Amazfit GTS 2e

Amazfit GTS 2e

The Amazfit GTS 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 third GTS watch released by Huami since September 2020. They released the GTS 2, in September 2020, the GTS 2 Mini in December 2020 and now the GTS 2e in January 2021. The GTS 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 GTS 2e. That being said, the watch does not lag and performs on par with the more expensive GTS 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.

GTS 2 Family Comparison

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

SpecsGTS 2GTS 2eGTS 2 Mini
Screen1.65″ AMOLED
348 x 442
341ppi
1.65″ AMOLED
348 x 442
341ppi
1.55″ AMOLED
354×306
301 ppi
Dimensions42.8×35.6×9.7mm42.8×35.6×9.8mm40.5×35.8×8.95mm
Strap20mm20mm20mm
Battery Life7 Days
246 mAh
14 Days
246 mAh
14 Days
220 mAh
Music Storage3GBNoneNone
Microphone & SpeakerYesMicrophone OnlyNo
BarometerYesYesNo
Temperature SensorNoYesNo
ColorsBlack, Grey, GoldBlack, Green, PurpleBlack, Pink, Green
GTS 2 vs GTS 2e vs GTS 2 Mini

Design

The GTS 2e has a rectangular watch face design and is not as attractive as its sibling the GTR 2e. The watch is available in the following colors: black, green and purple. The case is aluminum. This smartwatch is not too big at 42.8 x 35.6 x 9.8 mm and weighs 25g. The watch is slim with a thickness of  9.8 mm. It is comfortable and can be worn while sleeping.

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 2e comes with a 20mm silicone interchangeable strap. The silicone strap is average quality at best and there have been some complaints it is not the most comfortable. Strap quality is a bit disappointing.

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 are small which has led to some owner complaints.

The GTS 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 GTS 2e is one of the highlights of this smartwatch. The 1.65″ AMOLED Touchscreen, with 348 x 442 pixels and 341 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 GTS 2e comes with a 246 mAh battery. Huami claims that typical usage battery life is 14 days and watch mode battery life is 24 days. Real world battery life is approximately 10 days, while not best in class, is reasonable and better than the GTS 2.

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the GTS 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 GTS 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 GTS 2, the GTS 2e is not promising Alexa voice assistant.

The GSR 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 GTS 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 GTS 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 GSR 2e comes with 90 different sports modes, identical to the GTS 2. Some additional features can be seen in the following photo as well.

Amazfit GTS 2e Features

Zepp App

The Amazfit GTS 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

A better value that the original GTS 2e due to lower cost and improved battery life. However, the GTR 2e is a more stylish and overall better choice. You may also want to look at the more affordable GTS 2 Mini if you have smaller wrists.

Specifications

General

Read Review
Watch Type Sports Focused Smartwatch
Gender Unisex
Release Date January 2021
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 9.8 mm
Case Material Aluminum
Weight 25g
Strap Width 20 mm
Strap Material Silicone
Interchangeable Strap Yes
Watch Colors Black, Green, Purple
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 Not Disclosed

Battery

Typical Usage Battery Life (Days) 14
Watch Mode Battery Life (Days) 24
GPS Mode Battery Life (Days) Not Disclosed
Charging System Magnetic
Capacity 246 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, Blood Pressure, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Skin Temperature, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming, VO2 Max
Sport Modes 90
Warranty 12 Months

Summary

Unique Features Offline voice control
Advantages 14 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 app is more complex than other smartwatch apps
Verdict A better value that the original GTS 2e due to lower cost and improved battery life. However, the GTR 2e is a more stylish and overall better choice.

Published: January 18, 2021

Amazfit GTS 2e - WatchSmarty
Amazfit GTS 2e

The Amazfit GTS 2e is a better value that the original GTS 2e due to lower cost & improved battery life. However, the GTR 2e is a more stylish & better choice.

Product SKU: Amazfit GTS 2e

Product Brand: Amazfit

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 140

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
6.1