fancycrave1 / PixabayApple Watch remains the gold standard in the wearable device industry. A number of vendors have tried to steal customers away from Apple Watch by offering more affordable devices with premium features. Now Chinese vendor Huami has launched a budget-friendly sports watch called Amazfit GTR, which is jam-packed with exciting features. Let’s check out how it stacks up against the Apple Watch Series 4 in terms of features, specs, and pricing.
Amazfit GTR vs Apple Watch Series 4: Design and display
Huami’s Amazfit GTR smartwatch has a round dial. It comes in two different sizes of 42mm and 47mm. The 42mm model sports a 1.2-inch AMOLED display with 390 x 390 resolution. The 47mm version has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with 454 x 454 resolution. They offer an impressive 326ppi of pixel density. Both models have their displays protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3.
The 42mm version is available in black, white, red, and pink colors. There is also a Swarovski edition that has 60 Swarovski crystals in its rounded bezels. The 47mm version is available in stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium versions. Huami has also launched a special Iron Man edition of the 47mm model with red silicone strap, a golden body, a black matte ceramic bezel, and an Iron Man-themed face.
The Amazfit GTR comes with 5ATM rating for water and dust-resistance, meaning it can survive being submerged in up to 50 meters deep water. The Series 4 Apple Watch is also water-resistant up to a depth of 50 meters.
The Apple Watch Series 4 comes in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm. The 44mm version has a resolution of 368 x 448 pixels and total display area of 977 sq mm. The smaller 40mm model offers 324 x 394 pixels resolution and display area of 759 sq mm.
The Apple Watch Series 4’s back panel is made of black ceramic and sapphire crystal. It allows radio waves to pass through the front and back with less resistance, improving cellular reception. The Digital Crown provides haptic feedback, offering you a more mechanical and responsive feel through a comforting click. The Digital Crown has an LTE red dot indicator ring.
The Series 4 Apple Watch comes in three aluminum finishes of Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The cellular version of the device is also available with stainless steel finish in Space Black, Silver, and Gold.
Internal specifications
Despite being far more affordable than Apple Watch, the Amazfit GTR packs impressive hardware specs. It supports NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 technology, GPS, and GLONASS. It also includes a PPG sensor for optical heart rate sensing. Other sensors include an ambient light sensor, 3-axis geomagnetic sensor, air pressure sensor, capacity sensor, and 6-axis accelerometer.
The Amazfit GTR supports both Android and iOS devices. It is compatible with iOS 10 and above, and Android 5.0 Lollipop and above. The device is capable of delivering event reminders, notifications, incoming texts, and calls. It also shows a compass, music information from the connected smartphone, and weather information.
Unlike the Apple Watch Series 4, it lacks a loudspeaker. Also, there is no cellular version of the Amazfit GTR. Huami’s device uses Sony’s 28nm ultra-low power consumption GPS chip, which consumes only a third of the power consumed by similar GPS chips.
The Apple Watch Series 4 features an impressive loudspeaker and a microphone. These features make the Watch much better than its predecessor for making phone calls, using Siri and Walkie-Talkie. For the uninitiated, Walkie-Talkie is a watch-to-watch connection that allows you to communicate with your friends over cellular or WiFi.
The Series 4 also has a 64-bit dual-core S4 chip. Apple claims the processor is up to two times faster than the S3 chip inside the Series 3 Watch. The Series 4 also comes with an improved gyroscope and accelerometer. It features Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, ambient light sensor, GymKit, and an optical heart rate sensor.
The Apple Watch Series 4 comes with optional cellular support, which allows users to make phone calls, send texts, and stream music even without a connected phone.
Battery life
This is where the Amazfit GTR truly shines. The 42mm model comes with a 195mAh battery. It promises up to 12 days of battery life with normal usage and up to 34 days if you use it in the “basic watch mode.” If you go for the larger 47mm version, it gets you a 410mAh battery. It offers 24 days of battery life with normal usage and up to 74 days of “basic watch” functionality.
Battery life continues to be a disappointment on the Apple Watch Series 4. It has the same 18 hours of battery life as its predecessor. However, Apple promises outdoor workout battery life of six hours with full GPS tracking. Even in the best case scenario, you have to charge the Series 4 Watch every two days.
Health & fitness tracking
The Amazfit GTR features a DualHeaTeck technology that supports 24/7 heart rate monitoring with minimal power consumption. It also gives you abnormal heart rate warnings. It sends sedentary reminders when you have been inactive for too long, reminding you to get up and move around.
Huami’s wearable device supports 12 sports modes including outdoor running, walking, indoor running, outdoor riding, swimming in the pool, open water swimming, mountaineering, trail running, and elliptical machine.
The Apple Watch Series 4 supports yoga workouts, a hiking mode, swimming, walking, jogging, cycling, and more. The Series 4 features an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. It has electrodes built into the Digital Crown and an electrical heart rate sensor embedded in the back sapphire crystal.
When you place your finger on the Digital Crown, it can measure the rhythm of your heart. The ECG app can detect whether your heart is beating in a normal pattern or whether you have symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). The Watch keeps all the recordings and associated data in the Health app that you can share with your physician. The US FDA has already granted approval for the Series 4 Watch to be considered a medical device.
Another major feature of the Series 4 Watch is Fall Detection. It can detect when you have fallen over. The feature uses a variety of sensors and algorithms to identify when hard falls occur. Upon detecting a hard fall, the Watch will send you a notification, which you can dismiss or use to initiate a 911 call. If you remain immobile for 60 seconds after the hard fall, the Watch will automatically call the emergency services. It will also send a message along with your location to emergency contacts.
Pricing and availability
Huami has priced its wearable device aggressively. The 42mm model has been priced at just CNY 799 ($115) in China. The 42mm Swarovski edition costs CNY 999 ($145). The 47mm model starts at CNY 999 for the aluminum and stainless steel versions. If you want the titanium or Iron Man edition, it’s going to cost you CNY 1399.
The Amazfit GTR is already available in China, and will soon go on sale in other markets. The 47mm version is currently listed on Gearbest for $150.
Apple has priced the GPS version of Series 4 at $399. The GPS+cellular version is going to set you back by $499. That’s way too expensive compared to Amazfit GTR. If you are platform-agnostic or an Android user, the Amazfit GTR is hard to beat.
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