Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro review: is it a Fenix rival for 400

TL;DR

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro improves the outdoors watch line with a brighter sapphire display, titanium bezel, and built in flashlight. It keeps strong GPS tracking and offline maps while adding new features like SOS lighting and Bluetooth calling, but battery life and heart rate accuracy vary by activity and compare differently to the Fenix 8.

Transcript

The new T-Rex 3 Pro is Amazefitit's latest attempt at beating devices that are two to three times more expensive, like the Garmin Fenix 8. And I must say, they did a pretty good job. The T-Rex series has always been aimed at people want a rugged outdoor smartwatch without stepping into the much higher price range of something like the Garmin Fenix ... Read More

Key Insights

• The Pro upgrade uses sapphire glass and grade five titanium replacing Gorilla Glass and stainless steel, increasing durability and readability.
• The display on the Pro is brighter, reaching up to 3000 nits, which enhances outdoor visibility under harsh light.
• A built in flashlight with multiple modes and SOS lighting expands emergency usability on the watch.
• Maps on the Pro are more detailed and interactive, enabling on watch route planning and rerouting without a phone.
• GPS tracking uses a circularly polarized antenna to potentially improve signal reception.
• The watch retains multi satellite GPS and six systems, ensuring broad satellite coverage.
• Battery life is strong but slightly reduced compared to non pro in some scenarios due to the brighter display and added features.
• Heart rate and sleep tracking performance is evaluated against reference devices and varies by activity.
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Questions & Answers

Q: What is the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro and how does it differ from the non pro version?

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is an upgraded rugged outdoor smartwatch designed to close the gap with high end competitors. It features sapphire glass and grade five titanium for the bezel and buttons, a brighter display up to 3000 nits, and a built in flashlight with SOS lighting. It also adds a quick release strap system for easier changes and enhanced map capabilities, while keeping core health tracking and GPS features. The Pro emphasizes durability, visibility, and advanced mapping while potentially trading some battery life for these enhancements.

Q: How does the GPS performance of the T-Rex 3 Pro compare to the non pro version?

The Pro retains dual band GPS and six satellite systems, similar to the non pro, but it adds a circularly polarized antenna described as improving signal reception. In practice this can lead to more reliable GPS tracking, especially in challenging environments. The watch still supports offline maps and turn by turn directions, with more interactive and detailed mapping on the watch itself.

Q: What are the notable new features on the T-Rex 3 Pro’s maps and route planning?

New map features include more detailed offline maps and interactive elements on the watch, such as the ability to search for places, tap to set points, create point to point routes, and automatically generate round trips by choosing a distance. It also supports rerouting without needing a phone, which is convenient for cycling or running explorations.

Q: What is the battery life like on the 48 mm T-Rex 3 Pro in different modes?

In practical terms and per the manufacturer, the 48 mm Pro is rated up to 26 days of light use, with full accuracy GPS up to 42 hours. If you run GPS tracking with the screen always on, expect around 19 to 20 hours. Battery life decreases with more demanding features such as always on display and intense GPS usage, but remains solid for a rugged outdoor watch.

Q: How does the heart rate tracking of the T-Rex 3 Pro perform in testing?

Heart rate tracking on indoor cycling shows strong agreement with reference devices like a Polar H10 chest strap, with correlation near 0.99 and only minor deviations at a few moments during activity. The camera confirms that for indoor cycling the Pro delivers reliable results, though performance can vary in other workouts, which Rob compares against other devices like the Garmin Fenix 8.

Q: What other durability or outdoor capability features does the Pro have?

The watch is rated to 10 atmospheres water resistance and supports diving up to 45 m. It has a rugged construction with the higher grade materials, a brighter display for daylight readability, and supports a wide range of outdoor activities, totaling 180 plus sports modes. It can handle cold environments down to -30 C and charges in very low temperatures.

Q: What are the practical limitations or caveats mentioned about the Pro in testing?

Caveats include that the higher brightness and enhanced maps come with a trade off in battery life in some real world scenarios. The speaker and microphone enable phone calls but may add to power consumption. There can be occasional bugs in route planning that the manufacturer is addressing, as well as a slight variability in heart rate tracking depending on activity and strap usage. The testing also notes occasional GPS planning crashes during long routes.

Q: Who is the target audience for the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro according to the video?

The target audience is outdoor enthusiasts who want a rugged smartwatch with advanced mapping, strong GPS, and a lower price point than premium rivals. It appeals to those who value durable materials like sapphire glass and titanium, a bright display for daylight readability, and convenient features like offline maps, long battery life in light use, and a flexible strap system for varied activities. It also suits users wanting built in calling and SOS features for emergencies.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The T-Rex 3 Pro features sapphire glass and grade five titanium, improving durability and readability under bright sunlight. It also increases display brightness to up to 3000 nits versus the non pro, aiding outdoor visibility. A built in flashlight plus SOS functionality adds emergency usability.

• GPS and maps get a boost with more detailed offline maps and interactive planning on the watch itself, including point to point routing and rerouting without a phone. Dualband GPS and a circularly polarized antenna may improve tracking reliability in practice.

• Battery life remains strong, rated up to 26 days in light use and 42 hours in full GPS mode for the 48 mm model, with shorter life for the 44 mm. GPS mode with always on display reduces endurance significantly in real use.