Amazfit GTR 2e

Amazfit GTR 2e

The Amazfit GTR 2e is a sports focused smartwatch released in January 2021. Amazfit is a brand from Huami Technology, the exclusive supplier of smart bands for Xiaomi. Huami is one of the largest smart wearable manufacturers in the world, best known for making the Mi Bands.

This is the latest in the large number of smartwatches with similar specs released by Huami in the last few months. They released the GTR 2 and GTS 2 in September 2020 and the GTS 2 Mini in Dec 2020. The GTR 2e is the “essential version” of this lineup which removes the speaker, onboard storage and WiFi.

Unfortunately Huami does not disclose the chipset used for the GTR 2e. That being said, the watch does not lag and performs on par with the more expensive GTR 2.

This watch is using Amazfit OS, the proprietary operating system for Huami smartwatches. While there are some available apps, the number is minimal and you do not have access to a 3rd party app store such as the Google Play Store. This is a significant disadvantage and is common drawback for any smartwatch using a proprietary operating system.

Comparison with the GTR 2

The Amazfit GTR 2e strips away a handful of features but has some improvements as well over the GTR 2. The following table summarizes the key differences:

AreaGTR 2GTR 2e
SpeakerYesNo
Onboard StorageYesNo
WiFiYesNo
Battery Life14 Days24 Days
Temperature SensorNoYes
ColorsBlackBlack, Green, Gray
Screen ProtectionCorning Gorilla Gass with
optical Diamond-like Carbon (oDLC)
Not Disclosed
GTR 2 and GTR 2e Differences

Design

Overall the design of the GTR 2e is nearly identical to the GTR 2. The GTR 2e has a circular watch face design and is quite sleek and attractive. The watch is available in the following colors: black, gray and green. The case is aluminum.

Amazfit GTR 2e Colors
Amazfit GTR 2e Colors

This smartwatch is not too big at 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.8mm and weighs 32g. The watch is slim with a thickness of  10.8mm. It is comfortable and can be worn while sleeping.

The Amazfit GTR 2e comes with a 22 mm silicone interchangeable strap. The silicone strap is average quality at best and there have been some complaints it is not the most comfortable.

You can interact with the watch using the touchscreen and 2 physical buttons. The touchscreen works very well with no lag. However the fonts, menus and icons are small which has led to some owner complaints.

The GTR 2e has a 5ATM water resistance rating which allows for swimming and showers. Salt water or chlorine could be problematic so make sure to rinse, wipe and dry the watch after swimming.

Screen

The screen of the GTR 2e is one of the highlights of this smartwatch. The 1.39″ AMOLED Touchscreen, with 454 x 454 pixels and 326 ppi pixel density delivers a high-quality visual experience. Indoors the display is excellent while outdoors it is acceptable but not great.

Huami does not indicate what screen protection is provided which is disappointing. The bezel-less design offers less protection against screen scratches and scrapes when compared to watches where the bezel protrudes past the glass surface. While the bezel-less design is sleeker, it may not be as durable as some other sport focused smartwatches. We suggest getting a screen protector for this watch.

The watch has an always on screen option but this has a significant impact on battery life. The watch allows for custom watchfaces which is a nice feature.

Battery

The Amazfit GTR 2e comes with a 471 mAh battery. Huami claims that typical usage battery life is 24 days and watch mode battery life is 45 days. Real world battery life is less than this but getting over 2 weeks is reasonable. A nice improvement over the GTR 2

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the GTR 2e has limited functionality when compared to full featured smartwatches. The watch can only receive notifications and there is no ability to respond to notifications from the watch.

Even setting up these one-way notifications requires manually whitelisting the Zepp app on your phone. Duplicate notifications are another common complaint from owners. Not the most polished notification experience for a smartwatch.

Some users have had success with the 3rd party app ‘Notify and Fitness for Zepp’ to respond to notifications. With this app, when a notification comes in, you can open the music control menu, select a pre-written response and press the play button to send. Note that by doing this you will lose the music control capabilities on your smartwatch.

The GTR 2e does not have a speaker and cannot answer or place calls via Bluetooth. The inability to have outbound notifications, place calls or take calls are significant negatives which separate the GTR 2e from full featured smartwatches. Also there is no internal memory to store music.

