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Reviews on the Amazfit Stratos: the "high-end" GPS watch at a low price

Reviews on the Amazfit Stratos: the "high-end" GPS watch at a low price

April 09, 2020

A sports watch for whom and for what?
Specifications for the Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos
Introducing the Huami Amazfit Stratos
The Amazfit Stratos reviewed in detail
Comparison Amazfit Stratos versus Forerunner 735XT vs Forerunner 935
Amazfit Pace versus Amazfit Stratos comparison: which one to choose?
Our opinion on the Amazfit Stratos: should you buy it?
Price and availability

Buy the Amazfit Stratos 2

Trader

Price (from)

Amazon

See the offer

€ 159

Gearbest

See the offer

137 €

Commercial links. Non contractual prices. Please consult the merchant website.

A sports watch for whom and for what?

The Stratos is a relatively complete multisport watch, well supplied with sensors, offering numerous functions and at an unbeatable price for a watch of this type.

It targets an audience interested in a high-end watch but at a low price.

It is intended for athletes practicing running, hiking, trail running, swimming and triathlon (recommended activities) but also other sports such as skiing, football, tennis and more.

It is also intended for non-athletes wishing to do fitness and monitoring their daily activity (spending of the day or sleep analysis for example).

Specifications for the Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos

Weight60g

Music player / bluetoothYes

Introducing the Huami Amazfit Stratos

The Amazfit Stratos is a relatively complete smart health connected watch, multisports (14 sports offered including triathlon) with cardio optics on the wrist, WiFi connectivity, on-board mp3 music player, activity tracker, advanced functions for monitoring and training sports and more.

In terms of characteristics (sensors, functions), it is similar to the Forerunner 735XT, a triatlon watch, or even a Forerunner 935 (running watch) but for a price 2 to 3 times cheaper! For fans of running or triathlon, here is a watch that is worth it that we are interested in!

It is offered by the company Huami (merger of Huafeng with Xiaomi and subsidiary of Xiaomi) which had put on the market, in 2014, the Mi Band, an activity tracker at unbeatable prices (sold for $ 13 in China). Founded in 2010, Xiaomi is today the largest Chinese seller of electronic objects (smart health connected bracelets, tablets, smart health connected equipment, smartphones, batteries, etc.).

After the Amazfit Pace, a low-priced watch that had great success as soon as it was released in 2016, Huami released in 2018 a new, more complete watch, always at a low price, which seriously competes with big brands like Garmin, Polar or Suunto: the Amazfit Stratos, a multisport smart health connected GPS watch.

This watch was first introduced on the Chinese market (November 2017) then a so-called "international" version was launched in the United States (February 2018) and then in Europe (April 2018). The international version offers an interface in English. A procedure exists to install a French version but it is not official and may void the warranty (replace the watch software with another one!).

The Stratos is available in Stratos (the one currently available in Europe) and Stratos + (the same watch but with a leather strap, a spare silicone strap and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass.

The Amazfit Stratos reviewed in detail. Mixed tests.

This cheap Chinese sports watch offers many functions worthy of the best Polar, Garmin or Suunto watches.

Design: a watch with an elegant look

The first good surprise with this watch is that it is very pretty with its braided fiberglass case, ceramic bezel, ultra-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass and stainless steel buttons. She is therefore doing very well for sport as for the city.

It has a comfortable 1.34 "(35 mm) and 320 x 300 px color touch-screen LCD screen that is easy to read even in direct sunlight (transflective) but slightly less if it is dark. That said, a retro -lighting allows you to read it perfectly in all circumstances.

Its 22 mm wide bracelet is interchangeable. Too bad there are no other models than silicone. Note that the Stratos + (not yet available in Europe) is delivered with a leather strap.

In terms of size, the watch is relatively wide (48 mm, 1 mm more than the Forerunner 935 and 3 mm more than the Forerunner 735 XT) and rather thin (15 mm, almost as thin as the Forerunner 935). It weighs only 60 g (49 g for the Forerunner 935 and 40 g for the Forerunner 735 XT), which remains reasonable.

