Amazfit T-Rex 3: The AI-Powered Rugged Smartwatch Challenging High-End Competitors

One of the best rugged smartwatches I've tested uses GPT-4o for coaching and UI control

There is no speaker for hands-free calls or headset-free audio, and the Zepp smartphone app is still overwhelming. I started testing Amazfit smartwatches in 2018 and have been quite happy with the Balance I purchased at the end of 2023 that was then upgraded to Zepp OS 3.5. In 2020, I rocked an Amazfit T-Rex and found that rugged line to fit my lifestyle and large wrists better than smaller Amazfit watches, so it has been great to have a new T-Rex 3 strapped to my wrist for the past three weeks. When I first heard about the opportunity to test this watch, I wasn't that excited because I thought it was just going to be a bulkier Balance without much appeal to me. It turns out that this watch is built for those of us with larger wrists. Given my preference for big watches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, it seemed like a good fit. There was even mention of expanded AI functionality and connectivity with external sensors, so I was intrigued. Also: Why I wear this $220 smartwatch even after testing Garmin and Samsung watches The large 1.5-inch 480x480 pixels resolution AMOLED Gorilla Glass display is brilliant with up to 2,000 nits of brightness, making watch faces with lots of complications easy to view and interact with. I love that Amazfit added the ability to enable night mode, which changes everything on the display to one color. While almost every other watch that supports this function uses red text, Amazfit lets you choose from red, orange, or green, so I've been enjoying the green light on this review unit. The large capacity 700 mAh battery is advertised as providing up to 180 hours of continuous GPS tracking in max battery life mode and 42 hours with accurate GPS mode. Of course, I never ran straight for 180 hours, but I did run with the most accurate GPS option and saw about 3% to 4% battery loss per hour, so the 42-hour estimate seems fairly accurate. In typical daily use with two to three short runs per week, sleeping with the watch, some notifications enabled, and viewing wellness data regularly, I only charged the watch once after the initial charge, and it lasted me three weeks. GPS tracking is also spot on, with the Amazfit T-Rex 3 supporting dual-band GPS and six satellite systems. I used the T-Rex 3 for running, biking, walking, and hiking with other GPS sports watches to check accuracy. Many of my activities were in heavily wooded areas, with the T-Rex 3 acquiring a quick connection and tracking almost on the exact same line as my flagship Garmin watches. One shortfall in the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is its inability to connect to external sensors. That is not a problem here for the Amazfit T-Rex 3, which connected perfectly with my Coros HR monitor, Garmin chest strap, and Garmin speed/cadence sensors. The T-Rex 3 can also connect to GoPro action cameras, the Core body temperature sensor, and more. It seems one stand out feature of flagship watches is the ability to support underwater sports, as seen by the Apple Watch Ultra and the Garmin Fenix 8. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 takes things even further, with various certifications that support freediving down to a depth of 45 meters. Sorry folks, I'm not going to be able to test out this capability. Advanced sports data, including running power, VO2 max, recovery time, training effect, and training load are all present on the T-Rex 3, which is a bit surprising given its $300 price. The sleep tracking is close to other watches and is used by the integrated Zepp Flow AI system and Zepp Coach system to tailor and update your training plan. Also: The best smartwatches you can buy: Expert tested The Zepp smartphone application is used to present the data captured by the watch, and there is a lot of data shown on multiple pages. The Zepp app has evolved over the years, but it continues to offer an exhaustive amount of data that may seem intimidating at first. Take the time to set up the app to your preferences, and then let Zepp Flow and Coach streamline your experience with practical and actionable insights. The free Zepp Flow utility is an accurate and reliable AI assistant that is especially useful on a watch like the T-Rex 3. I've been using it to ask health and fitness related questions about my performance and data that the watch collected, as it is faster to use Zepp Flow then go through the various menus. I also like it for jumping right into a workout. Zepp Flow was developed using OpenAI's GPT-4o and provides full control over your watch, so you don't need to know exactly where things are buried in the watch UI. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 also supports an offline voice assistant for some basic functions, but I did not find it that useful. The Zepp Coach AI chatbot is very functional and walks you through a series of questions to optimize a training plan to meet your goals and preferred approach to training, starting with options to create a running plan or a basic AI plan to improve cardio fitness. The watch then monitors your data to provide guidance to help you reduce risk of fatigue and injury. This appears on the watch and in the Zepp app as insights and even prompts to visit the Zepp Aura chatbot. Zepp Aura provides some excellent, detailed answers and guidance on various health and wellness questions. You can also combine the T-Rex 3 with an Amazfit Helio Ring if you don't want to wear your watch to sleep. Unfortunately, the Helio Ring continues to underreport my sleeping heart rate by 10 bpm, so I've been wearing the T-Rex 3 for sleep tracking. I've also been using the voice memo option since I often have ideas when I run. The T-Rex 3 has a microphone for the voice assistant and voice memos, but there is no speaker for hands-free calls or audio responses. You can reply to messages from a connected Android phone with your voice, but you cannot initiate any messages. There is a lot going on with the Amazfit T-Rex 3, but the battery life has been fantastic, the AI coach, insights, and Zepp Flow assistant have been useful, and there is a lot to like in a big watch available for just $300. With the T-Rex 3, Amazfit continues to impress thanks to a brilliant large display, durable materials, powerful sensors, and helpful insights powered by AI. Having a smartwatch that lasts for weeks rather than days is a breath of fresh air. If you like big watches, spend time outdoors where you want some watch map guidance, and take time to customize your experience, then the T-Rex 3 may be a perfect option for your next adventure.

