Español We often justify the prices of the higher ranges of any product by their performance, by the amount of things they can do and by that being what differentiates those more expensive models from the more economical ones. And not only in terms of GPS watches but related to any product especially in consumer electronics. For the Amazfit Stratos (the latest smartwatch from Xiaomi) is the exception that confirms the rule, as it is a multisport model with a lot of features including music playback, altimeter barometric, metric of Firstbeat…
You may ask yourself... Who is Amazfit? It is a brand of Xiaomi's ecosystem. Its manufacturer is Huami, a company that was born in 2013 and focuses on biometric data analysis and activity. It is not Xiaomi Amazfit or Amazfit Xiaomi, it is not a direct development of Xiaomi but it is a competence of Huami, a partner of Xiaomi where the latter injects money and experience.
After this brief introduction of Amazfit, Huami and Xiaomi it's time to talk about the Amazfit Stratos again. At first glance it brings if not everything, many of the features found in the top models from manufacturers such as Garmin, Suunto or Tomtom. So... is it as good as it looks? Well, that's what the evidence here is for, all without any gimmicks or cardboard.
I've been using the Amazfit Stratos regularly for a few weeks now, so I have a pretty good idea of what it does well and what it could do better. This time I bought the test watch myself, it's not a test unit on loan from the brand.
From the shop to my house and from there to be tested. So you know, if you want to collaborate with the site and make these tests possible, you can do it by buying through the links I provide. It will not cost you more and you will be helping with a small amount to defray the costs and the work I do here.
Without further ado, we'll go over all the details.
Summary
Overall operation - 5.5
Training possibilities - 7.5
Platform and applications - 6
Autonomy - 9
Finishes and comfort - 8
Price/performance ratio - 8.5
7.4
TOTAL
The Amazfit Stratos is a watch that attracts attention, both for its neat aesthetics and for its feature sheet. Not only for being one of the cheapest options to play music from the wrist, also for being the cheapest watch that allows you to make a triathlon log as a single activity. On paper the watch appears to be very good, is it so in reality? Well, to verify it is precisely the tests that I perform, assessing in a real way how a device is and not simply detailing what are the advertised features.
The good
- Competitive price for your services
- Music playback
- Very successful aesthetics
- High quality screen
- The GPS works accordingly
- Includes a multitude of Firstbeat algorithms
The bad
- Low quality optical pulse and barometer
- There are still a few software bugs that need to be ironed out
- I was unable to configure the WiFi from iOS
- The display does not light up when displaying or receiving messages, and the wristwatch lighting does not turn off when we set the no disturbance period (very uncomfortable at night)
- Difficulty in updating the firmware
Amazfit Stratos, the device
Technically and aesthetically the Amazfit Stratos is an eye-catching watch, and that's without looking at the price tag. It's quite evident that in many ways the manufacturer (Huami) has been taking a lot of ideas from existing products on the market. Why try to turn the market around when you can take the best that others have made?
The screen is touch-sensitive, but we also have three physical buttons, just like in Suunto's Spartan range. This is not the only thing that reminds us of the Finnish models, as aesthetically the master lines are very similar.
The quality of construction is quite good, although there are two aspects that do not convince me:
- I don't like the similar-carbon finish of the box. I think a plain color would be a better option, but this is already an aesthetic issue that you may like.
- The silicone strap was a bit stiff and I haven't finished feeling comfortable with it. It's an easy solution because not only can it be replaced but it also has a quick change system and can be replaced with any 22mm wide strap.
The touch of the buttons is good, it is perfectly appreciated when you have clicked on it. Although it does not have Sound confirmation message that can be activated for any function (any notification or alert is made exclusively by Vibration), the very click of the button is enough to know that you have pressed it.
You can navigate through the menu either by sliding your finger or by using the buttons. The menu is arranged from left to right and in case we can see more details (e.g. activity or history monitor), from top to bottom.
And by the way, I haven't commented yet... how are you doing in English? Because the clock is entirely in Shakespeare's language, there is no other option. It is foreseeable that in the near future, if the clock arrives officially to our country, it will be updated and include the Spanish language, but for the moment it is not a possibility. There is an option to change the ROM and put a translated one through the community, but there are more steps to be taken.
- Update 25 June
With the new update you can now configure it in Spanish.
That the Amazfit Stratos is a serious gamble can be seen in that includes up to 8 Firstbeat algorithmsTherefore, when the clock indicates an estimate of VO2Max, recovery time, calories, etc. it will, in theory, be as accurate as a similar Garmin clock, because Americans also license these algorithms through the same company.
That "in theory" I indicate because in all these algorithms the heart rate is the most important variable, so it all depends on how the clock is collecting that data. In the case of the Amazfit Stratos we have a optical heart rate monitor of our own designBoth the hardware and the software that controls it.
Therefore all Firstbeat metrics depend on that sensor, unless you synchronize an external one through BluetoothThe specific section on the optical pulse sensor below is therefore very important.
➡ Read this: Four alternatives to the Amazfit Stratos
Activity monitor
The first thing to note about the Amazfit Stratos is that it has a full activity monitor, which tracks your day-to-day and sleep patterns, and compared to more traditional brand models, the only thing missing is constant heart rate monitoring.
It is possible to take a reading on the clock at any time, but the graph it shows does not indicate either the date or the time, so it is of little use as a reference.
The same graph can also be found in the application, but now we can access the dates and times of each of these measurements.
The clock allows you to activate a constant heart rate monitoring mode, but this information is not synchronized via Bluetooth to the phone. You can synchronize it via WiFi, but since it has been totally impossible for me to set up the wireless network with the iPhone, I cannot confirm that it will also appear in your account.
As for the rest of the activity, the clock screen shows all the information and details of activity in great detail, all with beautiful graphics.
The activity history of past days is present and you can review not only the daily activity but also the training you have done.
There is also a weekly report. It shows information that no other manufacturer had thought to offer, such as times and total distances of all sports weekly, average rates and Comparative with past weeks, etc. Certainly does not mean that all this information is of interest, but it is a detail and it is not superfluous that it is included and that each one gives it the value that he considers appropriate.
Of course there is data synchronization with the application, where complete reports of activity and of dreamAnd speaking of sleep measurement, he also separates periods of deep sleep from lighter sleep. As for the times he estimates, they seem more or less right to me; they don't go by the minute but they are quite precise and coincide when I have been able to fall asleep.
Here are a few images of all these reports that are displayed in the application.
There is also measurement of the number of plants ascended, but as you will see later in the section on the barometric altimeter, perhaps in this aspect it is not necessary to give it much credibility...
In short, the Amazfit Stratos does everything we can ask of a watch when it comes to measuring daily activity. It's not surprising, but it doesn't miss any functions that we can find in other models either. But almost certainly if you're interested in this watch it's for specific training and racing measurements, so let's get on with it.
Sport on the Amazfit Stratos
On the Stratos we have a wide variety of sports profiles, which I will now list:
- Career (exterior and interior)
- Mountain race
- Cycling (outdoor and indoor
- Swimming (in pool and open water)
- Elliptical
- Climbing
- Triathlon
- Skiing
- Tennis
- Football
These profiles are predefined and it is not possible to alter them, although with successive updates new profiles have been added. Each of them can be configured separately, except for the triathlon profile which does not admit any modification. This configuration is inspired by what Wahoo did with his cycling units, although in a slightly more complicated way.
First, through the mobile application, we must select which data fields we want to show and the order of importance we give to them. Depending on the sport the data varies, of course, and within this data we can choose to show or hide it if that metric is not relevant for us.
