Amazfit T-Rex 3 in the test: Outdoor smartwatch with improved design

Amazfit introduced a new outdoor smartwatch, the T-Rex 3, earlier this month. The successor model to the T-Rex 2 is below the T-Rex Ultra and costs 299.90 euros. The wearable should be highly durable and have numerous fitness functions. I took a look at this new smartwatch from Amazfit in the test for you.

Incidentally, Amazfit will now also have points with additional AI functions, but these are currently more of a gimmick than really helpful. Since I was looking forward to my test of the Amazfit Balance in which I discussed these features. They can also be used on the new T-Rex 3, including in the form of AI chatbots in the Zepp app. Below you will find the most important technical data of the smartwatch.

Technical data Amazfit T-Rex 3

• Display: AMOLED, 1.5 inch, 480 x 480 pixels, touchscreen
• Integrated storage space: 32 GB
• Buttons: 4
• Battery life: up to 27 days with typical use
• Own GPS: Yes
• Other interfaces: Bluetooth 5.2 (BLE), WLAN (2.4 GHz)
• BioTracker PPG sensor for heart rate measurement, blood oxygen level estimation
• Other sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope sensor, geomagnetic sensor, barometric altimeter, ambient light sensor, temperature sensor
• Charging time: approx. 3 hours.
• Water resistance: up to 10 ATM
• Special features: microphone, loudspeaker, 177 sports modes, intelligent recognition of 25 strength training sessions and 8 other workouts
• Official companion app: Zepp
• Freediving certification: EN13319, ISO 6425, GB/T 18828 for freediving up to 45 meters
• Materials: Stainless steel bezel, polymer center frame
• Dimensions / Weight: 48.5 x 48.5 x 13.75 mm / 68.3 g
• Box contents: smartwatch, bracelet, magnetic charging station, instructions
• Price: 299.90 euros

You can also connect the Amazfit T-Rex 3 to peripheral training devices such as a heart rate belt. The smartwatch’s data can also be synchronized with third-party apps such as Strava, adidas Running, komoot, Relive, Google Fit and Apple Health. Unfortunately, the watch is not suitable for Bluetooth phone calls. Although there is both a microphone and a speaker available, the speaker only makes beeping noises, which is reminiscent of old PC speakers, for example. B. a training session begins or ends.

Features and workmanship of the Amazfit T-Rex 3

In direct comparison with the previous model, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 increases the battery capacity and the AMOLED display from 1.39 to 1.5 inch diagonal. On top of that, improved location detection is now used. The number of sports that can be recorded is also growing and the storage space has increased slightly – from 512 MB to 32 GB. In addition, there is RAM that has been doubled from 32 to 64 MB. In addition, a new chip serves as a basis. The system performance is very smooth and I have nothing to complain about.

Overall, the design of the smartwatch appears to be very bulky, but of high quality. However, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 is probably not for decorative wrists. The bracelets are also interchangeable, but as standard this doesn’t involve a quick-release fastener, but rather a system with a metal bar, which is a bit more fiddly. An adapter for quick-release systems is included. The smartwatch is operated using both the touchscreen and four buttons, whose functions are also located on the bezel. This works quite comfortably once you have memorized which button exactly was activated.

As far as materials are concerned, Amazfit combines metal with polymer, for example for the bezel and the four buttons. You can also use the T-Rex 3 for swimming and even free diving. The operating system used here is Zepp OS 4. During my test period, the smartwatch was already provided with two updates. Combine your smart watch with both Android and iOS devices. However, you will need the Zepp app and your own account. If you don’t want to create a special Zepp account, you have to log in using a Google, Facebook or Xiaomi account.

Practical test

I found the pre-installed dials of the Amazfit T-Rex 3 to be quite overloaded, but you can remedy this and choose from a whole collection of alternatives using the Zepp app. Theoretically, it is also possible to pay with the smartwatch using NFC and Zepp Pay. However, only a few banks are on board here so far – readers are most likely to have success with Curve. While running, I used the control of music playback on the connected smartphone. Alternatively, you can fill the smartwatch’s internal storage space with your own music, provided it has a suitable MP3 collection.

Amazfit has also made progress in notifications. You can also display many emojis, stickers and even photos on the T-Rex 3. You can also reply to messages from messengers, but only with short, predefined answers such as “Well” and the like. As with the Balance, you can also use simple voice control on this smartwatch, which you can use to start workouts. However, you cannot use Alexa or the Google Assistant.

When running with my wife, the T-Rex 3 recorded the running distance very well, although this depended slightly on the results of the Amazfit Balance. However, I cannot say for sure which model was more precise. Since the T-Rex 3 uses improved tracking, in case of doubt this speaks for the newer model. Trackable sports include not only common workouts such as outdoor and indoor jogging, but also e.g. B. also illustrious examples such as belly dancing, board games, skydiving, hip-hop dancing, off-road motorcycles, pole dancing or wingsuit flying. It covers a lot from thinking to extreme sports.

Recording workouts and sleep was reliable, although I found the T-Rex 3 a bit too bulky when sleeping. You can really notice this smartwatch on your wrist. Their robust design may be cool for outdoor sports, but I wouldn’t want to wear them long-term at the computer or while sleeping. Incidentally, you could of course adjust how often e.g. B. your pulse is measured and whether you want to use an always-on display. In contrast to new models from Withings, the T-Rex 3 can create a medical ECG. B. not.

I find the option to set rest times in the Zepp app helpful, during which the display remains switched off even when I move my arm. Instead of unexpectedly blinking in the dark, I set up the screen to stay off from 10 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. unless I activate it manually. However, I have to criticize the cycle tracking, which my wife has been experimenting with more closely recently. This shows correct data for the first cycle, but in our case it then makes completely insane predictions about the coming period and the fertile days.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 can also indicate breathing problems while sleeping and warn of abnormal heart rates. This is important to some readers: You can also use a Pomodoro timer, for example. B. use. The range of functions here is also really wide. The chance to block notifications while training is also welcome. The AMOLED display on the Amazfit T-Rex 3 is first-class – sharp and very easy to read even in sunlight. If you are out and about in the dark, you can also switch on a night mode, which can then display everything in one color (either green, orange or red) on a black background. Whether this will ever be needed in practice is another matter.

Regarding the battery life: This depends very much on whether you continuously measure your pulse, use the always-on display, use location detection for sports, etc. In my opinion, the manufacturer’s specifications are good and it should take a few weeks until You need to charge it during normal use. Personally, I give it a small minus point for the fact that Amazfit now saves the USB-C cable in the scope of delivery and only supplies a pure charging plate. When playing music, you also have to live with the fact that you can fill up around 28 GB of storage space, but it is not possible to link to music streaming providers such as Spotify.

My conclusion about the Amazfit T-Rex 3

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is a very robust smartwatch with numerous tracking functions and very good location detection. The workmanship is successful, but the watch is quite bulky and not suitable for more decorative wrists. Due to their size and weight, they can quickly become a nuisance when sleeping. Battery life is also strong and, barring very heavy use with GPS and all, it will take a few weeks before you need to charge.

There are also disadvantages, such as the lack of the ability to directly integrate music streaming providers such as Spotify to download playlists. Although you can store plenty of songs on the internal memory, it requires its own MP3 collection. The Amazfit T-Rex 3 also has a microphone, but the speaker only emits beeping, which is reminiscent of old, internal PC speakers from the 1980s. This means that no phone calls à la Michael Knight are possible on your wrist.

But if you’re looking for an outdoor and sports watch that can withstand a lot and offer reliable tracking with location detection even for unusual sports, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 is certainly the right choice.

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