Amazfit GTS 2 Mini in Long-Term Test: Does It Hold Up Over Time?

The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini, a smartwatch that stands out with its elegant design, extensive fitness tracking features, and an attractive price-performance ratio, has been in my hands for months now – time to share my experiences from the long-term test. As a long-time user of various smartwatches, I was particularly curious to see how the GTS 2 Mini performs in everyday life, especially compared to its competitors and predecessors. The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini promises to be a compact yet powerful alternative for those looking for a reliable health and fitness companion without putting too much emphasis on highly precise analytics and without breaking the bank.

The decision to test this particular model was an easy one for me. With its appealing price, diverse features, and the promise of a long battery life, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini offered everything on paper that I expect from a mini smartwatch. But how does it really fare in daily use? Does it leave nothing to be desired in terms of performance and comfort? I aim to answer these questions and more in this review.

Summary of GTS 2 Mini Specifications

Below you will find the key data of the GTS 2 Mini at a glance:

Design and Craftsmanship

The design of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini is undoubtedly one of its highlights. With a sleek and lightweight aluminum case, it not only offers high wearing comfort but also looks exceptionally stylish. The device weighs just 19.5 grams (without a strap), making it so light that it's barely noticeable on the wrist. The dimensions of 40.5 mm x 35.8 mm x 8.95 mm ensure that the watch neither appears too large nor too small, making it suitable for a wide range of wrist sizes.

The build quality remains solid even after prolonged use and is little inferior to more expensive models. The case feels robust, while the 2.5D glass of the display adds a touch of elegance. The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini is available in various colors, including Midnight Black, Flamingo Pink, and Sage Green, highlighting individual style and preferences. I swapped the simple band for a sportier one after a short time (see image).

Another plus point is the customizability. The standard silicone strap is soft, flexible, and skin-friendly, ensuring wearing comfort over long periods. The strap can also be quickly changed, allowing users to vary the look of their watch to suit the occasion.

The AMOLED display with a resolution of 354 x 306 pixels is not only eye-catching but also guarantees excellent readability under various lighting conditions. Thanks to the vibrant colors and sharp contrast, content is always displayed clearly and distinctly.

In my experience, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini successfully combines elegance with functionality. The design is modern and appealing without compromising on comfort or quality. An ideal companion for everyday life, looking good both in the office and during sports.

Display

The display of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini plays a central role in the user experience. Equipped with a 1.55-inch AMOLED screen, the watch offers high image quality with rich colors, deep blacks, and an excellent contrast ratio. With a resolution of 354 x 306 pixels, the display delivers clear images, making it easy to read information even with small text.

A special feature of the display is its ability to remain readable under various lighting conditions. Whether in direct sunlight or darker environments, the brightness automatically adjusts to ensure optimal visibility at all times. This adaptive brightness function not only provides comfort but also energy efficiency by intelligently managing the display's energy consumption.

The operation of the touchscreen is intuitive and responsive. Swipe gestures and touches are precisely recognized, making navigation through menus and functions pleasant and efficient during the test. Additionally, the display supports the Always-On feature, a practical attribute that allows the time and selected information to be constantly displayed without having to activate the watch. This feature is particularly useful for users who want to quickly glance at the watch without using their hands. Otherwise, the watch also automatically activates when a wrist rotation is detected. In the test, this worked very reliably.

The combination of high-quality AMOLED technology, good illumination, and easy activation of the display gave the GTS 2 Mini, in my view, a high level of user-friendliness, with which I managed well in everyday life as well as in sports.

Functions and Software

The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini offers a wide range of features, making it a versatile companion for everyday life and fitness enthusiasts. The heart of the watch is its extensive array of health and fitness tracking options. From heart rate measurement to sleep tracking to monitoring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), the smartwatch offers everything expected from a modern wearable. Particularly noteworthy is the PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) function, which provides personalized health recommendations based on the collected data. In tests, the health features proved to be somewhat reliable but not 100% accurate. While the watch could, for example, deliver comprehensible values during sleep tracking, the step counts, oxygen saturation, and stress levels seem more like rough estimates than reliable health data.

In addition to the health features, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini offers more than 70 sports modes for detailed recording and analysis of various activities, from running and cycling to swimming and skiing. The integrated GPS function provides reasonably accurate tracking of routes and distances, which is particularly beneficial for outdoor athletes. However, there are small deviations. Also in altitude measurement, which in the new 2022 model is purely GPS-based, the watch regularly deviates between 50 – 100 meters.

The software interface of the GTS 2 Mini is intuitively designed, enabling easy navigation through the watch's diverse functions. The Zepp App, used for synchronization with the smartphone, offers in-depth analysis of fitness and health data and allows users to customize their experiences, from watch faces to notification settings. Those who like variety can regularly download new watch faces via the Zepp App. These are sometimes free or available for small amounts.

Another plus is smartphone integration. Besides displaying notifications such as calls, messages, and apps, the watch can also be used to control music playback on the smartphone or as a remote shutter for the smartphone camera. These features significantly increase convenience in everyday life.

Despite the multitude of functions, the user interface of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini remains clear and user-friendly. The bezel helps with scrolling and selecting functions. New users quickly find their way around, while experienced smartwatch users appreciate the customization options and depth functions. The watch runs smoothly without noticeable delays, indicating well-optimized software and powerful hardware.

