Smartwatches have been a popular topic recently given how this small gadget has managed to improve our life experience and change our lifestyle instead of just being an expensive piece of decoration in our hands. We’ve seen a lot of watch products in the past few months with specific features but not all of them are suited for everyone, as different individuals’ have different preferences.

Over the course of the past few years, we have even reviewed and recommended a lot of watches, but it’s hard to find out the BEST smartwatch suited for you, without an in-depth comparison between them. 

So today, we are finally bringing a much-requested story for you guys – a detailed comparison of the Amazfit GTR 2 and the GTS 2 series. In this Gizmochina review & comparison of the Amazfit GT series, we compare all the watches from the GTR 2 and GTS 2 series, which is an excellent lineup of fully-functional watches in 2020. 

The brand Amazfit is one of the most professional smartwatch manufacturers in the market right now. Unlike other tech companies that have expensive wearable options, Huami’s watches have always offered great value for money with an excellent build quality. In 2020, they have put in a lot of effort in expanding their smartwatch lineups to offer modern features across multiple models, targeted at different groups of consumers. So you’ll definitely find at least one smartwatch that’s perfect for you.

Amazfit official offers 3 GTS 2e smartwatches as Giveaway gifts to our readers, the winners will be picked by Gleam randomly(Only Gizmochina Youtube channel subscribers will be selected as winners):

Giveaway: win 3 units Amazfit GTS 2e Smartwatches

Amazfit GTR 2 vs GTS 2 vs GTR 2e vs GTS 2e vs GTS Mini

And recently Amazfit expanded these two product lineups with their own cheaper models, the GTR 2e and the GTS 2e, both retaining the Essential core functionality from their more expensive siblings. The affordable variants come with stable endurance and a similar design. And instead of saying that the E-edition is the cheaper version, it’s better to call them the ‘Essential version’. Because most of the important features are reserved from the original standard version, and the E editions even add a temperature sensor that was absent on the Standard models. In addition to the E editions, Amazfit released an even cheaper model, the GTS 2 mini, which is also one of the highlights of the series updates, and an LTE version for the GTR 2, which adds LTE function to offer an independent phone-free experience to its users.

So in this review, let’s find out how exactly the 4 versions differ from each other (and also the GTS 2 Mini) and which one should be your pick. Before we start, it’s worth mentioning that the Amazfit GT series is likely the world’s most extensive smartwatch series right now. Among the models available in the lineup, there’s going to be at least one ideal smartwatch for you. 

GTR 2 vs GTS 2 Design

First, let’s look at the GTR 2 and the GTS 2. The original Amazfit GTR 2 and GTS 2 shared almost all the same functions except for their appearances and the battery life. 

The Amazfit GTR 2 comes in two versions – Classic and Sports. The Classic version has a stainless steel case and leather straps while the Sports version has an aluminum alloy case and silicone straps. Both are covered with 3D curved glass that fuses with the frame at the edges. As for the GTS 2, it only comes in one version which is similar to the sport version of the GTR 2, featuring an aluminum alloy case and silicone straps with 3D curved glass covered.

The display is the biggest difference between the GTR 2 and the GTS 2. The GTR 2 features a 1.39-inch round AMOLED display with a decent resolution, while the GTS 2 has a 1.69-inch rectangular one with a 341ppi resolution. Both of them support a plethora of sports modes – 90 modes and features almost all the latest sensors for a smartwatch, no matter for health or daily life uses. And their biggest highlight should be the blood-oxygen monitoring solution. While features like Wi-Fi connectivity and the storage functions mainly for music playback are absent on the E version. 

The GTR 2e and GTS 2e are like the twins of the GTR 2 and GTS 2, and their almost identical looks could make it hard to tell what the difference is. 

What do they sacrifice for their cheaper prices and also what do they retain? 

Amazfit GTS 2 vs 2e

As you can see, at first glance, from the dial shape and size to the strap, the 2 and the 2e are really almost identical in appearance. If we had to nitpick the differences in their appearances, note that the 2e has a black bezel that’s closer to a silver color, while the GTR 2 model looks closer to solid black. And the GTR2 dial has a little more scale than the 2e around the dial edges. 

If you don’t look at their specs on paper, you won’t even notice that the GTS 2e is 0.15mm thicker than its big brother, the GTS 2. The only difference that can be seen at a glance is perhaps the material of the bezel. Although the frame is made of the same aluminum alloy, its bezel is not as stunning as the glossy bezel of the golden version of GTS 2, which is a bit like the design of the new iPhone. But not all the GTS 2 models have glossy processing. The other two colors apply a similar matte finish as what we saw on the 2e. 

