Amazfit T-Rex 3: Budget Price, Premium Features โ The Ultimate Outdoor Smartwatch?๐
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is a fascinating smartwatch that has taken the market by storm. With a price tag of just $280, it offers a plethora of features that are typically found in much more expensive devices. From advanced health monitoring to robust outdoor navigation, the T-Rex 3 is packed with functionalities that make it a strong contender in the smartwatch arena. But how does it manage to offer so much at such a low price? In this in-depth review, weโll explore every aspect of the Amazfit T-Rex 3, from its design and build quality to its performance in real-world scenarios.
๐จ Design and Build Quality: Rugged Yet Refined
๐ก๏ธ A Robust Exterior for the Adventurous
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is designed with outdoor enthusiasts in mind. Its octagonal shape sets it apart from the typical circular or square designs weโre used to seeing in smartwatches. The watch features a stainless steel bezel that not only adds to its durability but also protects the Gorilla Glass screen from scratches and impacts. The rest of the case is made of plastic, which helps keep the weight down without compromising on strength.
๐ Water Resistance and Durability
One of the standout features of the T-Rex 3 is its 100-meter water resistance rating. This makes it suitable for a wide range of water activities, including swimming and even free diving. The watch is also designed to withstand extreme temperatures, making it a reliable companion for outdoor adventures in harsh environments.
โ Comfort and Wearability
Despite its rugged design, the T-Rex 3 is surprisingly comfortable to wear. The watch measures 48.5 millimeters in diameter and is about 13.75 millimeters thick, making it one of the larger smartwatches on the market. However, its lightweight construction and ergonomic strap design ensure that it fits snugly on the wrist. The standard strap features a patented enveloping design, but the watch also includes adapters that allow you to use any standard 22mm strap.
๐ฅ๏ธ Display: Bright, Sharp, and Functional
๐ AMOLED Screen with High Brightness
The T-Rex 3 boasts a 1.5-inch AMOLED display with a high pixel density, resulting in sharp and vibrant visuals. The screen is easily readable even under direct sunlight, thanks to its maximum brightness of 2000 nits. This makes it an excellent choice for outdoor activities where visibility is crucial.
๐ Night Mode for Comfortable Viewing
To reduce eye strain during nighttime use, the T-Rex 3 features a night mode that changes the screenโs theme to red, green, or orange. This not only makes the watch more pleasant to look at in low-light conditions but also helps preserve your circadian rhythm.
๐น๏ธ User Interface: Intuitive and Responsive
๐๏ธ Touchscreen and Physical Buttons
The T-Rex 3 offers a combination of touchscreen and physical button controls, making it versatile and easy to use. The touchscreen is responsive and allows for smooth navigation through menus and widgets. The four physical buttons are particularly useful during workouts when your hands might be sweaty or youโre wearing gloves.
๐ฑ Control Center and Widgets
Sliding your finger from the top of the screen brings up the control center, where you can adjust settings like brightness and activate airplane mode. Sliding up from the bottom reveals a series of widgets that provide quick access to information such as weather, workout history, and training load. You can navigate through these widgets using either the touchscreen or the physical buttons.
๐ Battery Life: Impressive Endurance
๐ Long-Lasting Battery
Amazfit claims that the T-Rex 3 can last up to 27 days with normal use and up to 13 days with intensive use. In real-world testing, the watch consistently delivered around a week of battery life with all features enabled, including continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation tracking, and skin temperature monitoring. This is still impressive, especially considering the watchโs extensive feature set.
๐ Activity Tracking and GPS Usage
When it comes to activity tracking, the T-Rex 3 offers up to 42 hours of battery life in its most precise dual-band GPS mode. In less precise modes, the battery can last up to 180 hours. During testing, the watch consumed around 3% of battery per hour with the always-on display enabled, resulting in approximately 30 hours of continuous use. While this falls short of the claimed 42 hours, itโs still a respectable performance.