In summary, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini offers an impressive combination of functionality and user-friendliness. The variety of health and fitness tracking options, coupled with seamless integration into the smartphone ecosystem, makes it an omnipresent partner during everyday life and leisure time.

Battery Life

Battery life is a crucial factor for the user experience of a smartwatch, and the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini makes a solid impression here, even though it doesn't bring the longest endurance due to its compactness. According to the manufacturer, the smartwatch should last up to 14 days with typical use, a value that, in practice, strongly depends on individual usage habits.

During my testing, with sleep tracking enabled, regular notifications, daily workout recording, and occasional music control, the watch lasted approximately 10 days. This is a respectable value for this size. Users who use more intensive tracking features like continuous GPS tracking should expect the battery life to accordingly shorten. In such scenarios, battery life can drop to about 3 to 5 days, which is still respectable but significantly behind the maximum runtime. Per hiking day with GPS, the watch lost an average of 20% of its capacity in the test.

A positive aspect is the fast-charging function of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini. It only takes about two hours to charge from 0 to 100%. This charging time mitigates the limitations of battery life and makes it easy to quickly get the watch ready for use again. Often in the morning, before a trip to the mountains, I noticed that the watch was not sufficiently charged. After 15 minutes on the charger, I then had enough juice for a day hike with activated GPS.

Connectivity and Compatibility

In today's connected world, a smartwatch's ability to seamlessly connect with other devices and offer broad compatibility is crucial for its functionality and user-friendliness. The Amazfit GTS 2 Mini does a solid job in this area but also shows some limitations.

The watch offers Bluetooth 5.0 BLE for a reliable and energy-efficient connection to smartphones. During my tests, I experienced a stable connection without interruptions, ensuring smooth transmission of notifications and data. Synchronization with the Zepp App, which serves as the central interface for managing the watch and the data collected on it, was consistently problem-free.

The GTS 2 Mini is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, making it a versatile option for users of different ecosystems. However, it is important to note that not all functions are the same on both platforms. While Android users typically enjoy a slightly richer experience regarding notifications and interactions, iOS users may find limitations with certain features such as replying to messages directly from the watch. The latter was added to the watch with an update and was a real added value for me. Many messages can be answered with a simple "Okay" without taking the phone out of your pocket.

One area where the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini might fall behind some competitors is third-party app integration. Compared to platforms like Wear OS or Apple WatchOS, the Zepp OS platform of the GTS 2 Mini offers a more limited selection and flexibility for expanding its functionality through additional apps. This may not be an issue for users seeking a simple, essentials-focused smartwatch experience, but it could be perceived as a limitation by those expecting more customization and integration.

Despite these limitations, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini overall offers good connectivity and compatibility that should be sufficient for most user requirements.

Price-Performance Ratio

The Amazfit brand, and thus the GTS 2 Mini, have positioned themselves as a reliable provider in recent years by offering a wide range of features with good quality at an affordable price. This usually fluctuates between 62 and 80 euros, depending on the time of year. Compared to other smartwatches on the market, the GTS 2 Mini is an attractive overall package, where, compared to less well-known providers, you know what to expect.

It is important to note that while the GTS 2 Mini impresses in many areas, it cannot keep up with high-end models in others. For example, more expensive smartwatches like the Apple Watch, which indeed bears some resemblance, may offer deeper integration with smartphone ecosystems, extended customization options via third-party apps, and, in some cases, better battery life. These aspects should be considered when evaluating the price-performance ratio of the GTS 2 Mini.

Nevertheless, for users looking for a reliable and stylish smartwatch that offers most basic and some advanced features without breaking the budget, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini is an excellent choice. It proves that high quality and extensive features do not necessarily have to come with a high price tag.

In summary, based on having tested many smartwatches, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini offers an excellent price-performance ratio. My evaluation is supported by numerous positive customer reviews. The current 2022 version of the GTS 2 Mini scores 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

Conclusion on the Long-Term Test of the GTS 2 Mini

In the test, the GTS 2 Mini from Amazfit convinced me as a faithful companion and lightweight "appendage" over many months. On the one hand, it is equipped with the most common functions, demonstrates high endurance, which was sufficient for multi-day tours in the mountains, and impresses with a compact design. The health functions and measurement data were satisfactory for me as a guide in the test but do not replace the data of high-quality fitness trackers. However, the watch is in a completely different price segment, making it an extremely attractive combination. In sum, I can definitely recommend the GTS 2 Mini and will continue to take it on one or the other excursion in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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  Can the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini store and play music?

  No, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini does not have internal storage for music files. However, it can take over music control on your smartphone, allowing you to play, pause, or skip music without having to take out your phone.

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  Is the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini suitable for swimming?

  Yes, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini is waterproof up to 5 ATM, meaning it is suitable for swimming in a pool or shallow water. However, it is not recommended to wear it while diving, water skiing, or during other high-speed water activities or in deeper water.

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  Does the watch support menstrual cycle tracking?

  Yes, the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini offers a menstrual cycle tracking feature that allows users to better track their cycle and health. This feature must be enabled and configured in the Zepp App.