.43-inch AMOLED screen. The device may also be featured in an aluminum alloy casing which could come in "silver and black colors with a side button and crown element on the right side for tactile control." There is also mention of leather, silicone, and nylon options for the GTR's straps.

The Amazfit GTS 4 appears to keep the same size as its predecessor at 1.75 inches. However, the GTS 4 looks to be shifting from the square-ish screen of the GTS 3 to a more rectangular display. GSMArena states that the GTS 4 may come in "black, rose gold, and brown casings with either silicone or nylon watch straps."

The functionality of a watch is always key when considering an upgrade. It appears Amazfit may be improving some of its premium smartwatches' features. Both devices may apparently be able to track 150 different sports automatically. GSMArena mentions a few neat features of the two new devices, including built-in speakers and microphones for Bluetooth calling and music playback.

It also seems that Amazfit is looking to support both watches with Zepp OS 2.0, and users in unnamed regions may have access to Amazon's Alexa. There are already plenty of decent Amazfit watches out currently, and these new devices should be a welcome addition to the company's lineup.

Amazfit's GTS family of smartwatches all look modern, minimalist, and extremely stylish. Each iteration touts phenomenal value, but the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini is the star of the show today. You can purchase this waterproof AMOLED Amazfit smartwatch for only $68 with this Prime Day offer. For such an affordable package, Amazfit is bringing a lot to the table here.

Amazfit outfitted the GTS 2 Mini smartwatch with a vivid 1.55-inch AMOLED panel that looks sublime, even outdoors. With hundreds of watch faces to choose from, you'll have good fun customizing this wearable. 

The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini features a lightweight yet sturdy build, perfectly suited for smaller wrists. Dapper looks aside, the insides don't disappoint either. In his review, Android Central's Michael L Hicks called it the best fitness smartwatch under $100, and you'll soon see why.

The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini comes with Alexa onboard, 68 sporting modes, heart rate monitoring, an SpO2 sensor, GPS built-in, 5 ATM waterproofing, and plenty of other health tracking features. Impressively, the battery lasts for up to two weeks if you're being careful. And if you aren't, that's still at least one week without having to charge your GTS 2 Mini smartwatch.

• See all the Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India

Amaze yourself with the GTS 2 Mini smartwatch

The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini is the perfect smartwatch for beginners. It doesn't take long to get accustomed to the UI, though there is a learning curve to it. If you'd much rather have something more advanced with Wear OS 3, there's nothing better than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. Plenty of Galaxy Watch 4 models are on sale, so you can actually decide to go for the flagship instead, if it tickles your fantasy.

Putting together your shopping list for Prime Day? Take a look at our guides to the best Prime Day phone deals and best Prime Day smartwatch deals so you're totally prepped for the big day.

Amazfit makes some beautiful smartwatches packed to the brim with fancy features, like SpO2 sensors, sporting modes, waterproofing, and gorgeous displays. The Amazfit Bip lineup is more affordable than ever with today's Prime Day deals. You can grab the wildly popular Amazfit Bip U Pro for only $50 right now on sale. Available in green, pink, and black, the Bip U Pro smartwatch is a great entry-level fitness wearable to have.

Any one of the Amazfit Bip models easily falls under the best Amazfit smartwatches because you get so much value for your coin. For slender wrists, check out the Amazfit Bip S Lite with its 1.28-inch display. You get an unbeatable 30-day battery life paired with an easy-to-use UI, an Always-On Display, and a heart rate monitor. There are only 14 sporting modes in this variant, but the Amazfit Bip S Lite's $35 offer price more than makes up for that.

On the hunt for built-in GPS? Let me introduce you to the Amazfit Bip S fitness smartwatch. This is a humble workout buddy with 5 ATM water resistance and 10 sports modes, but you also get some upper-tier specs like a heart rate monitor and GPS onboard. Not to mention, that 40-day battery life is simply astonishing. Grab the Amazfit Bip S wearable for only $50 with this Prime Day deal.

Tantalizing Amazfit deals of the day

Choosing the right wearable largely depends on your personal needs. All these Amazfit Bip watches are stylish and come in two or three shades. Aesthetics aside, each of them has a slightly different profile of features. Gauge the level of features that you require from a fitness wearable and make your decision accordingly. If you're confused, the Amazfit Bip U Pro is easily the most versatile choice.

Putting together your shopping list for Prime Day? Take a look at our guides to the best Prime Day phone deals and best Prime Day smartwatch deals so you're totally prepped for the big day.

What you need to know

• Amazfit has launched its new Bip 3 and Bip 3 Pro smartwatches. 
• The only key difference between these two is the Bip 3 Pro's built-in GPS. 
• Pricing starts at $59.99 for the Amazfit Bip 3 and $69.99 for the Bip 3 Pro.

It's been a busy time for Amazfit, we saw the launch of the all-new T-Rex 2 smartwatch at the end of May. Now, the company is back with two new wearables courtesy of the Amazfit Bip 3 and Bip 3 Pro. 

When comparing these two new smartwatches, there's only one key difference. They both feature a 1.69-inch color display, can last up to 14 days on a single charge, and offer a 5ATM water resistance rating. 

Amazfit packed plenty of health and fitness tracking features into the Bip 3 and 3 Pro as well. You'll be able to measure your SpO2 levels, in addition to the 24-hour heart rate monitoring onboard. Keeping track of workouts is also a breeze, as these smartwatches include an incredible 60 different Sports Modes, making it easy to track your preferred workouts. 

While these will quickly rank among the best Amazfit smartwatches, they are still sticking to RTOS. This is partially how Amazfit is able to keep the cost of its wearables so low, but you'll miss out on the ability to download and enjoy third-party apps. At least in the customization department, Amazfit is making it possible for you to pick from more than 50 different watch faces, all of which can be edited. 

So what's the key differentiator between these new smartwatches? The Amazfit Bip 3 Pro offers built-in GPS, whereas the standard Bip 3 does not. It already gives Amazfit a leg up on the likes of the Garmin Vivosmart 5 — which also lacks GPS — while coming in at less than half the price of its competitor.

Speaking of pricing, there's only a $10 difference between the two Amazfit watches, with the Bip 3 priced at $59.99 and the Bip 3 Pro available for $69.99. Both of these smartwatches are available now from Amazon or directly from the Amazfit website.

What you need to know

• Amazfit has launched its latest T-Rex 2 smartwatch with a rugged build and larger battery.
• The smartwatch features a higher-resolution display, more than 150 sports modes, and an upgraded PPG heart rate sensor.
• The watch is available in several colorways for $230.

Father's Day is around the corner, and Amazfit has launched its latest smartwatch just in time to give us all something our dads can appreciate. The new Amazfit T-Rex 2 is available now and features some notable upgrades that should make any dad happy.

One of the biggest improvements in the new Amazfit T-Rex 2 is the battery. This new model sports a 500mAh battery, up from 390mAh on the original model and the Amazfit T-Rex Pro. The battery is rated to last up to 24 days in typical usage but can go up to 58 days in power-saving GPS mode, leaving many of the best Android smartwatches in the dust.

In addition to the lasting battery, the T-Rex 2 retains its rugged build with a polymer alloy chassis and has passed 15 military-standard tests. It has 10 ATM water resistance and can operate in temperatures as low as -22° F, so it can handle just about anything anyone throws at it.

Its 1.39-inch touchscreen display has a higher resolution than its predecessors to better utilize the Zepp OS. It can reach up to 1,000 nits of brightness, which is ideal for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. For fitness enthusiasts, the Amazfit T-Rex has more than 150 sports modes and can automatically recognize and track dozens of exercises. The watch also sports an upgraded PPG heart rate sensor that supports blood-oxygen monitoring. For hikers and other outdoorsy types, the watch has dual-band positioning and supports five positioning systems. It can last up to 26-hours in Accuracy GPS Mode.

The new Amazfit T-Rex 2 is available now for $230 and can be purchased in four different colorways.

What you need to know

• Amazfit is preparing to release two new ruggedized smartwatches — T-Rex Pro 2 and the Vienna.
• The T-Rex Pro 2 picks up small visual changes and an improved biometric sensor.
• Amazfit Vienna is a premium version of the T-Rex Pro 3 with a titanium and sapphire build.

The list is short for those in search of a smartwatch that has days worth of battery, tracks health metrics, supports nearly any exercise or sport, and can withstand the harshest of environments. However, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro has been one of the best options available, and it seems to be getting an upgrade in 2022.

GSMArena got an exclusive look at what Amazfit has in store for its toughest smartwatches. First is the new T-Rex Pro 2. This watch stays very close to its predecessor, the T-Rex Pro, in terms of stylings. It will keep the durable plastic and silicone build, and the four buttons are still here to allow for navigation around the interface when the user is wearing gloves or the screen has debris on it.

Because the watch is designed to go anywhere you dare to go — it has the specs to ensure that it can handle it. The T-Rex Pro 2 has a 10 ATM water resistance rating and 15 military-grade MIL-STD-810G certifications. The 1.89-inch display sports a 454x454px resolution and offers a max brightness of 1,000 nits, so you'll be able to see the screen in any lighting condition. With a 500mAh battery, the watch will get up to 24 days of mixed-use and ten days of heavy usage.

While Amazfit has some of the best smartwatches for fitness, it doesn't necessarily have an option that gives off the luxuriously rugged vibe — until now. The new Amazfit Vienna will take many of the styling and toughness cues from the T-Rex Pro 2 and add some high-end touches to them. Swapping out the plastic with titanium and covering the display in sapphire are just two of the improvements.

But the Vienna isn't just about looking good — it's ready to perform too. The display is slightly smaller at 1.28 inches, but it picks up an improved AMOLED panel that still reaches the 1,000 nit brightness mark. It bumps the 10 ATM of the T-Rex Pro 2 up to 20 ATM, the same durabilities, and will share the new BioTracker 3.0 PPG to track your biometrics, long-lasting battery, and over 150 sport modes.

The new watches will come with Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, geomagnetic sensor, and an ambient light sensor. The release is due this summer, and pricing is yet to be announced. As of now, we are only seeing one color option for the Vienna, while the T-Rex Pro 2 is getting some new colors — Astro Black and Gold option, Wild Green, and Desert Khaki colors in addition to a classic black color option. 