This is in the mobile part, because then in the settings of the sport profile of the watch we must select whether we want 6 or 4 digit displays per screen.
Once this selection has been made, it will show all the data selected and in the order that we have placed it on successive screens.
Logically, each sport profile has data relevant to it, which for example differs quite a bit from what you have seen previously for racing from what is available for swimming or skiing.
There are other possible settings within the sports profiles:
- Autolap (pretty obvious)
- Alerts:Lap warning, heart rate warning (by zone or by number) or pace
- Real-time metrics:The Heart Rate Monitor adds an additional display where it only shows a heart rate or pace indicator along with a graph (only if the display is unlocked)
- 3D data:For training or races where you will encounter a steep incline and horizontal movement is not "standard". Moving at a certain speed on a 20% slope does not cover the same distance as on the flat, so the watch will adjust the speed to provide a more accurate data, taking into account the hills. However, only use it in situations where you will actually have a significant drops
- Background color:black or white
Yeah, it's kind of messy, especially since you have to set up in two different places.
As for the profile of triathlonBut as I indicated before, it does not allow modification of the profile so the order of data and what is shown is what comes on the clock and does not allow changes. Nor does it allow the creation of others, such as duathlon or bike/running block training.
Once you have chosen the desired profile and it indicates on the screen that you can start the activity, you simply have to press on the screen or press the upper button to start the timer (if you press the upper one again, you will be paused). If you want to change the data screen you can do so with the central button and, finally, the lower button will allow you to mark laps.
This is true for any normal profile, but the triathlon profile is a bit more complicated because transitions come into play. There is no possibility of changing screens here as we only have one for each of the sports (swimming, cycling, running). To switch to transition, for example from swimming to T1, you must leave the top button pressed for 5 seconds, but be careful that if you have not pressed for 5 and only 4.9 you will not change sports.
Going from T1 to cycling is faster, because you only have to make a short tap. It can happen that you mess up and when you go from a sport to transition you don't remember and just give the short tap, stopping the recording that if you don't realize it can become a very big problem.
In short, Huami should review these details because it is quite unintuitive and if there is a time when you do not want to miss any data is precisely while participating in a triathlon.
Once you have finished training and pressed the top button to stop the activity the pause screen will be displayed, where you can choose to continue, finish or discard. If you save the activity you will access the activity summary screen, which I have to say is simply impressive.
The amount of data is overwhelming, more than any other sports watch, in fact I think it's too wide. And just like Suunto watches there are also very detailed graphs of heart rate, rhythm, performance condition, cadence and altitude.
In addition to seeing this data on the clock, you can also see it in the mobile application, where all this data will be synchronized. Here are some screenshots of what is shown.
If the information shown by the clock is remarkable, the one shown by the application is not surprising. It is quite basic and it is not possible to see it through a web page since only the mobile application is enabled.
Mind you, everyone data is synchronized at server level, so if you delete the application or change your phone, you can still access all your workouts.
If you don't like the way the application represents the information you have a second option, export the workouts from the clock. At the bottom of the workout summary you will find a button to export the file, which will be saved in memory. The clock works with the GPX format that is perfectly recognizable by any application, saving it in the "gpxdata" folder. Remember that the Amazfit Stratos is based on AndroidThe data cable and direct communication in Windows or with Android File Transfer in Mac is the standard.
However, you must take into account that it does not work the GPX files correctly, since it does not record the GMT time information, which causes that when you open the training with another application the hours are not correct. When making the comparative graphs that you will see later on, it has been a bit of a headache, but for a normal use it is not something too important either.
But if you just want to see rhythms and distances and you're not going to compare with other models, it's not something you should worry about.
Guided and personalized training
When performing trainings With the Amazfit Stratos we can do them freely, where you simply make the changes and turns you want, or objectively.
When you select the race profile you can scroll down to find not only the profile settings, but also the different training goalsThis part is only available in the outdoor running profile, it is not available in any other profile.
On the one hand, we have the possibility of training intervals That is, we can program a guided training in which the clock will tell us in each of the phases what we have to do. These trainings are prepared through the application and we can select different intervals by distance, time or click on of lap button. As for the target of each interval can be by ritmo or heart rate.
In this mode the data screens are specific (not customizable) and do not present much information. Also, when you create an interval, it does not allow you to set a rest period. For example if you select a 5-time repeat of an interval between 3:00 and 3:30, there will be no intermediate period to catch your breath and it will appear as a separate lap. This is a major flaw.
The second option is to train with the Firstbeat custom training algorithmThis is something that Suunto has also included in its latest model, the 3 Fitness. But even if the algorithm used is the same, the most important thing is how it is implemented in the clock.
In this case Suunto has solved it much better because it has made the whole clock and its possibilities revolve around this, while in the case of the Amazfit Stratos it is simply a more hidden option within the menus.
By selecting this training mode, which again indicates that it is only available for the race profile, the clock will indicate what kind of training we should do. Everything is based on TE (Training Effect) and depends on other variables, such as the estimated Running VO2Max , the recovery timefrom your past training history. That is, it is not a pre-determined plan but rather one that adapts as it learns from your training habits.
There are two problems. The first is that it is not obvious or easily accessible on the menu, so it can easily go unnoticed. Also, it does not indicate what training we should do on other days to adjust better or worse to our lifestyle (something that Suunto does by indicating the weekly planning). It just shows what you should do today and that's it.
The second problem is that the entire algorithm revolves around the heart rate data collectedTherefore, the recorded HR data is very important, and if we are only going to use the optical heart rate monitor of the watch, it must be reliable, at least to a great extent. And as you will see later on... it is not the case.
Route navigation on the Amazfit Stratos
We have the possibility to have a basic navigation on the clock. It's nothing sophisticated but it can be enough for the less demanding ones.
The clock supports GPX path files, which can be downloaded from Wikiloc or created with any tool that supports these files, which is quite common. We can also go back to navigate routes that we've done before and that they're kept in memory.
The routes must be uploaded by connecting the clock to the computer and copying them to the same folder where we can export the activities, called gpxdata. Once copied when you want to make use of them you simply have to access the settings of the sport profile and select the option of Course Import.
Here you will see both the path files you have uploaded and the exported ones that you have not yet deleted from the clock memory.
Simply select it and it will be loaded, you can start the activity at any time and the route will appear on the last data screen.
We also have a magnetic compass, so you can turn on yourself and the map will also change, helping you to find the right path if in doubt. There is also a zoom in and out of the route with a range of 50m to 5km.
There is no turn signal or anything like it, just a route of points to follow, so it is not a navigation at the level of what a Suunto or Garmin model can offer, but for basic use it is perfectly valid.
Music playback
The ability to reproduce music is another important aspect of the Amazfit Stratos. 4GB internal storage, although not all of it is available for uploading our MP3 files because as usual the operating system needs its memory space.
To transfer music to the clock there is no magic procedure or need for special programs, since if we connect the clock to the computer we can access its memory directly. Do not forget that it is still an Android device for everything. Therefore in Windows it will appear directly as an external drive and in Mac we will need to download Android File Transfer.
We have to pass the music files directly to its memory, therefore we must have our music or podcast already downloaded previously. By the way, it supports MP3 but not archives FLAC.
The player is accessed directly from the clock menu by sliding from right to left. Before you can play music, you will need to pair some headset BluetoothThe watch will then be stored in memory so you simply need to turn it on to be recognized by the watch.
The player is quite simple. The main screen only shows the play and forward/back buttons of songs and, when playing, also details of the song.
