Amazfit GTS 3 Review: Looks Prim and Works Properly, But…

As Huami is now Zepp Health, its lead product brand Amazfit has also gotten rejuvenated with a new logo and slogan (viz. #upyourgame). These were revealed at the launch of the GT3 lineup. There are three new watches this time around, namely GTS 3, GTR 3, and GTR 3 Pro. While the former two are a generational refresh with new bells and whistles, the lattermost is, as the name suggests, the Pro and premium one of the lot.

Anyways, out of the three, we have got our hands on the GTS model. It flaunts a slim and sleek build with a squarish design, a navigation crown, AMOLED display, 150 sports modes, and requisite health trackers like SpO2, heart rate, etc.

Now for the past week or so, I have been wearing it and assessing how well it accesses my wealth vis-à-vis my health. And the entire account is narrated here in this Smartprix review of the Amazfit GTS 3.

Navigate this review

Unboxing | Specs and Price | Design and Build | Display and Pairing | Performance and Power | Review Verdict

Amazfit GTS 3 Unboxing

GTS 3 comes in a square box with a unique compartmental structure inside. Taking it all apart, you get:

• Watch with band
• Charging base
• Instruction manual

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Amazfit GTS 3 Specs and Price in India

Screen: 1.75″ 390×450 resolution, up to 1,000 nits, touchscreen
Colors: Graphite Black, Terra Rose, and Ivory White
Body: Aluminum Alloy Chassis with 20mm Silicone rubber strap
Dimensions and Weight: 42.4x36x8.8 mm（with wrist strap) and 24.4g (with wrist strap）
Water resistance: 5ATM
Sensors: BioTracker PPG 3.0 optical heart rate, SpO2
Processor: RTOS based ZeppOS UI
Battery: 250 mAh with Magnetic 2-pins Pogo Pin
Amazfit GTS 3 Price: INR 13,999

Amazfit GTS 3 Design and Build

Amazfit GTS 3 is light at just 24.4 grams and lean at 8.8mm. Moreover, the aluminum-alloy body, the silicone strap, and that eye-catching Ivory White (Golden-esque) accent — all of which make it feel posh and comfortable on the wrist. You can choose the Black or White options too.

The squircle screen is engulfed by noticeable black borders, although with the right dial face, you can conceal it. There is tempered glass protection on top with oleophobic properties. More on the display later.

Anyways, on the flip side, you’ll see the optical sensors and the charging sockets. Towards the top and bottom, there are the detachable 20mm silicone straps. The release mechanism works fine if you want to swap in other bands. But the chances are less as the fit and finish of the given strap set is such that it wasn’t perspiring or anything in longer usage. By the by, you can take the GTS 3 out for a swim thanks to 5ATM water resistance. There is no mention of dust protection though.

Lastly, by the right-hand side, there is a classic rotational crown that can be used for navigation. It feels sturdy and offers decent vibration feedback. Fruitful. However, speaking of fruit, this grows its similarity to another popular smartwatch you may know.

Moving on…

Note: The images of the watch in the article are shot on a phone. The actual screen visuals appear better in person.

Amazfit GTS 3 Display and Pairing

We have already talked about the squarish shape, the surrounding bezels, the shield on top, and the anti-fingerprint coating. What we haven’t is the 1.75-inch with 390 X 450-pixel resolution and 341 PPI. It is bigger in size and offers a 72.64% screen-to-body ratio. It is AMOLED in type with a peak luminance of 1000 nits. So, it can get amply legible outdoors while being bright and vibrant in general use. The auto-brightness works fine too. If you want, there is Always on Display, but since the raise-to-wake feature works swiftly, and AOD eats up the battery, I had it turned off.

Swiping and tapping on the surface, across the surface is smooth. No issues there either. The option to switch between hundreds of dial faces (150+ from the store incl 15 animated ones) is also fun. Although only 12 can be kept in stock on the watch. Not just that, the option to set your own photo or edit custom watch faces (12 in total) can be something you like. The iconography of various on-screen elements is colorful as well.

Now to interface with this display and other underlying utilities, you have to first pair the thing with your smartphone. The process is simple as scanning a QR Code. You can use the Zepp app (available on both iOS and Android) for this process.

Let’s now get into other connectivity and UI features of the GTS 3.

Amazfit GTS 3 Performance and Power

Amazfit GTS 3 presents timely notifications from the phone. This works over Bluetooth 5.1 connection. Btw, there is no WiFi option or means to reply to notifications or attend/make calls. But it packs GPS and four other navigation systems. It also ships with sensors for Acceleration, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic, Barometric, Ambient Light, and Temperature.

