IFA 2022 – Amazfit emphasizes GPS accuracy for its GTR 4, GTS 4 and GTS 4 Mini smartwatches

Renowned for its watches at good value for money, Amazfit is renewing the three models of its main range. We were able to discover them on the manufacturer’s stand during our trip to the IFA 2022 show in Berlin. The opportunity to appreciate the progress in terms of finish and display, failing to be able to see improvements in the sensors and try the main novelty put forward for this fourth generation: the circular polarization GPS antenna, announced as very precise.

GPS positioning announced as much more precise

For this fourth generation, Amazfit indeed seems determined to make people forget the poor precision of the GPS chips of its previous models. We noted during our test of the GTR 3 Pro a tendency of the route obtained by the watch to cut through buildings, a sign of poor GPS reception. A defect which could therefore be ancient history if the new circular polarization antenna turns out to be more sensitive and less directional. Knowing that the GPS chip is also dual-band, we hope that it will be more comfortable in town and in the forest.

Regarding GPS navigation, the GTR 4 and GTS 4 will get through an update the ability to follow routes imported from the Zepp application (GPX files a priori).

More complete and automatic sports functions

Apart from their different design — round for the GTR 4, rectangular for the GTS 4 — these 2 Amazfit watches share the same features. There are 150 sports modes, 8 of which are automatically recognized, as well as a new advanced Track Run mode and a new Golf Swing mode. Interval training is also available for 10 different sports.

These new watches are also able to recognize 15 bodybuilding exercises and automatically count repetitions, series and rest time, so you don’t have to worry about anything other than your training. The GTR 4 and GTS 4 also benefit from a PeakBeats training state algorithm, providing in particular a VO2 Max score and other parameters calculated from the sport and health measurements they have carried out.

Workouts recorded by the watch can be exported to Strava and Adidas Running.

Lightweight and widescreen

Technically, the GTR 4 is the largest (46 x 46 x 12.4 mm) of the three watches. The materials of its case (polycarbonate and aluminum) allow it to display a certain lightness (34 g, excluding bracelet). Question display, the GTR 4 benefits from a 1.43 “Amoled screen, with a definition of 466 x 466 px (326 dpi), protected by tempered glass.

For its part, the GTS 4 passes below the bar of 10 mm thick (9.9 mm) and weighs only 27 g (excluding bracelet), also using aluminum and polycarbonate for its case. This does not prevent it from carrying a large 1.75 “Amoled screen (341 ppi), occupying 72.8% of the front panel, according to Amazfit.

Improved heart rate tracking

Regarding the health aspect, there is a PPG BioTracker 4.0 optical sensor to measure heart rate and SpO2. This gains a second led to collect more data (+33%, according to Amazfit). A better heart rate tracking algorithm would reduce signal interference caused by wrist movements during exercise. Amazfit goes so far as to announce “almost equivalent heart rate tracking to heart rate monitors“. Some recent watches are capable of this, especially from Apple or even Huawei and Samsung to a lesser extent. We can hope that Amazfit watches come back to the level, because it was not the strong point of generation 3.

At the level of sleep monitoring, Amazfit specifies that it is now possible to define periods and times of sleep, so that the watches are in particular able to detect sleep for someone who would sleep during the day, in the event of work of night for example.

Up to 15 days of battery life… for the Mini version!

In terms of autonomy, the GTR 4 could operate for 14 days in conventional use, thanks to a 475 mAh battery, while the GTS 4 would exceed a week of use (up to 8 days).

Good autonomy that the GTS 4 Mini would be surprisingly capable of exceeding despite its small size, bringing the operating time to 15 days in classic use and up to 45 days in economy mode.

The most compact of the 3 Amazfit watches, however, weighs only 19 g (excluding strap) and does not exceed 9.1 mm in thickness, only allowing the integration of a small 270 mAh battery. Despite this reduced capacity, even lower than that of a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 40 mm, the GTS 4 Mini would thus be more than 10 times more autonomous than its Korean competitor. However, it benefits from a large 1.65 “screen (309 ppi), occupying 70.2% of the front panel, according to Amazfit.

Competitive rates

The Amazfit GTR 4 and GTS 4 smartwatches will be available from the 3rd week of October, at a price of €199.99. Three finishes will be offered for the first (Superspeed Black, Vintage Brown Leather and Racetrack Grey), while the second will be entitled to four (Infinite Black, Misty White, Autumn Brown and Rosebud Pink).

You won’t have to wait until the end of September to acquire the GTS 4 Mini, which will be marketed at the very attractive price of €99.99, also in four finishes (Midnight Black, Flamingo Pink, Mint Blue and Moonlight White).