There are many reasons why someone may choose to wear a smartwatch. However, perhaps the most popular reason is fitness tracking. From counting steps to monitoring your heart rate and pace during a marathon — wearables can really come in handy. Whether you prefer to exercise alone or with a group, sharing your workouts with friends can be fun and a great way to keep you motivated. Amazfit has a wide range of different wearable styles that can help you track all of your exercises and let you share workouts with the Zepp app — and here’s how. 

How to share your Amazfit workouts through the Zepp app

From the sleek Amazfit GTR 3 Pro to the uber-durable Amazfit T-Rex Pro, Amazfit makes some of the best smartwatches for fitness on the market. Taking your workouts and sharing them on social media or directly with friends in a message can be a great way to help keep yourself and others motivated. Amazfit devices connect to your smartphone using the Zepp app, and within it, you can see all of your health stats tracked by the watch and manage your wearable. It’s also where you’ll go to share your workouts — so let’s get started. 

1. Open the Zepp app on your phone.

2. Scroll down to find your Workout History and select the workout you wish to share.

3. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner.

4. Choose Workout report in the pop-up. 

5. At the top of the page, pick whether you want to share the basic stats of your workout with Short picture sharing or more details with Long picture sharing.

6. Pick from the share options at the bottom of the page. If you want to share via a method that isn’t in the share options menu, choose the download button that looks like an arrow pointing down.

7. After making your sharing selection, fill in the info you want to include in your post and then share. 

8. If you choose to download your workout details, the image is saved to your phone’s gallery so you can share using whatever services you’d like to.

Share your accomplishments

While the default options to share your workouts from the Zepp app may not be broad, it’s good that you can choose to download a shareable image to send out to your friends and followers from the platform of your choosing.

The Zepp app is a well-designed and feature-rich platform that handles the full breadth of Amazfit devices. That’s great because Amazfit has a lot of devices to choose from aside from the ones I mentioned earlier — like the long-lasting Amazfit Bip. Aside from Amazfit devices, the app also manages devices from its namesake, such as the Zepp Z. Regardless of which style wearable you choose, you’ll be able to share your impressive stats with all of your friends quickly from the app.

When comparing the Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Mobvoi TicWatch E3, both can be great workout companions, offering 24/7 management of your health and wellness. Both stand out thanks to the ability to track some cool and unique sports modes you don't see as commonly with other smartwatches and fitness trackers, like dance, board games, martial arts, and jump rope, along with the standard ones like walk, run, cycle, and treadmill (some come loaded, some need to be downloaded).

Before delving into the details of the Amazfit GTS 3 and Mobvoi TicWatch E3, both of which we named among the best cheap smartwatches for Android, here's a quick look at how these two compare when it comes to the core specs, looks, and features for at-a-glance details.

As you can see, they seem similar on the surface, but it's really when you get down to the nitty-gritty that the differences between these two watches shine through. Let's take a closer look to help you decide which you should buy.

Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Mobvoi TicWatch E3: What they offer for exercise and fitness

 In total, the GTS 3 can track more than 150 sports. The TicWatch E3, by comparison, can track over 100.

The Mobvoi TicWatch E3 tracks some interesting exercises, like roller skating, frisbee, tug of war, and skateboarding along with the most common ones. It offers proactive motion tracking to automatically detect when walking, running, and cycling, and will record data like your heart rate, calorie burn, and V02 max as you go. 

The Amazfit GTS 3 has automatic recognition of more than that, including eight sports in total — running, indoor and outdoor walking, treadmill, cycling, rowing, elliptical, and swimming — so it will automatically realize when you're doing one of these activities, even if you forget to start tracking. 

That said, on both devices, you can simply manually start a generic workout and track your stats as you go. And most importantly, if there's a sport you want to play or activity you like to do, chances are both watches will have a specific mode to track it. 

The Amazfit GTS 3 has some neat additional features that give it a leg up in this department, like the PAI health assessment system and BioTracker PPG 3.0 biometric sensor which lets you test four health metrics in 45 seconds with just a single tap:  blood oxygen level, heart rate, stress level, and sleep. It's a great way to get an at-a-glance look at how you're doing that day. 

It also includes the PeakBeats motion algorithm, which assesses your maximum oxygen uptake (i.e. Vo2 max level), recovery time, training load, and training effect, making this watch the better option if you're doing a serious workout program or training for a half-marathon. Speaking of running, this is also the better watch for runners due to another cool feature: Virtual Pacer will display an icon on the watch's screen that shows your previous and current runs so you have a target to follow and try to beat or keep on pace with. However, the Amazfit GTS 3 unfortunately does not have a built-in speaker, so you won't hear any audible guidance, which is one downside to the smartwatch.

The TicWatch E3 isn't a slouch in the fitness department, though. It does the typical workout tracking with stats viewable in the app and offers some new HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, which are popular nowadays. It's also useful that the watch will alert you via audible notifications when you reach a target heart rate zone, and when you exceed it, so you can tweak your workout as you go without having to glance over at your wrist. That's a plus one for this model.

Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Mobvoi TicWatch E3: How they look and run

Style could be the deciding factor here for some, and whole both smartwatches are sleek and stylish, they do look markedly different from one another. 

The Amazfit GTS 3 sports a square face with a digital crown on the side that makes it look almost indistinguishable from an Apple Watch at a distance. Its 1.75-inch, 341 ppi ultraHD AMOLED screenoffers a 72.4 percent screen-to-body ratio, which is generous, but means you will have some real estate on the sides that's just black.

By contrast, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 has a round face that more resembles a standard wristwatch or smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch. Its screen it also smaller at just 1.3-inches and 360 x 360 resolution along with two function buttons on the right side. 

Both are lightweight and slim, although the Amazfit GTS 3 is surprisingly lighter at just 24.4 grams, versus 32 grams for the TicWatch E3.

Both also let you customize the screen to achieve the look you want with a variety of watch faces (including animated options from the Amazfit GTS 3), and you can even add your own photo as a background as well. The two watches also come with flexible bands that can be swapped out for third-party ones or different colors, with Amazfit touting its GTS 3 band as being antibacterial as well. The TicWatch E3 band, meanwhile, has a quick-release strap for easy swapping.

The Amazfit GTS 3 comes in colors that are "inspired by nature," including graphite black, ivory white, and terra rosa. It's water resistant and offers decent battery life: the Amazfit GTS 3 can run for up to 12 days per charge, but that is significantly reduced to just 20 hours with continuous GPS use. However, if you only use GPS while going for a 30-minute run each day or a few times a week, for example, this will only reduce the battery life slightly. There's also a battery saver mode that only runs the essential functions and apps and increases battery life up to 20 days — ideal for going on vacation, for example.

The Mobvoi TicWatch E3 only comes in a panther black finish and is also water-resistant. But a big downside for the TicWatch E3 is that it only runs for about two days per charge. There is an Essential mode that will automatically kick in any time the battery is below five percent, showing just the most important stats. But having to charge several times a week could be a dealbreaker for some.

The Amazfit GTS 3 runs on the company's own Zepp OS, which isn't quite as robust as other more well-known operating systems. While there's no third-party app support, it does work with Alexa and even has an offline voice assistant that can be used to do things like open sports mode without requiring an Internet connection.

By contrast, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 runs on Google WearOS, which will make it an appealing option for those familiar with the operating system. If you're already committed to the Google ecosystem, you'll have seamless access to services like Google Maps, Google Assistant (which you can use to control compatible smart home devices as well), and Google Pay. You can also download and use apps like Telegram, Strava, Spotify, Lifesum, and many others. This is a plus for the TicWatch if you're interested in downloading third-party apps.

Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Mobvoi TicWatch E3: What else do they do?

Like most smartwatches these days, both these models do far more than just monitor workouts and steps. They can deliver notifications from a connected smartphone and capture detailed sleep data, including sleep stages and breathing quality, and even offer suggestions on how to improve.

They also monitor stress, with the Amazfit GTS 3 allowing you to conduct a manual stress test on-demand, after which it will prompt you to do a breathing exercise if it detects a high level of stress. The Amazfit GTS 3, however, goes a step further when it comes to advanced features, especially concerning women. Its female health-tracking feature allows you to keep a record of your menstrual cycle to get predictions and reminders for upcoming periods.

The Mobvoi TicWatch E3 has TicZen stress monitoring which does much the same, with the TicHear feature advising if you are overstressed and alerting you to do a TicBreathe breathing exercise. 

While you can pair the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 with any set of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, you get special features with the company's compatible TicPods models, including the ability for hands-free control to do things like play/pause, song skip, and adjust volume, all with your voice. 

With the Amazfit GTS 3, you can also pair it with Bluetooth headphones and earbuds of all kinds for hands-free listening (though not control). The Bluetooth capabilities go a step further as you can use the watch as a Bluetooth camera control, flashlight, or even to find your misplaced phone. 

Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Mobvoi TicWatch E3: Amazfit GTS 3 is the best choice for serious fitness enthusiasts

If you're really into fitness and looking for more than just a basic smartwatch that can count steps, show notifications, and track the odd walk, run, or workout, the Amazfit GTS 3 is the better option of the two. The Mobvoi TicWatch E3's battery life is just disappointing; two-day battery life in this day and age is simply not enough, even with the handy Essential mode. The Amazfit GTS 3 blows other feature-rich smartwatches out of the water with its impressive 12-day battery life. Even measuring conservatively, if it only lasts seven to eight days, that's still a once-a-week charge, which means your 24/7 tracking won't be interrupted so often.

But beyond the battery life, the sheer number of unique exercise types the Amazfit GTS 3 tracks is convenient. Imagine turning on the watch before you start playing an intense game of Catan with the family or using it to track your killer moves in Just Dance.

These days, we want our smartwatches to be proactive and help us through things other than just workouts, which is where features like the Amazfit GTS 3's manual on-demand stress test and breathing exercises come in. It's a great way to remind yourself to take a minute of calm every now and then. For women, female health tracking is also an essential and a feature that should come standard with any health tracker, as it does in the Amazfit GTS 3.