As it doesn't sync playlists but simply files, it doesn't allow us to play a particular album for example, but we have three playback options:
- RandomShuffle: Plays the music in a random way
- LoopPlaying the music in order, but we do not access the folders to choose where to start playing, so if you want to play a particular album you will have to search it by song
- SinglesRepeat: Repeat the same song constantly
In the settings there is a second option which is the playback volume. This volume is not controlled by the buttons on the headphones (if any), which is quite annoying. So we have two different volumes, on the one hand the one marked by the clock and on the other the one controlled by the headphones. So the best thing is that the clock volume is always at the maximum so that from the headphones you can increase or decrease the volume as you like.
This if the headset has control buttons, if it doesn't we arrive at the second even more serious problem, which is that the music player is only accessible from the menu and not when we are in a workout. In case we are recording an activity there is no additional screen where we can change the song, pause or increase the volume. To do this it would be necessary to stop the activity and return to the menu. Quite loose in that sense.
As far as playback is concerned, I haven't had any problems with cuts, neither training nor walking normally, but I always take the precaution of wearing the watch on the same wrist where the headphone antenna is located -if they have a cable that joins them together they usually have a bulkier area where the battery and the control buttons are. If you have problems with playback cuts try changing the location of the watch and pass it to the other wrist.
Optical Pulsometer and External Sensors
As I said before, all the training functions of the Amazfit Stratos are closely linked to the data of heart ratebecause all algorithms need this data to calculate. VO2maxThe training loadThe customized training plansThe recovery time… all.
To be able to use all these metrics the Amazfit Stratos has an optical pulse sensor. Some less experienced manufacturers choose to incorporate a more developed external sensor, but Huami has chosen to include his own.
Therefore this aspect was one of the main ones to focus on when testing this model, for which and as I usually do, I simply train accompanied by other pulse sensors, either optical or traditional chest.
Usually I write this section from minor to major difficulty, but today I'm going to change everything completely and I'm going to do it the other way around. Let's start with the most complicated aspect for an optical sensor: cycling.
Honestly for this test I do not expect a minimally positive result. So far no watch with integrated pulse sensor has managed to get good results, and the Amazfit Stratos was to be no less.
In fact, if there is any coincidence in the three graphs, it is just a coincidence. And it is not a complicated output because there is not too much variability (for example, no stops, many ups or downs, etc.). The Garmin 935The Amazfit, without doing a good job either, at least it does have a similarity to the breast sensor, but the Amazfit was just passing by.
Well, nothing strange, that's to be expected. Interval training is also a bit difficult for optical sensors. Variable intensity, very fast changes, etc. What you usually see is some delay in the rise and fall of the pulse and sometimes it gets lost in one of the intervals. Let's see what happens with the Stratos...
I can only think of using a "meme" to express what I felt when I saw the comparison of the graphs....
It's a total and absolute disaster. It's just that in the 45 minutes of interval training you don't get to hear about the film even once, something I've never seen before. There's a positive side to this, it saves me from enlarging the graphics to show you some separate interval or some important detail. The error is so big that it's simply not necessary.
This is just one of the examples of interval training I have done with the Amazfit Stratos, I could put you two or three more graphs where the result is practically identical.
Well, let's continue to lower the bar. Maybe I've been too harsh and maybe not everyone who wants this watch is interested in doing interval training. Let's go with the easy and any optical pulsometer has to be able to record almost perfectly, training at a constant pace and without any variation.
This is a 7 kilometer workout without paying attention to any of the data on the clock and simply for the sake of sensation. Aiming to force, but without getting into a running rhythm. I accompany the Amazfit Stratos with a Garmin Forerunner 230 linked to a sensor HRM-Tri and with the FR935 using his optical pulse meter.
The start is always difficult for any sensor, even for chest sensors when they are dry, but when the graphs of the two Garmins start to show identical data the Stratos is always about 10 beats below.
Only at the end of the training the Amazfit is aligned with the other two graphs and starts to show some real data.
Will it be a one-off failure? We're going with an even easier training, first recovery run after the Half Seville 2018 at a lower intensity and pace.
How about another day of racing with slopes?
No, there's no way the sensor on Huami's watch has even slightly correct pulse readings.
It is a complete and utter disaster. The optical pulse sensor is absolutely worthless, not even for 24-hour heart rate tracking. It's a feature that can be activated in beta mode in the "Huami Lab" section, but they won't be recorded anywhere in the app, apart from eating up the battery and drastically reducing autonomy.
As I said at the beginning, all the algorithms in the clock are related to heart rate, but if we depend on a sensor that is not worth a cent then the whole experience goes down the drain. It's a real shame that Huami didn't choose to provide the Amazfit Stratos with a proper sensor, and if they are not able to develop it there are companies that can supply it. But of course, that implies paying rights that would make the product more expensive and not as interesting in its price/performance ratio.
At least we do have the possibility of using the watch with a external pulse width that we can connect through Bluetooth.
This heart rate monitor you connect can be optician or bandedBut what is clear is that regardless of how the watch is used and what your training is, it is mandatory and must be included in the budget.
GPS and barometer on the Amazfit Stratos
After the huge fiasco with the optical sensor, let's go to other sensors, see if we have more luck. I'll start with the barometric altimeter which includes the Amazfit Stratos and has a remarkable presence in a watch in this price range. It's not at all common.
This barometer will do two things:
- Tracking floors that have been climbed throughout the day
- Count the number of positive meters climbed during training, whether running or cycling
That is to say, for the normal thing that we can find in watches that use this type of sensor, but that normally is in a higher price range. But of course, perhaps it is because in those models the sensor serves for something since, in the case of the Amazfit, the barometric altimeter serves for the same thing as the optical pulse sensor: for nothing.
Going back to the graphs, here is an example. It's not a question of being more or less precise, it's that it offers absurd information.
In short, I'm not going to say anything more about it because the graphs speak for themselves. Obviously it is not strange that you come back from a training session and I tell you that you have done 1.000m positive and you say "well, I'm like a bull". Well, I'm sorry, they are lying to you.
But hey, let's go with the GPS that at least there's something about the Amazfit Stratos that does work wellIt is not "star", it is simply in line with the rest of similar products on the market.
I will start with this simple training where I run parallel to the road, in a totally clear area and without any impediment for a correct registration.
From a bird's eye view, there is no problem, all three clocks record exactly the same route. There is one area where it can be interesting to zoom in, which is where I go around. I do this under a tunnel so the clocks lose signal and have to recover it when I come out of it. It is always interesting to check what the behaviour is in case of signal loss.
The Stratos algorithm simply joins the points between which it has had a signal. Points for why in this case the performance has been as expected and has been the best of the three, but if the tunnel instead of being straight is in a curve it would have been cut.
Little more to add in this short training. In some points it keeps the line correctly while the others go 1-2 meters somewhere and vice versa, that is, the usual behavior that we can see in any GPS watch.
Second example on my usual route, so usual that I know perfectly well where there might be problems and I can look for them easily.
Well, there's a bit of everything. This is the pivot point, you can see how much Garmin 230 like Amazfit Stratos are reasonably good, while the Garmin 935 However, in the section I'm pointing out, it's the Stratos that's totally off course, as my real path is the one marked by FR230.
And more of the same. Is this bad? No, simply that a GPS clock is not a precision instrument, as I often say, and it is common for it to move a few meters in relation to the real track.
Another interesting training is the series because I constantly repeat the same line over and over again, to and fro. So the register has to be constant and straight on the same line.
Again no problems from any of the devices, constant lines without making strange traces. The rest of my trainings have been very similar and with an identical behavior, either running or riding a bike.
