Tags: Review | Amazfit | Men's | Smart
1.7.2022 | 10 MIN | 10x comment
I will tell you a secret. I secretly have a crush on the Amazfit T-Rex 2. Did I not work where I do and didn't have access to unlimited amount of watches, I would probably buy a T-Rex watch. That's because I like affordable and reliable machines, which crush the metaphoric walls of the "price-performance ratio". The second generation of the T-Rex was born. Once again.
Battery life. When not using any demanding features, it lasts up to 24 days. But usually, it lasts around 10 days.
Accuracy of sensors. I was really pleasantly surprised by the GPS receiver and the heart-rate sensor. Both work amazing.
Display. Amazfit just knows what it's doing. But I still keep getting nicely surprised.
Training features. T-Rex is made for sporty people, and it is prominent in the sports modes list.
10.5.2021
Amazfit T-Rex Pro review – Rainy day friend and more
Sunk-in display. The display of the previous generation was really well sunk-in. But it is not so with this new model, and I'm afraid that it will be prone to scratches.
Heart rate measuring every minute. During exercise, the T-Rex measures your HR every second, however during the day, it measures only every minute.
Incompatibility with external sensors. Sporty people want sensors! I just want to run with a chest strap.
Navigation. We were told we would get it, but we didn't! Although we are supposed to get it with the help of an update.
The first generation was amazing, but the design... Well, let's just say no fashionista would put it on their wrist.
And to be fair, they probably wouldn't wear even the second generation, but having the choice, they would take the second generation.
The T-Rex 2 has a better imitation of metal (the case is polymer alloy), and an amateur would probably not even notice it is plastic. What helps is the light metallic layer. The only metal part are the buttons, which even are nicely brushed, so your fingers don't slip.
It's only a pity that the buckle is not metal, too, because it is more prone to breakage in my opinion.
On the right side, there is a new box protecting the barometer. It has one practical function – keeping as much trash away from the holes of the barometer as possible. But in my opinion, its function is mainly aesthetic. :)
Even a barometer protection can look stylish.
On the lower side, there is a nice piece of writing T-Rex. Even though I am more of a minimalist myself, I don't feel bothered by it.
The strap is attached firmly and securely, but given that it is an outdoor watch, it makes sense. Any spring bar system is nowhere near as resilient as good ol' screws (although Quick Fit is on the right track).
The strap also has a good deal of holes, so the watch can be worn by a bear, or a Yorkshire terrier for that matter.
There is some kind of interesting airholes, which are on the strap near the case. I think that these also have two functions – the strap can bend nicely and your hands will be able to breathe better.
When it comes to the colour combination, there are four – Ember Black, Astro Black/Gold, Wild Green, and Desert Khaki.
The T-Rex watch fit me perfectly. And not only me, but nearly anyone. It is just built well. Its measurements are 47.1 (1.85") x 47.1 (1.85") x 13.65 (0.54") mm and the weight is 66.5 grams.
The T-Rex is often bought for its resilience as it meets several military standards. What does it mean in real life? That you can't just break it as if it was nothing.
Amazfit got us used to one thing – a beautiful display. The T-Rex 2 is no exception.
The resolution grew to the amaz(fit)ing 454 x 454 pixels. The previous generation had "mere" 360 x 360 px. Maybe I don't even have to put those quote marks in there since when we compare the two displays, the previous one looks like a potato. That being said, it still, and even the previous one, often crushes the competition.
The size of the display is 1.39", the resolution is therefore 326 ppi. Of course AMOLED. Amazfit really did a good job. Even the Sun isn't a problem for this display. Its brightness is 1,000 nits bravely fights the Sun back.
To be honest, I am not quite sure now whether the previous generation had the Always-On more, but with the new generation, you can enjoy the permanently lit display. But be careful, it eats away at the battery.
When it comes to gestures, I do admit that there are some brands out there which are better at this. I had to wait sometimes for the T-Rex to realize that I would really like to see what's on the display.
I am also a bit sad that the Gorilla Glass is not a bit lower. It really is only 2 mm (0.08"), and I have a feeling it is not enough. The first generation had this worked out better.
So, what do we have in here? Accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, barometer, ambient light sensor, pulse oxymeter, and two of the most important – GPS receiver and heart-rate monitor (BioTracker 3.0).
Probably the biggest step up of the GPS is that it uses two frequencies (enabling higher accuracy) from 5 navigation systems at the same time (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, and QZSS).
And what if we compare this to the Tactix 7 using multi-frequency GPS?
I don't even have to write which colour is for which watch because the data is basically identical. :)
Do you know what? When I switched on some exercise, GPS of the T-Rex Pro 2 was faster to load than GPS of the Tactix 7. And Tactix costs about five times the price.
14.4.2022
Garmin Tactix 7 Review – What do you see?
Heart rate? I see no problem. The previous generation had some inaccuracies here and there, but the second generation works well.
I unfortunately do not have a comparison with a chest strap but only with the optics of Tactix 7 about which I know that it measures very accurately.
Purple is for the Tactix 7, blue is for the T-Rex 2.
The improvement in GPS and heart rate is enormous. I am astonished at how much Amazfit improved and that it can be compared with the renowned corporation making sport watches, for example Coros, Polar, or Garmin, which is known for greatly accurate GPS scanning.