Now, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 is still a great smartwatch if you're OK using it in Essential mode for most of the day until you're ready for some exercise, or you don't mind charging it every few days. It does have some neat features like the unique sports tracking and the Google WearOS, which opens the door to a plethora of apps. But the lack of battery life is simply non-negotiable.

The last factor that makes the Amazfit GTS 3 our top pick is that it's actually the cheaper option of the two, so you'll save money in the process. Of course, if neither of these watches tickles your fancy, you can always choose from some of the best Android smartwatches. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

If you want every perk under the sun, you'll likely lean toward the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. In addition to advanced health and fitness tracking, you'll have optional LTE connectivity, ultra-smooth performance, and two size options. You also get the new Wear OS 3 platform.

Amazfit GTS 3

If you want as many perks as possible without breaking the bank, you might prefer the Amazfit GTS 3. It has most of the essentials that users need such as onboard GPS, activity/sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and Amazon Alexa built-in. Plus, you'll love the 12-day battery life.

Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Plenty of perks to go around

If you're looking for a smartwatch with plenty of perks, you might find yourself considering the Amazfit GTS 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. These devices may be pretty different on the surface, but they share many of the same perks that users look for in an Android smartwatch. You'll have to think about what features are most important to you and how much you can afford to spend.

Between the two, the Amazfit GTS 3 is more affordable, but it's missing a few features that some users may not be willing to pass up. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is more expensive, but it's packed with premium features that some users will be willing to splurge on. If you want the best experience possible, the Galaxy Watch 4 won't let you down.

Track key details with the Amazfit GTS 3

They may not be quite as popular as Samsung, but Amazfit smartwatches have come a long way. The GTS 3 is a shining example of how Amazfit is focused on providing affordable watches that still offer plenty of essential features. This particular wearable offers excellent battery life, detailed activity/sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, Amazon Alexa built-in, and much more.

The physical design deserves some attention, too. The lightweight 42mm aluminum case is available in three unique colors: Graphite Black, Ivory White, or Terra Rosa. Some watches feel bulky on the wrist, but the Amazfit GTS 3 is only 8.8mm thick and weighs less than 25 grams, so it will never feel cumbersome. It's also compatible with 20mm interchangeable bands that you can easily swap out whenever you feel like it.

You'll also appreciate the crisp 1.75-inch AMOLED touchscreen. Navigating through menus is quick and simple with a series of swipes and taps. There's also a side button that doubles as a rotating crown that you can also use to navigate the UI. Despite having a bright and beautiful display, the battery life is still very impressive. The Amazit GTS 3 can last for 12 days with typical usage or six days with heavy usage.

There's more to this watch than meets the eye. As stunning as the design is, don't be mistaken. This is an amazing fitness smartwatch if you want it to be. The Amazfit GTS 3 is designed to recognize various motions and will automatically start recording related activity data, including outdoor running, walking, outdoor cycling, treadmill, elliptical, pool swimming, and more.

You'll also love having more than 150 sport modes to choose from when tracking your activities. Some of these are popular activities, like walking, running, cycling, and swimming profiles. However, you'll also find many unique activities such as fishing, hiking rock climbing, yoga, HIIT, wrestling, and boxing.

Health is important, too. The Amazfit GTS 3 offers a convenient 4-in-1 health measurement. All you have to do is select "one-tap measuring" and you'll receive readings for heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and breathing rate in under a minute. This advanced technology allows you to receive four readings in one measurement instead of having to take each measurement individually.

All of the activity tracking perks are great, but the Amazift GTS 3 also offers some smart features that may surprise you. For one, the voice assistant feature is available both online and offline. When you're connected, you can activate Amazon Alexa and ask a question. When you're offline, you can easily use the voice commands to start a time, record a workout, and more.

If you're a smart home enthusiast, you'll love having a smartwatch that works with your existing setup. You can access Home Connect on your watch to control your smart home devices with the voice assistant. You'll also be able to choose how you access the voice assistant on your device.

For instance, you can opt for the voice assistant to wake up during every screen light up. You can have it activate five seconds after you turn your wrist or five seconds after the screen turns on. Keep in mind that these options will kill the battery faster, so you may want to choose this setting wisely.

Access premium perks with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a popular choice for many reasons. For starters, it's the first Wear OS watch on the new Wear OS 3 platform. This is a change from previous Galaxy watches, so don't expect the same experience you've had with previous models. Don't worry, these are mostly positive changes!

Let's start by taking a closer look at the physical design. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 comes in a lightweight aluminum case that comes in 40mm and 44mm variants. Both models have a capacitive rotating bezel around the circular display. This is a great way to navigate the UI without any bulky physical bezels. Although, if you're a fan of physical bezels, you might prefer the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic instead.

Regardless of whether you choose the 40mm or 44mm model, you'll have access to a wide variety of interchangeable Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 bands. Whether you want to dress up your watch for a formal occasion or you'd rather find a fitness-friendly band, there are many options to pick from.

Health enthusiasts will love all the advanced features on this watch. Most importantly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a 3-in-1 BioActive sensor. This technology consists of a single chip that houses multiple sensors. Samsung also says this chip places the measurement tool closer to your skin for more accurate readings.

If you're not familiar with this new feature, the BioActive chip runs three key sensors: optical heart rate, electrical heart, and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Users can easily monitor their heart rate, record an ECG reading, and check blood oxygen saturation levels. The BIA feature is a new feature, which measures our overall body composition. You'll have a closer look at your health with important measurements such as body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, and more.

Health tracking on the Galaxy Watch 4 has improved in other ways. Advanced sleep tracking now has the ability to detect the sound of your snores. When you pair this data with other key details, like your blood oxygen levels during sleep and tour advanced sleep score, you'll have a clear understanding of your sleep patterns and how you can improve your rest each night.

Despite running on a new operating system, Samsung made sure the Galaxy Watch 4 would offer smooth performance. In addition to the new platform, this is also the first Wear OS watch powered by an Exynos SoC. The 5nm processor delivers a 20% faster CPU and 50% more RAM. This leads to fast performance and impeccable responsiveness for an enjoyable wearable experience.

Amazfit GTS 3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Which should you buy?

When it comes to choosing between the Amazfit GTS 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, you'll want to consider a few key factors. If you're on a budget, you should start by asking yourself how much you're willing to spend on premium features. Perhaps you don't need all the extra perks on the Galaxy Watch 4. If not, the Amazfit GTS 3 is a more affordable option with plenty of perks. If you don't mind missing out on NFC payments, LTE connectivity, and a built-in speaker, you might be perfectly content with this option.

With that said, if you don't want to compromise on any features, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has it all. You'll have to spend more, but most users will agree it's money well spent. You'll have optional LTE connectivity, NFC payments, two size options, a built in-mic/speaker, and more advanced health tracking. Keep in mind that it's not compatible with iOS, so iPhone users won't be able to use the Galaxy Watch 4. If you can justify the price tag, you'll love this smartwatch.

Google and Samsung dominate the conversation around Android (for obvious reasons), but dozens of players from all over the world contribute to the broader Android ecosystem. Chinese phone manufacturers like Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo are increasingly focusing on western markets, and Amazfit and Mobvoi are doing all the right things on the wearable front.

In short, there are many exciting developments in the Android ecosystem right now, and these are the brands that you should pay more attention to this year.

OnePlus, OPPO, and Vivo

The BBK triumvirate of OnePlus, OPPO, and Vivo had a good 2021, and they're looking to continue their strong showing. OPPO kicked things off in style with the Find N, a creaseless foldable that gives us an early look at what's possible in this category in the coming years.

OPPO and Vivo dominated sales in China last year, but they also did well in global markets — particularly in the west. Both brands tend to focus on a vast retail distribution network to drive sales — much like Samsung — and they've managed to significantly increase their market share in regions like the UK, France, and Germany following Huawei's exit.

OPPO has a lot of exciting products in the works. The Find X5 is slated to debut sometime at the end of Q1, possibly powered by the manufacturer's first custom chipset. It is also likely to offer decent camera gains, with OPPO making a lot of positive strides in that area. Then there's the mid-range Reno series that has delivered some of the most exciting phones in this category over the last 18 months — it forms the basis for OnePlus Nord.

Vivo, for its part, is betting big on the mid-range segment. The color-changing V23 series is now official in India, and it should be making its way to other markets in the coming weeks. Vivo's high-end X series phones don't get as much attention, but the Chinese brand is doing a lot of interesting things around video recording, with the X70 series featuring a third-gen gimbal camera system and Vivo's custom imaging module.

I predict Vivo and OPPO will continue their dominance in China while gaining decent market share globally. The main hurdle for these two brands in the past has been software, but ColorOS 12 is one of the most refined interfaces around, and Vivo's Funtouch OS has been transformed over the course of 2021.

As for OnePlus, the manufacturer's future as an OPPO sub-brand means it has pivoted heavily to the Nord series — particularly with the Nord N portfolio in North America. OnePlus managed to sell 10 million phones for the first time in a calendar year in 2021, and that's on the back of strong sales in the entry-level and budget segments.

It is still rolling out flagship devices — the OnePlus 10 Pro has already been announced officially — but the focus for OnePlus this year will be to make further headway in North America with the Nord series. And with ColorOS now being used as the default software on its phones, it has lost what differentiation it had with OxygenOS, and is now primarily a budget player.

With Vivo and OPPO unwilling to enter North America, OnePlus is the default vessel for BBK in the region, and we're seeing just what that looks like with the Nord N series — made up of regurgitated entry-level OPPO phones.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi had a stellar year in 2021, with the Chinese manufacturer overtaking Samsung as the world's largest phone brand for a few months. The rise in sales figures was mostly down to the budget models in the Redmi Note series, but Xiaomi's focus on the mid-range with the Mi 11 Lite, Xiaomi 11T, and the multitude of rebranded POCO phones has worked to its advantage. The Mi 11 series also fared well against the best Android phones thanks to the Mi 11 Ultra and its ridiculous cameras.

