There is a protagonist who stands out more than the others in the category of fitness smartwatches. It is Amazfit, which over the past months has released several wearables, all particularly successful, able to meet the different needs of users.
Among the latest arrivals Amazfit GTS, the smartwatch for fitness, which does not disdain the notification department at all, and which from a certain point of view seems to wink at the Apple Watch.
Clearly inspired by Apple Watch 5, even if it is certainly not a clone, Amazfit GTS offers a slightly elongated screen, with a diagonal from 1.65 inches , therefore large enough to accommodate numerous information on the screen, while not being particularly bulky on the wrist.
Just to understand each other, the smartwatch is more minimal and less invasive to the eye than a 47 mm GTR. The screen is one of the main advantages of this wearable, also thanks to the technology of the OLED panel, with slightly rounded corners, which give greater elegance and an overall softer look.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 , therefore with high resistance to scratches: this is a second advantage of no small importance, given that the watch is often subject to potential shocks.
Still on the screen, it turns out to be particularly bright, therefore legible and also suitable for reading under direct sunlight. It has a resolution of 348 × 442 , with a pixel density of 441 ppi . Overall this is an excellent unit, from all points of view: the display is defined, readable, bright, with a good ability to automatically adapt to changes in light, and above all it is able to provide a lot of information on the screen.
The display offers various opportunities to the software. And in fact, just turn on the watch with the default watch faces, to understand its potential. A myriad of information is displayed on the screen, such as the time, weather, heart rate, steps taken, calories consumed. Moreover, in a similar way to what happens on Apple Watch, it is possible to customize the order and type of information displayed on the screen, such as when complications are replaced on the Apple smartwatch. The result is really excellent: a well-organized interface, and lots of info always visible on the screen.
On a visual level, on the whole, it is a watch that has nothing to envy to other competitors, and that also manages to be original, positioning itself halfway between an Amazfit Bip and an Apple Watch, even if thinner and lighter.
Unlike the aforementioned Amazfit, this GTS has a more noble structure, made of aluminum, and weighs just 25 grams , therefore particularly light, suitable for wearing all day without giving the minimal discomfort. It is well designed, and well built, like all Amazfit smartwatches. Attention to detail results in a clean build, without any burrs or inaccuracies.
If we want, the element that is most out of place in this “context” is the strap. It is made of silicone, certainly suitable for sports use, but the quality could have been better: it is not too breathable, and even if in the winter season it can be tolerated without any effort, we are ready to bet that it will need to be replaced in the summer.
Among the technical features, we point out the presence of the BT 5.0 , a 220 mAh battery, capable of ensuring an autonomy of 14 days , while at the certification level the GTS proposes the wording 5ATM , therefore waterproof up to 50 meters. Absent , unfortunately, the NFC module , which therefore does not allow the watch to be used for mobile payments. Present, however, the GPS + GLONASS , which ensures the GTS to be a faithful companion for daily activity, being able to track sports activities, without the need to pair the smartphone .
The operating system is almost identical to that of the GTR and the Verge, with the possibility of viewing the following items in the menus:
Furthermore, the watch offers the PAI function, acronym for Personal Activity Intelligence, which indicates the user's personal activity, thanks to heart rate monitoring. This means, first of all, that to take advantage of the PAI it is necessary to activate heart rate monitoring “every minute”, thus reducing the autonomy of the smartwatch.
By doing so, the PAI will offer the user immediate information on the condition of the body: sector studies have confirmed that maintaining the PAI above the score of 100 exposes the human body to lower risks related to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Unfortunately, there are no microphone and loudspeaker, so the GTS is not able to assist the user during telephone conversations. Again, there is no possibility to reply to incoming notifications.
As on all other Amazfit smartwatch models, there is a functional notification hub, where incoming notifications on smartphones from any app are shown, therefore with the possibility of reading incoming messages from WhatsApp and all other apps from the wrist. most used messaging. Unfortunately, it is not possible to reply in any way, neither via pre-set replies, nor via emoji or voice messages.
Of course, the heartbeat sensor is not missing, which works as well as on the GTR and Verge models, although initially, at the presentation in China of the device, the presence of ECG functionality was assumed.
Unfortunately, obviously, the GTS does not have the necessary hardware. In any case, the data returned on the heartbeat are always plausible, as well as accurate are those relating to the calculation of the steps taken, and consequently of the calories burned.
The reference app is Amazfit, available for iPhone and Android, while at the moment it is not possible to connect it to Mi Fit. Fortunately, over the last few months, the Amazfit app has been improved, so much so that it is in line with Mi Fit.
The main screen of the app allows you to immediately view the steps taken during the day, as well as the hours of sleep, the heart rate recorded and the weight, in case the user has connected a Xiaomi scale.
Furthermore, thanks to the app it is possible to view the exercise recorded by the watch, the calories burned, and the time spent exercising. The Amazfit application is certainly not the most complete and complex when it comes to fitness apps, but it is still sufficient to provide an overall diary of all the features offered by the GTS.
Conclusions
This GTS is probably the piece that was missing in a perfect chessboard set up by Amazfit. It is the link between the Bip, an entry level model, and the GTR. Of the first it takes the forms, while of the second the elegance and some technical characteristics. On the wrist it is a watch that can be kept 24 hours a day, even if more could have been expected from the strap, however interchangeable.
It is well built, it is immediately perceived as a premium product, and not as a low cost smartwatch. The display is of quality, and is the highlight of this device.
PRO
AGAINST
The price is the right one: less than 130 euros. At the time of writing you can buy at 122 euros directly at this address.
