Amazfit Stratos 3
The “Amazfit Sport Smartwatch 3” has been available in China for a while now. The global counterpart to the sports smartwatch is the Amazfit Stratos 3, which only differs from the Chinese model in its internationally adapted software interface. The RRP is €199. The German sales start is set for November 18th.
Chic and sporty design
The design is based on the predecessor, the Amazfit Stratos. The watch case made of reinforced plastic (48.6 mm diameter - 13.4 mm thickness - weight 40.4g) combines a stainless steel bezel and is waterproof up to 5ATM. This corresponds to a water resistance of up to 5 bar, which in turn corresponds to the pressure of an assumed water column of 50 meters. Showering and even swimming are therefore possible without any problems.
The carbon look of the watch case ensures a classy look. The watch strap (22 mm width) is made of silicone and is interchangeable. In contrast to the predecessor model, there are now 4 function keys on the side of the watch case. These allow extensive control of the clock, without having to resort to the touch function of the display. With the help of the new navigation key you can scroll through the menu at the push of a button (up / down).
Transflective MIP display
When it comes to the display, the Amazfit Stratos 3 doesn't differ much from its predecessor. The smartwatch has a transflective MIP display to guarantee excellent readability even in direct sunlight. The more light falls on the display, the better it is readable. When there is little ambient light or in the dark, a background light switches on. As "Always-On", the display is constantly switched on, so that the smartwatch does not have to be activated to read the time.
MIP What?
The term “MIP” stands for memory-in-pixel display technology. Image information is stored directly in the pixel and is only changed as soon as the image changes. Because the MIP display does not require a constant “refresh”, the panel’s power consumption is reduced at the same time. This in turn results in a long-lasting battery life. The disadvantages of a MIP display are the mostly pale colors and the poor viewing angle stability.
The 1.34 inch full-round display offers a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels and is protected by hardened Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is operated via the watch's touchscreen. An additional anti-fingerprint coating increases the gliding ability and prevents dirt and fingerprints from getting stuck on the display.
19 sport modes, TD - TE and VO2max
The numerous sports functions are also essential for the Amazfit Stratos 3. There are a total of 19 sports modes to choose from. To monitor its own abilities, the smartwatch relies on the “Firstbeat Analytics Engine”. This provides information on the VO2max fitness level, the training effect (TE), the training load (TD), suggests an effective regeneration time and actively accompanies the user via real-time coaching. Huami's self-developed BioTracker PPG sensor provides continuous heart rate measurement, warns when heart rate values are exceeded, and provides information about heart rate interval values.
Music storage, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth
The Stratos 3 is equipped with a Sony GNSS chip to record the course of the route when hiking, climbing or running. This not only supports the 4 satellite systems GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and Beidou, but also combines up to two of these systems. This results in positioning that is accurate to within a few meters. The course of the training session can be exported in GPX / TCX format. It is also possible to import GPX data. In order to synchronize the collected data as quickly as possible, the smartwatch can be connected to the WLAN (802.11 b / g / n).
An internal 4GB data memory allows up to 400 pieces of music to be loaded onto the smartwatch. This is particularly interesting if you want to do without an additional smartphone during training. Headphones can be connected directly to the watch via Bluetooth 4.2 + BLE 5.0. If you connect the smartphone to the Stratos 3 via Bluetooth, incoming notifications (WhatsApp, SMS and other) as well as calls can be displayed on the watch. It is not possible to reply to notifications! In addition, the data memory cannot be expanded!
Energy consumption and battery
The Amazfit Stratos 3 has a 300 mAh battery. That may not sound like much, but the smartwatch is one of the most enduring smartwatches of its time. An "ARM Cortex-M4T Low Power Consumption Chip" works under the hood, which, in combination with the energy-saving MIP display, enables battery life of up to 14 days. In order to achieve the 14 days of battery life, it offers two working modes.
- Ultra Endurance Mode (14 days): The smartwatch is in this mode when it leaves the factory. Instead of the 19 sport functions, there are only 11 sport functions to choose from. The receipt of notifications and the 24-hour heart rate monitoring remain active. According to Huami, the battery life of 14 days results from receiving 150 notifications per day, 30 arm raises to display the time, 30 minutes (outdoor) exercise, and 5 minutes of other functional use.
- Smart Mode (7 days): All functions of the Smartwatch are available in Smart Mode. The battery life is reduced to 7 days with the same use in Ultra Endurance Mode. The difference is that all sports functions are available and the Firstbeat analysis remains active.
With constant GPS activity, the running time is reduced to 35 to 70 hours, depending on usage! The smartwatch is charged via a magnetic pin connector. The charging time is 2 1/2 hours.
Source: en.amazfit.com/stratos-3.html
Further information on Firstbeat: firstbeat.com/en/consumer-product/huami/amazfit-stratos-3/
