Amazfit recently announced the Limited Edition Amazfit GTR 4 and I used it to replace my Apple Watch SE for the same price. It's a $250 health and fitness focused smartwatch that's easy to overlook at first glance.
However, in 10 days of use, I discovered a few things not found on the more expensive Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Series 8. While the software experience remains unmatched on my Apple Watch SE, there are four areas where the Amazfit GTR 4 is clearly even better.
The build quality is out of this world
© Courtesy of Digital Trends Amazfit GTR 4 LE with yellow leaves. 
© Courtesy of Digital Trends Amazfit GTR 4 LE in Newspapers.Amazfit GTR 4 has an aluminum alloy midframe and a glossy polycarbonate back. Both have been updated with the limited-edition stainless steel frame and one-piece glass back. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 8 in stainless steel starts at $699 and you can get a premium design for a lot less.
Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition is an excellent smartwatch. At press conferences I was often asked what watches I wear because they are cute and stylish. Also, I no longer get rashes under my watch because the material used is much softer on the skin than my Apple Watch, which would cause me to get a rash if I wore it all day.
Unprecedented battery life
© Courtesy of Digital Trends Amazfit GTR 4 LE on the wrist. 
© Courtesy of Digital Trends Amazfit GTR 4 LE on the wrist. 
© Courtesy of Digital Trends Amazfit GTR 4 LE rear. 
© Courtesy of Digital Trends: This 250 smartwatch destroys the apple watch in four ways amazfit gtr le 2859I paid 100% for my Amazfit GTR £4 when I took it out of the box 10 days ago. I've used it to track sleep, track steps, and walk with notifications on. It was delivered to my phone within 10 days of using it. Now that I write about it, I realize I only take it off to shower. And guess what? I didn't re-upload it.
I have 30% battery left. It's absolutely amazing. One of the reasons I stopped wearing smartwatches is because I don't want to charge a different device every day. My Apple Watch SE charges overnight if I wear it during the day. I can stand for 1.5 days at best. I didn't live two days without him dying for me. I can travel with the Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition without a charger, which is very important for someone like me who likes to travel light.
wireless charger
© Provided by Digital Trends Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsI've always been concerned about the charging case on my Apple Watch SE. If I carry a MagSafe charging disk for iPhone, I want it to charge my watch from the same company. Too bad Apple, which values sustainability, doesn't let you charge two products with the same wireless charger. This also applies to other smartwatches such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, Google Pixel Watch and others.
Amazfit GTR 4 LE solves this problem. It supports Qi wireless charging and charges with Apple's MagSafe Wireless Charger for iPhone. I don't have to carry two separate wireless charging pads for my iPhone and smartwatch when using the new Amazfit smartwatch.
Some other smartwatches (like the Garmin Vivomove Trend) also support wireless charging, an amazing feature that Apple really ignores.
Sleep/nap tracking
© Provided by Digital Trends Prakhar Khanna / Digital TrendsI've written in the past about how to improve sleep tracking on Apple Watch. There are some limitations to sleep tracking on the Watch SE.
First, when I get up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep, the other half of my sleep doesn't follow me. It suddenly cuts out when I wake up at an odd hour. Second, the battery isn't good enough to track my sleep two days in a row. I have to charge it to use it the next day, so the only thing left for me to charge is at night when I go to bed. Third, there is no sleep tracking, which is something I'm really worried about. As a freelancer, I don't have set hours and mostly work all night, so sleep tracking is an important feature for me.
Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition solves all these problems. It tracks my sleep no matter how many times I suddenly wake up and fall asleep again. They last at least two weeks on a single charge, so I can wear them all night without worrying about the charge level. And it tracks my sleep throughout the day, giving me at least six hours of sleep.
The Apple Watch has another big advantage
© Provided by Digital Trends Amazfit GTR 4 LE link data.If there's one area where Amazfit still lags behind Apple, it's the software.
Since 2020, when I tested the Amazfit GTR 2, I have complained about a few things. For example, if you receive an emoji as a message, the GTR 4 LE displays a rectangle as a message from a contact. Of course, you cannot reply to messages. What I love about my Apple Watch SE is that when I'm away from my phone and urgently need to reply to a message, I can tap the reply option and use Siri to type my reply. It is disappointing that Amazfit does not fix these bugs in its software and hopefully that will change soon.
But I can live with these limitations because I don't have to charge my smartwatch every day. The Limited Edition GTR 4 offers a solid set of training features (150 sport modes) and I've always found Amazfit's tracking to be accurate. It is the best Apple Watch alternative if you want a durable and stylish smartwatch.