One of the best rugged smartwatches I've tested uses AI in a clever way

There is no speaker for hands-free calls or headset-free audio, and the Zepp smartphone app is still overwhelming. I started testing Amazfit smartwatches in 2018 and have been quite happy with the Balance I purchased at the end of 2023. In 2020, I rocked an Amazfit T-Rex and found that rugged line to fit my lifestyle and large wrists better than smaller Amazfit watches. So, it has been great to have a new T-Rex 3 strapped to my wrist for the past three weeks. When I first heard about the opportunity to test this watch, I wasn't that excited because I thought it was just going to be a bulkier Balance without much appeal to me. It turns out that this watch is built for those of us with larger wrists. Given my preference for big watches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, it seemed like a good fit. There was even mention of expanded AI functionality and connectivity with external sensors, leaving me intrigued. Also: Why I wear this $220 smartwatch even after testing Garmin and Samsung watches The large 1.5-inch 480x480 pixels resolution AMOLED Gorilla Glass display is brilliant with up to 2,000 nits of brightness, making watch faces with lots of complications easy to view and interact with. I love that Amazfit added the ability to enable night mode, which changes everything on the display to one color. While almost every other watch that supports this function uses red text, Amazfit lets you choose from red, orange, or green. I've been enjoying the green light on this review unit. The large capacity 700 mAh battery is advertised as providing up to 180 hours of continuous GPS tracking in max battery life mode and 42 hours with accurate GPS mode. I can't , of course, run for 180 hours straight. I did, however, run with the most accurate GPS option and saw about 3% to 4% battery loss per hour, so the 42-hour estimate seems fairly accurate. In typical daily use with two to three short runs per week, sleeping with the watch, some notifications enabled, and viewing wellness data regularly, I only charged the watch once after the initial charge, and it lasted me three weeks. GPS tracking is also spot on, with the Amazfit T-Rex 3 supporting dual-band GPS and six satellite systems. I used the T-Rex 3 for running, biking, walking, and hiking with other GPS sports watches to check accuracy. Many of my activities were in heavily wooded areas, with the T-Rex 3 acquiring a quick connection and tracking almost on the exact same line as my flagship Garmin watches. One shortfall in the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is its inability to connect to external sensors. That is not a problem here for the Amazfit T-Rex 3, which connected perfectly with my Coros HR monitor, Garmin chest strap, and Garmin speed/cadence sensors. The T-Rex 3 can also connect to GoPro action cameras, the Core body temperature sensor, and more. Also: My favorite hybrid smartwatch has incredible battery life and a gorgeous look It seems one stand out feature of flagship watches is the ability to support underwater sports, as seen in the Apple Watch Ultra and the Garmin Fenix 8. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 takes things even further, with various certifications that support freediving down to a depth of 45 meters. Sorry folks, I'm not going to be able to test out this capability. Advanced sports data, including running power, VO2 max, recovery time, training effect, and training load are all present on the T-Rex 3, which is a bit surprising given its $280 price. The sleep tracking is close to other watches and is used by the integrated Zepp Flow AI system and Zepp Coach system to tailor and update your training plan. The Zepp smartphone application is used to present the data captured by the watch, and there is a lot of data shown on multiple pages. The Zepp app has evolved over the years, but it continues to offer an exhaustive amount of data that may seem intimidating at first. I recommend taking the time to set up the app to your preferences, and then letting Zepp Flow and Coach streamline your experience with practical and actionable insights. Also: The best smartwatches you can buy: Expert tested The free Zepp Flow utility is an accurate and reliable AI assistant that is especially useful on a watch like the T-Rex 3. I've been using it to ask health and fitness related questions about my performance and data that the watch collected, as it is faster to use Zepp Flow then go through the various menus. I also like it for jumping right into a workout. Zepp Flow was developed using OpenAI's GPT-4o and provides full control over your watch, so you don't need to know exactly where things are buried in the watch UI. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 also supports an offline voice assistant for some basic functions, but I did not find it that useful. The Zepp Coach AI chatbot can walk you through a series of questions to optimize a training plan to meet your goals and preferred approach to training, starting with options to create a running plan or a basic AI plan to improve cardio fitness. The watch then monitors your data to provide guidance to help you reduce risk of fatigue and injury. This appears on the watch and in the Zepp app as insights and even prompts to visit the Zepp Aura chatbot. Zepp Aura provides some excellent, detailed answers and guidance on various health and wellness questions. Also: One of the most durable smartwatches I've ever tested is shockingly cheap You can also combine the T-Rex 3 with an Amazfit Helio Ring if you don't want to wear your watch to sleep. Unfortunately, the Helio Ring continues to underreport my sleeping heart rate by 10 bpm, so I've been wearing the T-Rex 3 for sleep tracking. I've also been using the voice memo option since I often have ideas when I run. The T-Rex 3 has a microphone for the voice assistant and voice memos, but there is no speaker for hands-free calls or audio responses. You can reply to messages from a connected Android phone with your voice, but you cannot initiate any messages. There is a lot going on with the Amazfit T-Rex 3, but the battery life has been fantastic, the AI coach, insights, and Zepp Flow assistant have been useful, and there is a lot to like in a big watch available for just $300. With the T-Rex 3, Amazfit continues to impress thanks to a brilliant large display, durable materials, powerful sensors, and helpful insights powered by AI. Having a smartwatch that lasts for weeks rather than days is a breath of fresh air. If you like big watches, could use some watch map guidance outdoors, and take the time to customize your experience, then the T-Rex 3 may be a perfect option for your next adventure.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is an Apple Watch Ultra for half the price | Digital Trends

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch promises to give you the rough-and-tumble style of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra without the high price. It's chunky and tough, but does it have the software and ability to help win you over? Or is there a reason it's a lot cheaper than its well-known competitors? I spent some time wearing the T-Rex 3 to find out. Here's what you need to know. Recommended Videos The Amazfit T-Rex 3: design The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a hardcore, pumped-up version of the Apple Watch Series 9, while Samsung chose a more controversial (but, in my opinion, successful) design for the Galaxy Watch Ultra. For the T-Rex 3. Amazfit looked toward the daddy of tough watches, the Casio G-Shock, for further inspiration on its third-generation of tough smartwatch. The T-Rex 3 combines its circular screen with an octagonal stainless steel bezel, immediately recalling the immensely popular G-Shock GA-2100 series. Like many other G-Shock watches, the T-Rex 3 also has a set of four buttons with a grippy texture on the polymer case at the 10, 2, 4, and 8 o'clock positions. One thing that sets it apart is the unusual "bridge" at 3 o'clock. It's made of metal and has the Amazfit name stamped on it. I've no idea what purpose (if any) it's supposed to serve, but it's a fun design twist, although it can dig into your hand when your wrist is flexed. The smartwatch is attached to your wrist with a floppy and flexible silicone strap, secured with a plastic buckle, and held in place by two keepers. On the underside are a pair of edge guards to keep the body centrally placed on your wrist, another design aspect taken from many G-Shock watches. It's comfortable to wear and weighs only 68 grams, but it can get a bit sweaty under the silicone strap. The big 48mm case is wide and quite thick at nearly 14mm. Is the watch tough enough? How about the toughness and outdoor credentials? The case is made from polymer plastic, while the bezel, buttons, and bridge are made from 316L stainless steel. It's Gorilla Glass over the screen and the smartwatch has 10ATM water resistance, plus it has been certified for free diving