On the positive side there is a microphone that allows offline voice control to use core features of the watch. Unlike the GTR 2, the GTR 2e is not promising Alexa voice assistant.

The GTR 2e comes with built-in GPS. Unfortunately, GPS connectivity is not the fastest and accuracy is not the best. Finally, Near Field Communication (NFC) is not supported, hence you cannot use this smartwatch to make payments.

Health and Fitness Features

The Amazfit GTR 2e comes with 8 sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2), Thermometer. These cover quite a bit of fitness functions and even some health areas. These sensors allow you to track the following 9 metrics: Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming.

The GTR 2e comes with a thermometer which tracks the temperature of the skin. However the accuracy of this sensor does not appear to be the greatest. There have also been a number of complaints on the heart rate measurement accuracy in high exertion activities.

For casual tracking, this may be adequate but could be a concern if you are looking for high tracking accuracy for your sports or fitness goals. Note that the GTR 2e comes with 90 different sports modes, identical to the GTR 2. Some additional features can be seen in the following photo as well.

Amazfit GTR 2e Features

Zepp App

The Amazfit GTR 2e uses the Zepp app, which is decent but not best in class. While the app has a lot of functions and features, it is not the most refined or easy to navigate. You can see how the Zepp app ranks on our Smartwatch Apps Page.

Known Issues

As this watch has just recently been released, there are no common known issues.

Verdict

While the GTR 2e loses the speaker, music storage and WiFi from the original GTR 2, the extended battery life and lower cost make this a more attractive choice. We also think the circular design of the GTR 2e is much nicer than the generic rectangular design of the GTS 2e. The GTR 2e is the best value out of the Amazfit GTR and GTS family of smartwatches. A decent choice but be aware of the drawbacks.

Specifications

General

Read Review
Watch Type Sports Focused Smartwatch
Gender Men
Release Date January 2021
Operating System Proprietary - Amazfit OS
App Zepp
Supported Devices Android 5.0+, iOS 10.0+
Processor Not Disclosed

Design

Shape Circular
Case Size 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.8mm
Case Material Aluminum
Weight 32g
Strap Width 22 mm
Strap Material Silicone
Interchangeable Strap Yes
Watch Colors Black, Gray, Green
Input Touchscreen, 2 Buttons
Water Resistance 5 ATM

Screen

Screen Size 1.39"
Screen Type AMOLED Touchscreen
Resolution 454 x 454
Pixels per Inch 326 ppi
Always On Yes
Custom Faces Yes
Screen Protection Not Disclosed

Battery

Typical Usage Battery Life (Days) 24
Watch Mode Battery Life (Days) 45
GPS Mode Battery Life (Days) Not Disclosed
Charging System Magnetic
Capacity 471 mAh

Features

Notifications Receive Only
Bluetooth v5.0
Bluetooth Calling No
Bluetooth Music No
Speaker No
Microphone Yes
Camera No
Cellular No
GPS GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia)
Near Field Communication (NFC) No
Payments No
WiFi No
Voice Command No
Memory None
Sensors Accelerometer, Altimeter, Ambient Light, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2), Temperature
Tracking Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Menstrual Cycle, Skin Temperature, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming, VO2 Max
Sport Modes 90
Warranty 12 Months

Summary

Unique Features Offline voice control
Advantages 24 day battery life
Good quality screen
Disadvantages Can only receive notifications
No phone call support or music storage
Not the most accurate heart rate monitor or GPS
Limited apps, no app store with third-party apps
Zepp is not the most refined smartwatch app
Verdict While the GTR 2e loses the speaker, music storage and WiFi from the original GTR 2, the extended battery life and lower cost make this a more attractive choice. A decent smartwatch but be aware of the drawbacks.

Published: January 16, 2021

Amazfit GTR 2e - WatchSmarty
Amazfit GTR 2e

While the Amazfit GTR 2e loses the speaker, music storage and WiFi from the original GTR 2, the extended battery life and lower cost make this a better choice.

Product SKU: Amazfit GTR 2e

Product Brand: Amazfit

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 140

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
6.6