Amazfit GTS 2

Amazfit GTS 2

The Amazfit GTS 2 is a sports focused smartwatch released in September 2020. Amazfit is a brand from Huami Technology, the exclusive supplier of fitness bands for Xiaomi. Huami is one of the largest smart wearable manufacturers in the world, best known for making the Mi Band.

The GTS 2 is an upgrade to the original GTS with a few new features including microphone and 3GB internal storage for music. It is also the rectangular sibling watch to the popular GTR 2.

Unfortunately Huami does not disclose the chipset used for the GTS 2. That being said, the watch does not lag and performs better than the previous Amazfit GTS so we suspect an improved processor is being used.

The operating system for this watch is the proprietary Amazfit OS. This means that available apps are limited 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.

GTR 2 and GTS 2 Mini Comparison

The Amazfit GTS 2 and GTR 2 are nearly identical from a specifications perspective but as can be seen in the photos below, their styles differ.

The following table summarizes the key differences. We have also included the newer GTS 2 Mini for reference as well.

SpecsGTR 2GTS 2GTS 2 Mini
Screen1.39″ AMOLED
454 x 454
326ppi
1.65″ AMOLED
348 x 442
341ppi
1.55″ AMOLED
354×306
301 ppi
Dimensions46.4×46.4×10.7mm42.8×35.6×9.7mm40.5mmx35.8mmx 8.95mm
Strap22mm20mm20mm
Buttons2 Physical2 Physical1 Physical
Battery Life14 Days
471 mAh
7 Days
246 mAh
14 Days
220 mAh
Music Storage3GB3GBNone
Microphone & SpeakerYesYesNo
BarometerYesYesNo
ColorsBlackBlack, Grey, GoldBlack, Pink, Green
GTR 2 vs GTS 2 vs GTS 2 Mini

Design

The GTS 2 has a rectangular watch face design and is not as attractive as its sibling the GTR 2. It is available in black, grey and gold. Build quality is good but not up to Apple Watch standards.

The GTS 2 weighs in at 24.7g and is not too big at 42.8 x 35.6 x 9.7 mm. This is a thin watch at only 9.7 mm and is comfortable for sleeping. The GTS 2 comes with a 20 mm silicone interchangeable strap. The silicone strap is average quality at best.

You can interact with the watch using the touchscreen and 1 physical button. The touchscreen works very well with no lag. However the fonts, menus and icons used are small and some owners have complained about this.

The GTS 2 has a 5ATM water resistance rating which allows for swimming and showers. Salt water or chlorine could be problematic so be sure to rinse, wipe and dry the watch after swimming. Also note the GTS 2 has openings for the microphone and speaker that the original GTS did not have. This could be an entry point for water.

Screen

The screen of the GTS 2 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.

The GTS 2 uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the screen. That being said, 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.

The watch has an always on screen option but this has a significant impact on battery life. The GTS 2 also allows for custom watchfaces which is a nice feature.

Battery

The GTS 2 comes with a 246 mAh battery. Huami claims that typical usage battery life is 7 days, watch mode battery life is 20 days and GPS mode battery life is 1 day. Real world battery life is in the 5 to 7 day range, which is not as good as the 10 day plus of the GTR 2, but a reasonable battery life.

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the GTS 2 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 GTS 2 has both a speaker and a microphone but only has the ability to answer calls via bluetooth, not place calls.

The inability to have outbound notifications or place outbound calls is a significant negative which separates the GTS 2 from full featured smartwatches. On the positive side, the speaker and microphone work well for incoming calls. The speaker can be used to play music stored on the 3GB internal memory.

The microphone is also used for offline voice control to use core features of the watch. Alexa voice assistant is also promised but was not released at launch. The GTS 2 does not have a camera and does not have cellular connectivity.

On the positive side, it does come with built-in GPS. Unfortunately, GPS connectivity is not the fastest and accuracy is not the best.