Autonomy: up to 5 days or 35 hours in GPS mode

Huami displays an autonomy of 5 days for use in smart health connected watch mode and 35 hours in GPS mode. It is therefore possible, in theory, to make long outings (ultratrail, etc.). In reality, experience shows that the autonomy can be much lower, especially when Bluetooth is used (headphones, cardio belt, etc.). We talk about it below (Read our review on the Huami Amazfit Stratos).

This watch can be recharged without being stopped, which would a priori interest hikers and followers of the ultra-trail or ultra-deep races. Alas, the charging socket is located under the watch case, it must be removed to be able to do it (impossible to run with a battery for example unless you keep everything in a pocket …).

Note that the Stratos recharges in 2 hours with a proprietary dock charger supplied with the watch.

A positive point is that the watch can estimate the duration and the distance that can be covered depending on the activity.

The display

The Amazfit interface allows you to choose your watchface (dial) from around twenty available. The choice is therefore quite limited. The watch can display 4 to 6 data per screen with limited configuration possibilities. You can also display graphs for current measurements such as changes in heart rate, GPS tracking, speed, etc.

Huami emphasizes that the screen remains permanently on, which allows you to read the time at any time or to access training or navigation data without having to press a button or the screen to reactivate the display.

Touch navigation works well and buttons can be used in addition (dual function).

The sensors: fairly complete but the accuracy is approximate

The Amazfit Stratos is well equipped in terms of sensors. There is a GPS & GLONASS chip, an optical heart rate sensor on the wrist, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and ABC sensors (barometric altimeter, barometer and compass).

The watch can also be smart health connected to a Bluetooth heart rate belt which we recommend for greater accuracy in the pulse reading. The Stratos is indeed very imprecise for measuring HR on the wrist depending on the sport practiced. We come back to this below.

Unfortunately, it is not compatible with standard sensors: cadence, speed / distance, power for the bicycle for example, which makes the measurements quite limited for the practice of cycling or for demanding riders looking for advanced measures (oscillation vertical, cadence, etc.). A crippling criterion for demanding triathletes!

The GPS sensor works well even if it is a little slow to synchronize with the satellite network (around twenty seconds where other GPS watches require only 10 under the same conditions).

Over 14 sports available including triathlon

The Stratos offers more than 14 sports: walking, running, tennis, football, skiing & cross-country skiing, triathlon, swimming pool and open water, mountaineering, cycling (indoor and outdoor), treadmills, hiking.

About the triathlon, the watch can manage transitions and linked activities without having to stop it. However, it has some limitations which can be prohibitive for demanding athletes. In particular, it is not compatible with external sensors (except Bluetooth heart rate belt), which makes training data very limited, for cycling in particular. The distance and speed, measured from the GPS, are not very precise and therefore we do not have power and cadence data. In addition, if you are practicing a health home trainer or spinning bike, this data will not be available since the GPS is not used!

About the swimming, the Stratos can be used at sea (GPS is used for distance measurement) or in a swimming pool (you must program the size of the pool: 25 or 50 m, 25 yards or 50 yards, or custom length from 10 to 200 m or 10 to 200 yards). Like most GPS watches, the optical cardio does not work underwater. The watch measures the duration of the session, the distance traveled, the pace of swimming, the number of arm strokes per minute, pace, average pace, calories burned and a few other indicators.

For the hiking, the toquante offers GPS navigation (route and guidance) with recording of the route, a compass, an altimeter with display of the altitude and elevation changes. The watch has a barometer but does not offer thunderstorm alerts in the event of a sudden change in pressure. It provides access to local weather but requires a Smartphone that receives 3G / 4G and a dedicated application.

There is also no auto-pause function but you can pause the activity by placing the palm of your hand on the dial.

GPS navigation

The Stratos records the GPS track and allows you to navigate along a pre-recorded route. You can also program alerts in the event of an exit from the track (vibrator for example). It offers a zoom whose granularity is to be reviewed and above all a dial that changes direction too abruptly at the whim of the walk (changes of course): difficult to follow the instructions in these conditions!

