I’ve got the Amazfit GTR 2e for well over two weeks now, and I absolutely love love it. If you’ve not seen my review yet, check here, and if you want a summary of what’s there to like (and hate), check here.
For now, in this piece, I will outline the top features of the GTR 2e that make it a worthy buy for anyone looking for a relatively well-built Android smartwatch that doesn’t break the bank.
The heart rate sensor
Heart rate sensors are pretty much standard features for any smartwatch going past the $50 price tag. Still, I like the implementation on the GTR 2e for its accuracy, ease of usage, and continuous tracking function. I know it’s accurate because I’ve compared it against manually measured values (measured by me, cos I’m a medical student *cool shades on*).
And if you do get this smartwatch, you’d understand what I mean by ease of usage. For starters, the heart rate applet (just like any other applet on the GTR 2e) can be mapped to the extra side-mounted button. And speaking about that button;
Smartwatches don’t come with large screens, so most manufacturers tend to make up for the impaired accessibility with scrollable buttons, gimmicky touch wheels … that kind of stuff.
On the GTR 2e, the extra accessibility option is the side-mounted button just below the main watch button. It works well – you can map it to launch an applet or function on the smartwatch, but I like it more especially for the sophisticated look it grants the GTR 2e.
The AMOLED screen
If you’re conversant with smartphone technology, you’d know that AMOLED screens are the gold standard for screen technology right now. Pretty much all the high-end phones ship out with an AMOLED screen, and to lump you up with the big boys (even though you’re paying sub-big boy price), Amazfit has included an AMOLED screen on the GTR 2e.
It’s sharp, it’s bright, it pumps out popping colors, and the color saturation is just right. Paired with the stylish form factor of the GTR 2e, this AMOLED screen gives the watch what I’d say is a very sexy look.
The SPO2 and stress monitor
On the GTR 2e, you will find Amazfit’s proprietary BioTracker 2 PPG Biological data sensor Module. As part of its function, this module can sense your blood’s oxygen saturation and your stress levels.
An activity tracker
The GTR 2e is configured to automatically detect and track any or most physical activities you engage in with the watch on. Going salsa dancing? The GTR 2e can track that. What about fishing? You betcha. Walking running, jogging, or even skating; there are over 20 trackable activity modes on the GTR 2e.
Once activated, the watch will track and show you for how long you engaged in such activity, the calories you’ve burned, and many other extra bits of fitness info.
Offline voice command
When you need to launch an applet or initiate a watch function snappily, Amazfit has bundled in an offline voice command feature to help. Note that this is offline, which means it doesn’t need to connect to the internet to work its magic, unlike the many other voice assistants you know.
That said, the offline state means you get a limited number of available voice commands – most smartwatch functions are covered, but you can’t do something like, say, search on Google from the smartwatch.
The geographical sensor suite
In addition to the primary health sensor module, you’ll also find an auxiliary sensor suite comprised of a barometer, an altimeter, a pO2 sensor, a compass, and a GPS on the GTR 2e. Safe to say that with this watch on your hand, you’re not getting lost on your next hiking trip.
The vibration motor
This is not a feature you’d normally find or harp about on a budget android smartwatch, so I was pleased to see it on this device. The motor will vibrate when you get a call or at the termination of an app function. It’s also handy when you misplace the watch, in which case you trigger the vibration from the app on your smartphone. When you’re in the Zepp app, you can also modify the nature of the vibration or set custom vibration patterns altogether. Neat.
The Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) monitor
If monitoring your sleep, walking, running, hiking, or calorific intake seems like too much of a job, Amazfit has included a handy PAI monitor function that automatically tracks every one of these metrics to provide you with a rounded score that reflects your overall performance.
The sleek configuration
Ain’t no budget smartwatch that I’ve reviewed that’s better or more premium looking like the GTR 2e. For real, this watch looks and feels absolutely amazing.
It’s streamlined with an aluminum chassis, a 2.5D curved glass screen, fitting silicone straps, and the nicely positioned buttons I talked about earlier. It’s also light as a feather which makes wearing this watch less of a hassle than you would imagine.
To conclude, there are many more excellent features on the GTR 2e and a couple of not so excellent features, but these are the obvious standouts.
Together they make the GTR 2e an absolute steal of a deal for anyone looking to get an Android smartwatch that does all the basics right and looks amazingly good while doing so.
Over 10, I score the GTR 2e a solid 8, and that’s saying a lot for a smartwatch that costs only $130.