For 2022, Xiaomi aims to continue that momentum. It is doubling down in key regions like India — already releasing mid-rangers like the Xiaomi 11i with 120W fast charging — and it is consolidating its position in western markets. Like its BBK rivals, Xiaomi was a big beneficiary of Huawei's decline, and it is now seeking to extend its advantage.

The Redmi Note 11 series should go a long way in furthering Xiaomi's goal this year, and with the Xiaomi 12 series slated to debut globally by the end of Q1 — around the same time as the Galaxy S22 — Xiaomi is aiming to deliver on several fronts.

There's also the fact that Xiaomi sells a lot of products that aren't phones, including TVs, security cameras, fitness bands, smartwatches, Android TV streaming boxes, and gaming monitors, and it is launching most of these ecosystem products outside China.

Honor

Honor is now a standalone entity — having distanced itself from Huawei — and while the brand made some initial headway in its home market last year, it wasn't able to sustain that momentum. For 2022, Honor will have to show that it can stand on its own — particularly against its Chinese rivals.

The best way to do this would be with a strong portfolio of devices, and Honor is gearing up for a busy launch window. It is set to release its first foldable phone, with the teasers indicating a design similar to that of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. In its heyday, Honor's budget phones drove a lot of sales for the brand, and I want to see what it has to offer in this category now that Xiaomi and Realme rule the roost.

Nothing

Nothing generated a lot of excitement ahead of the launch of its ear (1) wireless earbuds, and the brand is using that as the starting point for its broader ambitions. Carl Pei has mentioned that Nothing will create a series of ecosystem products, and while he hasn't confirmed it publicly, a phone is definitely on the cards.

There's little in the way of information regarding Nothing's first phone, but I've heard that a launch is on the cards for the latter half of 2022. This is obviously very interesting given Pei's history at OnePlus, and we'll have to wait and see if he can do something similar at Nothing. Following OnePlus's decision to use ColorOS as the software on its phones, there's a distinct lack of options for Android enthusiasts looking for a high-end phone with clean software, and Nothing could fill that void if it plays its cards right.

I'll have much more to share on this in the coming months, but one thing's for certain: Nothing is going to have a very interesting 2022.

Amazfit

Amazfit is now the world's third-largest wearable manufacturer, and that title is well-deserved. The brand went from strength to strength in 2021 on the back of value-focused smartwatches, and it needs to do the same this year it if wants to hold on to that position.

Amazfit's standout product is its $50 fitness band, but the GTR 3 and GTS 3 smartwatches have fared very well following their introduction in Q3 2021. A big part of that was down to the software, with Amazfit refining its software by some degree.

I'd like Amazfit to release a Wear OS smartwatch, but that is mostly wishful thinking on my part. What's more likely is that Amazfit will continue to roll out new models in its value-focused smartwatch series, turning its attention to the lucrative wireless earbuds category instead.

2022 is going to be an exciting year for Android

Between Android 12 making its way to more devices and flagship phones slated to debut in the coming months, there's a lot of excitement in the Android ecosystem for 2022. I'm looking forward to seeing what Nothing comes up with this year, what Xiaomi does in the budget segment, and what's in store for foldables.

Amazfit is doing all the right things in the wearable segment, as evidenced by the fact that it's now the second-largest manufacturer in this category. A big part of the company's rise is down to its budget offerings, with its $60 fitness band providing a great value.

Lately, Amazfit has ventured into the premium tier with its smartwatches, and the GTR 3 Pro is now available for $230, taking on the likes of Samsung and Fitbit. The GTR 3 Pro has a lot going for it on the hardware front: it has a large AMOLED panel with an always-on mode, a lag-free interface with a lot of customizability, plenty of health and fitness monitoring features, and a minimalist design that looks great.

But the biggest differentiator is the battery life — the GTR 3 Pro lasts nearly a week even with heavy use. With the Galaxy Watch 4 only lasting up to two days with normal use, the GTR 3 Pro has a distinct advantage in this area, so let's take a look at what the smartwatch has to offer, and whether it's a good choice for your needs.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro: Price and availability

The Amazfit GTR 3 Pro made its debut in October, and the smartwatch is now available around the world. It is sold in a single 46mm variant, and you can get your hands on the smartwatch in the U.S. for $230 from various retailers. Over in the U.K., the GTR 3 Pro retails at £179 ($238), and in India, it is available on Amazon for ₹18,990 ($250).

There's also a standard variant in the series dubbed the GTR 3 that misses out on Wi-Fi connectivity and calling features, with that model available for $180.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro: What you'll like

The GTR 3 Pro hits all the right notes in terms of design. The rounded chassis immediately makes it stand out, and the brushed metal design combined with the minimal aesthetic gives it an elegance that's on par with the best Android smartwatches in the market today.

The body itself is made out of an aluminum alloy, and coming in at just 32g, it is incredibly light. You can get the GTR 3 Pro with a fluoroelastomer band that's ideal for workouts and swimming, and there's also a leather option available. I'm using the latter, and it definitely makes the smartwatch look just that little bit more upmarket.

You get standard 22mm lugs here, so you can always switch out the included bands and use your own if you wish to do so. Amazfit smartwatches tend to be quite busy in terms of the design, and in that context, the GTR 3 Pro feels like a refreshing change. There are two buttons on the right: a menu button with a rotating crown, and a customizable button that can be used for pulling up workouts, launching Alexa, or using the smartwatch as a remote camera shutter.

The differentiator for the GTR 3 Pro is that it is able to make calls natively, so you'll find a mic and speaker tucked away to the right. The chassis itself is water-resistant up to 5ATM, so you can use it at the pool without any issues whatsoever — just be sure to switch to a fluoroelastomer band.

Amazfit has outfitted the GTR 3 Pro with a 1.45-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 480 x 480, leading to a pixel density of 331PPI. During the briefing, Amazfit mentioned that the panel's refresh rate now goes up to 50Hz — up from 30Hz in earlier models. While there's no way to verify this, the UI feels fluid in day-to-day use.

There are eight watch faces installed out of the box, but you get the option to pick from over a hundred options via the app, with a good selection across diverse categories to choose from. You'll find a lot of animates watch faces as well, including the ability to add your own images or set up a custom background.

Because of the AMOLED panel, you can set up an always-on mode, with all the watch faces offering a basic version that shows the time when the screen is off. The panel itself has great colors, good information density for going through emails or messages, and I had no issues using the smartwatch under harsh sunlight. Auto mode works particularly well, cranking the brightness up to 1,000 nits outdoors.

What I like about Amazfit smartwatches is the pared-down interface, and that's no different on the GTR 3 Pro. The new Zepp OS interface is lightweight and easy to navigate, and there's no lag or stutter in daily use. The interface is intuitive to use — you swipe down to access toggles, swipe left to see your widgets (these can be customized), and swipe right to view fitness and health monitoring features. Within an app, there's the option to swipe right to go back, and the menu button takes you back to the home screen.

The GTR 3 Pro includes the same BioTracker 3.0 module with the six photodiodes that's in the Amazfit GTS 3, and it does a great job with health monitoring. There's continuous heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, a feature that measures your stress and breathing levels, and you can send all the data to Google Fit if you prefer to do so. With one button, you can easily measure heart rate, blood oxygen, breathing, and stress levels in 45 seconds, and I found myself using this feature quite a lot.

The GTR 3 Pro has sleep tracking as well, and it gives you a lot of insights, including differentiating between light sleep, deep sleep, and REM, and assigning a score for the quality of your sleep. This has been a mainstay on Amazfit wearables for some time now, and the amount of data provided gives you a good baseline to figure out how to improve your sleep.

There's digital assistant integration in the form of Alexa, and you will need to link your Amazon profile to the smartwatch via the app. But once you do that, you can use Alexa to control smart home gear, play music, and much more. What's particularly nifty is that there's an offline digital assistant as well for on-device tasks like launching a workout or setting a timer — great for hands-free use.

As for fitness, the GTR 3 Pro has over 150 sports modes, and it automatically recognizes activity for eight modes. The smartwatch did a good job monitoring activity for cardio sessions — with a deviation of under 10% against the Apple Watch Series 7 — and you can easily share your activity data with Google Fit.

Battery life is a key consideration with a smartwatch, with most options in this category lasting just a day or two. Amazfit touts a 12-day battery life for the GTR 3 Pro with the 450mAh battery, but realistically you'll get up to six days of use with notifications enabled, background health monitoring, and always-on mode active.

Of course, that figure goes down if you're using the smartwatch for regular workouts; in the week that I worked out consistently, I got four days of use before needing to charge. One thing's for sure though: this thing lasts significantly longer than similar wearables from Samsung and Fitbit with the same features enabled. The main reason why I don't use a smartwatch regularly is the need to charge it daily, and thankfully that's not an issue here.

Realistically, you'll only be charging the GTR 3 Pro once a week, and when you do need to do so, the bundled dock takes just over two hours to fully charge the smartwatch.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro: What needs work

You can pick up the GTR 3 Pro with a leather band, but the included option is too stiff and coarse — definitely not in line with a $230 product. That's my only annoyance from a hardware point of view, so if you're interested in picking up this smartwatch, you're better off with the fluoroelastomer band and picking up an aftermarket leather option.

With the watch now powered by Zepp OS, you get an app store and the ability to install apps onto the device, but these are very limited right now. The ones that are available are very basic — there's a calculator, a hydration reminder utility, one for brushing your teeth, a Home Connect app that works with select brands, and one that turns the entire screen into a flashlight. It's clear that Amazfit is just starting to build out its app portfolio, but for now, there's little in the way of third-party integration.

There are other limitations on the software front. Notifications are limited in that you only get text and no images, and the biggest issue is that they're not actionable; there's no on-board keyboard, and you don't even get any canned responses. So you will have to pull out your phone if you need to respond to a text message or email.

You'll encounter lingering software issues elsewhere. I usually set up activity alerts on the smartwatches I use, and the GTR 3 Pro lets you easily enable the feature. But when setting up DND for that mode, it wouldn't recognize the time that I set (11pm to 7am). These bugs are easy enough to fix with updates, but the fact that you miss out on third-party apps and actionable notifications is a bigger deal.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro: The competition

If you're looking for a new smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 4 is an obvious choice. Samsung's latest smartwatch is built on Wear OS 3, has a sleek design, and has an extensive feature set. It does a better job integrating with the likes of Spotify and other services, has actionable notifications, and you get ECG monitoring and Samsung Pay/Google Pay. The downside is that it lasts a day with regular use, but at $240 you are getting a lot for your money.