Personalized training program

It is good to know that this function is only available for running! The Stratos offers training programs for beginners or experienced runners. You can program a training to run a 5 km, a 10 km, a half-marathon or a marathon. The watch will for example offer an 8-week program including land, fractional, recovery sessions. It can even offer sessions based on previous sessions, for example offering a recovery session after 3 active sessions performed on previous days.

Audio coaching (usable with Bluetooth headsets) guides the athlete in his race (pace to adopt to stay within the set objectives).

You can also set goals to reach (duration, distance to go, calories to burn, Training Effect for example) or even set alerts on the value of the pulse, pace, etc. The watch vibrates, for example, when the set objectives are released.

The watch allows you to program interval sessions. This function is not very extensive. Impossible for example to program series of series (2 sessions of 5 x 1 '/ 1' for example). In addition, the programmable duration is in minutes, which makes scheduling short interval sessions difficult!

A built-in mp3 music player and a storage space of 2 GB or about 250 songs

More and more manufacturers are finally integrating an mp3 player in their watch to be able to listen to music without the need to clutter up a Smartphone. Tom Tom for example, with his Tom Tom Runner 2 Music and Tom Tom Runner 3 Music, Garmin with his Forerunner 645 Music, Vivoactive 3 Music or Fenix 5 Plus, Apple and his Apple Watch 3, etc. This is the case of the Amazfit Stratos which integrates 4 GB of memory including 2 dedicated to music. We can therefore take on board our favorite songs, around 250, and listen to them with Bluetooth wireless headphones.

Physiological measurements

The Stratos offers a set of physiological measurements calculated from the watch sensors and estimated using algorithms provided by the Finnish company FirstBeat with which Huami has developed a partnership. This company works with major manufacturers of GPS watches. We can therefore expect measures comparable to those proposed on known brands of sports watches. The only problem is that these measurements are based on the heart rate, which is measured by the optical frequency sensor which does not shine due to its reliability. It is therefore better to use a chest belt if you want to have reliable data.

The main physiological measures estimated are:

VO2max, a performance indicator. Please note, it is only estimated during a running exercise.
The Training Effect (from 1 to 5). It gives an indication of the effect of a training session on physical condition and therefore helps the athlete to know if his session has been effective.
The recovery time required after a session
Estimated calories consumed
Training load: it measures the total volume of training carried out over the past 7 days and indicates whether this load is optimal or not (neither too low nor too intense)
Performance conditions: they indicate in real time whether the performance is good in comparison with past performance.

These measures are used, among other things, to guide the athlete (voice coaching) and offer him personalized training plans. They can be synchronized with Strava.

Alipay contactless payment: for China only

This function allows you to pay for purchases with your watch using the Alipay system, unfortunately only available for the Chinese market today. Suffice to say that this system will be very difficult to break into Europe if we refer to the experience of GarminPay and ApplePay.

Activity monitoring

The Amazfit Stratos is also an activity tracker that tracks the number of steps taken, calories burned, number of climbs and sleep analysis. It will therefore also appeal to non-athletes who are looking to monitoring their activity and who need to be encouraged to move. The WHO recommends taking at least 10,000 steps a day to maintain your health.

smart health connected functions

The watch displays call, SMS and email notifications so you don't miss anything if the phone is in your pocket or in the next room.

The Amazfit Smartwatch app

The Amazfit Stratos works with the free Amazfit Smartwatch app 2.0 which handles data processing and allows you to program the watch. It offers a graphical interface exploiting and displaying the recorded data (performances, course, training follow-up).

Please note, you must have a Smartphone running iOS 8.0+ or Android 4.3+ to be able to activate the watch and interface with it because Huami does not offer an application on PC or Mac!

Comparison Amazfit Stratos versus Forerunner 735XT vs Forerunner 935

The Forerunner 735XT is a triathlon watch. She knows how to manage several activities as well as the transitions between activities. The Forerunner 935 is more designed for running.