to a depth of 45 meters. It's made to withstand temperatures from -22 degrees Fahrenheit to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, which is probably more than your own body would. It has a strong selection of sensors inside, including a barometer, a geomagnetic sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a temperature sensor. The 1.5-inch AMOLED screen has a 2000-nit peak brightness and a special glove mode, so it still recognizes inputs even when you're wearing 2mm thick gloves. Finally, it has dual-band GPS for stronger accuracy without the need to use your phone. The buttons are easy to locate and press, and the function is clearly marked on the bezel. However, I found the button layout a little awkward, as I'd prefer the Back button to be where the Down button is placed, as it's more comfortable for me as I wear my watch on my left wrist. It'll be suitable for anyone who wears the watch on their right wrist. The Amazfit T-Rex 3's polymer case doesn't have the same cachet as titanium, but it's very light, and the rest of the design and materials used mean it should be durable enough for most outdoor activities. Software and battery life The Amazfit T-Rex 3 uses Amazfit's own software rather than Google's Wear OS and connects with the Zepp app, which is available for Android and iOS. I've tested the watch with Zepp installed on the Google Pixel 9 Pro. Despite being a beta app, it has proven reliable, and once I'd given the app security permissions, it received notifications reliably, too. You interact with the menu system on the watch using the buttons or the touchscreen, and it's suitably fast and responsive. The app and watch are packed with health and fitness features. There's heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring; sleep tracking with heart rate variability (HRV); 170 workout modes, data points such as V02 Max, training load, and recovery time; plus a Readiness score when you wear your watch to track sleep. There's even some AI, with the Zepp Flow feature integrating ChatGPT-4o for voice control. Previous Next 1 of 4 Amazfit expects the battery to last 13 days with "heavy" use, which we take to include the always-on screen and all health-tracking features enabled. Turn these features off, and the battery may extend out to 27 days before it needs recharging. Use GPS continuously at its most accurate setting, and the battery will return 42 hours of use or up to 180 hours in its extended GPS mode. I've been wearing the T-Rex 3 for three days with the ambient screen and health tracking on, and although I haven't tracked sleep with it, I have recorded a couple of workouts and the battery is at 88%, suggesting it'll meet Amazfit's estimated usage time. The workouts tracked return figures I expect and are in line with what I have seen from other wearables. The data is presented in a clear and logical way in the app. Is this a real Ultra watch alternative? The Amazfit T-Rex 3 really looks the part. Just like a G-Shock, it has a true presence on your wrist, and while I like the feel of upmarket materials on my wrist, the lightweight body is still appealing, just in a different way. The screen is easily visible in sunlight, the software isn't complicated to learn, and the physical buttons mean you don't get tied down to only using the touchscreen or a rotating crown. While it has somewhat shamelessly borrowed from a G-Shock, at least it has borrowed the good parts. There are masses of sporting abilities and features, too, and it doesn't get carried away with adding supposedly "Ultra" features that only very few will ever use just to grab some easy marketing. Active people who enjoy a range of sports will find its varied modes helpful, and the Zepp app is reminiscent of Samsung Health in its layout and design. If you've questioned the need for an emergency siren, LTE connectivity, and a $600-plus price tag, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 should appeal. It's priced at $299, less than half the price of its Ultra competitors, and in line with what you'd pay for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the Apple Watch Series 9. While Amazfit wants it to be a genuine Ultra smartwatch alternative, I think it fits somewhere in between the standard and Ultra models, and it's a very good place to be. If the Ultra watches are too expensive and generally too focused for you, but you still want more than a normal smartwatch, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 looks to be a very good middle ground.

