Amazfit’s T-Rex Is So Powerful, It Would Take Dino-mite to Break It

The Amazfit T-Rex smartwatch is constructed to tackle the hardest challenges, which can (or could not) embrace surviving dinosaur assaults, ought to one take you without warning. Both approach, that is one sturdy watch, and Huami — the corporate behind the model — has been taking notes on design from one firm that is aware of how one can construct a powerful watch: Casio. Amazfit has already confirmed it doesn’t have an issue aping well-liked designs with the Apple Watch lookalike Amazfit GTS, and with the T-Rex, has clearly drawn inspiration from well-liked G-Shock fashions just like the GA-110 and GA-700.

The factor is, can it compete with not solely Casio’s excellent vary of ultra-tough watches, but additionally different powerful smartwatches? We’ve grappled with the T-Rex for a short while to seek out out.

Roaring design

The T-Rex’s physique is so powerful it has earned a MIL-STD-810G grade approval, which means it’ll operate even after being within the rain, below excessive warmth, excessive chilly, and being subjected to salt, dampness, and abrasive substances too. The watch is waterproof to 50 meters, and can be utilized when swimming. The bezel has a raised bumper to guard the 1.Three-inch AMOLED display, which can be coated in Gorilla Glass Three and an anti-fingerprint coating.

It is a large watch. The case measures 47mm, and the powerful exterior is emphasised by pretend screw heads, textured buttons, and chunky guard items surrounding the display too. The 22mm strap is versatile silicone and really stretchy. Whereas the strap is comfy, the physique itself is flat beneath, and as a result of watch’s measurement it stays noticeable in your wrist in the course of the day, by no means actually disappearing, as a well-fitting watch ought to.

Though the enticing display is brilliant and has a excessive decision at 360 x 360, the remainder of the watch seems to be fairly low-cost. It has the air of a G-Shock knockoff, proper right down to the equally styled watch dial faces, and that’s not a superb factor in any respect. Nevertheless, in one of many various camouflage colour schemes, the T-Rex does win again some much-needed persona. The usual black model is simply too generic. At 58 grams, the T-Rex isn’t heavy, regardless of the rugged seems to be.

Software program

Amazfit makes use of its personal software program for the T-Rex, simply because it does on its different smartwatches. The platform isn’t fairly as complete as Google’s WearOS, however does maintain its personal in opposition to software program like Huawei’s discovered on the Watch GT2 and the Honor MagicWatch 2. It delivers notifications, has an in depth and easy to make use of exercise system, and a clearly laid out settings display. It doesn’t run apps, and doesn’t have to. Like Huawei’s in-house software program, its simplicity ensures a protracted battery life. Huami guarantees as much as about 40 days, but it surely’s more likely to be a lot lower than this when utilizing the built-in GPS.

It’s fairly easy and speedy too — maybe extra so than the software program on the Amazfit GTS, though it’s nonetheless constructed round a collection of menus that contain quite a lot of swiping and scrolling. The one benefit the T-Rex has over different Amazfit watches is the G-Shock fashion buttons. These are clearly marked — up, down, choose, and again — and do assist with navigation. They’re simple to press too. Open the exercise app, utilizing the Choose button, and also you get the selection of 14 completely different exercise plans, starting from strolling, operating, and biking to swimming and snowboarding.

The watch has GPS inside, and a coronary heart price sensor on the again, which additionally gives alerts on coronary heart price abnormalities. Health and well being information is collated in Amazfit’s accompanying app, the place it’s also possible to select to sync completely different watch faces. These take some time to be utilized on the watch, so it may be a protracted course of selecting the best one for you. General, the software program expertise is sweet, however the menus, font alternative, and colour schemes can’t be thought of premium.

Extinction … rebel?

Amazfit’s premium GTS looks like 1,000,000 in comparison with the T-Rex, which gives the look it’s less expensive than the precise $140 price. To be clear, the standard of supplies and construct aren’t low-cost, it’s the spinoff design and lack of finesse in match and luxury that permit the T-Rex down. It truly is a little bit of a dinosaur, really, because it’s the kind of smartwatch we acquired used to seeing when smartwatches had been very new a couple of years in the past.

It’s going to wish each little bit of that T-Rex ferociousness to outlive, because the competitors may be very robust. It’s tricera-topped (sorry) by varied smartwatches from TicWatch, beginning with the TicWatch S2. This sturdy mannequin may be bought for just a bit extra at round $150, and comes with Google’s WearOS, giving entry to third-party apps and Google Match. It’s no higher wanting than the T-Rex, however it could be extra tempting to these invested in Google’s ecosystem.

Equally, the $200 TicWatch Professional makes use of an modern dual-screen system to enhance battery life, and shares the S2’s powerful physique too. The Honor MagicWatch 2 can be effectively priced, and whereas it’s not overly sturdy, it does have nice health and exercise help, plus a significantly extra enticing design.

The T-Rex’s sturdiness could show tempting if you would like a reasonable smartwatch that can resist some arduous remedy, however the uncomfortable match is disappointing, and the design seems to be low-cost and spinoff. The software program on the model we examined was not last, and though it appeared to work merely and and not using a downside, it’s not possible to touch upon on a regular basis reliability at this stage.

Amazfit will launch the T-Rex in January for $130, and the corporate sells its merchandise via Amazon.

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