Amazfit GTR 3 vs GTR 3 Pro vs GTR 2: explaining the differences

Zepp Health has recently announced the next iteration in its GTR and GTS series. The third generation brings some enhancements, more so in functionality than in looks. There’s also a fancy GTR 3 Pro model.

Unlike the previous years, we have not really had that much new from Zepp Health in 2021. Whether it is the chip shortage to blame or the coronavirus pandemic, we don’t really know. Perhaps the company has decided to take some time to perfect their new operating system before releasing devices into the wild.

At its launch event a few days ago Zepp Health announced a slightly revamped Amazfit logo and a fresh “Up Your Game” slogan. The new version of the operating system was also released into the wild and it offers some novelties. The third generation Amazfit watches run on the upgraded software, but it is not clear yet whether the operating system will be coming to older devices.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

If you’re holding on to the second generation GTR you might be wondering if it is worth upgrading. Or perhaps you’re in the market for an Amazfit watch and are not sure which device to go for. We’re here to help. Read on for a run-down of the differences between Amazfit GTR 3, GTR 3 Pro and GTR 2.

Amazfit GTR 3 vs GTR 3 Pro vs GTR 2: Technical specs

Design

To remind, Amazfit GTR 2 was unveiled back in 2020. In our review we found it to be a perfectly solid timepiece that offers good value for money. It comes with an attractive, very thin and lightweight design. This houses a beautiful AMOLED display and lots of health and fitness tech under the hood. Earlier this year we also saw an eSIM variant of the same. There’s clearly lots to like about this watch but also some things which are not ideal. One example is GPS which can be temperamental at times.

Amazfit GTR 3 looks very much like its predecessor. The difference in physical size of the alluminium alloy body is minimal and the 1.39 inch AMOLED display is the same in all respects. On the right are two physical buttons which you can use in combination with the touch-screen to navigate the menus. These buttons are a bit larger now – although the difference is hardly noticeable.

The more important change is that the top button on GTR 3 is a classic crown. Rotating it scrolls through the menus. The vibration feedback is said to be 60% stronger than before, and there are 16 intensities so you can customize the vibration to your liking.

The third generation GTR is offered in Thunder Black and Moonlight Grey. The undersides of the band contain a ridge pattern – this is meant to reduce sweating and make the band easier to maintain. 

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro is the high-end model of GTR 3. This one has aluminium alloy body coupled with a better quality strap. There’s an Infinite Black option with a fluoroelastomer strap and one with a brown leather strap. GTR 2 also has a couple of options including a Sport alluminium alloy model and a Classic stainless steel one.

The Pro version boasts the largest round display on the market. It measures 1.45 inches thanks to a narrower bezel. This means the physical dimensions of the timepiece are practically unchanged. The resolution on GTR 3 Pro comes in at 480 x 480 pixels, with 331 PPI high-pixel density and up to 1000 nits of maximum brightness. So a clear advantage over the other two watches.

All of this comes with 100+ watch faces, 15 of which are animated. You are certainly to find something to your liking there. If not design your own – you can even upload your picture and use it as a watch face. Like before, you can also choose from a bunch of always-on display watch faces. These are more simplified and can reduce battery life quite a bit. Zepp says the watch has twice as smooth visuals as the last generation. This is probably due to the more power efficient operating system.

At 5 ATM, water-resistance remains the same. But now the heart rate monitor will work under water. This means more stats for your swim sessions.

Under the hood

As far as sensors, GTR 3 comes with pretty much the same list as GTR 2. But the latest generation has the new BioTracker 3.0 engine which is said to monitor faster, more accurately, and more comprehensively than before. There’s also a barometric altimeter (pressure sensor) on-board. In theory this should allow it to track floors climbed. It doesn’t appear, though, that this functionality has been added. The one addition that you get on GTR 3 Pro is a skin temperature sensor.

Battery life remains impressive on all Amazfit watches. This is no doubt due to the lightweight operating system. The 450mAh lithium-ion battery keeps going for up to 21 days on GTR 3. You can even extend this by tapping into the GTR 3’s Battery Saver Mode. GTR 3 Pro keeps going around 12 days with normal use. Interestingly, the GTR 2 actually packs a larger – 471mAh battery. But that’s enough for just two weeks between charges.

A noteworthy difference between the pro and non-pro GTR 3 variant is that the former has built-in storage for music, a speaker and the ability to to make and receive calls when connected to a smartphone. Music transfer is done via WiFi. All of this can also be found on GTR 2. In that respect, GTR 3 is a downgrade on GTR 2.

Here are the important technical specs.

Amazfit GTR 3 vs GTR 3 Pro vs GTR 2: Functionality

The Amazfit range covers the basics when it comes to 24/7 activity and sleep tracking. Most of what you are likely to need is there, including stress and blood oxygen tracking.

