Amazfit T-Rex Smartwatch Review: Built To Outlast

Amazfit T-Rex: Tech Specifications

Screen -- 1.3-inch AMOLED (390 x 390p)
Protection -- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Waterproofing -- 5ATM with swimming support
Sensors -- BioTrackerTM PPG Bio-Tracking Optical Sensor
·                  3-axis acceleration sensor
·                  Geomagnetic sensor
·                  Ambient light sensor
Positioning -- GPS + GLONASS
Connectivity -- Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Battery -- 390mAh
Supported OS -- Android 5.0 And iOS 10.0

Amazfit T-Rex: Design That Will Never Go Out Of Style

The Amazfit T-Rex looks like no other smartwatch does. If you are familiar with G-Shock watches, then the T-Rex does look a lot similar to that. In fact, this watch is much affordable than some of the G-Shock watches, even though it is much smarter and offers additional features.

This is also one of the few smartwatches that have obtained 12 military certifications, including MIL-STD 810G-2014 certification. This watch has even passed some of the stress tests as follows:

70-degree centigrade heat resistance
-40-degree centigrade cold resistance
240h humidity resistance
96 hours of salt spray resistance
Resistance to minus 40 degrees for a duration of 1.5 hours

So, what all these certifications mean to an end-user? These certifications ensure that the Amazfit T-Rex will continue to work even in the extreme weather conditions and no matter what, the watch will be functional at all the time.

The body of the watch is made using metal and high-quality plastic and the strap is made using a soft rubber-like material. The overall build of the watch feels very study, reassuring that it can easily last for years.

Though it has a circular AMOLED display with touch support, it still has four physical function buttons and the entire watch can be controlled using these buttons. This is a nifty feature, especially for those who might not like to access various options using the small touch screen and it also helps well when the user is wearing a glove, making it hard to use the touch screen.

Even though the watch looks a bit bulky, it just weighs 58grams and feels light on hand. Similarly, the soft band also feels good on hand even with continuous usage. If you want a smartwatch that looks rugged and still offers plenty of functionality, then the T-Rex is probably the model that you can consider.

Amazfit T-Rex: A Gorgeous AMOLED Screen With Corning Gorilla Protection

Most of the high-end smartwatches come with an AMOLED display, allowing the OEM to incorporate features like always-on-display, as the watch just lights up the individual pixels, going light on the battery.

The Amazfit T-Rex has a 1.3-inch display with a native resolution of 390 x 390p, protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with an anti-fingerprint coating. The display is of high resolution (comparing to the other smartwatches) and offers an adequate amount of brightness, where the contents of the display are clearly visible even under direct sunlight.

The screen does not attract fingerprint smudges. It also allows users to set screen-on duration, allowing users to set the screen-on-time from 6 seconds to 14 seconds. Do note that, setting higher screen-on-time will definitely impact the overall battery life of the product.

The Amazfit T-Rex offers multiple watch faces. The watch in itself can store up to three watch faces, and the Amazfit app (on both Android and iOS devices) offer up to 40 different watch faces. It takes a few seconds to load a new watch face from the phone and as of now, there is no option to use third-party watch faces or even to use photos as watch faces.

Amazfit Software And UI: Room For Improvement

Though I haven't faced any software related issues on the Amazfit T-Rex, I definitely feel that it still lacks certain features, especially when it costs Rs. 9,999. The features set on the T-Rex are almost similar to the Amazfit Bip-S and it misses out on some basic features that could have made this truly a smartwatch.

Coming to the available features, it supports over 14 different workouts, including outdoor running, walking, swimming, cycling, treadmill, and exercising. It also offers features like 24-hours heart rate tracking and the built-in GPS tracker will give in-depth details while running or walking.

The Amazfit T-Rex misses out on some features like in-watch notification reply and there is no option to answer a call or reply to a text message or an email. I feel that the Amazfit OS is made to offer better workout features rather than to make the T-Rex a true smartwatch.

Amazfit T-Rex Fitness Features: Workout Peacefully

Other than being a rugged smartwatch, the Amazfit T-Rex is also a great fitness device. Thanks to features like native GPS support, you can leave the phone at home and the watch does all the tracking. Depending on the workout type, it either uses GPS or other algorithms to calculate different aspects of the workout.

I went out for a couple of runs with the T-Rex strapped to my hand and I was intrigued by the various parameters that it offered. It showcases various data points like the overall time of the runout, steps taken, real-time heart rate.

Depending on the heartbeat count, the watch will also show if the workout is in an aerobic or anaerobic phase. Once you are done with the workout, it also shows the path of the running/walking, average pace, and the number of calories burned during the workout.

The watch also enables users to track their sleep and it analyses different sleep cycles. Depending on the workouts, the watch gives PAI values, and it can be earner over 30 days. Depending on the activity, the watch will give certain PAI values which will get reset every week.

As a sole fitness tracker, the Amazfit T-Rex works like a charm, and details like step tracking and heart-beat tracking are also pretty much accurate. If you are looking for a fitness tracker that looks unique and can easily last longer, then getting the T-Rex makes a lot of sense.

Amazfit T-Rex Battery Life: Can Last For Two To Three Weeks

Huami claims that the T-Rex can last up to 20 days with regular usage. In my usage, on a single charge that watch lasted for 2 weeks (with 3 hours of GPS-enabled workout) and the battery was still at 23 percent. As per the charging, it takes around 1.5 to 2 hours to fully charge using a standard 5W charging adapter.

I have been using various features like notifications for calls, messages, and WhatsApp. Disabling these features will further increase battery life. If you are someone who works out every day, then you might have to charge once a week and if you are someone like me who hardly workout (two times a week), then the watch can easily last for two weeks.

There is also another option called basic watch mode. With this mode, the watch can last up to 66 days but the users will not be able to use functions like Bluetooth, heart rate sensor, and other fitness-related functionality.

Amazfit T-Rex: Should You Get One?

I have been fascinated about the Amazfit T-Rex from the time it was originally announced at CES 2020. The overall design and feature set is something that we can't see on any other smartwatch, especially at the asking price of Rs. 9,999.

Though the Amazfit T-Rex might not be a full-blown smartwatch like the Apple Watch, it is not that expensive as well. From the rugged build quality to extended battery life, the Amazfit T-Rex is something that has everything. As mentioned in the headline, the Amazfit T-Rex can easily outlast any other smartwatch available in the market and will age gracefully.