GTR 2 vs 2e

A design comparison between GTR 2e and GTR 2 also reveals a similar situation. The GTR 2 that I have in my hand is the sports edition, having a metal frame with a matte finish. Compared to GTR 2, the GTR 2e’s size in all dimensions increases by 0.1mm. Other than that, there is no visible difference. As for the watch display, the GTS 2e and the GTR 2e are covered with 2.5D glass, so their front faces are actually a bit flatter than their more expensive siblings. But still the same, it’s not easily perceivable to the naked eyes.

So you don’t have to worry about the ‘2e’ editions compromising in terms of design or build quality.

GTR 2e & GTS 2e: Changes

Since there are no major changes in appearance, let’s talk about what’s missing from the 2Es compared to the GTR and GTS 2. 

The 2e models remove the speaker and consequently, cannot have independent music playback. But you can still control your phone’s music playback on the 2e watches. Also, it doesn’t support Bluetooth calls without the speaker and only offers call alerts. Other than that, the 2e models have all the features on the series 2. Even when you look at the sensors equipped on the 2e models, you will find that in addition to all the sensors that were equipped on the GTR and GTS 2 models, like the blood-oxygen sensor, acceleration sensor, gyroscope sensor, geomagnetic sensor, ambient light sensor, and air pressure sensor, the 2E models in fact come with an additional temperature sensor. 

It’s the first time that we are seeing such a temperature sensor on a smartwatch product. Both the GTR 2e and the GTS 2e can measure the temperature of the contact area. For example, place the watch in the air to measure the current ambient temperature, or wear the watch on the wrist to measure the wrist-skin temperature. And in order to obtain a more accurate temperature value, make sure that the watch continues measuring the contact area for more than 15 minutes. 

However, it should be noted that the temperature of the skin isn’t the same as body temperature and is also easily affected by external conditions, so the measurement results are for reference only and not for medical purposes. Just remember that it still cannot replace your medical thermometer. 

GTR/GTS 2e models have a Long Battery life

Another advantage of the “E” models should be their battery performance. Both 2e models can last twice as long as their predecessors with the same battery capacity. Specifically, under typical usage scenario, the GTS 2e can last for 14 days, while the GTR 2e can last for even 24 days. And under basic usage scenarios where we only use the watch to check the time, the GTR 2e can have up to a 45-day battery on a single charge, which is still 7 days longer than the GTR 2’s maximum life. For the GTS 2e, due to the size limits, the smaller 341mAh battery still can run for 24 days. Considering its compact design, the results are not bad at all. 

And even now, it’s really impressive that both the 2e models have been working effectively without running out of power since the unboxing several days ago. For the review, it should be known that we turned on almost all the essential features and tested the watches to simulate our daily uses.  

With the two advantages of longer battery life and a new temperature measuring sensor, the cheaper GTS 2e and the GTR 2e can even be recommended over the standard 2 series models for certain users. 

Amazfit GTR 2, GTS 2, GTR 2e, GTS 2e: Features 

Now let’s come back to the features that are shared by the whole family of GTR 2 and GTS 2 SERIES. On lighting-up the watch, a changeable watch face is shown up with a decent resolution. Right now, Amazfit offers over 50 watch faces and over 30 patterns of Always-on-display for each watch, and Amazfit has promised that more watch faces will be available on its store in the future. And for always-on-display, Users are allowed to switch off this feature for longer battery life, or just turn on the smart mode that switches off AOD when it detects a sleeping state or when it’s not worn on the wrist.

Amazfit GT family: User Interface

The operation UI is the same for all four watches. Take the GTS 2e as an example.

Swipe down to call out the menu bar, swipe up to call out the notification center, and left and right are for customized features pages. The feature pages are able to be customized through the official App on the phone. And let’s follow all these pages to see what common features that Amazfit has given to all the GTR and GTS 2 watches. The first page shown on the dial has tri-color-circles, which represent your progress of the daily goals for steps and calories. When the watch pairs to the mobile app it will let you set the target value of your health goals, with which you can monitor your daily activities to make sure that you get good exercise every day. And you can check more health data through your phone and set up a target as a way to motivate yourself to exercise hard every day. 

A dedicated page in the UI shows the real-time heart rate data. And then if you swipe down from that page, there is more information showing the heart rate zone, which is more intuitive, helping you maintain your exercise states with your heart rate. For example, if you just want to lose weight, you can manage your heart rate to stay in the states of Fat Burning and Aerobic between 120 and 150. 