It is best to tell you about the battery using a table.
| Capacity | 500 mAh |
| Charging time | Around 2 hours |
| Usual battery life | Up to 24 days |
| Battery saving mode | Up to 45 days |
| Heavy usage | Up to 10 days |
| Low temperatures (from-10°C to-30°C/from 14 °F to 86 °F) | Up to 9 days |
| GPS (mode of the highest accuracy) | Up to 26 hours |
| GPS (balanced mode) | Up to 50 hours |
| GPS (battery saving mode) | Up to 58 hours |
| GPS (from -10°C to -30°C/from 14 °F to 86 °F) | Up to 10 hours |
I ran around 3.5 hours in total during the weekend, and it took 20 % of the battery percentage.
We got 4 buttons. On the left, there is "up" and "down", on the right the upper one works as "OK" and opens the list of sport activities. The lower one functions as a back button and opens the menu from the home screen.
What's amazing is that controlling the watch is almost completely dual. You can choose whether you want to use buttons or touch display. I personally use the touch screen in everyday life, and the buttons when exercising.
You can use every page with the touch screen. Downward gesture opens the menu (as well as the upper button), upward gesture opens important widgets (as well as the lower button). Stroke to the right opens notification, to the left the menu.
A long hold on the display can be used to change the appearance of the display.
What I like is that Amazfit thought about blocking touch screen when exercising. That means if you wish to stop an exercise, you need to use the buttons.
The duality of controlling the T-Rex is very thought-through, and I like that it is the same as it is with the first generation.
In T-Rex, I would highlight the weather. Curve showing the temperature over time, daily forecast, 5-day forecast, index for exercise, fishing, car washing, UV index. Everything simply and clearly shown.
The watch keeps a record of time spent standing up, sitting down, actively burned calories, passively burned calories, and the distance walked. Besides this it also measures your heart rate throughout the day (unfortunately only every minute) and SpO2.
About the heart rate. Measuring every minute might cause some mishaps throughout the day. Meaning that the watch might show big jumps in values. To give an example, I was sitting down, and suddenly my heart rate was at 127. Not saying that it is not possible, but I do know myself a bit and I know that my heart is not that active when I'm sitting down.
There will be 4 variants available, including ember black, wild green, desert khaki, and astro black & gold.
Yes, this is something we haven't seen yet with Amazfit – virtual coach which calls itself Zepp Coach. We were used to such luxuries with Garmin for example, but it is a nice change that even other brands (even from lower price categories) are starting to include this feature.
We can learn about our training session as much as we could from the first generation.
The T-Rex 2 calculates your weekly training load based on your heart-rate zones throughout the week. It expresses the values in numeral units (often called EPOC) based on which you can determine whether you are undertrained, overtrained, or at your personal best.
Based on the load, the regeneration time is also calculated. This shows you when you will be in your top shape for another race or training session.
What has become a sport standard is the VO2 Max, which is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption when exercising (in ml/kg). This value shows how well you train and tells you more about your physical condition.
8.4.2021
What is VO2 max?
And while these features always come in handy, it is a shame that there is nothing new to be explored.
What is a pleasant new feature is the option of choosing multi-sport activity. You can choose any combination of sports and switch between them. So, you can make combinations for triathlons, swimruns, and other multi-sport activities.
Speaking of sports modes, the T-Rex has pretty much everything. Rowing machine, swimming, yoga, snowboarding, ballet, and even... I've never seen this before in my life. The bridge card game, chess, checkers, go, and even desk games.
When the T-Rex was introduced, most people were intrigued since it was said that it would include the navigation by track. Even Amazfit itself states navigation by track in all promotional materials. But when the first people received this watch for testing... Oh well. Navigation not found.
The watch should get navigation with an update.
Many of those people were slagging Amazfit off about missing navigation, but I found on the Amazfit website that we will get navigation via an update. Then, it will be possible to create your path in Zepp and send it to the watch.
Amazfit has its own system, which does not allow third parties to make apps for Amazfit watches, but the company itself tries to form its own market. Naturally, I was surprised when I found an app to control your GoPro on the watch. I think that GoPro fans will certainly appreciate it.
Besides this app, you can install an app to control a smart home, an app for colourblind people, app to stay hydrated, timer for brushing your teeth etc.
Although the option to install some apps is a nice bonus, the T-Rex has not really moved forward when it comes to smart features. You can find the standard here, alarm, stopwatch, "Find my phone" feature, notification... And that would be it. Oh yeah, and music player control.
Unfortunately, we did not get a music player in the watch, even though it would make more sense. And although making phone calls through the T-Rex wouldn't be practical, it would be nice to have the option of quick replies. And it would be so nice to have that we even got this feature. Well, this luxury is only for Android owners, and I can only go stand in the corner with my Apple in my pocket. Even so, a great step up!
The T-Rex 2 is certainly not for a casual user. Runners, mountaineers, swimmers, or other athletes should give this watch a try since they will appreciate the battery life, and the accurate GPS and heart rate sensor.
Overall, I like the T-Rex line very much and the improvement in receiving the GPS signal is huge. Design-wise, there is also a step towards the better. The number of smart features grew only with the navigation by track, but that's a big step for lovers of sport and exploring.
As an alternative, I can mention the Garmin Instinct 2, which also has the option of NFC payments and a bit more training features. Plus, you can buy it in solar version. Beside this one, I can also offer the Honor GS Pro, which has the calling feature.
9.3.2022
Introduction of Garmin Instinct 2 / 2S – For men, women and with NFC payments
And what are your thought on the T-Rex 2?
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