Amazfit's own GTR 3 is a great alternative if you want a better value. The standard model misses out on Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability to make calls, but it costs $50 less — coming in at $180 — and you get the same design along with a similar set of software features. And the best part? The battery life is even better on the GTR 3.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You want a premium smartwatch with a minimalist design
• You're looking for a smartwatch that lasts up to a week on a full charge
• You need extensive fitness and health monitoring features
• You want plenty of software customization

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want a high-quality leather band
• You need third-party app integration
• You're looking for the best value in this segment

With the GTR 3 Pro, Amazfit is signaling its intention to go up against the best in this category. And it has managed to deliver in a lot of areas: the large AMOLED screen is great in day-to-day use, the interface is fluid and has extensive customizability, and you get all the fitness and health monitoring features you could ask for.

The GTR 3 Pro falls short when it comes to third-party integration and actionable notifications, and if that's something you care about, you will need to pick up a Wear OS smartwatch. But for the most part, the positives outweigh the shortcomings here.

4 out of 5

The GTR 3 Pro is a really good smartwatch, but if you want to maximize value, you're better off with the regular GTR 3. The standard model has a smaller 1.39-inch AMOLED screen, but you get the same rotating crown, and it has a similar set of features. The major omission is the ability to make calls and lack of built-in Wi-Fi, but the upside is that you get an even better battery life. So if you don't care about making calls from your wrist, save $50 and get the GTR 3. If you need this feature, the GTR 3 Pro is a great overall choice.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro

Bottom line: With the GTR 3 Pro, you're getting a large AMOLED screen and a gorgeous design, lag-free interface with lots of customizability, and six-day battery life. Yes, it misses out on a few software features, but it excels at the basics, and that battery life makes it worthy of consideration.

• $230 at Amazon
• $230 at Best Buy
• ₹18,990 at Amazon India

If you've recently invested in an Amazfit Bip smartwatch, you're probably wading through all the accessory options to make it truly your own. Or maybe you've had one for a while now, and it's time for a new band. Either way, choosing the right band is crucial, so make sure you fully explore your options before reaching a decision.

Decision time

When it comes time to narrow it down, consider your lifestyle before choosing a band. Do you need something that's going to be lightweight, flexible, and permeable on your wrist? If so, we recommend the Troyalroom silicone watch band. In addition to offering a simple pin-and-tuck closure design, it's also permeable and offers maximum breathability. If you're an extremely active person, this might be the superior choice. After all, maximum airflow is essential when you're always on the run.

If it's nylon material you're after, we would choose the SIKAI CASE nylon sport loop watch band. The soft cushioning is kind to your skin, but it also serves a higher purpose, which is allowing moisture to escape rather than getting trapped and causing irritation. You'll be in good hands with the hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustments while also keeping your smartwatch secure.

Some people prefer a more stylish band for their Amazfit Bip. If that's you, you might prefer the Kartice genuine leather watch band. You'll have ample ventilation with the air hole design while still maintaining a traditional smartwatch look with the genuine leather material.

All of the bands listed here are great options, and there's plenty more where that came from. Best of luck in your search!

If you haven't heard by now, the Amazfit GTR is a phenomal fitness smartwatch that's going head-to-head with other competitors on the market today. It's available in two sizes, 47mm and 42mm. Depending on which one you prefer, you'll need either 22mm or 20mm quick release bands, respectively. We've picked out the very best ones so all that's left to do is choose your favorite.

Decisions, decisions

No matter which band you choose for your Amazfit GTR, your wrist will be happy. For highly active individuals who plan to regularly use their fitness smartwatch, we recommend the Meifox Soft Silicone Replacement Band. The breathable design will treat your skin well even when you're in the zone during intense workouts. It's also available in a variety of unique two-tone designs.

For formal occasions, you may want to opt for the Barton Top Grain Leather Watch Band. It's available in multiple classic color options and will work well for any special occasion. If you're on board with silicone watch bands but don't like the air hole design offered by Meifox, you might prefer the Ritche Silicone Watch Band instead. In addition to boasting 20 different two-tone color combinations, they also have a unique textured design that stands out from the rest.

The Amazfit Verge smartwatch is one of the most competitive wearables on the market thanks to its incredibly affordable price tag and long list of desirable features. However, not everyone is a fan of the band that comes in the box. If you're struggling to find the right band for your needs, you're not alone. The good news is there are tons of options to choose from.

Drawing conclusions

The band that you end up choosing for your Amazfit Verge smartwatch will largely depend on what a normal day looks like for you. If you spend a good chunk of your time working out or playing sports, you're going to need a superior level of durability. Our favorite for this is the SIKAI silicone band. It's tough enough to handle your active lifestyle and comfortable enough to wear all day long.

If you're worried about your skin becoming irritated due to all of your activity, worry no more with the OldDream loop nylon band. It's specifically designed to handle your workouts while remaining as breathable as possible. You won't have to deal with pesky moisture buildup or painful skin irritation with this lightweight band on your wrist.

We've only just begun to scratch the surface on Amazfit Verge bands. Whatever your needs consist of, there's a band that's designed to meet them.

What you need to know

• Amazfit was the third largest smartwatch vendor in the third quarter of 2021.
• Global smartwatch shipments reportedly reached 9.9 million units in the July to September period.
• Amazfit's strong sales momentum was driven by the new additions to its GTS 2 and GTR2 family.

Amazfit surpassed Huawei to become the world's third largest smartwatch maker in Q3 2021, according to Counterpoint Research's latest Global Smartwatch Model Tracker. Total global shipments stood at 9.9 million units during the period, up 89% over the same period last year.

Interestingly, sales from overseas markets accounted for 61.8% of Amazfit's global shipments in the third quarter. The company's smartwatch sales saw a significant increase in several European markets — including Italy, Spain, and Germany. While sales increased 150% YoY in Germany, shipments to Turkey increased by a whopping 324% YoY.

Amazfit fit says the strong sales momentum was driven by the GTR 2e, GTS 2e, and T-Rex Pro watches. It also benefited from global partnerships with Spartan, ESOK Rally in Turkey, All-Russian Zavidovu SUP Challenge, Israeli Beach Volleyball Championship, and Cruce Teques in Mexico.

Last month, the company expanded its GTR and GTS smartwatch lines with the GTR 3 and GTS 3 models The latest additions to Amazfit's smartwatch lineup bring a host of new health and fitness features powered by its proprietary Zepp OS. Amazfit expects the strong momentum to continue in the fourth quarter, thanks to festive season sales promotion in several markets.

While Apple remained the top smartwatch vendor in Q3, its market share fell 10% YoY. Samsung's smartwatch shipments during the quarter hit a record high, mainly due to the higher than expected sales of the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic — two of its best Android smartwatches yet.

Amazfit Bip U Pro

Amazfit's Bip U Pro is an affordable fitness-focused with a 1.43-inch touch-enabled display, built-in GPS, over 60 sport modes, and nine days of battery life. It also comes with Alexa built-in.

• $55 at Amazon
• $88 at Walmart

Some people want a smartwatch that can do it all without having to spend a fortune. We all know that there are some expensive options out there, but there are also plenty of affordable options that are worth exploring, like the Amazfit GTS 3. While Amazfit isn't nearly as popular as Apple, Garmin, or Fitbit, the company has managed to release some solid wearables that users love. The GTS Series has continued to improve with each new model and the latest release is no exception.

Considering the low price tag, there's bound to be some compromises in the mix. Users will have to determine what they can live without when deciding whether to buy the Amazfit GTS 3. If you're focused on finding a wearable that offers detailed health and fitness tracking with precise information regarding your overall well-being, this watch will likely check all of the boxes on your list.

Price matters, but so does quality. You can tell that Amazfit took that into consideration with the GTS 3. This watch is more affordable than most, but it doesn't feel cheap where it counts: design and performance. As long as you're not expecting it to compete with the Apple Watch, you'll be pleasantly surprised by what the Amazfit GTS 3 has to offer.

Amazfit GTS 3: Price and availability

The Amazfit GTS 3 was released in October 2021 alongside the Amazfit GTR 3 Series. The watch is available for purchase directly from the Amazfit website. It can also be purchased from other online retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and more.

Amazfit GTS 3: What's good

The design is often the first thing users look for and Amazfit did an excellent job with the GTS 3. It comes in a lightweight 42mm aluminum alloy case that never feels bulky on the wrist. At less than 9mm thick, you'll appreciate the slim profile on your wrist.

The watch is compatible with 20mm quick release bands, so swapping it out for a new one is a breeze. You can choose from three colors: Graphite Black, Ivory White, or Terra Rosa. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the silicone band that comes with the watch. Over a week of wearing it nonstop and recording multiple activities, it never irritated my skin.

Let's get to the real bread and butter: the stunning 1.75-inch AMOLED display. The 390 x 450 resolution translates to 341 pixels per inch (ppi), so it's bright and crisp. You can easily navigate the user interface through a series of taps and swipes on the touchscreen. The performance never felt slow or laggy, which is a huge plus.

There's also a smooth rotating crown that also serves as a side button. You can press it to launch the main menu and turn the crown to navigate up and down. This was great for scrolling through notifications, especially when reading a longer message. You can also customize the long press of the side button to launch a specific app if you'd like.

While I haven't been wearing the watch for a full 12 days yet, the battery life has been pretty solid so far. I've only had to charge it once since taking it out of the box.

After setting up the watch, playing with watch faces (there are several), using the voice assistant, and recording a daily 30-minute activity for a full week, I have to say that I'm content with the battery life on the Amazfit GTS 3.

Keep in mind that 12 days of battery life is for a typical usage scenario, but that figure dips down to 6 days with heavy usage. It's still far more than you'll ever get with the Apple Watch and many other smartwatches on the market these days, so I can't complain.

