Although the Amazfit GTR watch was only recently released by Xiaomi, given the speed at which the Chinese company has been launching products, it can seem like an eternity. But I really wanted to take the time to review and get to know the watch in depth, which is why I waited until now to review it.
Well, how do I rate the watch in hindsight? Is it worth investing in them, or has Xiaomi already released slightly better models again? This and much more you will find out in today's review.
Content of the review
When I unboxed the watch, the package included a charging cable and manual, but thanks to the instructions on the phone and watch, it was hardly needed at all.
The design and display of the watch is really versatile
Personally, I have to admit that I've always preferred the rather round dial, which has aThe round face is a bit closer to the older "dumb" watches and therefore looks a bit more elegant. The Xiaomi Amazfit GTR was thus absolutely perfect for me. Although the manufacturer states that this is a unisex watch, I can't quite imagine a 47mm display on a woman's hand. I must appreciate that there are two buttons on the watch , which is one more compared to previous models Xiaomi has in its repertoire. The first one is used to activate the display, the function of the second one you can choose yourself. I myself chose the notification because thanks to it, I can check messages from email, Messenger and Instagram with just one click and I don't have to pull out my phone.
I must also appreciate the wide choice of watch faces that this watch will offer you thanks to the Amazfit app. I myself only like the minimalist design, which is ideally monochrome, and the watch still offers meI think you won't have a problem either. At the same time, all the dials look very decent on the round display.
Important parameters of the watch in points
- The weight of the watch is only 37g, so once you get used to it, you will absolutely not notice that you have something on your wrist.
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Compatible with both Android and iOS
- Battery life of less than a month in standard use, and up to two months in power saving mode.
All the features you need for life in one place
The Amazfit GTR has such a wide range of features that it would be hard to fit them into one review. That's why I'd like to highlight only the ones I've used and liked the most. For the sake of clarity, I would highlight them in the order in which I used them during the day:
Alarm clock/alarm
I'm sure you know the feeling when you set your favourite alarm for getting up in the morning.Your favourite tune or song, but then it gets annoying and you can't hear it at all. I had the same problem for a long time, which is why I reached for a clock alarm. The watch vibrates slightly, so it wakes you up reliably, but it's also much more pleasant than music. Not to mention that I leave my phone in a room other than my bedroom quite often.
Sleep monitoring
Sleep monitoring on the watch may not be the most accurate, but it's still a sort of routine for me to check how my sleep was when I wake up in the Amazfit app. In addition to the classic deep and light sleep breakdown, you'll also learn how you're doing in comparisoncompared to other Xiaomi watch users and how to improve your sleep if necessary.
Sports activity monitoring
I definitely have to appreciate the fact that with Xiaomi watches you can choose from the whole spectrum of sports activities - from walking toSwimming to gym workouts, which, for example, you don't have in the apps associated with Xiaomi wristbands. While for walking, the watch monitors your current speed, average speed, heart rate and calories burned, for weight training and other activities it's just heart rate and calories. However, you can set up continuous heart rate monitoring, where the watch will give you a clear trend of your heart rate during a given sporting activity. Of course, you can also set a goal for your sporting activity- either in terms of calories burned or time spent training.
In the case of monitoring sports activity, however, I did find something that bothers me about the watch. When you have an activity program on, you can't go back to switching music or notifications, for example. When I exercise, I usually play music from my phone, for example, but I'm no longer able to switch it with the watch like I can when I'm not exercising.
Timer and stopwatch
Since I have my high school graduation and university entrance tests this year, I very often take various timed tests. So it is very useful for me to set a countdown timer and with the slightest movement of my hand, I can immediately see how much time I have left.
Alerts from Messenger and Instagram
When I'm working or studying, I usually don't want to be distracted by my phone, so very often I don't have it with me at all. But if I'm waiting for an important email or just a message on Messenger, I'll seeI can see everything at the touch of a button on my watch, which really saves me a lot of time. Similarly, you can also use the notification view to possibly pull up school, as the watch can display a really large amount of text.
Unfortunately,you can't use the notifications for this, as you can only enter a maximum of one word, but if yousomeone sends you a Messenger entry, you'll be able to read it on the test without any problems.
The battery life is really extreme
If you use a watch other than Xiaomi, you're probably not used to who knows how extreme the battery life is. I honestly would really hate to charge my watch every day, so I' m happy with the watch lasting at least two weeks at the most .
It should be noted, however, that very often I turn on various sports activities, sleep monitoring, alarm clock and other functions that of course reduce battery life. If you didn't use these functions so much, the watch would easily last you a month on a single charge, which is really unbeatable endurance.
Slightly more expensive in price, but definitely worth it
If you're looking for an ideal value for money watch, I think you'll do better with the Xiaomi Amazfit Bip, for example, which comes out significantly cheaper and we were thrilled to test it. In fact, if you opt for the Xiaomi Amazfit GTR, you'll pay around £3,500 for it, which is quite a lot. But of course, it depends on what you expect from the watch and what your budget is.
Final evaluation
I have been using the Xiaomi Amazfit GTR daily for half a year now and I have to say that it has been one of the best investments I have made in a while. The watch makes a lot of things easier in my daily life, from school tests to sleeping and some coherent recap of my sports performance over the last week. Plus, even after this long, I don't notice any problem in use, so I dareIf you choose the Amazfit GTR, you'll have something to wear for years to come.
