Amazfit GTS smartwatch: Looks, substance fail to make up for software snags

It has not been long since Chinese smartwatch maker Huami’s much-appreciated Amazfit GTR was launched. The company’s new offering, the Amazfit GTS, does possess an elegant look and sport one of the brightest screens in the segment. It appears to be a promising entry in the price range sitting just above the budget segment. But does it have all the makings of a great smartwatch? We used the watch for a few weeks to see if it is only looks or does it have commensurate substance, too. Here's what we discovered about this Apple Watch lookalike:

Design and display

Bulky smartwatches stuffed with too much features are a turn off. Amazfit GTS doesn't follow any of it. Its square display may not be what you expect in a smartwatch, but it does enhance the overall look of the watch and the silicone strap is one of the best we have seen.

Also, unlike most feature-laden smartwatches in budget and mid-range segments, this one has a great battery life.

With a metal-and-polymer body, the watch has a sturdy bottom. The sensors sit at the back and there is a single button that wakes up the screen and brings up activity menu on long press. Apart from these two functions, it doesn't have any other role.

The Amazfit GTS will be loved by those who like it comfortable and light (25 gm) with a very crisp display. The 1.65-inch AMOLED panel has a 348 x 442 resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with curved edges. The touch response is great, too, and there are slim bezels surrounding the screen.

There are several watch faces with customisation, but we found one of the default watch faces (pictured above) quite useful.

Besides accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart rate tracker, there's built-in GPS. It has the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and is waterproof up to 5 ATM.

Performance

We used the watch with an iPhone and it seemed to work well. But the initial set-up and updates took time.

When we switched to an Android phone, however, some issues started surfacing. We chose to postpone an update due to lack of time, and discovered the watch was not behaving as expected: It kept restarting and wouldn't charge.

We had to ultimately reset the watch and begin the setup again. After pairing it to a new phone, the notifications didn't work well; we hardly got any. But we were able to put voice calls on silent mode or reject them. We could control music using the app but we couldn't do that after pairing it to a new phone.

The watch has 12 sports modes for indoor and outdoor activities. The GPS works well, but the heart-rate sensor is satisfactory at best. Also, for several features and settings, you would require the Amazfit app.

There were times when we couldn't start a sport mode, as the watch wouldn't accept the command. The tracking was well on spot. We used the watch for a few exercise sessions and got a detailed record of the activity.

Battery

This is an area where you would have no complaints from this smartwatch. The battery life is terrific. It sports a 220mAh battery and the smartwatch lasts for about a week with tracking and GPS mode on. It doesn't take long to charge the smartwatch.

Verdict

The Huami Amazfit GTS is an interesting wearable and carries a competitive price tag. The watch fares well when it comes to tracking fitness metrics, but we faced several software-related issues. We tried basic fixes, with some success. An update would probably fix some of the issues.

Priced at Rs 9,999, Amazfit GTS is a promising product. But its software issues can be irritating sometimes. The watch may amaze the beginners, but serious athletes and those who have used smartwatches before might not be too impressed, given the challenges the watch throws.