Finally an open water start. The reference line is the one marked by the Garmin FR230 he was wearing in his swim cap. Yes, it's the most "curly" graph, but the sea was quite moved so it's normal what you see.
Again we have errors when extracting the GPX file (the data does not arrive until the end, when the complete track appears in the clock), but well, enough for analysis.
The track is correct but maybe too filtered. It improves the typical track that we would see from some of the Suunto Spartans where we would have left and right turns constantly, worse it appears too straight. It's not a stellar behavior, but it could be quite worse.
The conclusion is that the GPS, unlike other sensors, does offer good performance. It's not the best GPS watch, but it's not bad either, at least as far as track is concerned.
But it's not all about the track, and I do have to point out that I've noticed some strange behaviour when it comes to showing instantaneous rhythm on the clock. Even though the field is instantaneous rhythm it seems as if the Amazfit Stratos does some kind of averaging on the rhythm and it's not rhythm per second.
This means that as long as we run in the open and without many speed changes the pace remains stable, but as long as there are problems it will not be at all precise.
It's easy to check this by comparing the speed log in cycling. You can see how the log that the Stratos makes is much more variable than the one I make with the Edge 1030.
Running is also noticeable, with the Amazfit Stratos graphics showing greater speed peaks than other watches.
This is a software issue, so I hope it will be solved in later versions. It would be more serious if the track was not correct, because it would indicate that there might be some design problem with the antenna and that it doesn't get the signal correctly, but this is something related to the signal processing that I think can be improved in later versions.
My opinion of the Amazfit Stratos
Huami's Amazfit Stratos is a watch that stands out in many ways. And considering the price (I paid for it about 145 ?), there is no other model in the market that can present such a bulky list of features as in the case of the Stratos.
But it's not just a matter of providing dozens of features to achieve a very eye-catching product pageThis is the main sin of the Amazfit Stratos, with various problems present that may be fixable by way of firmware upgrade... or not.
The most notable are the operation of its internal sensorsespecially the optical pulsometer and the altimeterIn both cases, it is as if they were not there at all, because the information they provide is totally wrong. In fact, I would prefer that they didn't even have it.
Like GPS clock it works perfectly because it is a section where it does work as it should, although I hope he'll improve in representing and recording the rhythm.
Mind you, for about £140 it's a fairly capable multi-sport watch, with a autonomy very reasonable, a screen that any Garmin model would want it and even the possibility of reproduce musicAnd thanks to Firstbeat's algorithms we can have many of the same metrics as those same significantly higher-priced Garmin watches.
You have to be very clear about who you can be a good choice for. If you're a competitive athlete I don't think it's a suitable model for you, but if you're someone you like be activeIf you're looking for your first running or triathlon watch, it may be a good choice, but you run the risk of not getting it right soon enough.
At the level of reliability does not reach what brands like Garmin, Polar or SuuntoThe Amazfit correctly does the 90% of things, but it is that remaining 10% that is extremely complicated to get and where manufacturers have to give their particular nod.
➡ Read this: Four alternatives to the Amazfit Stratos
The Stratos is a cost-effective alternative It is not yet in a position to worry the major manufacturers, but that does not mean that they should not do so. If Huami continues to make progress with its products and maintain this low price, the sales figures of some of the more basic models may be affected.
There is still a long way to go. To be considered as a serious candidate you need a lot of improvements. If you equip sensors that are reliable, to provide wrong information better not provide anything. If you really want to be a contender in the segment of multisport watches you need to support more external sensors and not only heart rate. Cadence, speed, footpod, even power meters. Today none of this is present.
The configuration and the possibilities of data fields are also not very extensive, and the triathlon profile cannot be configured. We cannot have a duathlon profile either (many triathletes switch to this modality in winter), nor can we schedule block training, or do aquathlon.
Huami has already put up some small stones to build something big. First there was the Pace, a fairly simple model that was no more than a GPS smart clockThis Amazfit Stratos is betting on entering the GPS running clocks (it's much more than a smart watch), but they still have to walk those steps ahead of them to keep up with the big boys.
Buy Amazfit Stratos
I hope that this complete analysis has helped you to decide if it is a valid device for you or not. All the work I do you can consult it without any cost, but if you want to support the web and with it the work I do, the best way to do it is to buy your new device through the links I provide below. And if you don't buy it today, remember to stop by when you are going to do it!
Through these links not only will you get a very competitive price and the best customer service, but I will also receive a small percentage without costing you any additional outlay, which is what allows me to continue offering you proofs like this on the page.
And of course, at Amazon Spain
If you have any questions, remember that you have the comments section at the bottom, where I will try to answer all your questions.
I was expecting something like this, nowhere has there been a real analysis of your sports section.
Thank you so much for the analysis!
Excellent review... Let those who are dedicated to doing the same learn on technology pages that simply give the manufacturer's characteristics
.????????????????????????????
well is it compatible with any mobile phone? because i have a bq and mine was not compatible with the garmin and i would like to know before buying the watch
In principle it should work with any Android phone, but I personally haven't tried it with BQ.
Thank you both very much.
I think it's something I've been able to do from the beginning and I hope I never stray from the path.
Because to recommend something, you have to know it first.
Hello I also join to thank you for the great work, a question someone is doing well the pulse sensor or know if they have improved it? I'm thinking of getting one, I come from the Spark that the battery does not hold and wanted to know if it would be good change to this
It's hard to see any improvements in the sensor. The hardware is what's...
And what device could you recommend that is not as expensive as the Phoenix 5 or Garmin 935 that I like hehehe.... I am looking for something to run, bike, swim, play Paddle, or a device with everything that offers the Stratos but reliable, thank you very much!
Well, you might want to take a look at the Suunto Spartan Trainer or by Garmin Vivoactive 3 (which is on sale this week). They both cover those sports perfectly.
And from Suunto and Garmin Vivoactive which one do you think is better, always thinking about the sport
Well, it is already a more personal option, because there are some differences (navigation, sensor support, advanced training support, etc). I recommend that you take a look at both tests so that you know what each brand offers. The price today is similar, because the Vivoactive 3 is on sale this week (here is a link to the best prices).
Well, is it compatible with any cell phone? Because I have a bq and mine wasn't compatible with the garmin
some easy way to synchronize workouts in STRAVA?
There is integration with Strava directly from the Amazfit application on the phone. If you synchronize your account, when the phone gets the workout the clock will be sent to Strava as well.
This one, for example, threw himself at Strava like that: https://www.strava.com/activities/1503059272
I was really hoping for a better result, I was shocked, you say it makes a 90%good but the 10%restante is important for running. They sell me the Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist for 250 I think I'll go for the
It's that 10% that's really difficult. Even Garmin, which sells by far the most units, can't achieve 100% of perfection. There's always something.
Good very good test
I've had it since March and it's going to perfection.
I come from a suunto ambit3 and I was very surprised to see that it came from China and it was a bit scary but I recommend it to 100%.
I'm glad you don't have any issues. If it fits your requirements it's a good option for the price
Congratulations on your great work I've been following you for some time. I've been waiting for this review for a few weeks now, and even if I'm a little disappointed by the performance of the optical pulse sensor I don't rule out buying the stratos, since I'm not a high performance athlete and I'm attracted to daily monitoring and music use.
I love mountain sports and swimming so I'm thinking of spending a little more. What watch would you recommend?
The Amazfit Stratos may be a good option for someone who runs mainly on asphalt, but for the mountains it is likely to fall short. If you want it with music you have it complicated because there aren't many that fit the features. The TomTom Adventurer may be an option in case of a very interesting offer, otherwise I would rule it out.
