[Summary]
Huami is a Chinese manufacturer that has succeeded in establishing itself worldwide with its connected watch brand Amazfit. The company was founded in 2014 and has received financial support from major investment funds and also from Xiaomi.
In fact, it is Huami that provides the technology for Xiaomi's Mi Band connected bracelets. So Huami is not Xiaomi but Xiaomi uses Huami.
Amazfit uses a little bit the same strategy as Xiaomi to impose itself on the market by offering complete products for a very competitive price.
I bought the Amazfit GTS because it was in the same price range as other products, but on paper it outperforms the competition in terms of functionalities.
So I'm going to see if Amazfit can do as well as Xiaomi in the field of smartwatches.
Manufacturer web site: Amazfit.com
[device_intro device="smartwatch" lg="en"]
Price Amazfit GTS
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Timeline
11/05/20 Purchase of the Amazfit GTS on Amazon
15/05/20 Parcel received, unpacking and test started
Waarom deze smartwatch?
I bought the Amazfit GTS out of curiosity because this brand is taking more and more place in the world of smartwatches and the reviews are quite positive.
This is the 5th smartwatch I've tested in less than a year, so I'm starting to have some good benchmarks to be able to compare the different products.
The Amazfit GTS is a watch for sport enthousiasts, it is quite comparable to the Huawei Watch GT Active that I tested a few months ago, it is sold at an equivalent price but offers much more functionality.
After the first few minutes of testing, I was so excited that I bought another Amazfit model with crowd funding that I would test later.
Structure of my tests
I test products according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with maximum information. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time. Unlike some sites where products are tested on a single day, I use the products I test for a minimum of a few weeks and sometimes even a few months. If the test is not complete at the time of your visit, I invite you to come back later or ask your question in the comment section below.
Unpacking
[specs product="amazfit-gts" category="body"] When I received the Amazfit box, it reminded me of the boxes you find on the supermarket shelves, as if the Amazfit was a common consumer product.
Inside the box, we find the bare minimum. There is of course the watch, a charging cable and a manual. It's a little bit the same as the other watches I bought, I wonder why watches are packed with such a big user manual because in the end they are quite easy to use.
First configuration
To use your Amazfit GTS, you will need a smartphone. When starting the Amazfit, the screen displays a QR code which should in theory allow you to download the Amazfit application. I say in theory because this QR code doesn't work, it ends up on an error page. So it doesn't start very well...
So I went to the Play Store to download the official Amazfit application. When I launch this application, I have to create a new account without being able to use an existing account. I've never had an account with Amazfit, so it's not a problem, but since I plan to install the application on several phones, I hope I won't have to create an account each time.
To create my accounts, I usually use complex passwords mixing several types of special characters, this is not possible with the Amazfit application, you have to create a password from numbers and letters. It's not a big drama but it surprised me a bit.
The account creation procedure is quite classical but you have to enter a code from an image (a captcha), this code uses green letters on a white background, they are not very readable. I then had to select my country several times, I also had to accept the terms and conditions several times and I also had to do it several times to connect the watch.
I didn't see any possibility to change the installation language but my phone was configured in English, so maybe that's why the application was in English. Despite the choice of my country, I still had to enter my height in feet/inches and my weight in lbs.
As you can see, the startup procedure could be improved. It does not present an insurmountable difficulty but you have to be patient and try again several times before you get there.
Finish
Before buying the Amazfit GTS, I compared several models and I was hesitant to buy the GTS because it seemed really big.
Dimension of the Amazfit GTS:
43.25 mm x 36x25 mm x 9.4 mm
The Amazfit GTS is not so big after all, it fits snugly on the wrist and I don't feel any discomfort in my wrist. It weighs 24.8 grams, so it's quite light for its size.
The finish of the Amazfit is reminiscent of the Apple Watch, the shape and design are quite similar. I'm not a fan of this kind of design, I prefer rounded watches but this is purely a personal opinion. The watch has a good level of finishing, the black screen is embedded in a metallic effect band that gives it a more premium look.