๐ Charging Convenience
The T-Rex 3 uses a magnetic charging disc that attaches to the back of the watch and connects to a USB-C cable. This design is not only convenient but also makes it easy to carry the charger while traveling.
๐ฒ Smartwatch Features: Connectivity and Notifications
๐ฑ Compatibility with iOS and Android
The T-Rex 3 is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. It allows you to receive text messages and other notifications on your wrist. However, iPhone users are limited to receiving notifications and cannot respond to messages directly from the watch. Android users, on the other hand, can reply to messages using an on-screen keyboard, quick replies, or voice detection.
๐ฃ๏ธ Voice Commands with Zepp Flow
The watch features a voice command function called Zepp Flow, which allows you to perform tasks like setting alarms, checking the weather, and starting workouts. However, this feature requires a connection to your smartphone and does not support full-fledged voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant.
๐ Call Functionality
While the T-Rex 3 has a microphone, it lacks a speaker, so you cannot answer calls directly from the watch. This is a limitation worth noting for those who prioritize call functionality in a smartwatch.
๐ฅ Health Monitoring: Comprehensive and Accurate
โค๏ธ Heart Rate and Blood Oxygen Monitoring
The T-Rex 3 offers continuous heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen saturation tracking. These features are essential for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to keep a close eye on their health and performance.
๐ก๏ธ Skin Temperature and Sleep Tracking
The watch also monitors skin temperature and provides detailed sleep tracking, including sleep stages and a sleep score. While the sleep tracking is generally accurate, the sleep score can sometimes be inconsistent, especially when compared to how you feel after a nightโs rest.
๐ง Stress and Recovery Monitoring
The T-Rex 3 includes stress monitoring and a recovery score that takes into account factors like physical recovery, mental recovery, and sleep quality. While the recovery score is a useful metric, it may not always align with how you feel, particularly after a poor nightโs sleep.
๐ Sports and Fitness Tracking: Versatile and Detailed
๐๏ธโโ๏ธ Over 170 Training Modes
The T-Rex 3 supports over 170 training modes, covering everything from running and cycling to swimming and snow sports. It even includes a free diving mode for depths of up to 45 meters. The watch provides detailed data for each activity, including heart rate, calories burned, and GPS tracking.
๐ Running and Cycling Metrics
For runners, the T-Rex 3 offers metrics like cadence, stride length, and running power. Cyclists can benefit from data such as speed, cadence, and power output. However, the watchโs ability to automatically identify exercises during strength training could be more accurate.
๐บ๏ธ Maps and Navigation
One of the most impressive features of the T-Rex 3 is its offline maps with street and path labels. While the maps are not fully routable like those on Garmin devices, they are still highly useful for outdoor navigation. The watch also includes a Climb Pro-like feature that shows upcoming climbs on your route, helping you prepare for the effort ahead.
๐ ๏ธ Performance and Accuracy: Real-World Testing
๐ฐ๏ธ Dual-Band GPS Precision
The T-Rex 3 is equipped with a dual-band satellite chipset, which provides better accuracy in challenging environments like urban canyons or dense forests. In testing, the watch performed well in most conditions, though it occasionally struggled with high-speed curves and elevation tracking.
๐๏ธ Trail Running and Altimeter Accuracy
During a trail run in a challenging environment with lots of trees and rocky walls, the T-Rex 3 performed admirably, delivering accurate GPS data. However, there were some inconsistencies in elevation tracking, with the watch occasionally reporting higher elevations than actual.
๐ด Cycling and Power Meter Integration
The T-Rex 3 is compatible with external sensors, including heart rate monitors, speed and cadence sensors, and power meters. However, there were some issues with power meter data not syncing properly with Strava, which could be a drawback for serious cyclists.
๐ Conclusion: A Budget-Friendly Powerhouse
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is a remarkable smartwatch that offers a wide range of features at an affordable price. While it may not be a Garmin killer, it certainly gives other mid-range sports watches a run for their money. With its robust design, long battery life, and comprehensive health and fitness tracking, the T-Rex 3 is an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts and fitness buffs alike.
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