No music on offer Spartan or Fenix 3 HR, if you don't want to spend more money on any of the latest models.
Hello, how long is the battery life with continuous gps use, in the manufacturer's features announces 35 h is correct. It has ulta-track mode or something like that, thanks.
I've just got it doing a battery life test. The battery life is pretty good, especially considering it's an Android-based clock and only the operating system is already in high demand. But as much as 35 hours... is too long. I'll post the results when I'm done.
There is no battery saving mode beyond taking the GPS offline.
I couldn't complete the test, because when the clock went off, everything I was recording was erased. I shouldn't do that, because we effectively lose everything recorded up to that point, but okay.
But I've seen it go past 35 hours and with some battery left, so the manufacturer hasn't lied about the data.
I was looking forward to this watch but it has a lot of buts...language, accurate heart rate, accurate altitude.
Another question I have about battery life, does it increase or decrease when you use the bluetooth band instead of the pulse sensor? On other brands like suunto trainer how does using the band affect battery life?
If you don't use the clock sensor, the range will be longer
Hi, does anyone know if there's an option to upload topohispanic maps?
It would be possible by memory and by supporting the installation of apps through apk, but someone would have to develop it. And it's not something trivial, because it would have to be a complete application, not just the maps. That is, you can't add maps function to the default training application of the clock.
Very good review, as always.
I wanted to ask you something, is there a possibility that the mediocre data obtained from the sensors is due to a defect in your unit? Or do you think it's general
Thank you
I have checked opinions with other journalists from outside, and reviewed some forums, and it seems that the issue of the altimeter is variable. There are some people who report not having a problem, although many others are in the same situation. The issue of the optical sensor is by consensus.
Hello and congratulations for your blog. I would like to know, I know that there is no specific profile for rowing, stand up paddle or surfing, if this watch works well in the open sea, that is to say in salt water, I am only interested in the pulsometer and gps function. I have read the characteristics in the pool, but I would like to ask you if the watch works well in the sea, in salt water. I imagine that after each bath the unit must be carefully cleaned. Thank you very much for your help.
I think you don't mean swimming, just salt water. No problem at all.
Hi Eduardo, thanks for the analysis, I've been looking for one like this for a while now. I would like your opinion: I like to run and swim, sometimes a duathlon, but I bike almost nothing. I wanted a watch that could be used for this without being the top of the range and that could be used as an everyday watch in the city too. I was between the m430 and the amazfit Stratos leaning towards the Stratos because of its nicer design and its autonomy.
But now I read what you put here and I have doubts. Which one would you take?
Perhaps you'd better choose a watch that you can perfectly set up for duathlon, because neither the M430 nor the Amazfit will allow you to create such an activity. A Garmin Multisport would.
From what I have understood you is a good watch for what I am looking for: waterproof for swimming, gym, with music to remove a device, that can be connected to the bluetouth headphones, and also for running, although with more problems or limitations.
One question is whether it supports spotify, or even controlling it from the clock, and the issue of the heart sensor.
I have a band 2, and there are more complete apps than xiaomi (notify&fitness), to configure it more and make the sensor work longer. Do you know if there is something similar for stratos?
So I also understand you can improve in the future with updates and software in many of the sections.
Congratulations on the test and thanks for the feedback.
The most complete one I've seen and I've taken into account for the purchase.
No, it doesn't support Spotify nor does it allow you to control it. I've only tried the one provided by Amazfit.
When it comes to software updates, it's possible that the problems will get better. But it's also possible that they won't. In short, buy knowing how it works today and with no hope of it being fixed. And if they do, so much the better. But don't spend the money thinking that in time it can get better.
Just to clarify that you can control Spotify from the clock, just set it up properly in the mobile app: Me -> Settings -> Notification settings -> Remote music controller.
Speaking of the sea, would it support any tracking application (glassypro, waves tracker, waterspeed,) that tells you movement in the wave, speed, and distance and travel?
If you could at least try to get it into the clock, without having to try it, I'd be able to...
No one has said anything about this,
because the people who buy it or make reviews, are dedicated to sell it as, how nice the watch, how many types of watchfaces ... trash that is not worth anything, I've been 4 months watching that and I do not decide, thanks, if at least know another watch that could do that, was interested in the mission of Nixon but discouraged because the battery does not last a day.
a greeting
An application could be installed, but it has to be specifically designed and I don't think anything like that will appear.
Great review! That's a good thing. It clears up all the suspicions I had about this watch. For me, the push-ometer is essential. I chose the Vivomove HR and so far I'm quite happy. Are you planning to review the Fitbit Versa?
Well, at the moment it's not very high on my priority list, mainly because it's a Fitbit Ionic offered at a lower price. Of course it doesn't have GPS and the basic model doesn't have Fitbit Pay, but apart from these two details everything else is identical (optical sensor, performance, etc.).
Good. Good review of the watch. I have it 2 months ago and indeed the biggest problem is the pulse sensor, it seems that it is only one aspect and has much more but as you comment very well if the pulse malfunctions there are many things that will be inaccurate (calories, recovery, VO2max, effect of training ...) we go that in the end is a submersible watch with stopwatch, GPS and music because sports functions do not end up being moderately reliable. If it works well with bluetooth chest strap (there are cheap) can save the whole and you can encourage many users to buy it because the price is a knockdown for everything included if you save that section. Did you test with the bluetooth chest strap? If you can comment on any conclusions it would be appreciated. Thanks for the review.
No problem. The data from an external sensor depends on that sensor, the clock simply displays and records it.
Congratulations on the analysis. Do you think the updates will improve the theme of creating an activity such as running + swimming?
With what Amazfit has shown I don't think it's in their plans, because there is no possibility of creating activities that encompass two, but they would have to have that activity directly pre-set on the menu.
Does it have a temperature indicator? Is it a sensor or does it do it over the Internet? Thank you.
No, it doesn't have a thermometer, what appears on the screen is internet data
Hi, I have three questions:
1.- Does this watch, connected by bluetooth to the mobile, display the wasap, emails, sms, incoming calls, etc. received by your mobile? does it allow you to answer messages and/or calls?
If you had to choose between Xiaomi Amazfit Stratos and Huawei smartwatch 2 or another smartwatch which one would you choose? (I have my garmin fenix 5s and what I want is another watch for daily use that serves me as a smartwatch and that does not make me wear the fenix 24×7 and charge it so many times... normally the "serious" sport I will do with the fenix, but I could use this other watch if someday I want it for sport but especially for daily watch with biological metrics and sports substitute in case of need).
I also wanted to ask you if what I do with the Amazfit is importable from Garmin Connect or Garmin Express to consolidate data.
Thank you!
- Yes, it shows all the notifications on the phone.
- If you are going to frequently use a Garmin watch for your workouts I think the most logical choice is to opt for something more focused on "smart watch" for day to day life. In this aspect the Amazfit doesn't offer much more than what the Garmin has.
- In Garmin Connect you can manually import fit, tcx or gpx files. Amazfit can export in gpx, so it would be possible but only manually.
Hi, you didn't see any problems with the heart data in the GPX file generated from the clock?
What I see on the clock or on the smartphone, it doesn't match the GPX file.
Greetings
No, I haven't appreciated strange things when I've been working out at a constant pace (where the heart rate was in line with other watches).
Hi, I just got the Stratos and I'm getting familiar with it. Thanks for the analysis. I have a question. I usually do calisthenics training (freeletics). In this case, what sport mode can I set? or how do I register it? Thank you very much.