Coming to fitness features, you get 150+ sports modes, some of which (outdoor running, walking, indoor walking, treadmill, outdoor cycling, rowing machine, elliptical, pool swimming) trigger auto-monitoring as soon as you start the activity. Convenient.

Then there is the proprietary 6PD (six photodiodes) BioTracker PPG 3.0 sensor which optically scans, logs, and analyzes health parameters like heart rate (with the option to set zones) and blood oxygen saturation. These two things can be monitored 24×7 automatically and the watch will alert you of any irregularities too. Heck, with a single tap, you can measure them, stress levels, and breathing rate at once. Take things one step further with the PAI assessment which takes all these factors into consideration and presents an overview score. That’s a traditional feature of Zepp wearables.

Even aspects like sleep analysis with sleep stages and the ability to detect daytime naps work alright and can be helpful in your wellbeing. Oo, there’s a menstrual period tracker too in the mix for female users.

Now, the recordings were acceptably accurate. For instance, I had compared SpO2 stats with an actual pulse oximeter, step counting with a manual count, and sleep timings with my phone. Again, to reiterate, the results were comparable.

You can have a look at your health records from the watch neatly and colorfully presented within the Zepp app. But the cool factor of GTS 3 is that it holds many of these presentations on its screen itself. So, you don’t always have to grab the phone.

As for the ‘Smart’ features, the highlight is commanding Alexa for basic tasks like setting an alarm or getting answers to your questions from the web (using the phone’s internet). The response for the latter would be textual since there is no speaker here. It isn’t something I’d use. But, you might. So, accordingly, it can be great or gimmicky.

There are of course the usuals like music playback control (but no in-built storage), remote camera shutter, weather data, Pomodoro Timer, Find Phone, etc.

Finally, after using all of these for about 5 days, the battery discharged to 55-percent. Meanwhile, Amazfit claims a 12-day runtime from this smart timepiece. Sure, that is lab-based data and real-world endurance is likely to differ. However, since the 250mAh cell isn’t that big (possibly to maintain the slim form factor), it’s better to temper expectations. So, depending on what all settings and sensors you put to use, the battery life could be more or less. In any case, the bundled magnetic Pogo Pin-based charger can fill 0 to 100 in 2 hours. Also, if you ever need it, there is a battery saver mode that disables everything except step and sleep tracking.

So, the long and short of it is —

Verdict: Should you buy Amazfit GTS 3?

For a wristwatch, Amazfit GTS 3 definitely appears and feels premium. The emphasis is clearly on being fashionable and perhaps that’s what you are mainly paying for. That includes the classy crown, AMOLED panel, the large library of dial faces, gorgeous ZeppOS UI, and the Zepp app interface. Looks aside, the given goodies such as 150+ sports modes (backed by GPS and other sensors) along with an all-day heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and other wellbeing trackers also work alright. All these are well put together. But, the battery size could’ve been bigger, and there are certain features you’d expect for the price like a reply to notifications, a mic plus speaker combo to make or receive calls, etc, which are missing here. Also, if somebody wants a Wear OS-kind of app-ecosystem, then that’s too an area where Zepp OS falls short. The good thing is that it has a respectable collection of mini-apps at the moment and with the forthcoming liberation of a web-based developer kit to the public, things might improve even more.

So to conclude, GTS 3 looks prim, and works properly, at least in terms of what’s on offer. It is priced at ₹13,999 a pop and before you proceed, take a second look at the following reasons to buy or not and weigh your options accordingly.

Amazfit GTS 3 FAQ

Q. Does Amazfit GTS 3 comes with Gorilla Glass protection?

A. No, it only comes with a Tempered Glass shield on top with smudge resistance.

Q. What is the ingress protection or IP rating on Amazfit GTS 3?

A. Amazfit GTS 3 boasts 5ATM water resistance, but no dust protection.

Q. Does Amazfit GTS 3 have GPS?

A. Yes, Amazfit GTS 3 does support built-in GPS.

Q. Does Amazfit GTS 3 have an Always-on Display?

A. Yes, Amazfit GTS 3 does have an Always-on display.

Q. Can you take calls on Amazfit GTS 3?

A. No, you cannot make and receive calls on the Amazfit GTS 3.

Q. Can you replace the straps of the Amazfit GTS 3o?

A. Yes, you can quickly release the current strap of Amazfit GTS 3 and replace it with other 20mm bands you have.

Q. Does Amazfit GTS 3 have an oximeter?

A. Yes, Amazfit GTS 3 has a SpO2 meter inside.