We compared the 3 models to highlight the main differences in terms of sensors and functions. If the price (significantly lower for the Stratos) is not a criterion of choice, it is clear that it is better to move towards a model of a big brand that offers more reliability (firmware, heart sensor, measurements physiological) and more functions. The Stratos is quite comprehensive but with a lot of approximations and sometimes funny measures.

Amazfit Pace versus Amazfit Stratos comparison: which one to choose?

Should you buy the Amazfit Stratos if you already have an Amazfit Pace? Or should you buy the cheaper Amazon Pace rather than this new model? What new functions justify the price difference? Here is a small comparison of the main differences to help you make your choice.

The Amazfit Stratos was designed, among others, for the practice of triathlon (it is waterproof to 50 m while the Pace only supports splashes). It has some additional functions for outdoor and running (barometer, VO2max measurement for example). It also offers more sports profiles (14 against 8 for Pace)

The design of the 2 watches also differs. The Pace is thinner and smaller in size. It is best suited for thin wrists. Its silicone strap is a little more flexible than that of the Stratos and its different colors (red or black versus black for the Stratos). But the Stratos + (still available in Europe) offers a leather strap for a more chic look in the city or at work.

Comparison: Amazfit Pace vs. Amazfit Stratos

The Stratos is clearly more voluminous and its 2 mm buttons add to the look more sport oriented than city.

For the rest, the two watches have the same 300 x 320 px screen, the same connections, similar autonomy and identical functions. We find the mp3 player, the contactless payment function, the color touch screen (TFT LCD on the Pace, OLED on the Stratos), cardio optics on the wrist).

If your budget is tight, the Amazfit Pace is a good choice unless you are swimming or triathlon.

Our opinion on the Amazfit Stratos: should you buy it?

The Amazfit Stratos is a relatively complete watch at a very competitive price. It seriously competes with high-end watches from well-known brands like Garmin, Polar or Suunto. Now, should you really buy it? It all depends on your goal and what you are ready to concede by buying it!

A pretty and really inexpensive multisport watch for tight budgets

This watch, like the Amazfit Pace, is very pretty and can be worn as well for sports as for everyday use. On the other hand, it is a little big for thin wrists. This is a point to take into account for female wrists where the Pace will be more appropriate.

For people looking for a complete multisport watch at a low price, it will be difficult to find a cheaper elsewhere. Here we have a real multisport watch that can be used for 14 sports, including triathlon. The number of functions is more than satisfactory and will satisfy most athletes. On the other hand, it will have to do with the disadvantages that we list below and which can be prohibitive for athletes looking for complete and reliable data.

Cardio watch reviews and comparison

A selection of 25 sports watches at the best price

The heart rate monitoring has become an essential tool for athletes, whether to train, lose weight or simply maintain their shape. But today's watches offer more than just a pulse. Depending on the sport practiced, they have an impressive number of additional functions allowing you to make the most of your outing. How to find your way around?

See the comparison

Approximate measurement accuracy

The various tests carried out on the watch and the opinions of internet users who bought it converge to confirm that:

The GPS and the altimeter seem to be quite reliable (accuracy of the plot and altitude). However, it is not possible to calibrate the altimeter manually, which is a shame.
The optical sensor on the wrist is much less so. The measurements are approximate, sometimes shifted in heart rate (10 to 20 pulses less than reality) or even false (dropouts). It looks like the Stratos is trying to fix the glitch by smoothing the data, but it does it a little too much. You can miss rapid drops or increases in heart rate.
Physiological measurements: what is annoying with the imprecision of heart rate readings is that physiological measurements (Firstbeat algorithms) are precisely based on the heart rate and its variability. If these data are incorrect at the base, physiological measurements (VO2max, recovery time, Training Effect, etc.) are also! Personal training and voice coaching, based on these values, can therefore also be wrong! For reliable values, it is therefore strongly recommended to use a chest belt, which takes away the advantage of cardio optics on the wrist.
Sleep analysis seems unreliable.

Uncertain autonomy

Humay announces an autonomy of 5 days for its watch and up to 35 hours in GPS mode, which is pretty good! By testing the watch under normal conditions, these figures seem to be confirmed.

