When it comes to smartwatches, the one that¡¯s regarded as the best in terms of utility and fitness tracking is the Apple Watch. However, sadly, this doesn't work with Android but that doesn¡¯t mean it's a bad thing as Android still has a variety of smart bands and smartwatches to choose from.
Amazfit, which has made some really cool looking smartwatches in the past has unveiled the Amazfit GTS 2 in India which borrows a lot from Apple Watch aesthetically, while offers a ton of features for a price tag of just Rs 12,999. I got to play with it for a few weeks and here¡¯s what I liked and disliked about it.
From the moment you unbox the watch, you¡¯ll notice how well built the device is. The 1.65-inch screen is housed in an aluminium shell. The variant I got was called Midnight Black and it had a matte smooth finish on top which looked really minimal and subtle.?
There is no doubt that it looks a lot like an Apple Watch, with the biggest difference being the crown -- you get a centre-aligned button which does not help you scroll like the Apple Watch. Moreover, if you look closely, the right side of the watch has tapering wavy lines that highlight the button which does look neat.
As mentioned above, GTS 2 features a 1.65 inch OLED display with a resolution of 348x442 pixels. The screen gets a 3D glass on top, similar to Apple Watch. Moreover, it also gets an additional coating for scratch and shatter resistance.?
While the display is colourful, sharp and bright (even while using in broad sunlight) what I didn't really like was slightly thick bezels on the panel. But overall, it¡¯s a good screen that doesn't let-down.?
The GTS 2 gets a spring-release mechanism for attaching straps on it -- similar to a regular leather or steel analogue watch so in case you want to try a variety of straps, you can easily do that. This is great since the brand isn¡¯t locking you into proprietary straps or accessories.?
GTS 2 has an intuitive activity tracking mode that does the regular walking, running and swimming but it also supports specific kinds of activities. Take for example, cycling which includes both indoor and outdoor cycling; race walking, running, trail walking. It even includes dancing (which includes Zumba, Ballet, belly dance, street dance and other popular dance forms).
With the COVID-19 pandemic still at large, Amazfit GTS 2 has included a sensor to check blood oxygen saturation level. What¡¯s annoying is that firstly, it takes forever for the scan to complete. Secondly, it expects you to keep your wrist on a table or a stable surface while it¡¯s making the analysis and what¡¯s worse is that most of the time the reading I got was not accurate.
I tried checking on a pulse oximeter I had at home as well as the OnePlus band and it was off by 3-4 percent, which in case you didn't know is a big deal. The watch received a few updates but they didn¡¯t really fix the issue.?
While taking a walk, whenever I enabled the workout mode it would lose the GPS signal after a few seconds. This was annoying as every time it did this, it would vibrate. Eventually, I just stopped turning on the workout mode and instead just looked at steps and kilometre count.?
Amazfit claims that the smartwatch can last easily for a week on a single charge. However, with my testing (with smart screen mode enabled) I barely scraped through five days with its 246mAh battery. Moreover, it takes two hours to fully recharge which feels like forever. Your mileage could vary depending on what brightness and activities you do, but the battery life on this won¡¯t wow you.?
Amazfit GTS 2 is a well-built, feature-packed smartwatch that also looks good. But it is a hit and a miss in features where it should count -- features like accurate GPS tracking while walking or the irritating and time-consuming process to check Spo2 levels where pulse oximeters do it in just seconds.?
As a smartwatch it works fine -- you get notifications easily and you can even take calls on it with the included mic and speaker (although you¡¯ll need to be in a really quiet area to be audible). However, here too caveat comes in the form of average battery life of just 4-5 days on a single charge with screen on at all times.?
At a price tag of Rs 12,999 and with the issues it currently possesses, Amazfit GTS 2 is hard to recommend for someone who wants it as a fitness-tracker.?
However, if you¡¯re not going to do a ton of workouts and just want a watch that can show notifications and calls, then maybe you could get Amazfit GTS 2 as it still does all that well. Although it would be an even better deal if discounts bring its price to around Rs 10,000 or lower.?