The Amazfit GTS 3 shines in a lot of key areas, but the activity and sleep tracking are what I enjoyed most. If I'm being honest, I wasn't expecting much. I've been spoiled by some of the best names in the wearable world at this point. This was also my first experience with an Amazfit watch.

However, I'm pleased to say that it delivered on both accuracy and ease of use. I wore a couple of my other trusted fitness trackers and smartwatches during these workouts to compare data, and the Amazfit GTS 3 did quite well.

The Amazfit GTS 3 can recognize different motions and will automatically start recording related sports data. This applies to several activities, including outdoor running, walking, outdoor cycling, treadmill, pool swimming, elliptical, and more. You can select the activities you want to be automatically detected and recorded.

I know that sleep tracking can be hit or miss, but this smartwatch provides plenty of details regarding your sleep patterns, sleep score, and some recommendations to consider.

For example, after several days of consistent sleep, one morning the watch let me know that I fell asleep late and my deep sleep time was shorter than usual. It was no coincidence that I was feeling particularly sluggish that day.

Regarding heart rate and other health measurements, the watch has an advanced BioTracker PPG 3.0 biometric sensor with six photodiodes. This means it can track multiple health metrics at the same time while making more efficient use of optical light. As a result, users can take a quick and easy 4-in-1 health measurement.

Select the "one-tap measuring" feature and in less than a minute (as long as you remain completely still), you'll receive readings for heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and breathing rate. Rather than having to take each measurement individually, this feature allows you to take them all at once.

There are other health-tracking features that help provide a better picture of your overall well-being. The Amazfit GTS 3 tracks stress, blood oxygen levels, and breathing rate. Women can track their menstrual cycles as well. It lets you know your training load, which is the result of your total training volume for the past seven days.

It also provides details for maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 Max), full recovery time, and training effect. You'll learn about how your performance affects recovery, progress, and exercise capacity. This fitness smartwatch can cater to both beginners and more advanced users.

No matter what type of workouts you typically do, I'd venture to say you'll be able to find a sport mode for it on the Amazfit GTS 3. There are over 150 to choose from, after all. Aside from your standard walking, running, cycling, and swimming profiles, you'll have access to several other categories.

Some examples include rock climbing, hiking, fishing, yoga, HIIT, wrestling, boxing, and more. There are even designated categories with sport modes filed under winter workouts, ball workouts, board and card games, water workouts, and dance workouts.

Source: Courtney Lynch / Android Central

While the Zepp mobile app may take some getting used to, it's efficient and concise with everything you need in one place. Whether you're checking out the details from your latest workout, checking out the quality of last night's sleep, or taking a deeper dive into your heart rate zones, the Zepp app is intuitive and easy to navigate.

The homepage starts by notifying you of your current Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) score. If you've never used an Amazfit smartwatch, you might be a tad confused by what all this means.

Simply put, your PAI score is based on the past seven days of activity. The scoring is based on the thought that cardio fitness is one of the leading predictors of health and longevity.

The PAI system recommends that healthy individuals should aim to reach 100 PAI or more per week. You can earn PAI points in different ways, all of which include elevating your heart rate. The higher and longer your heart rate is elevated, the more PAI you'll earn.

The Zepp app gives suggestions on how to earn PAI such as going for a run for at least 9 minutes and sustaining a heart rate above 157 bpm. Some of the recommendations may be a bit extreme for some people. For example, it recommended I walk for 120 minutes and sustain a heart rate over 94 bpm. If you're someone who frequently participates in high-intensity activities, you'll appreciate the PAI score.

Until you try it, you don't realize how much of a game changer it is to have a voice assistant on your smartwatch. What's nice about the voice assistant on the Amazfit GTS 3 is that it's available both online and offline. When you're connected, simply activate Amazon Alexa and ask a question. You can also use the voice commands offline to start a workout, set a timer, and more.

This is another feature that I had low expectations for, but it met my needs every single time. The voice assistant never lagged or took too long to provide me with an answer or complete a task. The list of offline voice commands is slightly different than what you'll be able to do with Amazon Alexa, but it's still a fairly long list to choose from.

While this isn't a feature I had the pleasure of using, you can also even access Home Connect to control smart home devices with the voice assistant. You'll be able to adjust the settings to determine how you want to activate the voice assistant other than selecting it from the menu.

For example, you could choose to wake it up during every screen light up, 5 seconds after turning your wrist, or 5 seconds after the screen comes on. All of these options drain battery life, so I found it easier to tap on the voice assistant when I needed it.

Amazfit GTS 3: What's not good

Navigation on the Amazfit GTS 3 is seamless for the most part, but there were a few hiccups. For starters, something as simple as swiping to the right to go back to the previous screen wasn't always so seamless. It could easily be mistaken as selecting a button on the current screen rather than going back as intended. I've interacted with plenty of smartwatch and fitness tracker touchscreens, so this was a bit frustrating.

The issue is especially prevalent if you're in a hurry and haphazardly swiping on the screen to get something done quickly. To be fair, I'm also accustomed to having another button that serves as the back button. The rotating crown is great for navigating up and down, but going back isn't an option. If you press the crown, you'll exit the menu entirely and go back to the main display.

It's no secret that watch sensors can be finicky and the quirks can vary from one brand to the next. However, I found the Amazfit GTS 3 to be especially picky when it comes to so-called "skin characteristics" that may affect readings.

It was nearly impossible to wear the watch on my left wrist and get a heart-rate reading, presumably because of my tattoos. I have to wear the watch on my right wrist if I want the sensor to provide readings throughout the day.

This might not be a big issue for some users, but others might be disappointed. Nowadays, many smartwatches with voice assistant capabilities have both a microphone and a speaker. The Amazfit GTS 3 does not have a speaker. When using Amazon Alexa built-in, you won't be able to hear any responses.

It's also worth noting that no speaker also means that you cannot actually take calls on your wrist. There is the option to answer or reject a call, but you'll have to take it on your phone or connected headphones. Considering that the Amazfit GTS 2 has both a speaker and onboard music storage, it's a shame these features were left out.

Call me crazy, but I like having the option to lock my screen. It's very easy to accidentally press the crown while you're busy doing something. The only lock screen option is for when the watch is not on your wrist. The off-wrist lock feature requires you to set a password that you'll need to enter when you put the device back on your wrist. This can be useful, but the fact that you cannot lock the screen while you're wearing the watch is a bit bizarre.

Some common smartwatch features that some users may expect to see include onboard music storage, NFC support contactless payments, and a selection of third-party apps available for download. The Amazfit GTS 3 is lacking in these areas, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

While you can control the music playing on your phone, you cannot store songs or playlists on the watch. You also won't be able to make contactless payments with your watch. The Zepp app has an "app store" but it's a small selection of Amazfit-related apps, including Pregnancy Assistant, Brush Teeth, SOS Flashlight, and so on.

The 12-day battery life claim is impressive, but I don't know that anyone will actually reach that figure. Amazfit says this is the "typical usage scenario" but it may not be typical for everyone. The "heavy usage scenario" might be more realistic for most users, which results in up to 6 days of battery life.

If you're recording a daily workout with GPS, opting for a screen-on duration of more than 5 seconds, and constantly using the voice assistant, you'll probably find yourself landing closer to 6 days of battery life. While that's certainly not a terrible figure to land on, I think it's important that people understand 12 days is unlikely.

Amazfit GTS 3: Competition

It might not come as a huge shock that the Apple Watch Series 7 is the top competitor. The Amazfit GTS 3 makes a genuine effort to be the lite version of the Apple Watch Series 7, but it falls short in a few important areas.

As I already mentioned, there's no music storage, contactless payments, or third-party app support. Aside from that, the Amazfit GTS 3 does not offer optional LTE connectivity. These gaps are all filled by the Apple Watch Series 7 (and earlier models as well). However, the Amazfit GTS 3 offers far better battery life and a much cheaper price tag.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is another likely competitor, especially considering that it's closer in price to the GTS 3 than the Apple Watch. This device also fills in many of the blanks the GTS 3 leaves behind. You have optional LTE connectivity, two size options, better app support, NFC payments, and so on.

Amazfit GTS 3: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You're seeking an affordable fitness smartwatch that can handle your tracking needs
• You want an attractive design, stunning display, and easy UI navigation
• You're looking for a watch with long-lasting battery life that doesn't require daily charging

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You are expecting a smartwatch experience that's comparable to the Apple Watch
• You want extra perks such as LTE connectivity, onboard music storage, and NFC payments
• You're set on having access to certain third-party apps

If you're expecting a super-advanced smartwatch that leaves no features behind, the Amazfit GTS 3 is probably not what you're looking for. You can expect to pay top dollar for a watch that has every feature under the sun, but that's not what this wearable is about.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a watch that has a nice blend of health and fitness tracking features combined with some decent smartwatch perks, then you may have met your match. At the end of the day, the Amazfit GTS 3 is for those who want a trusty fitness smartwatch that's ideal for daily use.

4 out of 5

Not everyone will love the Amazfit GTS 3. We all have different preferences, but most users will agree that this smartwatch does a superb job of handling the basics and then some. Regardless of whether you fall in the typical usage or heavy usage camp, you cannot beat the battery life on this smartwatch. The sleek design is both stylish and practical, so it won't weigh you down or feel like a nuisance.

Both beginners and experts can benefit from the robust fitness tracking suite. You'll have access to some of the most specific sport modes I've ever seen on a smartwatch with more than 150 to pick from. Several features focus on user convenience, including the one-tap measuring feature and Amazon Alexa whenever you need it. You'll have to make some sacrifices, which include living without NFC payments, music storage, and third-party apps. If you can live without these, you'll love everything else about the Amazfit GTS 3.

Amazfit GTS 3

Bottom line: The Amazfit GTS 3 is a reliable fitness smartwatch with a lot to offer. If you want an attractive design, a solid set of health and fitness tracking features, great battery life, and an affordable price tag, the GTS 3 may just meet your needs. It's not quite as advanced as the Apple Watch, but it succeeds in the key areas that most users care about.

• $180 at Amazon
• $180 at Best Buy
• $160 at Amazfit

What you need to know

• Amazfit has announced three new smartwatches
• The new watches feature a 6PD BioTracker PPG 3.0 sensor and are powered by the new Zepp OS.
• The lineup starts from $180 in the U.S.

