The Xiaomi Amazfit GTR is a connected watch with a touch screen and a digital front. Its design is simple but elegant. It can be very easily confused with a mechanical watch thanks to the good quality screen which reproduces very well the front of a traditional watch.
Design and handling
Design and handlingThis elegant watch has a dial is made of plastic but is still pleasing to the eye and the strap is made of leather, brown in color for the 47 mm version. This bracelet is, as on any traditional replaceable watch.
The sobriety of this watch will allow you to easily match it to any of your outfits. If you prefer a smaller diameter, the 42mm version is for you and is available with a black, light pink, coral or white strap. It should be noted that the latter has a battery a little smaller than the 47 mm one. Although the material is not very noble, its workmanship is impeccable, with a rounded shape and thin thickness. No risk that this smartwatch will be mistaken for an electronic gadget.
The 47 mm version is not the lightest (count 48 grams at most), but its weight is not likely to bother you in the long term.
For a good grip, this connected watch is equipped with two buttons on its right side. The first has a red mark and is used to unlock it as well as to return to reception. The second is a configurable type of shortcut that will allow you to launch any app or feature you pair with. You will also have the option of swiping to access the various features of the device.
The screen has a dimension of 1.39 inches with a resolution of 454×454 for 326 ppi and is protected by Gorilla Glass, with good contrast and brightness, even in direct sunlight. Circular in shape, the screen supports multitouch like a smartphone. And as said previously, the facade or more simply the wallpaper is customizable.
You can choose between different kinds of watch designs (more than 100), from the sportiest to the most classic. The store updates automatically to provide you with new interfaces as wallpaper.
Main features
Just like the range of connected watches from Samsung and its applications like Samsung Health, the Amazfit GTR allows you to track all your physical activities in real time. You will thus be able to check for example or follow the number of steps you have taken …
The interface itself is not very intuitive. You will have to do several manipulations to complete fairly simple tasks and it can sometimes get annoying, especially if you are new to your smartwatch. This interface and the applications installed on it can be quite confusing given that the set has been especially designed to be used with products from the Amazfit brand. With a little practice, you will certainly get used to the full functionality.
The smartwatch automatically goes to sleep when it’s not in use, and an accelerometer turns it on by itself when you raise your arm. The latter is still approximate since the watch sometimes does not turn on when you raise your arm or turns on unexpectedly in some cases. You can also display your phone’s notifications there, but unfortunately you won’t be able to interact with them.
It should be noted that the watch tends to be quite greedy in terms of requests via Bluetooth on your phone. The phone battery may therefore be drained quite quickly if your mobile does not have good autonomy. The OS is proprietary, and was developed by Huami, a branch of Xiaomi dealing with wearable connected objects and accessories.
Translation is the Achilles heel of this phone. Additionally, some advice appearing on this watch is scientifically questionable. For example, if you go to bed late, the device will remind you that you will need to go to bed early or you may get old quickly.
Regarding navigation, as we said before, you will be able to use the two buttons on the right of the device or the touch screen. For example, you just have to make different swipes to access the various features of the smartwatch. The interface is quite responsive and fluid.
Activities tracked on this model
If you are one of the individuals who like to share their physical performance and training goals, you can easily take a screenshot of your stats and share it through your phone or through a native sharing app recognized by Android. You will even have the option of pairing your smarwatch with that of a loved one so they can track your progress.
Between your step count, your sleep tracking, and your heartbeat and heart rate, you won’t miss any data about your daily activities. We cannot currently attest to the accuracy of all this data, because as some studies show, the statistics offered by this type of connected object should be taken with hindsight.
Autonomy
Autonomy is certainly the strong point of this watch. Promising up to 24 days of normal use, you won’t have to charge it as often as some smartwatches from more historic brands. However, this autonomy may be reduced if the watch is connected to your phone via Bluetooth all the time and receives the various notifications. With maximum use, the watch can last 8 days, which remains an honorable score in its range.
The charger is a circular base with two magnetic pins and a USB A cable. These magnets are used to connect the watch to the base for charging.
EASY COMMISSIONING
You will need an Apple or Android ioS smartphone with the AMAZFIT app for commissioning. Be careful, absolutely make sure you have the latest version of the application because previous versions have bugs in the management of the GTR.
Right after pairing, you should receive several updates. One of these updates will bring French to the watch menus previously in English.
The connection with the smartphone is made using Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE which consumes little energy.
The AMAZFIT application is very similar to that of MI BAND bracelets as you may have discovered with my last test of the Xiaomi MI BAND 4. It is intended to monitor activity via your different watches as well as their settings.
The settings are self-explanatory. The main ones are to manage the alarms you want on your watch, define display settings and choose your watch faces.
This is probably what you will do upon receipt: send your watch new dials. The app offers 36 variations at this time.
These are analog or digital dials with, depending on the version, display of the date with day, number of steps, battery level and heart rate.
Three dials can be preloaded on the watch which allows their selection without the need for a smartphone.
AN EVERY DAY WATCH
The GTR is designed to become an everyday watch. It gives the time in an aesthetic way by waking up its dial simply by moving its handle or pushing a button. To save battery power, the screen is indeed off when not active.
It informs telephone calls with the possibility of picking up or refusing. It is particularly useful for discreetly displaying notifications from certain expressly authorized applications (Skype, calendar, twitter, etc.) or those activated on your smartphone. It vibrates to inform you and gives the possibility to read the content of the message.
The use of the touch screen is ergonomic. The menus are simple. Everything is fluid via swipes from top to bottom or from right to left.
You will be able to activate alarms, see the weather forecast or consult reminders.
Even if you’re not a big athlete, you can see how far you’ve walked with a swipe of your finger. If you reach your step goal, you will be rewarded.
The watch also offers a sedentary lifestyle alert.
Finally, if you agree to sleep with it, it will inform you about your quality of sleep.
The Differences Between Amazfit GTR and GTS
Amazfit’s GTR models do not differ that much from the GTS models in terms of functionality. If you want a watch with a better display and a much more modern look, like an Apple Watch, the GTS is for you. GTRs look like more classic watches but offer greater battery life.
Where to buy AMAZFIT GTR with best price
Conclusion
The Amazfit GTR is the connected watch that may interest those who love beautiful technology as well as occasional sportsmen. It offers many useful functions for everyday use with autonomy that is no longer a constraint.HUAMI shows with its latest AMAZFIT GTR smartwatch that connected watches can appeal to both athletes and those who love beautiful technological objects. Its enormous autonomy places it at the top of the top of the best connected watches of the moment.
