Skip to main content

This $250 smartwatch destroys the Apple Watch in 4 ways

Amazfit recently announced the Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition, and I used it to replace my similarly priced Apple Watch SE. It’s a $250 health/fitness-orientated smartwatch, and upon first glance, it’d be easy to overlook it.

In my 10 days of usage, however, I came across a few things that the Apple Watch SE either doesn’t have — or offers on the more expensive Apple Watch Series 8. While the software experience on my Apple Watch SE remains unparalleled, there are four ways in which the new Amazfit GTR 4 LE is outright better.

Recommended Videos

The build quality is out of this world

The Amazfit GTR 4 features an aluminum alloy middle frame and high-gloss sprayed PC bottom shell. Both of these have been upgraded to a stainless steel frame and a one-piece glass ceramic back on the Limited Edition model. For reference, the stainless steel Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $699. You are getting the same premium build for a fraction of the price.

The Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition is a gorgeous smartwatch. I’ve been asked multiple times at press events about the watch I’m wearing because it looks appealing and classy. Not only that, but I no longer get rashes under the watch because the material used feels a lot smoother on the skin than my Apple Watch, which gives me rashes if I wear it all day.

Unparalleled battery life

I charged my Amazfit GTR 4 LE to 100% when I took it out of the box 10 days ago. I’ve been using it for sleep tracking, step tracking, and walking with notifications on. It has been connected to my phone through the 10 days of use. Now that I’m writing about it, I realize that I only take it off while showering. And guess what? I haven’t charged it again.

I still have 30% battery remaining. This is simply amazing. One of the reasons I stopped wearing smartwatches is because I don’t want another gadget to charge every day. My Apple Watch SE charges during the night whenever I wear it throughout the day. I can last for 1.5 days at best. I haven’t gotten through two days without it dying on me. I can travel with the Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition without carrying the charger, which is a big deal for a person like me who likes to travel light.

Wireless charging

Amazfit GTR 4 LE wireless charging with iPhone MagSafe charger
Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

I’ve always been bothered by the charging situation of my Apple Watch SE. If I’m carrying my iPhone MagSafe charging puck, I want it to charge my watch, which is made by the same company. It’s a pity that Apple, which values sustainability, doesn’t let you charge two products with the same wireless charger. This is also the case for other smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, Google Pixel Watch, and more.

The Amazfit GTR 4 LE solves this. It features Qi wireless charging and charges with Apple’s iPhone MagSafe wireless charger. I don’t need to carry two separate wireless charging pucks for my iPhone and smartwatch if I’m using the new Amazfit smartwatch.

Select other smartwatches (like the Garmin Vivomove Trend) also support wireless charging, and it’s an incredible feature Apple is really slacking on.

Sleep/nap tracking

Amazfit GTR 4 LE in leaves.
Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

I’ve written in the past about how the sleep tracking on Apple Watch needs to be improved. There are multiple limitations in sleep tracking on the Watch SE.

First, if I wake up in the middle of the night and go to sleep again, it won’t track the latter half of my sleep. It stops abruptly if you wake up at odd times. Second, the battery isn’t good enough to let me track my sleep for two continuous days. I need to charge it to use it the next day, so the only time left to charge it is during the night as I sleep. Third, there is no nap tracking, which bugs me a lot. As a freelancer, I have no fixed working hours, and I’m mostly working through the night, so nap tracking is an essential feature for me.

The Amazfit GTR 4 Limited Edition solves all of this. It tracks my sleep no matter how many times I abruptly wake up and fall sleep again. It lasts at least two weeks on a single charge, so I can wear it through the night without worrying about the charging situation. And it tracks my naps, through which I complete my quota of at least six hours of sleep.

The Apple Watch still has one big advantage

Amazfit GTR 4 LE tacking data.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If there’s one area where Amazfit still trails behind Apple, it’s with the software.

I’ve been complaining about a few things since 2020 when I reviewed the Amazfit GTR 2. For instance, if you receive an emoji as a message, the GTR 4 LE shows you a rectangle as a message from the contact. And, of course, you can’t reply to the messages. What I love about my Apple Watch SE is if I’m away from my phone and need to reply to a text urgently, I can tap on the Reply option and use Siri to write my reply. It’s disappointing that Amazfit isn’t working to fix these things on its software — and I hope that changes soon.

But I can live with these limitations because I don’t need to charge my smartwatch every day. The GTR 4 Limited Edition offers a robust set of workout features (150 sports modes), and I’ve always found Amazfit’s tracking to be accurate. It’s the best alternative to an Apple Watch if you want a long-lasting and classy-looking smartwatch.

Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
Apple Watch SE 3’s future appears uncertain with a looming price hike
Apple Watch SE with Nomad Aluminum Band

Apple last updated its affordable “SE” series smartwatch back in 2022. Priced at $250, the smartwatch offered a decent mix of wellness capabilities, clean design, and long battery life. But in time that has elapsed since, rivals like Samsung, OnePlus, and Mobvoi have offered fantastic value-centric models of their own.
Apple, on the other hand, hasn’t said a word on the next Watch SE trim. It seems the third-generation Apple Watch SE might take a while to arrive, and the delay may not be strategic. As per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the affordable model might be in “serious jeopardy” due to hardware-related snags.
“The design team doesn’t like the look, and the operations team is finding it difficult to make the casing materially cheaper than the current aluminum chassis,” says the report. The outlet recently reported that Apple was experimenting with other materials in order to bring the manufacturing costs down.

A big shift

Read more
Apple Watch might get a camera upgrade in the near future
The front of the Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple hasn’t delivered any major hardware-focused health breakthroughs on its recent smartwatches. The current-gen Series 10 smartwatch is mostly a slimmed-down avatar of its predecessor, and it appears that next-gen facilities like blood pressure monitoring continue to run into hurdles.
But Apple could add a different kind of sensor to its smartwatch, one that we are all too familiar with. According to Bloomberg, the company is planning to add a camera to the Apple Watch — both the mainline as well as the top-end Ultra model.
“The current idea is to put the camera inside the display of the Series version, like the front-facing lens on the iPhone. The Ultra will take a different approach, with the camera lens sitting on the side of the watch near the crown and button,” says the report.
Interestingly, Meta explored the idea years ago, but eventually killed the project. It isn’t clear how soon we are going to see these camera-equipped Apple Watch models hit the market. Moreover, there is no word on what exactly these cameras will accomplish. However, a quick look at Apple’s AI and health stack gives us a clear idea.

It could be a wellness boon

Read more
The Apple Watch badly needs the iPhone 16e treatment
A person wearing the Apple Watch SE 2.

Apple isn’t very quick to update its lower cost products, but there’s one model which badly needs its attention: the Apple Watch SE. The company’s willingness to let the SE languish for several years is now affecting its bottom line, and when the Apple Watch Series 11 arrives later this year, an Apple Watch SE 3 needs to be there alongside it.
Hitting where it hurts

In 2024 shipments of Apple Watch models declined by 19% compared to 2023, according to Counterpoint Research, and a quote in the report stated, “The slowdown of the existing Apple Watch SE lineup and the lack of new SE models contributed to the decline.” While the entire smartwatch industry slowed over the same period, Apple saw the largest fall in shipments, which points to something being awry with its current product range.

Read more