Sleep stats, in particular, are very detailed. The SomnusCare sleep engine on GTR 3s is the same as the last generation. In addition to your overnight stats, it monitors naps over 20 minutes in length and sleep breathing quality. RealBeats 2 monitors heart rate with 98% accuracy. It also dishes out high and low heart rate alerts. 

Something that is new on GTR 3 watches is one tap measurement. Thanks to the BioTracker 3.0 engine, in just 45 seconds the device can read your heart rate, SpO2, stress and breathing rate – all at the same time. This is for on-demand readings.

More exciting than that is the ability to measure blood pressure continuously. The functionality is not available at the moment. Zepp Health is currently waiting for regulatory approval for its PumpBeats blood pressure engine. Once CE and FCC certification is secured the functionality will be switched on via a firmware update. But we are told this is a very strict and complicated process so there currently no clear plans as to when (or if) this might happen.

Other notable activity and sports tracking differences between GTR 2 and GTR 3/3 Pro are:

• Under water heart rate: the watches now have the ability to track heart rate under water
• The number of sports modes The number of sports modes has been increased to 150+ (70 more than before). Eight of these are with auto-recognition.
• Sattelite connectivity: This should work better than before thanks to the high-end GPS chip (positioning speed up by 20%, accuracy up by 40%), which can tap into 5 satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and QZSS). GTR 2 only communicates with the first two. Zepp Health’s PeakBeats algorithm should therefore be more representative. It tracks Vo2Max, your recovery stats and training effect – similar to FirstBeat metrics.
• All day blood oxygen: The Oxygen Beats is now better for SpO2. Time needed to take measurement is halved to only 15 seconds. Plus you can tap into 24/7 blood oxygen measurements so it is not just on-demand. The watch can also spit out reminders if your blood oxygen readings are low.
• Respiration rate: a feature that was in Beta previously were breathing disturbances during sleep on GTR 2. Respiration rate is now included as a standard feature on the third generation watches.
• Skin temperature sensor on the pro version

Software improvements

Recently the Zepp app had received a visual overhaul with data cards and a health page. But that is only one of many changes to come. The GTR 3 watches work on the next iteration of the Zepp operating system. It is one tenth the size of the current software, and is open to third party developers to create their own apps. 

Amazfit GTR 3 Gadgets & Wearables may get a commission

The software has been designed with 24/7 health tracking in mind. And this is what separates it from Wear OS and watchOS – which have a wider framework so are more resource intensive.

The new operating system contains something Zepp Health refers to as a Mini App Framework. Essentially these are specially designed lightweight apps that seamlessly run on the new platform. The beauty is that anyone with web design experience can design their own apps. The company has created an web based development kit based on java script that will allow you to do this. You can also create watch faces using this to add to the more than one hundred that are already available.

At the start there will be a number of native apps that you can install. This for example includes a mini app that reminds users to drink 1200 ml of water per day. Other apps made by Zepp Health include a calculator, reminders and tips when washing teeth and more. All of these can be installed and uninstalled – as per your preference. Some third party apps are also already available. The ultimate goal is to create an ecosystem that numbers thousands of apps. Not quite up there with Apple but an excellent start, nevertheless.

This is clearly an improvement. Will it be coming to GTR 2 and other Amazfit-branded watches? Hard to say as Zepp Health has not confirmed or denied the rumors that it will.

Amazfit GTR 3 vs GTR 3 Pro vs GTR 2: The bottom line

The Amazfit GTR line is for those interested in a solid activity and sports tracker that won’t break the bank. This is a popular range that sells well, along with its square brother the GTS.

The third generation brings improvements in a number of areas. But in some respects the GTR 3 is a downgrade over GTR 2. Here we’re referring to the ability for local music storage, and the lack of a speaker. For that type of functionality you’ll need to opt for GTR 3 Pro. This also has the benefit of a larger and more high-res display.

Advantages of the new watches include the rotating crown, BioTracker 3.0 engine, improved satelite connectivity, all day blood oxygen readings (not just on-demand), respiratory information, more sports modes, under-water heart rate and more. Probably not enough to entice you to upgrade from GTR 2 to GTR 3 but if you’re in the market for a new watch, go for the latest generation.

Amazfit GTR 3 Pro Gadgets & Wearables may get a commission

The big question is when/if blood pressure measurements will come. And how accurate these will be. Not many watches offer blood pressure readings and, if it does come, this will be an attractive selling point of the GTR 3s.

The price difference is not very big. GTR 3 and GTR 2 both sell for around $180, although the latter is likely to come down in price rapidly. GTR 3 Pro will set you back $50 extra.

The watches are available on Amazon via the following links: Amazfit GTR 3, Amazfit GTR 3 Pro. You can also check them out on Amazfit’s website.

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