It doesn't matter, you can use whichever way you like. Maybe I'd choose the elliptical.
Thank you. i have a fitbit chage 2, which i finished high. and this among several sports i had a training mode. that's why i had the doubt. that's what i thought, because if i choose inner race or treadmill i imagine it will count km. i will try and inform you. i imagine someone else will have the doubt. thank you very much for the article and the answer
Morning,
I have an Amazfit Stratos. The activities you do with GPS are correctly exported to Strava, but I can't export the Spinning classes or races done on tape. Is it not possible?
Thank you very much.
i
That's because Strava doesn't support the import of activities without GPS data
Good morning, Eduardo,
The activities I do on the treadmill with the TomTom are exported to me, those on the Stratos are not. Maybe it's the Amazfit program's fault.
Thank you
By the way, very good page, good work.
So it has to be related to how the clock manages the data in the generated GPX file (just like it doesn't apply GMT correctly).
Good morning.
It is commendable the taste you have for technology and what you do for people like me, who are concerned about the quality of these types of devices. Keep it up!
I just wanted to point out that, I've had it for a couple of months or so, when it recognizes that I'm using Stopity, a message comes out that tells me that if I want I can control the music with the clock. That is, Spotify is such that you can't put it on but at least if you're playing music from your mobile to a headset or a speaker, you can control volume, forward, backward, pause and play from the clock itself
I hope I was able to clear something up for someone around here
Thank you for the update. I never got the message, and I use Spotify often...
In my case, the tests I ran on it compared to a Suunto Ambit 3 and a Garmin 230 were not so disastrous.
It is true that the optical sensor does not work well, but I have observed that it works better when it is hot (as I understand the cold makes the veins contract and for an optical sensor it is more difficult to get the pulse)
As for the height, my results were not too bad. In fact in line with expectations.
And the tracks obtained, quite similar to those of Suunto and Garmin
That said, is that a watch I'd recommend? Depends. Not for Trail.
You do 30 miles a week and want to replace your Garmin? Then I don't recommend it.
Do you run occasionally and want a nice watch that can do little smartwach things? Then yes, I definitely recommend it.
The tests I did I shared them, only in English. Here is one of them.
http://planetaasturias.blogspot.com/2018/03/segunda-prueba-con-amazfit-stratos-pace.html
Thank you very much for this complete review. I read in it that you didn't have the chance to swim in open water, which is what I would be interested in, especially knowing the accuracy of the distance measurement. I have an FR 235 and if you have it on your wrist it doesn't measure the distance well. Well, I wanted to know if you have had the chance to check this feature after this review.
Well, I'm looking forward to it because I haven't yet had the chance to find an appetizing day at sea... But one of these weekends is sure to fall (if spring finally comes, of course).
I have added an open water swimming track (today I wore a turtleneck wetsuit...) You have the details added in the corresponding section.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Hello
I'd like to first thank you for your super-exhaustive analysis.
Professionals!
In spite of having a bad pulse meter (what a pity!!!), there is a configuration that is more than essential for me, and I don't think I have seen it. In the clock interface, when you run, it measures your rhythm in min/km (can it be configured?). I have only seen km/h
Many of my exercises are based on rhythms (min/h)
I thank you
bruno
Yes, of course, running you have the data in min/km
Hello!
I was thinking of buying a sports watch and was hesitating between the Garmin Vivoactive 3 and the Amazfit Stratos.
(Without going into the subject of prices) I have read your two reviews of both watches and from what I see the Stratos is not as fine measuring (assuming no chest band at first) apart from being a bit bigger (for a girl).
On the other hand, even though Garmin does not seem to be able to load routes, I think there are some apps that can be installed where they are supported.
The idea is for a use of Gym, Mountain Routes and Skiing (apart from snacking at the end in the day to day)
Taking into account a little bit of everything... which one would you recommend?
Thank you very much! I found these reviews while browsing and found them simply incredible!
I would also appreciate it if you know of any other watches (in the line of features and prices) e.g. suunto, others.
So many comments! It's good that you analyze this very popular clock in what for me is the reference web.
I read in a news item that with the latest update it has been translated into Spanish.
I do find it a great disadvantage not to be able to see the information on a website, although the activities can be synchronized with Strava.
Greetings.
That's right, it seems that the last update finally puts it in Spanish, an important detail. I have to update it to check if it has improved any of the other present problems.
Well, yes, it wouldn't be unreasonable to make something better.
Good, for swimming in a pool is comparable to a garmin? Can you mark laps? What data does it show?
It is equivalent to what a Vivoactive 3 can offer, for example.
Yes, it allows you to score laps.
In terms of data, the basics of time/distance, total and average pace, rhythm graph. Apart from strokes per minute or SWOLF. In swimming everything works as it should.
I have the Phoenix 3 now. Does the Vivoactive 3 do the same thing?
In swimming they are very similar, but having only one button is more complicated. It is also not compatible with HRM-Tri or HRM-Swim sensors, nor does it have the possibility of swimming outdoors.
Hi, first of all, congratulations on the analyses: you highlight details of daily use that are what really matter and where other analysts do not go into detail.
My question is if you will do an analysis of the recently launched Amazfit Stratos 2. Actually, if I solved the issue of the heart rate monitor and barometer it would be a top heart rate monitor.
Otherwise, I want a watch with music (essential) and important but dispensable that is smartwatch, barometric altimeter and map navigation, without spending more than 300 euros. In this tessitura I think I have the Tomtom adventurer (200 euros in decathlon) or Polar M600 (220 euros in Amazon) ... which would you recommend?
Thank you very much in advance!
The one in the test IS the Amazfit Stratos you're talking about 😉.
I have it from a couple of days ago. Do you think the heart rate and barometer can be improved with updates? So far everything is great, but in these aspects it is not very precise
I think the barometer has room for improvement, because it's all software. I see the optical sensor as being much more complicated, historically there have never been big changes in the operation of the sensors.
In the end I decided on a suunto spartan trainer and the heart rate monitor is a disaster (otherwise I'm happy), I had a TomTom spark and the suunto is much worse, either I'm going to 100 beats or 180, I'm not happy at all in that respect, so the Xiaomi if it works otherwise would be a great option
I have read all your experience with the stratos and I will disagree, I don't agree at all that the pulse sensor works badly, I use it for Trail Running, and my model is the oldest amazfit pace and it goes perfect, I don't think the stratos is worse. Just a point, the sensor to work perfectly has to be tight to the wrist, very strong if it moves at all forget that it works well.
If you use the amazfit pace your comment is not valid because the comments should be for the amazfit stratos. By the way the amazfit pace and the stratos fail in the subject of the pulse. Have you compared your pace with other heart rate monitors? Have you compared it with any garmin, polar, fitbit? If you have, say with which heart rate monitor you have compared it. If you have not compared it with any how do you know it is going well - I have made such comparisons with heart rate monitors of brands that I have indicated and the three amazfit heart rate monitors fail, the bip, the pace and the stratos. The one that fails the least is the beep but the average heart rate difference with a branded one is 4 beats. There are people that it will seem little but it is important and more when these heart rate monitors have fallen peaks in the low heart rate, so they do not mark the real one. It is common to see minimum heart rate of 50 in normal people, nothing sporty.
By purchasing an external optical sensor, can all modes of the watch be used as if it were the standard sensor? or does it have limitations?
Any recommendations for an optical sensor?
Yes, with the external sensor you could use it all perfectly.
If you want it optical, I really like the Polar OH1 that is on sale todayThe offer is good and the results it gives as well.
