Subsidiary brand Amazfitwhich also belongs to the ecosystem of society Xiaomi, has already brought the second generation of popular watches Amazonfit GTS 2. These are based on the original GTS model, but also offer the possibility of receiving calls, an SpO2 sensor for measuring the value of oxygen in the blood and many other improvements.
In the editorial office, we decided to test this smart watch so that we could evaluate for ourselves what equipment they actually offer. This is their just beginning review.
Amazfit GTS 2: Where to buy?
If you are considering buying a smart watch Amazonfit GTS 2, are also available from Amazfit Official Store on Aliexpress. However, you will also find them in the official Slovak and Czech distribution. We purchased the watch through the Datacomp.sk e-shop and it took 2 working days to deliver it.
packing
The watch will also arrive at your home in a compact white box showing the watch, name and basic technical specifications. After unpacking, there is another box inside with the Amazfit logo. Inside, on the very top, there is a GTS 2 watch glued with a protective foil, fitted directly with a 20 mm silicone strap. This strap can be exchanged for any other watchmaking, with the appropriate size.
In terms of accessories, the necessary base is available in the form of a magnetic charger with a specific group of pins and a USB-A terminal. There is also a basic instruction manual. You will not find the adapter in the package, but you can use the one from the smartphone or charge the watch via a computer or via a power bank.
Quality and durable construction: 5ATM certification is missing
In its second generation, Amazfit has chosen a premium body made of aluminum alloy. The front and rear walls are then processed from rounded tempered glass. The design is then complemented by a neutral black silicone bracelet. The manufacturer does not have to be ashamed of the quality of processing and also reaches for more expensive competitors.
The thickness of this watch is only 9,7 mm and the weight has stopped at just under 25 grams. The right edge of the watch contains a button for switching the device on and off, which also serves as a function button.
One press of this button displays the system menu and two presses have a customizable function. We used the settings to monitor activities, but others are available. The left edge contains a microphone and a loud speaker, making it possible to receive calls through this watch. The construction is also 5ATM certified for increased resistance to water and dust.
1,65 ″ AMOLED display
The main attraction of this watch is the display panel type AMOLED. It is a high-quality touch screen with a diagonal of up to 1,65 ″, with rounded edges, a resolution of 348 × 442 pixels and a fineness of up to 341 ppi. The display has very good viewing angles and bright, rich colors. There is also automatic brightness control, which works, for example, in daylight.
The minimum brightness is sufficient even with night minimum lighting, and in direct sunlight, the maximum brightness will serve. So we haven't noticed any problems with the display panel and its readability is fine. There is also a rotation of the wrist for lighting with a possible adjustment of sensitivity. Manual brightness control is also available if it suits you better.
Mobile application: Zepp
You can sync your Amazfit watch with the well-known Zepp app (formerly known as Amazfit). The application has come up with a minor redesign and will display detailed statistics about you on its home screen, including weight, activity or heart rate monitoring.
An overview of supported and activated features is also available on the side page, and the third page shows your profile and connected devices or settings. The application is only available in English and you can log in to your profile with, for example, a Xiaomi account.
The application is very similar, almost a clone, to the basic Mi Fit application, which you can recognize from the famous Xiaomi fitness bracelet. Proof of this is that the app also recognized our Xiaomi smart scale, which is connected to the Mi Fit app as standard.
After connecting the device with a QR code or manually, you will receive an extended menu of settings for the device itself. In our case, the display of the store with dials was available, as well as the setting of notifications, calls and heart rate or oxygen monitoring, etc.
At the end of this chapter, however, we must mention one significant negative, and that is the optimization of the application by the developers. The application has active support, but also reserves, and sometimes it takes a few seconds to load or simply hangs and closes or does not respond. It's a pity.
Software and control: All in a few clicks
As for the software integrated in the watch, it is developed in-house at Amazfit. This is an extension of control compared to fitness bracelets, which have limited functions. In this case, we are also dealing with a closed system, but it also has its positives.
The software optimization is very good and the system responds very quickly to touch. There are also colorful colors, especially on AMOLED panels, but also the availability of the Czech language and sufficiently large controls. It is this fact that tends to be negative in the already mentioned fitness bracelets.
The basic screen offers a dial with a quick click on the relevant activities and the possibility of customization. Not only can you change the dial itself from the default ones, but you can also create your own from a photo, for example.
Swipe from above displays quick shortcuts with battery life, flashlight function, power save mode, brightness, sound settings, control lock, and quick weather preview.