Amazfit has refreshed its wearables lineup with the launch of three new fitness-focused smartwatches to challenge the best Android watches on the market.

The Amazfit GTR 3 smartwatch features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a bezel-less design and a durable case made from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy. It is equipped with a 450mAh battery, which is claimed to be capable of delivering up to 21 days of usage on a single charge.

The Amazfit GTR 2 successor offers a Battery Saver Mode as well, which should help you get even longer battery life.

The Amazfit GTR 3 Pro has a larger 1.45-inch AMOLED display with 300ppi pixel density and a screen-to-body ratio of 70.6%. Thanks to the classic navigation crown, users can easily cycle through the 150+ built-in sports modes. The watch packs a 450mAh battery, which can provide up to 12 days of battery life on a single charge. It also comes with 2.3GB of onboard storage for offline music playback.

Amazfit's GTS 3 has a 1.75-inch square AMOLED display with a 341ppi pixel density and a 72.4% screen-to-body ratio. While its shape "mirrors a smartphone," its feature-set is largely identical to the GTR 3.

All three watches run Amazfit's Zepp OS with numerous new fitness and lifestyle features. The OS lets you easily sync your health data with popular platforms such as Apple Health and Google Fit. You'll also be able to sync and share sports data using apps like Strava, Relive, Runkeeper, and TrainingPeaks.

They also have a 6PD (photodiodes) BioTracker PPG 3.0 sensor, which can measure four important health metrics: heart rate, blood-oxygen, stress levels, and breathing rate, in just 45 seconds. Other key highlights include advanced sleep tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, Alexa support, built-in GPS, Bluetooth remote camera control, and over 150 customizable watch faces.

The new Amazfit GTR 3 and GTS 3 watches start from $180, while the GTR 3 Pro is available from $230 via the Amazfit store.

Amazfit GTR3

The GTR 3 Pro is one of Amazfit's most impressive fitness watches yet, offering a wide range of useful health and lifestyle features. It is also one of the first to run Amazfit's new Zepp OS, which brings compatibility with leading health platforms and several new customization options.

• From $180 at Amazfit

Garmin Instinct

If you want a watch that's built for rugged exploring and you don't mind spending more on some extra features, you'll love the Garmin Instinct. There are several variants to choose from depending on your needs. You get GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, Body Battery energy monitoring, and TracBack routing.

Amazfit T-Rex

If you're a beginner when it comes to outdoor adventuring and you simply need a rugged watch that can keep up, the Amazfit T-Rex is a solid option. It's got everything required to handle the basics, including GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, and 20 days of battery life.

Garmin Instinct vs. Amazfit T-Rex: Choose your rugged

Sometimes finding the best Android smartwatch means finding the watch with the most features. For example, if you're looking for an outdoor smartwatch that's built for durability, you could very well be choosing between one of the Garmin instinct models and the Amazfit T-Rex. Both of these smartwatches offer military-grade durability and a rugged design that's built to last, so you know they're made for adventuring.

The main advantage of choosing the Amazfit T-Rex over the Garmin instinct is that you'll get more battery life out of it. However, the Garmin Instinct is a better choice if you want more features, a better water resistance rating, and multiple variant options. Unless you're a beginner or a budget shopper, the Garmin Instinct has more to offer if you're seeking a well-rounded smartwatch experience.

Get more details with the Garmin Instinct

If you consider yourself a bonafide wearable enthusiast, you're likely familiar with Garmin smartwatches. The company offers one of the most robust lineups in the industry, so there are plenty of options to choose from, such as the Garmin Instinct models.

The standard Instinct model will be a solid option for most people, especially those who are buying a rugged smartwatch for the first time. It comes in a heavy-duty 45mm case that's rated for military-grade durability. The color options include Graphite, Sea Foam, Tundra, and Lakeside Blue. You also get a 10ATM water-resistance rating, which means the watch can withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 100 meters.

All of the Garmin instinct models offer a sunlight-visible, two-window display. Unfortunately, it's a monochrome display, which means it won't be a bright touchscreen like the one you get on the Amazfit T-Rex. With that said, the innovative dual-display design has a small sub-screen that allows you to view additional data. All of the models in this lineup are compatible with 22mm QuickFit Garmin Instinct bands.

When it comes to battery life, there's not much to complain about. The standard Garmin instinct model offers 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, 16 hours in GPS mode, and 40 hours in UltraTrac mode. For context, the company offers an UltraTrac mode that decreases the update rate of GPS data to once per minute so users can enjoy extended battery life in GPS mode. These battery life figures are the same for the Garmin Instinct Tactical and Esports models. You can expect even longer battery life if you were to upgrade to the Garmin Instinct Solar edition.

You'll appreciate that the Garmin Instinct is compatible with the Explore app for off-grid navigation. This Garmin app provides helpful features for those who often find themselves planning lengthy adventures. You'll have access to downloadable maps for offline use. When there's no service, you don't have to worry about losing your way. Plan your trip with the Explore app, and you'll always know where you're headed.

In terms of health and fitness tracking, all of the essentials are present on the Garmin Instinct. You'll have onboard GPS, heart-rate monitoring, activity/sleep tracking, multiple built-in sports apps, Body Battery energy monitoring, stress tracking, and more. You'll also have some key sensors that are needed for exploring. The ABC sensors include an altimeter for tracking elevation data, a barometer to monitor weather conditions, and a three-axis electronic compass.

Another important perk is the TracBack Routing feature. After you've finished your trip, you can take advantage of this feature to get back to your activity starting point. It's easy to use, too. Simply press the GPS button on your watch during the activity, press back to start, and select TracBack. You'll now have what you need to navigate back on the same route you took to get there. You can also press Straight Line if you'd prefer to travel back to the starting point in a straight line.

Tackle the basics with the Amazfit T-Rex

One of the main similarities between the Garmin Instinct and Amazfit T-Rex is the physical design. You also get a highly durable 47mm case that comes in Rock Black, Army Green, Khaki, and Camo. The stunning 1.3-inch AMOLED display is bright and easy to read with seamless touchscreen navigation.

The Amazfit T-Rex is also rated for military-grade durability. So no matter where your adventurous spirit leads you, your smartwatch is strong enough to join you for the ride. It also offers a 5 ATM water-resistance rating, which means it's safe for swimming in pools and open water. These are also sport modes that can track pool swims and open water swims.

One of the most appealing aspects of the Amazfit T-Rex is the 20-day battery life. This is referred to as daily use mode, which accounts for various factors. Daily use mode consists of 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, GPS turned on for 13 minutes a day, and 150 messages pushed daily. When in continuous GPS mode, the battery lasts for up to 20 hours.

When you're headed outside, you'll have plenty of health/fitness tracking features on your side. The Amazfit T-Rex has onboard GPS, heart-rate monitoring, and activity/sleep tracking. There are 14 sport modes such as walking, running, indoor/outdoor cycling, hiking, and skiing. The watch is equipped with a high-end Sony GPS chip that pairs well with the dual-satellite positioning system for extremely precise tracking.

Remember that Amazfit has since released the Amazfit T-Rex Pro, which is slightly more expensive than the original. However, you get a few upgrades, like 10ATM water resistance, over 100 sport modes, a barometric altimeter, and blood oxygen monitoring. It's easily the best Amazfit smartwatch for adventurers. If you'd benefit from these upgrades, it might be worth the extra money.

Garmin Instinct vs. Amazfit T-Rex: Which should you buy?

It's clear that both of these smartwatches are focused on offering rugged durability for outdoor adventures, but some differences will impact your ultimate decision. If this is your first time buying a smartwatch, you might be content with the Amazfit T-Rex and its standard features. You get military-grade durability, so you know it's up for anything. Most importantly, you get a whopping 20 days of battery life.

If you're looking for a smartwatch that has a bit more to offer, you'll want to consider the Garmin Instinct instead. The standard model will be sufficient for most users, but those who want even more features could opt for the Tactical or Solar edition. The standard Garmin Instinct model gives you some great extras that you won't find on the Amazfit T-Rex, like TracBack routing, Body Battery energy monitoring, and detailed trip planning with the Garmin Explore app. As a result, it's the better option for experienced outdoor enthusiasts who want more features from their smartwatch.

When the T-Rex was released last year, it quickly became one of the best Amazfit Smartwatches available and made me really excited for an Amazfit T-Rex Pro. The smartwatch maker is known for its responsive software and long battery life, and with the T-Rex series, you get that at a lot more.

At first glance, it's clear to see that the T-Rex Pro is made to handle a rough and tumble adventure. This isn't a dainty watch that is designed for the boardroom. No, this smartwatch is certified MIL-STD-810G, boasting 15 levels of durability to go along with 10ATM water resistance. Combine all of that with a battery that's advertised to last up to 18 days, a slew of sensors, and the ability to recognize over 100 different exercises, and it all looks great on paper.

As we all know, what is shown on paper and what happens in real day-to-day wear can be very different. So, in the last couple of weeks, I wore the Amazfit T-Rex Pro all day, every day. I wore it working on various projects on my property, sleeping, workouts, and everything in between. How'd it hold up? Almost flawlessly.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro: Price and availability

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro was announced for release on March 23, 2021, for $180, with availability currently through Amazon and Amazfit. You can pick up the T-Rex Pro in three colors: Meteorite Black, Desert Grey, and Steel Blue.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro: What's good

While Amazfit may not be a household name like Samsung, its smartwatches have been among the most popular for years now, and it's following up the successful T-Rex with a pro model. Sure, there is a lot of DNA shared between the two versions visually, but the T-Rex Pro is much more than just a slight refresh. From the watch's durability and water resistance to the software and sensor capabilities, Amazfit took what was great about its first T-Rex and improved on nearly every aspect of it.

From the moment I took the Amazfit T-Rex Pro out of the box, I noticed two things: one, the watch feels far more premium than the $180 price tag would suggest, and two, at the same time, it's surprisingly light. I know that these two things don't generally go together, but at no point during my review period did I feel like I would damage the T-Rex Pro, nor did it feel like I was wearing a tank on my wrist.