Hi, any recommendations for a chest strap?
Thank you
I always like to recommend a sensor that is capable of dual transmission in ANT+ or Bluetooth, because you never know what your next step will be. If you buy an exclusively Bluetooth one and in the morning you choose a device with ANT+ you will have a sensor that you cannot use.
By price you have this on Amazon. Although the comments indicate various problems... the "known" option is the Wahoo TICKR.
Hi, Eduardo,
I have a Suntoo Quest with its ANT+ chest band (https://www.suunto.com/es-es/Productos/Relojes-deportivos/Suunto-Quest/Suunto-Quest-Black/) for someone like me who does sport very occasionally is fine. At most I will do a couple of popular marches a year.
I was looking at the Amazfit Stratos 2 so that I don't have to do my heart rate monitor and my mobile phone to use it as a GPS. I don't know how advisable it is to buy the Amazfit when I already know that I would have to buy an external sensor, either an optical one like the OH1 from Polar or a Scosche RHYTHM+ which I think would also be good for my Suntoo Quest.
Another question I like the graphics that Suntoo's MovesCount wev gives me, what software do you use to monitor the trainings and the one you used to compare the keystrokes in the article of this website?
Thank you
For that use the Amazfit is perfectly valid, but as you say you have to see if it compensates you the double investment.
To organize the season I use Golden Cheetah, synchronized with my coach
Thank you very much for your opinion, although I think I'm still looking, the price of the Polar m430 in the Primeday was also very good, but I'll keep on giving a look to the future purchase.
You've won a fan ????
Nothing that many others haven't said before me, so thanks to you (and yours) for keeping such a complete blog, because you have to dedicate many hours to it and it's not always easy.
I was looking for an analysis of this watch and it's certainly the best I could find, and just the fact that you update it weeks later because you've done new tests with it and you still answer messages is simply not good enough.
That said, I was considering this purchase because I am an occasional sportsman, sometimes I run (the least) and sometimes I walk (the most) and I want to keep track and analyze my activities.
I have been using two Sony Smartwatch 2 and a Moto 360 Sport. None of the three have reached the age of one, they all die before the age of 12 months, something unheard of and being as I am a technophile, devoid of meaning.
Fortunately when making my purchases on Amazon all the times I have been refunded, so I am considering one IP68, lest I put more care is that the problem, that the previous ones were IP67.
So I was thinking about this one, a Tickwatch Pro, a Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR or a Nokia health Steel HR. I know they're all very different, but I'm not an active sportsman, and yet there are things that seem more important to me, such as connecting to different apps or keeping a precise track of my movement/dream exercise.
Anyway, I declare myself an unconditional fan of your page, greetings and keep pushing! 😉
Looking at your profile, you are more in search of a smart watch than a sports watch. In that respect, I think both the Amazfit Stratos and the Spartan Trainer were going to let you down. The Ticwatch Pro doesn't look bad, but I can't give you specific references because I haven't tried it.
After a lot of searching and thinking about it I decided to buy this watch. I haven't had it for three hours and unless it has some kind of fault it's impossible to see the screen, it has a matte tone and lack of contrast that makes me regret the purchase very much. I know it's not an OLED screen, but it's very sad indoors.
On the other hand, as a connected person, I liked Wear OS very much; I'm not liking the Amazfit software. I don't see it as an extension of my phone, like the previous clocks I had, but rather as a bridge to read data from the clock on the phone...
I have to go for a run tonight to see how he behaves... but I'm going to return him to Amazon tomorrow.
I didn't read you before, but you're absolutely right 😉.
I come from a TomTom sport and I liked it when I finished the exercise in one minute and my pulse was half recovered. My question is that the stratos2 has it and if so how is it configured.
Thank you
Right now I don't have the watch handy to confirm it, but as far as I can remember it doesn't have this possibility.
If you use the amazfit pace your comment is not valid because the comments should be for the amazfit stratos. By the way the amazfit pace and the stratos fail in the subject of the pulse. Have you compared your pace with other heart rate monitors? Have you compared it with any garmin, polar, fitbit? If you have, say with which heart rate monitor you have compared it. If you have not compared it with any how do you know it is going well - I have made such comparisons with heart rate monitors of brands that I have indicated and the three amazfit heart rate monitors fail, the bip, the pace and the stratos. The one that fails the least is the beep but the average heart rate difference with a branded one is 4 beats. There are people that it will seem little but it is important and more when these heart rate monitors have fallen peaks in the low heart rate, so they do not mark the real one. It is common to see minimum heart rate of 50 in normal people, nothing sporty.
Incredibly better than instrucciones????
I've had it for a few days and I've got a girl who'll mark more distance than I run.
I run twice the perimeter of the urbanization where my father lives which is about 4km 250mt but the clock marks me 5. And I do not know why it is true is that I bought it in English version and a friend has passed it to me in Spanish I do not know if that is why
NBuenas , as you work, thank you very much for the information you give, I asked today the stratos 2 and wanted to know if it works with the chest band, ant + or only with the bluetoof, thanks
No, it's only compatible with Bluetooth sensors.
I have the ROM 2.3.0.8 version in English where I can find a tutorial to pass it to Spanish
This is the official update 2.3.4.0. You can install it directly from your app and connect the clock to the WiFi
thank you i already did the conversion to spanish, i have another question, my watch battery is very short one or two days maximum, it will be failing the watch battery to return it thank you
If you are using the heart rate monitoring function, yes, it is normal for the battery to run out very quickly.
Is there a solution to my problem? The clock is farther away from me than it is. The question is that if I do it with the car, it marks me the same as the car's odometer, but then in the race it marks me more
Why is that?
Thank you
Races are measured according to the perfect route (and that is if they are well measured). If you don't make the ideal curve lines, move to the refreshment posts, etc. all that adds up to meters. And obviously, a GPS watch is not a precision instrument, nor can it be.
I found the analysis by looking for solutions to a problem.
Very good input and the most objective thing I've seen so far.
I had seen it for between 150 and 180 euros in the main electronics stores in Madrid and some big stores. Finally I chose one of the online sales websites and bought it for 99 euros.
The only thing that has annoyed me so far is that on 3 or 4 occasions it loses the GPS signal, and I lose everything I have done so far. That's the reason why I entered the analysis. Maybe I missed some settings or update, I have not podido recover what was done as in some of the mobile APP that you can edit the task performed. Another thing I miss also, the little "conectividd" with other applications [ I used Endomondo, Runkeeper, MapmyRun ]. It just gives me the GPS error and loses everything done.
I've tried several modes and it's going well, Football, Trial, and running.
Greetings and again, thank you for your contribution
Good evening. first of all I want to congratulate you for the piece of analysis. now I have a couple of doubts: right now I am using a Polar M400 and on a whim and for aesthetics I have decided to sell it and buy the stratos. I have done well? you can compare them? then on the other hand, as it seems that the pulse does not measure it very well I have found in my house another polar sensor, the H1. I think that this sensor does not have bluetooh, so I could not match it with the stratos, no?
I haven't sold the m400 polar yet so I could use the sensor on this one with the stratos.
thanks and greetings
At a basic level they are similar, although you lose the analysis capabilities offered by Polar Flow, however you will have considerably more autonomy and a higher quality display.
As for the pulse sensor, no, you need a Bluetooth one (like the one in the M400, which is the H7). You can choose a chest sensor or another one like the Polar OH1.
Morning,
Thanks for your analysis, it really helps those of us who studied something a lot before deciding.
