After the Amazfit GTR bomb, the most elegant fitness smartwatch there is, the manufacturer launches another noteworthy fitness ally on the market. It takes the name of Amazfit Verge Lite, and is proposed as an all-round fitness smartwatch, with a value for money that justifies the purchase. Compared to the Verge, however, it loses important functions.
Unlike the aforementioned GTR, Verge Lite has totally different appearances. It leaves the field of elegance to show itself as a sports smartwatch, with different materials than the GTR. The strap is made entirely of silicone, while the case is made of plastic.
The materials are not as “noble” as those of the GTR, an element that immediately leads us to think of a completely different use. It offers a 1.3-inch circular display, with a resolution of 360 x 360, with a single button positioned at the top, but more towards the back, which is almost invisible when you wear the watch on your wrist.
The design is very simple, minimal and modern. Not as elegant as the GTR, but no less pleasant: it is just a device that has a different goal than the GTR, more fitness-oriented. The screen uses AMOLED technology, and although the resolution is lower than the GTR, it offers excellent quality, with a lot of information that can be read in the main watch face.
On the back there is the sensor for calculating the heartbeat, which works really well, like the one installed on the GTR. They are probably the same, with the same algorithm used by the manufacturing company.
Always on the back the contacts for charging, even if here there is a negative note. The charging dock is not magnetic, and the user will have to manually wedge the watch to start charging. It is also quite full-bodied, unlike that of the GTR, much smaller and minimal.
At the operating system level, Verge Lite mounts a system very similar to the GTR. Next to the main watchface there are screens for calculating steps and heart rate. While with a slide down the quick settings panel opens, such as brightness, battery saving, flashlight and do not disturb mode.
One slide towards the other, on the other hand, provides access to the menu with all the functions, such as Exercise, Status, HR, Notifications, Weather, Music, Events, Alarms and Settings. At the time of writing the firmware is in English, but we are sure that within a few days, a maximum of a week, the Italian version will also arrive.
Unlike the GTR, a second button is missing to quickly call up a clock function. This is a pity, because in this way it will not be possible to quickly recall one of the most used functions.
Holding down the single button present activates the various operating modes, while it is not possible to choose to quickly start other functions, such as notifications.
The notification system is identical to that seen on GTR, with the various messages that appear on the screen, where it is possible to read the entire text received, but where there is absolutely no possibility to reply.
To access the notification panel you need to slide up, choose Notifications, and from here start scrolling them. Too bad there is no faster way to consult them. In any case, the various incoming messages on the smartphone will immediately appear in full screen on the watch, and then disappear a few seconds later.
The Fitness function, on the other hand, is noteworthy. The watch has GPS + GLONASS for precise and quick satellite positioning. We tried to compare Verge Lite with GTR and 100% of the time it was the Verge Lite that first locked onto the satellites and allowed a tracked run.
The watch allows you to track seven activities, such as outdoor running, treadmill, outdoor walking, indoor cycling, elliptical, and exercises. Obviously, the information relating to the step count, the kilometers traveled and the calories burned is precise, as is always the likely result of the heartbeat. When compared, GTR and Verge Lite always return similar data.
As for the shortcomings of this Lite version, compared to the normal Verge, the most important are the lack of Alexa, the Amazon assistant present on Verge, and the inability to make phone calls directly from the wrist. As on GTR, in fact, during an incoming call, it is only possible to reject or mute. These are not insignificant shortcomings, to be evaluated in the choice between Verge and Verge Lite, whose price difference is around 30 euros.
There is, however, to say that while the Verge has an autonomy of about 5 days, this Lite model allows 20 days of use without recharging. This is also a major difference: if you don't need a speaker and microphone, and can do without Alexa, then Lite could be the recommended choice.
Conclusions
Verge Lite is another 90 piece. Its cost, around 79 euros, makes it an almost obligatory purchase for anyone looking for a fitness smartwatch. The AMOLED screen reads well enough in sunlight, the battery life is enviable, and the GPS signal locks in quickly. Aesthetically beautiful, it can be worn on many occasions, even if it does not hide its sporty nature.
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Retail price
It costs 79 euros and can be purchased directly from here in the gray and white colors (the discount is visible once the product has been added to the cart).
The GRT model, on the other hand, on GearBest costs about 135 euros.