Swipe to pages displays the features you customized in the application. We used health monitoring (PAI), footsteps, oxygen, heart rate and also weather for the coatings.
On the bottom of the screen, by swiping up, it displays a notification center with the option to delete them. It also supports accents, but not smileys. Except for this limitation, the software is well intuitive and we have not encountered any problems with its operation.
When pressing and holding the physical button, we have the watch switched off and restarted. One touch displays additional features such as stress measurement, control of music in or from the smartphone, weather, alarm clock, widgets and settings.
Fitness function and oxygen monitoring
Fitness features are an equally important feature of this watch. There are up to 12 activities available, including swimming, an elliptical trainer, running or walking, even with automatic recognition of up to six of them.
There is also a map of the run, as well as additional monitoring of the heart rate or the amount of oxygen in the blood. You will also enjoy sleep monitoring, which is important for regeneration or stress monitoring, all automatically 24 hours a day.
However, all automatic functions are a big deal of battery life and the manufacturer will consistently warn you of reduced battery life when they are activated. From our point of view, it is suitable for optimal endurance to use the watch directly with the settings from the factory, after the first unpacking.
The downside is perhaps a bit inaccurate oxygen monitoring, which prompts you to tighten the bracelet and only then, on about the third attempt, will record a successful measurement. However, due to the price, occasional measurement is sufficient.
Receiving calls and listening to music
A very interesting function is also receiving calls directly on the watch via the integrated microphone and speaker. However, to set up calls, you need to manually connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0.
This is where the problem arises, and again we see poor optimization by developers. Connecting via the application will prompt you to set up Bluetooth technology on your smartphone, but will also show an error message. We tried the opposite way, connecting directly through the menu on the watch and this connection worked without problems, as well as the actual reception and composition of calls.
Another advantage is the 4 GB internal storage, on which you can store, for example, your favorite songs. Then you can connect headphones via Bluetooth, so you don't have to have a smartphone connected with you while running and listening to music.
However, controlling the music on the watch is not limited to the music on the watch. There is also control of the currently active music player on the smartphone. Although the watch does not directly support Spotify or Google Podcasts, this feature allows you to remotely control these and other music applications, which act as a background music player on your smartphone.
Connectivity: GPS + GLONASS is included
In terms of connectivity, the watch is also equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 connection, Wi-Fi 6 (2,5 GHz) and GPS + GLONASS technology. The Bluetooth connection is stable, except for the mentioned call settings in the application.
As for the GPS connection, it is fast and relatively accurate, when measuring walking with a deviation of only a few meters. We were satisfied with the localization, but we regretted the integrated NFC chip, which you will not use in Europe. It only supports Chinese Alipay payments.
The equipment also includes a new and innovative BioTracker 2 PPG sensor, as well as an air pressure sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a geomagnetic sensor and also an ambient light sensor, which also improve detailed monitoring in this watch.
Battery: Up to 7 days on a single charge
In terms of endurance per charge, a battery with a total capacity of 246 mAh is available. According to the manufacturer, the standard endurance should be at the level of 7 days and in the basic and limited mode then 20 days. However, we can confirm these statements, in normal use we missed 12 - 15% of the battery per day and in limited mode only 4 - 5% of the battery.
You will need to be modest about heavy use with maximum screen brightness and frequent use of the GPS signal. The battery will be discharged in about 3 days. Charging is solved by a specific magnetic charger in a package that contains two pins and charges the watch for approximately 2 hours.
Price and availability of watches
The second generation of watches with the label is currently on sale Amazfit GTS 2. In the current offer at international sellers, the sum of these watches is approximately 140-152 € / 169-183 USD. The watch is already available in the official Slovak and Czech distribution, but its price will be higher, approximately at the level of 165 € / USD 200.
Buy Amazfit GTR 2 at the best price
Final evaluation: Amazfit GTS 2
Smart watch Amazonfit GTS 2 they are basically the largest and best model in the portfolio, if we think about the much more expensive concept called Amazfit X. I will offer a great AMOLED display, good endurance, but also GPS connection, heart rate, sleep and oxygen monitoring and automatic activity recognition.
However, the Zepp mobile application, through which you synchronize your watch, deserves an update. We recommend the purchase of this model. On the other hand, thanks to the arrival of a new model, the first-generation Amazfit GTS watch model, which does not have all the features but is a very good and cheaper alternative for those less demanding users, is also excellent for us.
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