Amazfit T-Rex 3 in the test

A rugged outdoor smartwatch and sports watch at half the price of a Garmin Fenix ​​8. The T-Rex 3 from Amazfit offers a lot for 300 euros. We tested the watch.

With the T-Rex 3, Amazfit is already offering the third generation of an excellent sports watch and outdoor smartwatch that will compete with the likes of Garmin. The robust smartwatch has everything an outdoor and sports watch needs, but costs significantly less. We tested the T-Rex 3 with excellent value for money. This test report shows whether it is a good alternative to expensive watches.

At first glance, the T-Rex 3 is very reminiscent of its predecessor. If you take a closer look, you can see differences: the metal housing now has an octagonal shape. This illustrates the robust character of the sports watch; it is not for nothing that the carnivorous dinosaur is named after it.

Compared to its predecessor, the OLED display has grown to 1.5 inches. The resolution is 480 × 480 pixels and therefore appears sharp. The watch is also easy to read outdoors in sunshine, which is due to the maximum brightness of up to 2000 nits according to the manufacturer. The display is protected by robust Gorilla Glass – which may not be quite as robust as sapphire glass.

The case is rectangular and thick with dimensions of 48.5 × 48.5 × 13.8 mm. The weight of 68 g is about the same as its predecessor and slightly below a Fenix ​​8 with 47 mm. The workmanship of the case is excellent and appears robust. Only the plastic bracelet looks a bit cheap and is reminiscent of digital watches from the 1990s. It is available in striking red or sober black.

The T-Rex 3 is once again very robust and meets some tests of the US military standard MIL-STD-810H (Report: H202406062670-01EN), although not as many as its predecessor. The watch can withstand a water pressure of up to 10 ATM (100 m water column) and complies with EN13319 and ISO 6425. The T-Rex 3 did not collect any scratches in the test, but we did not find the case to be completely resistant to scratches. But a fall from a height of 1.5 m can hardly harm her. The sports watch is also designed for extreme temperatures. So there is a cold mode that you have to activate. This works from -10 degrees Celsius and is designed up to -30 degrees Celsius. The watch should last up to 70 degrees Celsius.

In addition to a touchscreen, there are also four buttons available for the condition – similar to those known from its predecessor or the Garmin Fenix. The two left buttons function as up or down arrow keys. The top right button is used to select a function and can also be assigned a specific function when you are on the watch's home screen. We have decided to use the button to access the training menu. At the bottom right is the back button, which can also be programmed for home screen mode.

There are also swipe gestures for the touchscreen, and swiping to the left opens the app overview. If you swipe up, you get to an overview with widgets that are displayed as cards. These can be freely configured in the app or the watch settings. A gesture to the right takes you to the notifications, which can also be customized for each desired app. You can access the settings by swiping down.

Anyone who has already used Amazfit watches will quickly find their way around. To set it up, users must install the Zepp app and then pair the watch with their smartphone using a QR code. The T-Rex 3 runs Zepp on both Android and iOS.

In the Zepp app, users can find all the data that the smartwatch has collected processed again. The application has undergone a major redesign with Zepp OS 4 and is very clear. There is now a general “overview” of the most important data under the “Start” main menu. There is also the “Readiness” tab, which uses activities and sleep data to show how efficient the wearer of the watch is. But you also have to always wear the watch while you sleep. Under Sleep you will find information about the quality of your sleep, while under “Effort” you will find all activities and training as well as how close you are to your predefined daily goal.

At the bottom you will find further menu items next to “Start”, such as “Training”, “Aura” and “Device”. Under Training you will find all workouts, training plans and the paid Zepp Coach. Here you can get tips from an AI via chat and use additional evaluations. To do this, you have to take out a subscription to Zepp Fitness for 4 euros per month (much cheaper with an annual subscription of 20 euros).

“Aura” is, so to speak, the ambient area of ​​the T-Rex 3 and offers detailed sleep analyzes as well as guided mediations, an AI chatbot and a sleep trainer. However, the service is also paid, with a separate package. For Zepp Aura Premium you even have to pay around 10 euros a month (or just 70 euros a year). Our tip: A gift card for one year of Zepp Aura Premium is available for just 30 euros.

