Amazfit GTR Mini long-term review: why pay more?

I’ve been using the Amazfit GTR Mini as my daily-driver smartwatch for over a month. Amazfit provided it to me for the test, with no influence on my assessment or the content. I’ve been a big fan of Amazfit smartwatches for a long time, because the value for money is right. These aren’t high-end smartwatches, but you should also ask yourself honestly whether you really go diving 5 km deep or need to communicate via satellite in the desert and want to pay a month’s salary for that. If you want a stylish smartwatch that works with Android and iOS, has a 14-day battery, tracks GPS, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen and workouts and notifies you of messages and calls, Amazfit is right for you and you pay a fraction of what Samsung or Apple cost. After the GTS 4, I’ve now tested the GTR Mini.

Design and display

What I especially like: the GTR Mini has a round rather than a square design.

The case and the small side button are stainless steel, and the rest of the case is plastic. On very close inspection I don’t like that as much, you can tell it’s not a smartphone, but who looks that closely. The weight is super low, I feel the watch on my wrist zero, even when sleeping. Finally a slimmer smartwatch for slimmer wrists and for everyone who likes it a bit more understated.

What I use it for

I read the time, set the egg timer, get notified of calls when my smartphone is buried in my handbag, and track workouts. On vacation that was great with the integrated GPS: I could record our hikes in the Dolomites and see where we went, how long it took us and what my average heart rate was. There are 126 sports modes in total, and some, like walking and running, are even detected automatically. The vibration motor is strong enough and the watch doesn’t rattle at all, which is a big plus at a €129 RRP.

Battery: 14 days

My highlight besides the slim design is the 280 mAh battery. It lasts 14 days, with sleep tracking, notifications and workout tracking. It’s so nice not to have to think about charging every day. That annoys me with the more expensive competition.

What it can’t do

The long battery life also has to do with the fact that no extensive apps can be installed.

• There are a few handy apps, such as a Pomodoro timer and an app for controlling the smartphone camera. There is no preview of the picture on the watch.
• The GTR Mini doesn’t run Wear OS. There is no Google Pay, Google Maps or similar apps.
• You can only respond to messages, for example from WhatsApp, with preset replies such as “ok”, “no”, “yes” or “I’ll get back to you later”. I wouldn’t want to reply on such a small watch anyway, but I know many of you would like to.
• There are hardly any free watch faces, but plenty you have to buy.

Verdict

I’m a very big fan of the Amazfit GTR Mini, just because of the design, size and low weight. For the manageable scenarios I use it for, it is perfectly sufficient. The 14 days of battery life are a blessing, and it’s easy on the wallet.