Amazfit GTS 2 GPS

Finally, Near Field Communication (NFC) is not supported, hence you cannot use this smartwatch to make payments.

Health and Fitness Features

The GTS 2 comes with 7 sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2). 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.

Also included are 90 different sports modes. The GTS 2 launched with only 12 sport modes, but a recent firmware upgrade (5.0.1.05) increased that number to 90.

Amazfit GTS 2 Workout
Release notes for 5.0.1.05 upgrade

There have been a number of complaints on the heart rate measurement accuracy as well as the other metrics. 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.

Zepp App

The Amazfit GTS 2 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. While it is not a bad app when it comes to features, there is room for improvement in how to access those features and ease of use. You can see how the Zepp app ranks on our Smartwatch Apps Page.

Zepp App

Known Issues

GPS Accuracy

Amazfit has a reputation for poor quality GPS accuracy in the previous GTS as well as other smartwatches they sell. Unfortunately this problem persists in the GTS 2. The GPS connection time takes about 30 seconds which is not bad but the primary problem is measurement accuracy. Distances are typically off and routes traveled are rough approximations. If an accurate GPS is a key feature you are looking for, skip the GTS 2.

Verdict

The less stylish sibling of the GTR 2 with worse battery life. Missing some key connectivity features and GPS accuracy problems are disappointing. We prefer the GTR 2 over the GTS 2 but both are average smartwatches for the price. Also the GTS 2 Mini has nearly the same functionality for significantly less money.

Specifications

General

Read Review
Watch Type Sports Focused Smartwatch
Gender Unisex
Release Date September 2020
Operating System Proprietary - Amazfit OS
App Zepp
Supported Devices Android 5.0+, iOS 10.0+
Processor Not Disclosed

Design

Shape Rectangular
Case Size 42.8 x 35.6 x 9.7 mm
Case Material Aluminum
Weight 24.7g
Strap Width 20 mm
Strap Material Silicone
Interchangeable Strap Yes
Watch Colors Black, Grey, Gold
Input Touchscreen, 1 Button
Water Resistance 5 ATM

Screen

Screen Size 1.65"
Screen Type AMOLED Touchscreen
Resolution 348 x 442
Pixels per Inch 341 ppi
Always On Yes
Custom Faces Yes
Screen Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Battery

Typical Usage Battery Life (Days) 7
Watch Mode Battery Life (Days) 20
GPS Mode Battery Life (Days) 1
Charging System Magnetic
Capacity 246 mAh

Features

Notifications Receive Only
Bluetooth v5.0
Bluetooth Calling Receive Only
Bluetooth Music Yes
Speaker Yes
Microphone Yes
Camera No
Cellular No
GPS GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia)
Near Field Communication (NFC) No
Payments No
WiFi Yes
Voice Command Alexa
Memory 3GB for Music (MP3)
Sensors Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Barometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2)
Tracking Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming, VO2 Max
Sport Modes 90
Automatic Workout Detection Yes
Warranty 12 Months

Summary

Unique Features Offline voice control
Advantages 7 day battery life
Good quality screen
Disadvantages Poor GPS accuracy
Only can receive notifications and calls, cannot respond to notifications or place calls
Not the most accurate heart rate monitor
Limited apps, no app store with third-party apps
Zepp app is more complex than other smartwatch apps
Battery drain with always-on display
Verdict The less stylish sibling of the GTR 2 with worse battery life. Missing some key connectivity features and GPS accuracy problems are disappointing. We prefer the GTR 2 over the GTS 2 but both are average smartwatches for the price.

Published: January 9, 2021

Amazfit GTS 2 - WatchSmarty
Amazfit GTS 2

The Amazfit GTS 2 is the lhe less stylish sibling of the GTR 2 with worse battery life. Missing some key connectivity features & GPS accuracy problems.

Product SKU: Amazfit GTS 2

Product Brand: Amazfit

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 180

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
5.8