Huami, the name behind the Amazfit brand of smartwatches, had a very busy 2020, launching more than ten new devices over the course of that Covid-infested annum. With its latest GTR 2 model, which emerged just before Christmas, it seems to have saved the best for last. Matching connected watch features with a look you’d want to wear outside of a Peloton session, it’s an attractive proposition for the princely sum of about £150.
Going head-to-head with the latest Fitbit Versa 3 smartwatch and sitting well below the lofty new Apple Watch Series 6, it’s made for those who want to keep tabs on their wellbeing without drowning in new and confusing metrics. As such, anyone angling for a Fitbit come the traditional post-Crimbo fitness rush might well find more to like in the GTR 2. Here’s why…
Stellar screen
It might come brandishing a budget price tag, but there’s certainly nothing cheap-feeling about the way the GTR 2 lives on your wrist. Take your pick of stainless-steel or aluminium watch cases and you’ll find a ceramic bezel that elegantly surrounds a touchscreen display to give it a pleasing, minimalist look overall. There is plastic in that body, but it’s in the case back out of clear sight to help you forget it’s there.
In the centre lies the kind of touchscreen display you’d associate with Apple and Samsung smartwatches. Want a good splash of colour? You got it. Something that’s responsive to swipes and easy to see when outdoor light shines bright? It handles that well with minimal issues too. You’ve also got a nice array of watch faces to dress it up in any number of digital or analogue looks. Pack it with more fitness stats or keep things simple. You’ve got options.
The silicone strap is a reminder that it’s one that wants to stay on when you jump on a treadmill. You do have the option to swap in something that’s a better match for that round, matte-finish case. This is one you don’t have to disband when you head for the water, either. It’s fit to last in the pool as long as you do.
Let’s talk
The big problem with Amazfit’s first GTR was that it wasn’t very good at playing smartwatch. That’s changed in a pretty noticeable way as Huami brings the music and more reasons to keep your hands off that lovely screen.
It’s brought Amazon Alexa into the fold to handle all of the same queries you can fire at your smart speaker to turn off smart lights or add items to your shopping list. Though it wasn’t ready for us to find out just how good a job it does at playing hands-free helper.
Huami also adds its own voice assistant that functions without an internet connection or being paired up to your phone. You can ask your watch to do a range of things from booting open the workout tracking mode, bringing up music controls or making sure you’re not disturbed by a barrage of messages at night. It took our voice orders without any real issue, making it a welcome addition, as opposed to gimmicky extra.
Then there’s the music. You have at your disposal the capacity to pack on your own audio, pair up some headphones and leave that phone behind. The only problem is that we haven’t bought music for years. So if you spend more time in Spotify than purchasing albums from the App Store, it might not be such an appealing feature to have at your disposal right now.
On top of that, it will fire over notifications from Android phones and iPhones, plaster weather forecasts on the screen to give you a heads-up when to grab a jacket before heading out and will even let you take calls from your wrist with acceptable speaker quality at your disposal – if you really want to be that person that takes calls on a watch.
Wannabe sports watch
This GTR 2 also wants to cater to those who want a smartwatch to behave like a fitness tracker and sports watch as well. Everything it needs to do that is in place. It can track your steps and monitor your sleep. It will map out your outdoor activities such as runs and big bike rides and also monitor your heart rate day and night. It will also send your workouts to apps such as Strava and Google Fit if you want your stats to live elsewhere too.
It’s a better fit for the basics, though, as inaccuracy creeps in when you push the heart rate monitor to its limits during exercise. Its tracking sensors didn’t really hold up to a dedicated Garmin sports watch we pitted it up against, and while it’s great you can measure your blood oxygen levels to assess your fitness, the data doesn’t feel all that insightful in its current state.
If you care about tracking steps and sleep, you’re well served here. Just don’t expect Garmin- or Polar-watch levels of tracking beyond that.
Amazfit GTR 2 verdict
The GTR 2 is no Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch rival, but there are reasons you might opt for it over what Fitbit currently has to offer. It arguably has the more attractive design, more in the way of battery life and now has a much better mix of features to make it feel more like a smartwatch.
While there’s clearly some room for improvement in those key smart- and sports-tracking departments, they perform well enough in their current state and certainly adds to the dilemma for Android phone owners over what smartwatch they should be eyeing up. If you want a wearable that sits stylishly on the wrist, does those basics well and offers some desirable extras too, the GTR 2 is one to look at.
£153. amazfit.com
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