Still, some users have noticed a much lower battery life. A problem that seems to be related to the use of Bluetooth which would be very energy-hungry. So if you listen to music or if you use a chest strap (which we recommend to ensure the reliability of the measurements), the watch may only last a few hours! This is a very embarrassing point, especially for the runners of ultra-fund or ultra-track!

No external sensors other than a training belt

The Stratos is not compatible with external sensors, except with a Bluetooth heart rate belt. It is not possible, for example, to connect a cadence, power or even speed sensor to a bicycle, which is a big disadvantage for cyclists. Speed and distance measurements are made by GPS with necessarily lower accuracy and possible loss of signal in the mountains! Not to mention the workouts on health home trainer or spinning which require a separate counter (no GPS!).

Triathletes looking for good assistance in monitoring their progress or preparing for a competition may therefore be disappointed.

Still young firmware and interface in English or Chinese

The Stratos is currently only available in an international version in English or in a Chinese version, which makes it difficult to access for people who do not understand these languages (display and voice coach!). Unless you are ready to replace the firmware with a French version with the risks involved (loss of warranty, bugs, etc.).

The watch shows weaknesses in the firmware. The English version displays some untranslated words from Chinese. Some bugs sometimes lead to somewhat unexpected behavior, such as the unstable display of the navigation screen (brutal oscillations at 90 ° or 180 ° of the display when you change course). All this should however be corrected in future versions of the software and therefore during updates of the watch.

Overall, a good compromise between budget and reliability?

Overall, this smart health connected sports watch is rather attractive for its pretty trendy look, its robustness (case, buttons, ultra-resistant glass), its large, readable and precise color touch screen, intuitive navigation, the possibility of displaying graphs for most of the recorded data.

We also appreciate its many functions, at least sufficient for most athletes, such as functions for outdoor (altimetry, compass, access to weather, track and GPS navigation), training functions, advice and monitoring of the sportsman. We appreciate the fact that it is multisport and suitable for the practice of triathlon (without being too demanding in terms of measurements, especially for cycling), activity monitoring, mp3 player, payment function (for the market Chinese!) and above all, its attractive price for the functions offered.

However, our opinion remains mixed due to the inaccuracies and variable reliability of the measurements, the difficult to predict autonomy of the battery, the various limitations observed (external sensors, display and personalization of the watch somewhat limited). We hope this is fixed in later versions of the firmware.

This watch does not compete with the best current watches for triathlon or with those for running offering similar functions, such as the Forerunner 935. If you are looking for precision and reliability, it is better to pay a high price or then turn to a cheaper watch, offering more limited functions (see our comparison of GPS cardio watches).

However, it must be recognized that for the price paid, we have here a complete watch that will satisfy most athletes on a tight budget. Provided of course not to expect the characteristics of high-end watches from Garmin, Suunto or Polar. If you have the opportunity to Review it before purchase, it's better.

We liked

Minimum price for the capacities offered
Nice design and look
Comfortable color touch screen
Built-in mp3 player
14 sports
GPS and altimeter quality

We'd have liked

Amazfit interface and application in French
An interface for PC or Mac! (requires a Smartphone)
Better compatibility with sensors (especially bikes)
More reliable autonomy
Better optical cardio accuracy
Connector for recharging the watch without removing it from the wrist, in the absence of better autonomy
Contactless payment that can be used in Europe

Price and availability

Xiaomi's Amazfit Stratos is available from 150 €. It can be found cheaper depending on the promotions in progress. Unfortunately, it is not sold in France. However, it can be purchased on Amazon or via the Chinese online store Gearbest, the links of which are found below.

Philippe Baudoin

Buy the Amazfit Stratos 2

Trader

Price (from)

Amazon

See the offer

€ 159

Gearbest

See the offer

137 €

Buy the Amazfit Pace

Trader

Price (from)

Amazon

See the offer

119.99 €

Gearbest

See the offer

€ 73

Commercial links. Non contractual prices. Please consult the merchant website.

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