Hands On: Amazfit T-Rex 3 Smartwatch Delivers AI Strength Training Guidance

BERLIN -- The big brand smartwatches released this fall have each touted AI guidance to help you customize training based on your recovery status and energy levels. The $299 Amazfit T-Rex 3 debuting at IFA follows that trend and promises in-depth AI coaching for strength training. The T-Rex 3's built-in Zepp assistant offers full voice control over your watch's functions. It's also the source of whatever training guidance you need. You can absolutely get customized advice to build toward an upcoming marathon or a 5K, a common feature among fitness wearables. You can also tell it you want to work on your biceps or your quads. I tried the Amazfit T-Rex 3 here at IFA, and the big, 1.5-inch AMOLED screen looked bright in the controlled indoor environment. With up to 2,000 nits of brightness, it should be visible even in direct sunlight. It's a sizeable watch, but it didn't feel bulky, though it's more in line with other GPS sports watches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ($649.99) or the Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799) than a petite option like the Garmin Lily 2 ($249.99). The T-Rex 3 is also durable, with a military-grade rating and the ability to withstand 10ATM of water pressure (depths of up to 328 feet in calm water). It's certified for freediving down to 147 feet and can track 170 different activities in and out of the water. To that end, it has dual-band GPS to precisely track your location when you're training outdoors. With a large 700mAh battery, the T-Rex 3 promises over three weeks of power on a charge under ideal circumstances and an impressive 13 days with heavy use. That's well beyond the one- to two-day capacity of smartwatches from Apple, Google, and Samsung. It even outpaces the impressive 11-day battery life of the Garmin Vivoactive 5 ($299.99). The T-Rex 3 is compatible with Android and iOS, making it impressively well-rounded. At $200, it's priced the same as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and much less than rugged sports watches like the big-name Ultras or the Garmin Fenix 8 ($1,199.99). We'll test it soon to find out whether the built-in AI assistant can help this affordable smartwatch keep up with its expensive competition. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 was announced alongside the company's new Helio Ring, which will offer a relatively ordinary variety of sleep- and fitness-tracking features.

Amazfit's rugged smartwatch is here to take on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Poor battery life on the Galaxy Watch 7? Samsung is working on a fix Key Takeaways The Amazfit T-Rex 3 features a rugged design and packs a 1.5" AMOLED display. Despite packing almost all possible health features, the T-Rex 3 only costs $280. Battery life ranges from 13 days with heavy use to 40 days with regular use. Garmin offers a range of rugged smartwatches designed to endure harsh conditions while providing multi-day battery life. Samsung also entered this segment with its rugged Galaxy Watch Ultra this year, boasting impressive specs. But the problem is that these watches are exorbitantly expensive, typically ranging from $500 to $900 or higher. With the Amazfit T-Rex 3, the company aims to cater to the rugged requirements of users on a tight budget. Related Best smartwatches for Android in 2024 The best watches for your Android phone As evident from its design, Amazfit has designed the 45mm T-Rex 3 with rugged usage in mind. It features a military-grade polymer frame with a stainless steel octagon-shaped bezel and a 10ATM water-resistant rating. The right side houses two textured buttons, so you can quickly identify them without looking at the watch. Compared to the T-Rex Ultra, the newer model sports a bigger 1.5-inch circular AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. Corning's Gorilla Glass sits on top of the panel, offering protection against scratches and scuffs. Amazfit T-Rex 3 The Amazfit T-Rex 3 features a rugged design and a super-bright 1.5-inch circular AMOLED screen with a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. It also stands out for its claimed battery life of 27 days, which can be extended to over 40 days, and offline navigation support. Case Material Stainless steel bezel, Polymer middle frame Display 1.5-inch AMOLED Display resolution 480 x 480 Storage 32GB Battery 700mAH Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 2.4GHz Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.2, BLE Dimensions 48.5 x 48.5 x 13.75 mm Weight 68.3g Strap size 22mm Colors Onyx, Lava Price $280 ATM Rating 10 ATM Always on display Yes Expand $280 at Amazon Internally, Amazfit has equipped the watch with a ZPS3044 processor, 64MB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. The T-Rex 3 runs on Amazfit's Zepp OS 4, which features a ChatGPT-powered AI voice assistant. While not as feature-rich as Wear OS, Zepp OS covers the basics with features like offline maps, 400+ watch faces, and support for third-party Bluetooth accessories like speakers and action cameras. The watch has 170 sports modes and can track your heart rate, SpO2 levels, HRV, VO2 Max, and more. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 provides almost a month-long battery life Source: Amazfit Amazfit claims the T-Rex 3 will last up to 13 days of heavy use or up to 27 days with regular usage. Using the battery saver mode, you can extend the runtime to a whopping 40 days. When using the dual-band GPS for activity tracking, the watch can last up to 42 hours in the highest accuracy mode. The T-Rex 3's beefy 700mAh battery makes these impressive battery life figures possible. On the flip side, the watch purportedly takes a whopping 3 hours for a full charge. Despite packing such impressive specs, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 carries a retail price of $280, making it nearly three times cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. You can already get it from Amazon in the US.