AMAZFIT GTS 2 MINI

 

AMAZFIT GTS 2 MINI KEY FEATURES

Works with Android and iOS

case 40 mm

1.55" AMOLED screen with 354 x 306 resolution

Water resistant up to 50 meters

View notifications and music controls

24/7 activity/sleep tracking

Built-in GPS

Optical heart rate monitor

SpO2

Price at time of review: $99.99 / £79.99

Buy it if… Possibly the best value for money place. The best sports and health tracking in a superior package. The only reason to consider spending more is the lack of decent health analysis and the lack of payments, LTE, and smart features.

 

 

The Amazfit GTS 3 is already on sale, but we still think the GTS 2 Mini is a smart buy. You get MP3 storage, wrist calling, and Alexa, but those features don't justify the $80 premium on our book.

 

Then there's the Amazfit GTS 2e, which keeps the bigger screen, doubles the battery life, and adds a temperature sensor. It didn't hold up in our review though.

 

What remains is the GTS 2 Mini, which, like three bears among smartwatches, does everything right.

 

First, it doesn't miss any key features, so you still get a heart rate monitor, 60 sports modes, GPS, stress and sleep tracking, SpO2, and an AMOLED screen. They are light, well made and really fit for a sports watch.

 

And then there is the price. At $99.99, that's almost half the price of the GTS 2. We described it in our review as the "top pick" with all the features, a good screen, and a killer price. What's not to like?

 

Biometrics accuracy is one of the criticisms, as is the app, which is nowhere near as polished as Apple or Fitbit. This is where devices like the Versa 3, Sense, and Apple Watch SE justify their price tag.

 

Also a few words about the GTR 2. It's a great looking smartwatch that does everything the GTS 2 can do. But at 47mm it's a big watch and it still raises questions about value for money. The GTR 2e is a smarter buy.

 

AMAZFIT BEEP U PRO

KEY FEATURES OF AMAZFIT BIP U PRO

Works with Android and iOS

plastic body 42mm

1.43" TFT display

Water resistant up to 50 meters

View notifications and music controls

24/7 activity/sleep tracking

Built-in GPS and optical heart rate monitor

Up to 15 days battery life/22 hours GPS battery life

Price at time of review: $69.99 / £59.99

Buy if... Smartwatches don't get better at this price. You get so much for your money, but the buyer beware of the cheap plastic build.

 

 

If value for money is your goal, then Amazfit Bip U Pro is the best you have. The 1.43-inch screen and body materials are a key downside of the GTS Mini (above), as it uses a TFT display instead of AMOLED. The result is a dimmer, duller, and more pixelated image.

 

Aside from the screen and materials, you get the same health features as the GTS lineup. It's a decent sleep and step tracker, and the Pro version has Alexa and GPS built in. If neither of these interests you, you can save even more money by choosing the standard Bip U.

 

As with the GTS line, you still get stress tracking, SpO2, and heart rate monitoring. Amazfit seems to be extremely reluctant to hide the key features of its budget devices, which begs the question "why pay more?"

 

In our detailed review, we were impressed with the Bip U Pro's value for money and performance - the overall feeling of being cheap is the only reason to opt for the more premium GTS 2 Mini.

 

FOSSIL GENERATION 6

 

FOSSIL GEN 6: FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS

Works with Android and iOS

Case size options 42mm and 44mm

1.28" always-on AMOLED screen

Powered by Wear OS - Wear 3.0 in 2022

Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ processor.

NFC for payments

GPS, heart rate monitor, SpO2 sensor

Speaker and microphone

Water resistant 3ATM (safe for swimming)

Price at time of review: $299.99 / £289.99

Buy it if... The Fossil Gen 6 is a trendy Wear OS smartwatch designed for the future with Wear 3.0. If you like the design, this is a smart buy for Android users.

 

The Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch is the latest generation of the fashion brand's smartwatch platform. It features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform, which delivers strong performance but doesn't add more than a day or two of battery life.

 

Wear OS 3.0 has already been confirmed to arrive in 2022.

 

This new version of Wear OS will kick-start Fossil, bringing new features, (presumably) better usability, (presumably) longer battery life, and Fitbit-based activity tracking.

 

The Gen 6 comes in seven different styles for both men and women, designed for those who prefer a sportier look or something better suited to formal occasions. Available in 44mm and 42mm case sizes, both of which feature 11.5mm thick stainless steel cases.

 

Both feature a 1.28-inch AMOLED touch display and, like previous Fossil smartwatches, feature a rotating crown and two programmable push buttons.

 

It adds an SpO2 sensor to monitor blood oxygen levels, a heart rate sensor, and a host of dedicated Fossil fitness tracking apps that build on Wear OS 2.0's patchy feature set.

 

In terms of battery life, you can still only count on 24 hours, but fast charging means 30 minutes will get you 80%.

 

If you like the look, then the forward looking Fossil Gen 6 is a great option.

 

TICWATCH E3

KEY FEATURES OF TICWATCH E3

Powered by Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor.

Will work with Wear OS 3

1.3" AMOLED display with 360 x 360 resolution

Google Pay and Google Assistant

1 GB RAM, 8 GB storage

Built-in GPS

Optical heart rate monitor

Blood oxygen monitoring

Case 44mm/32g

Price at time of review: $199.99 / £179.99

A reliable mid-range smartwatch with great potential thanks to the new Wear OS. But a long wait means competitors are easier to recommend.

 

The TicWatch E3 may seem like the mid-range Wear OS smartwatch we've seen countless times before, but it has a lot of potential to be a hit.

 

The price is great, and it includes the Snapdragon 4100 processor, which is the fastest and most advanced chip to power Wear OS devices today.

 

But that's not all: the TicWatch E3 is one of only two smartwatches that, with 100% confirmation, will be upgraded to the new Wear 3 version next year.

 

Others are the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and the upcoming (but unreleased) Fossil Gen 6 - so there's little choice and nothing in the mid-priced category.

 

We reviewed the TicWatch E3 with old-fashioned Wear OS 2.0, and right now it's not the best in the world. The specs of the 1.3-inch AMOLED screen are average, and it's not exactly a mainstay of classy design. It looks functional but has a lot of features including GPS and heart rate monitoring.

 

Mobvoi has added many apps including TicOxygen (blood oxygen tracking), TicBreathe (guided breathing), TicZen (mindfulness), TicHearing (noise level detection) and TicCare (health records).

 

The downsides are one-day battery life and a few accuracy issues with heart rate and workout tracking.

 

However, it's inexpensive and could get even better with the new Wear OS - but we'll only know that at some point in 2022. At the same time, devices like Amazfit GTS 2 or Huawei Watch GT2e are easier to recommend.