Setting up the watch with the Zepp Health app was easy. Several settings can be adjusted for the T-Rex Pro from within the app — like changing what types of notifications you want to receive, what apps can send you notifications, and various health monitoring options. The Zepp Health app is also where you can find and download new watch faces.

Perhaps my favorite setting found in the app is the same one from my time with the Zepp Z — which makes sense because it uses the same app — and that's scheduling the always-on display. I love that I can automatically disable the screen during evening hours and don't have to remember to put it into theater mode every night at bedtime.

Source: Chris Wedel/Android CentralThe always-on display follow watch face, digital watch face, and analog watch face

There are four physical buttons on the watch, two on each side, that allow you to navigate most of the watch without using the touchscreen. This can help when you are wearing gloves or when the screen is wet. As with most other capacitive displays, a wet screen or slippery fingers makes operating the screen difficult.

Speaking of the display, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro includes an essential sensor that all smartwatches should have — an ambient light sensor. This means that there's no fussing with settings to increase or decrease the brightness depending on lighting conditions; the watch just does it for you.

Colors on the 1.3" AMOLED display are vibrant, and the text is easy to read. The oleophobic coating on the glass does a good job of keeping smudges to a minimum and helps water or sweat bead off. My wrists are on the larger size, but I think the screen size on the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is about right. Much smaller and information can get cramped and become hard to read, and much bigger and the watch could become unwieldy.

The 22mm silicone band that comes with the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is really comfortable. Its dual-texture design offers plenty of clasp points, and it has channels on the underside to help with breathability and allowing moisture to escape.

While we're on the backside of the watch, you can find the BioTracker 2 PPG heart rate sensor, Sp02 sensor for blood oxygen saturation monitoring, and the two charge contacts for the magnetic pogo pin charger. The charging cable lines up onto the pins and holds on well while charging the watch from zero to full in around an hour and a half.

Amazfit uses a custom operating system based on RTOS, just like the OnePlus Watch does. You'll find notifications to the left of the home screen, quick toggles at the top, daily activity info below, and an app drawer to the right. The T-Rex Pro combines its custom software with a suite of sensors on the watch for a very capable fitness companion.

You can track your progress in over 100 different workouts using the T-Rex Pro, and with the new ExerSense algorithm, it automatically recognizes eight different sports. While only workouts like running, biking, swimming, and five others will automatically be recognized, the watch can keep up with far more.

You can choose what workouts you want to pin towards the top of the list of options to save time searching on the watch. When I used the Amazfit T-Rex Pro during some strength training sessions, it did a solid job of noticing reps. It could have been more intuitive as to how to save a set, though. Pressing the physical back button takes you to a screen to save that set and initiate your rest period, but it wasn't obvious was how to do it.

The watch uses the PAI Health Assessment System to combine all of the daily activity and health data into a score. This is to help you understand what you may need to work on more and where you are succeeding. The simple scoring system also helps to give an easy goal to aim for.

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro is designed to be tough, so it can handle nearly anything thrown at it. With a water resistance rating of 10 ATM, the first T-Rex was only 5 ATM; it is swim-ready at depths of up to 100 meters. For toughness, it's covered by 15 different military-standard certifications, MIL-STD-801G, whereas only 12 certificates covered the original T-Rex.

These certifications cover many aspects of different physical and environmental components. It is rated to survive as cold as -40°F to 158°F, 240 hours of high humidity, 96 hours of sea salt spray, freezing rain, and shock from drops.

I wore the watch working on remodeling projects, fixing my tractor, playing with the kids, cooking, and anything else that happened to come about, and the watch looks the same as it did out of the box. Every time I'd reach inside my tractor engine case, I was worried that I'd have scratches on the watch — nope, not one when I pulled my wrist out.

For a watch designed to go everywhere with you, it needs to last a long time between charges. While the watch is rated for up to 18 days of usage per charge, that's by limiting the frequency heart rate and SpO2 checks, GPS tracking, and display settings. When I had all of it active with frequent polling for heart rate and sleep tracking, I averaged about eight days between charges.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro: What's not good

Unfortunately, the Amazfit T-Rex Pro is dogged by a few things holding the watch from having a permanent place in my smartwatch rotation. I need my smartwatch to do more than just track my steps and tell me time; if that's all I wanted, I would get a fitness tracker instead. In my opinion, two characteristics that a smartwatch needs to have are a good notification system and third-party apps to make it on the list of best Android smartwatches

The T-Rex Pro fails at both of these requirements. There are no third-party apps, and while it does receive notifications, they are terrible. The majority of the notifications that come through are very vague, and on the one hand, that's fine from a privacy standpoint if you can expand for more information — but that's not always the case. Here again, more inconsistency, because sometimes opening a notification will show more details, other times — nothing.

Source: Chris Wedel/Android CentralNotification before and after expansion.

When I get a notification, and all I can see is an icon that says "App" and nothing else to give context as to what app it's tied to, it's really useless. I got to the point where I turned off almost all notifications because if I got one, I wouldn't be able to tell what it was for or what information it contained.

This isn't a major issue, but it is frustrating if you've gotten used to it — and that's Smart Lock. When using a Wear OS watch, or an option from Samsung, it is recognized as a connected Bluetooth device. This means that you can tell your phone that it is a trusted device and leave your phone unlocked when the two are connected. The Amazfit T-Rex Pro doesn't show up as a device that I can use this feature with.

I don't know for sure if this is a feature or a bug, but when trying to register a blood oxygen saturation reading, I have to be very, very still, and the watch has to be really tight. For other devices I have used that offer SpO2 reading, I have not had the same issue. I can't get consistent measurements because unless I am specifically trying to take a reading, I cannot hold still long enough, and the strap is far too tight to be comfortable.

This struggle ties in with incomplete information within workouts and sleep tracking. The watch uses data from SpO2 monitoring to give a more complete picture of your oxygen uptake for fitness coaching and sleep breathing quality. Speaking of sleep tracking, it works great, but there's an issue viewing the results in the Zepp Health app.

There's no way to see the data collected from your night's sleep on the watch directly, which is fine for the most part. On the Zepp Health app's homepage, you can see current activity data, including the most recent sleep tracking data. When tapping on that data log, you are taken to see more information on it. However, the problem lies in that when you are taken to the dedicated sleep tracking page, it's impossible to see that data.

Source: Chris Wedel/Android Central

In the screenshots above, you can see my sleep data that is from the night of April 7 — it wasn't a good night's sleep. However, when I tap on it to see if the watch can help me point to what may have led to the poor slumber, I can't get to it. I can scroll between previous days, but not the info that is shown on the homepage. This is a similar issue when trying to view how the week is going; only the info from a complete week can be seen — not a partial.

I don't recall this being an issue when I wore the Zepp Z; remember, it uses the same companion app. So I can't say for sure if it is something in the syncing with the Amazfit T-Rex Pro or an app bug. I have reached out to the company to get clarifications and will update this review should I hear back.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro: Competition

When it comes to competition in the long battery life, rugged fitness, smartwatch category, the field is slim — especially at this price. If a watch that offers good battery life, great notifications, third-party apps, with some solid fitness perks too, then the TicWatch Pro 3 is worth a look — albeit at a higher price tag. Running Google's Wear OS and the latest Snapdragon 4100 processor, the TicWatch Pro 3 brings a lot to the table.

Thanks to that chipset and the innovative dual-display, the TicWatch Pro 3 is fast and gets great battery life. No, it's not going to get 7+ days per charge, but you will get upwards of three. It offers heart rate monitoring, SpO2 measurements, sleep tracking, and automatic workout recognition. If you want similar features as the TicWatch Pro 3 but want to save some money, a more rugged watch, and don't need the fastest performer, then consider the TicWatch Pro S.

If you are looking for a smaller watch with excellent health features and solid battery life, an excellent option is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. It regularly sits atop our best smartwatch list because it has snappy performance, full of helpful fitness features, and looks great.

Running Samsung's own Tizen software, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 offers many of the same features found on the Amazfit T-Rex Pro and then some. You get access to third-party apps, a capacitive bezel for navigation, ECG measurement capabilities, and more in a device that is competitively priced. However, you won't find the same durability level as the T-Rex Pro or water resistance — though the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is rated at 5ATM.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You need your smartwatch to be able to take a beating.
• You don't like frequently recharging devices.
• You want a smartwatch that has an extensive fitness suite.
• You want physical buttons to aid in navigating the watch.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You don't want a bulky smartwatch.
• You want competent notifications on your watch.
• You want access to third-party apps.

The biggest selling points to the Amazfit T-Rex Pro are its excellent battery life, "survive anything "build quality, and wide range of fitness features. If those are things you value most in a smartwatch, you'll likely love this device. If you need the notifications you receive to be actionable or even noticeable as to where it's coming from, you may not enjoy it quite so much.

The Amazfit T-Rex Pro is a well-designed piece of hardware. If you are into chunkier styled watches, it looks great and uses the design to its advantage. The T-Rex Pro is a solid option from its excellent durability to usability with physical buttons, from its visible display in bright lights to the comfortable fit. The Zepp Health app paired with the watch brings a lot of great customizations and fitness features.

4 out of 5

However, it is held back by some software flaws. The Zepp Health app's issue not showing the sleep data from the night before is hopefully a solvable bug and can get resolved. Notifications on the watch — another software issue that could potentially get fixed — I'm less confident will get the attention they need. Then there's the lack of any third-party app support, but it may not be a deal-breaker for you, depending on your wearable needs.

I enjoyed my time with the Amazfit T-Rex Pro, and it will probably still have a place from time to time on my wrist. When the camping season gets into full swing, there is a good chance that the watch will make the trip with me. Thanks to its excellent battery life, fitness tracking abilities, and knowing that no matter what, the watch won't break — it has a place on my wrist, just not every day.

Amazfit T-Rex Pro

Bottom line: The Amazfit T-Rex Pro is as rugged-looking as it is in practice. With MIL-STD-810G certifications, 10ATM water resistance, excellent battery life, and a host of fitness features, this watch can handle almost anything you need — except good notifications.

• $180 at Amazon
• $180 at Amazfit