Screen size: 1.65 inches
Resolution: 348x442 pixels
The watch is available in several colours that will allow both men and women to find the right combination according to their style.
On the side, there is a single button that allows you to either enter the sport menu or exit the menus. You can turn the knob, but it's useless.
On the back, you will find the heart rate sensor and the diodes for charging the watch.
Connectivity
Bluetooth
The Amazfit GTS connects via Bluetooth with your phone to sync with the application and download updates. If you move away from the watch and come back, the reconnection is fairly quick, your phone will signal that the watch has reconnected.
If you use the Amazfit on multiple phones and these phones are set up in different languages, you may experience some problems because the application will force an update for each phone to set the watch to the language of the phone. It will therefore spend its time switching from one language to another.
GPS
The Amazfit has its own GPS sensor, which means that you don't need a phone to play sports outdoors, which is a huge advantage, especially in this price range.
I did a comparative test between a bike activity recorded from the Amazfit and the same activity recorded with a smartphone using the Strava application:
The orange background screens are from Strava, the others are from the Amazfit application.
What I'm seeing:
- the plot on the map is the same
- there is a difference of 5 meters over a total of more than 13 km, so it is completely negligible.
- The maximum speed detected by the Amazfit is 51.41 km/h, Strava indicates 52.9 km/h.
- The Amazfit indicates a maximum altitude of 99 meters where Strava indicates 62m.
The plot from the Amazfit is therefore good, the watch also measures distances correctly. The speed is slightly different, but the difference is not very significant. It is at the altitude level where the Amazfit deviates greatly from reality. The correct value is 62m.
The GPS works quite well but it is slower at start-up than on a smartphone, it takes about ten seconds (sometimes more) before the signal is available. During your activity, you should also be careful not to cover the watch to avoid losing the signal.
Battery range
[specs product="amazfit-gts" category="battery"] Amazfit praises the battery life as one of the highlights of its product. The Amazfit GTS is designed to last 14 days. In practice I've never been able to do that, but I've used the watch almost every day for at least 30 minutes. With this pace of activity, I have an autonomy of about ten days.
It's a little less than what is announced but it is still very comfortable. With the same pace of activity, I don't expect the same autonomy on other watches I have tested.
Screen quality
![amazfit gts test avis review screen]()
The Amazfit screen is probably one of the best screens I've tested so far. It's very bright (even too bright sometimes), the sharpness is really good and the contrasts are impeccable.
The screen is readable in direct sunlight when the brightness is set to maximum. You can also let the brightness adjust automatically. This brightness is an advantage in the daytime but it is a defect at night because even at minimum level the screen still generates a lot of light.
Features
The Amazfit GTS offers 12 sport modes covering both indoor and outdoor activities.
For each sport, the watch records the heart rate, the course (if available) and the number of steps. It then calculates the number of calories based on the recorded data.
In addition to the various sport modes, the Amazfit offers the following possibilities:
- pick up/hook up the phone (with contact display)
- receive notifications (I was not able to make the notifications work)
- check the weather
- use a compass
- use a stopwatch and countdown timer
- receive event alerts
- set up an alert
- see exercises
- follow the heartbeat
- make your phone ring if you don't know where it is anymore.
- customize the home screen
The Amazfit GTS offers a fairly comprehensive range of features and in this price range it offers one of the best price/performance ratios.
Measurements
Heartbeat
Like all devices of this kind, the Amazfit GTS allows you to monitor your heartbeat and the result is quite good. I get better results than with the other watches I have tested.
To compare the measurements I used a Polar H10 belt and the Amazfit GTS at the same time. The Polar H10 belt is one of the most reliable belts for heart rate measurement.