The clock is configured under “Device”. Here you can determine the order of the app list, which cards are displayed in the widget area, which apps trigger notifications and whether you want to connect the clock to the cell phone's calendar. The latter didn't always work perfectly, so with an Android smartphone we often received notifications for entries on the Google calendar that we had deleted a long time ago in the browser or on our smartphone. With Whatsapp there is at least an image preview, even if only predefined answer options.

The T-Rex 3's tracking and training options are comprehensive. The watch records sleep and divides it into phases such as light sleep, deep sleep or REM. Based on these findings, the watch outputs a readiness level – an index that is intended to assess the wearer's performance. As with many other watches, the sleep tracking does not always accurately detect waking phases, so after a sleepless night we received praise for the long sleep time. The taller man wears the watch, the more reliable the evaluations become.

There is also a lot on offer for athletes. The T-Rex 3 offers an impressive 177 sports modes, including new trend sports such as Hyrox, of which Amazfit is a sponsor. The spectrum ranges from cardio to strength training and diving. Even interval training is possible. Almost everything is available here as a sports watch. There is also automatic training detection, the sensitivity of which can be adjusted. It works for running, cycling and a range of body weight exercises.

Like all Amazfit watches, the T-Rex 3 uses PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) to evaluate activity data using an algorithm. The PAI value is based on age, gender, resting heart rate and heart rate over the last seven days. Intensive training increases the value.

The T-Rex 3 also records steps, distance traveled, calories burned, stress levels, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. The watch also reminds you to exercise regularly. For special workouts such as outdoor running, trail running or track running, VO2max is calculated and displayed in real time. The pulse measurement seemed very accurate to us and only deviates minimally from other reference devices.

A GPS is integrated into the watch and offers very precise location. If you go hiking, you can also view a map of the area, which you can download in advance in the app. However, this only allows return route navigation, not free orientation using maps. A barometer is built in to help record elevation data on routes.

The internal memory is around 32 GB and, in addition to cards and applications, allows you to save music files – but not playlists from Spotify & Co. At least you can control music playback via Spotify, but this doesn't work straight away. However, the app offering at Amazfit is generally manageable and is limited to a few tools. There are no extensive apps like those found in Wear OS or Watch OS.

Integration of Alex or Google Assistant is not possible. However, the T-Rex 3 has its own voice assistant integrated, which also works offline. This allows some predefined commands to be executed. By default, you activate the assistant with a quick twist of your wrist.

We miss some other smartwatch features. Although the watch emits annoying noises (called buzzers) from each loudspeaker during training, playing back a call – and therefore telephony – is not possible with the T-Rex 3. There's even a microphone integrated – we're left with a mystery. It is possible to pay with Zepp Pay, even though only a few banks in this country work with the service.

One of the T-Rex 3's greatest strengths is its battery life. In the test, the watch lasted an average of up to 19 days. We wore the watch all day and also while sleeping and completed four workouts a week and a longer walk. According to Amazfit, up to 27 days should be possible. If you use GPS or the always-on display a lot, the running time is significantly reduced. But even with a permanently active display and lots of activities, the watch can easily last more than a week.

For charging, Amazfit includes a magnetic charging plate with a USB-C port. You have to provide a charger yourself. This requires a bit of patience, as a complete charging process takes around three hours. Good thing the watch is so rare and needs a charger.

The RRP is close 300 euros. The version with a red bracelet is already for 279 euros to have. That's a fair price for the equipment.

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 impresses as an inexpensive and robust sports watch and outdoor smartwatch. Like the previous models, the third generation also offers an excellent price-performance ratio that is only a fraction of the price of a current top sports watch from Garmin or Polar.

The battery life is phenomenal, the OLED display is razor-sharp and radiant as hell. A three-digit number of training profiles ensures that there is something for every sport. Thanks to the robust housing, the sports watch is also suitable for an outdoor adventure. It's just a shame that there is only a limited range of apps available. We also miss a telephony function. Charging also took quite a long time.