And then it’s the music page. For the GTR 2 and the GTS 2, you could slide down to view music lists and choose the audio source whether to play music independently or to play the music on your phone. Meanwhile, the exclusive speaker allows the watch to play audio without connecting wireless earbuds, which, however, consumes more power. For music playback, connecting to wireless earbuds is recommended. 

Without the function of independent music playback (no internal storage) like the GTR 2 and the GTS 2, the 2e models can only control the volume and song switch on your smartphone, but to be honest, under most conditions, it doesn’t affect the experience at all. Then swipe again to the weather page, which shows today’s weather, temperature, humidity, and so on. And sliding down you will see brief weather forecasts for the next few days.

PAI Indicator

And the next page is Amazfit’s special PAI indicator, a health assessment system that has been in place since the first generation of the GTR and the GTS series. PAI is a personal physiological activity indicator based on heart rate data, daily activity intensity, and other health data. All the complicated information is converted into an intuitive PAI value to help you easily understand your health conditions. High PAI values indicate that users are more likely to live a healthy lifestyle which can effectively reduce the risk of heart diseases.

The last page that can be reached directly by sliding from the watch face to the left is an integrated shortcut interface. It shows all the basic data that we mentioned above. You can jump to the page shown on the shortcuts with just one click. 

Blood Oxygen Measurement & Stress Index

There is another important feature that we haven’t mentioned, which is blood oxygen saturation detection. It’s one of the latest features for smartwatch products. For those who stay indoors for a long period or work with high intensity, the results of Oxygen saturation detection could help determine whether you should take a break.

Another health index that is available in the Amazfit watches is the stress index. It’s calculated by the change in heart rate variability values, which indicates your real-time stress level as a reference. And accordingly, you may need proper rest if you have a high-stress index. 

Sports Modes & GPS

So far, all the four watches have supported up to 90 sports modes monitoring, which should be enough for most people. As a smartwatch, the built-in GPS is an important feature that can significantly improve user experience during exercise monitoring. Both the watches can provide a decent accuracy while running.

In addition to the regular exercise features, I believe most of you are concerned about its waterproofness. For the entire GTR and GTS series, the 5ATM water-resistance allows users to wear it for swimming. But just pay attention to the strap you use. Genuine leather or leather straps cannot be worn for swimming and always remember to wear the watch with the included silicone strap when swimming.

After figuring out their similarities and differences among the GTR families, I believe that you guys should already know which version is suitable for you. 

No doubt that the 2e models exceed our expectations especially since we initially considered them as cheaper models without some features from the standard models. Instead, they’re more like upgraded models that remove some inconsequential features without affecting essential experience, featuring improved battery performance and also a new temperature sensor.

If you are still confused about whether to buy a GTR 2e or GTS 2e, how about asking yourself a question: A lighter square dial with shorter battery life or a round dial with longer battery life? Other than that, there is no more difference between the GTR 2e and the GTS 2e.

Since the emergence of smartwatches led by the Apple watch, square watches have also started to become a mainstream design. It represents technological sense and fashion, while the round design is more classic and easier to match your outfit. And as you can see, Amazfit offers the best of both worlds to users. So there’s no need to be confused about their functionalities. As smartwatches, all these four watches’ effective performance is really impressive. All you need is to follow your own taste.   

Amazfit GTS 2 Mini

If you are still searching for a multi-functional smartwatch for a lower price, there’s a new model that joined the GTS family recently, which is the GTS 2 Mini. For the GTS 2 mini, you still can enjoy almost all the essential features we mentioned. Compared to the GTS 2, the mini slightly size-down the display to 1.55 inches with a relatively lower resolution. And consequently, it only weighs 19.5g. Although the battery capacity is reduced even further, we still can have better battery life performance than the GTS 2 since it has removed some features. Other than that, it’s almost the same as what the GTS 2e offers. What’s surprising is that it’s the only model among the whole series that has a feature of women’s health tracking. So to be honest, for those female users who don’t want a smartwatch for heavy-use, the mini is the most recommended.  

So far we’ve introduced the most recommended 5 models of the GTR 2 and GTS 2 family. But there is one more version that we haven’t talked about, the GTR 2 LTE. It’s a special version that was developed for those who require LTE calls on the watch. Other than that, all the features are almost the same as the GTR 2. 

So that was our Amazfit GTR & GTS 2 family comparison. We hope this video helps you to make a decision about which Amazfit model to pick. 

RELATED: 

• Amazfit GTS 2e and Amazfit GTR 2e announced at CES 2021; GTR 2 LTE coming later
• Battle for your wrist: Amazfit GTR 2 versus Amazfit GTR 2e
• With the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini, there’s no compelling reason to get the Amazfit GTS 2