With the Polar H10, I get:
149 beats per minute (maximum)
134 pulses per minute (average)
With the Amazfit GTS:
149 pulses per minute (maximum)
138 pulses per minute (average)
The data are very close and the difference for the average could be explained by the length of the exercise. I had stopped the watch a little before the belt, so the belt had the possibility to measure lower pulses and thus influence the measured average.
I did some more measurements with the Polar H10 and I got quite similar results for the Amazfit. However, I found a larger deviation when I ride my bike, I assume that vibrations play a role in the stability of the measurements.
Sleep data
Most of the watches I've tested tell me that I don't get enough sleep and that I don't get enough deep sleep. The Amazfit GTS tells me the opposite. I have an excellent sleep score and I have a high proportion of deep sleep.
So I don't think I can give much credit to these measures.
Number of steps
I measured a deviation of about 10% for the number of steps measured, the Amazfit seems to overestimate the number of steps. I also found that if the arm movements were not significant enough, the number of steps was simply not counted.
App
To use your Amazfit GTS on your smartphone, you will need to download the Amazfit application. The application is completely free of charge.
The Amazfit GTS does not work with Strava but you can export your data to Google Fit and gather all your data in one place.
The Amazfit application is the most complete application I've tested so far because it aggregates tons of data in addition to the data captured by the watch. This wealth of data goes against the simplicity of use. I find that the application offers too many things at the same time when the basic data should be more easily accessible.
Here is a demo of the different possibilities:
At the bottom of the screen you have the possibility to add data such as oxygen level, body measurements, sugar level, ... I don't even know if it's possible to find a device to measure all these data but they take up a lot of space.
So you have to get used to the interface to find your way to the most useful screens.
Compatibility
The Amazfit GTS is compatible with all devices capable of running the Amazfit application.
Operating system
The operating system of the Amazfit GTS is not an open system, so you cannot install other applications.
The home screen of the Amazfit GTS shows a summary of the basic indicators of the watch. Of course, you also have the time and data, today's and tomorrow's weather, number of steps, heart rate and battery level. The screen is so full of information that it deviates from the basic function of a watch. Some indicators are so small that you need good eyes to read them.
At the top:
Night mode
Flashlight mode
Brightness management
Screen lock
Downstairs:
- status
- objectives
- heartbeat rate
- activities
- weather
- music
- notifications
- alarm
- events
- parameters
This menu adapts itself according to your use, the last functionalities used are placed at the top.
Left/Right
- step counter
- pulse rate
The button is used to start the watch, trigger a measurement or go back.
Encoutered bugs
I didn't encounter any bugs but I never managed to get the "music" feature to work. In theory you can control your Deezer or Spotify playlist directly from the watch. I tried many times with Deezer, the watch never managed to synchronize with Deezer and each time I got an error message.
Compare Amazfit GTS with the others
[ranks type="smartwatch" device="Amazfit GTS"]
Test / Review conclusion
The Amazfit GTS is the fifth smart watch I've tested and it's the best. In this price range, you don't find many watches with so many features and an integrated GPS sensor. A few other low cost Chinese brands are available but the reviews are much more mixed.
I don't really like the rectangular format of the watch nor the fact that it displays too much information on the main screen but it's completely subjective. The finishing level is impeccable, the screen is superb and the autonomy is good.
I tested this watch on a treadmill, a bike outside and walking outside. The wound heart data is reliable, it's the first time I get data so close to what I measure with the Polar H10.
I haven't really found any defect in this watch, the things I liked less are specific to my tastes or situation. For example, I find that the characters on the main screen are too small and I have trouble reading them. The watch regularly reminds me that I've been sitting for too long, which is annoying in the long run.
I find that the strap is a bit less well designed than what I had on the active Huawei GT, it gives a rubbery feel and the fasteners are made of soft plastic.
Strengths Screen
GPS sensor
Heartbeat reliability
Autonomy
Weaknesses Sometimes complicated application
Soft plastic bracelet
Screen too bright at night