I have finally acquired the Stratos and so far so good, but I wanted to please ask:
After finishing a race, the recovery time data is shown...but if the next day I want to see how much I have left...is it possible to see it...I can't see it on tlf either after synchronizing.
Thank you again and best regards.
No, it disappears completely... But you can be guided by the training load
Hi Edu: I have the AMAZFIT STRATOS for 15 days, and it costs me to get familiar with it, I see many release, and I have not managed to know how to calculate the path of the steps, it is not the same a step of 70 cm. than another of 90 cm. and I do not know where it is configured in the Stratos. Obviously I come from the Mi Band 2 Amazfit, and I see that comparatively, it has some failures, informative as, sleep, steps, heart rate, and some etc. more. The question is: Is it a configuration problem, or does it have to be the way it is, period.
Thank you.
The stride length is calculated simply by your height. This is only for the daily activity, since it uses GPS for training. I don't know of any devices that allow you to adjust the stride length for the daily activity (they do for training, but they are usually devices without GPS).
Hello!
I'm about to buy this Stratos and despite the excellent review I still have doubts...
My training races are always in mountains with little unevenness (max 600 mts.) Then there are the competitions like Trail Aneto or Guara-Somontano and similar, usually and for the moment without reaching the ultra distance (marathon or less). I am popular and I do not compete to make marks or podium just for fun although I would like that the device I wear serves well for these purposes...
I am especially interested in being able to load GPX routes (from wikiloc, for example) and be able to follow them with a minimum of security. The tb heart rate monitor, because of the zones, although I have so far pulled with Runtastic's Heart Rate (that is, with the flashlight/camera of the mobile phone); is it as bad as that?
I also see the difference in level at the moment and analyze it with the info on the cell phone, so...
On the other hand, I have all my history in Runtastic since the beginning, do you know if it can be used or linked? (or pass all that to Strava...)
Anyway, apart from those mentioned, are there any other alternatives in this price range?
Thank you very much.
Well, something better will be, because although it is one of the worst results, it is not as bad as a mobile phone camera (which is not valid at all).
I think Runtastic is in the SyncMyTracks software for Android. With it you will be able to send all your trainings from one platform to another.
As far as options go, for your use I would personally opt for a Suunto. I think the Amazfit Stratos is going to fall short and limited in performance.
By the way, I forgot yesterday: thank you very much for SyncMyTracks, I had no idea and I think it will be a great help!
Thank you very much Eduardo!
I've been looking these days also from Suunto the Ambit3 Vertical and Garmin Fenix 3 (mainly for the economic issue).
I see that they are clearly superior in sensors and performance and -if there are still some good deals left- it seems that they are not that much more expensive....
PS I was at the Xiaomi store and I was able to measure the HR with the mobile phone (BQ AquarisM5) and with the Amazfit Pace and both measured the same (73) [facepalm]
Thank you for the hard work you put in!
For sport, either of them will offer you more accurate data, no doubt.
Measurement of CF in everything is no problem, any 5 Euro sensor does it. With movements and changes in intensity it's something very different.
Good morning, Eduardo.
This is the first time that I am going to buy a watch like this, a friend of mine had the amazfit pace but I saw that it was not waterproof and I found this watch. For now I want to use it for my day to day, normally I don't do running tours but maybe if I have a watch like this I will start to do it. When I see that the sensor doesn't work very well I don't know if it would be a good option to monitor my CF during the day and in those tours. Do you think that as a beginner with a watch it would be enough for me? I am also looking at the fact that the garmin forerunner235 is for a similar price and that it monitors well.
I also have the option of garmin vivoactive for the theme of repetitions in the gym.
Which one of those three would you recommend? Thank you very much
Hello,
There is one question I have. Can Vo2max data be obtained during cycling sessions?
I've had my watch for a month and I can't get Vo2max data after a cycling session
Thank you
VO2Max in cycling can only be obtained if a potentiometer is used, and the Amazfit Stratos is not compatible with that type of sensor. VO2Max estimation is for racing only
Eduardo, simply congratulate you for your excellent analysis. Exhaustive, orderly, professional... and 1TP10You could learn the youtubers, all quick information, of little value, and little or no contrasted 😉.
I have reread it up to 3 times because every time I face a question with the clock, I find the answer here. If I had known your page before, I would have bought it from your links. For the next one!
Keep it up!
Thank you very much Omar. For the next one I'm waiting for you ;-).
Just to clarify that you can control Spotify from the clock, just set it up properly in the mobile app: Me -> Settings -> Notification settings -> Remote music controller.
Piece of cake. Yes, sir! Congratulations on your thorough analysis.
I'm having a temporary question:
Do we know if through future updates, since the date of your great analysis, pulse and barometer measurements have improved?
I have an idea to buy it, but this unreliability makes me a little reluctant.
Thank you very much again. Greetings!
As far as the barometer is concerned, there have been no changes in this respect, at least in my unit. I don't expect any improvement in the pulse sensor for two reasons: the quality of the sensor and the fact that Huami doesn't mind having a working optical pulse sensor, it won't be reflected too much in his sales. And the amount of development that would be needed to improve it is quite remarkable.
Hello,
Impressive analysis, the best I've found. Congratulations on the job!
I was thinking of buying it but the problem of the sensors makes me back a little. I am not a professional but I do want reliability in the measurements...any suggestion that does not exceed 200€?
Thank you!
Thank you, Axel.
Take a look at the Vivoactive 3: https://www.correrunamaraton.com/garmin-vivoactive-3-analisis-opinion/
It also has intelligent functions (maybe not as much as the Amazfit) but it has a much better optical pulsometer.
The live-active says that the baromwtro fails muxo and if you wear a pwctoral band it doesn't tax them. That's why I haven't pillao????
Hi, awesome reviuw!! Congratulations, I really liked it!! My question is this, if we put the band on for the beats, how would that affect the drums? Does it still have the same performance? Does it go down a little bit? Or do they literally suck it? It's an important section for any runner, since we're used to training with chest bands. Thanks, cheers.
Thanks, Jose. Well, you know, tell your neighbors.)
With an external heart rate monitor, the range will actually be longer. Well, in the case of the Amazfit, not much longer either because the low-quality sensor they mount does not have excessive battery consumption.
Hi, this is the best review I've read so far. The truth is that reading that about the sensor makes me a little backward. It has also gone up in price since I bought it.
But my question would be, if I put a bluetooth chest band on it to give faulty values, what would you advise? I'm lost on that.
Thank you very much.
Yeah, no problem with the Bluetooth pulse sensor.
I just uploaded an article with alternatives to the Amazfit Stratos, take a look at it: https://www.correrunamaraton.com/alternativas-amazfit-stratos/
I've been biking with it for two years and I can't get more excited about this Stratos, I've compared it with the Garmin 810 and the KLAVA in everything, only 50m more accumulation and if you use the bluetooh-Ant+ chest strap that they sell in the decathlon it will give you a 10! And it gives you more data than the Garmin.
The live-active says that the baromwtro fails muxo and if you wear a pwctoral band it doesn't tax them. That's why I haven't pillao????
Hi, I usually do long runs of trail running and I'm preparing an ultra trail. My doubt is that the battery has autonomy and if I would hold the battery for so many hours of gps.
I haven't done a total battery life test, so I can't tell you an exact figure.
Hello,
I quite like this watch, I'm looking for one for the preparation of NPC competitions (the 1 km race). I'm looking for it to warn me by vibration at X meters or Y time.
I have read several reviews and some say it does and others say it doesn't. From your experience with it, have you managed to set it in the "training target" menu to emit a vibration alert at one minute or at 400 meters?
Thank you.
The concept of "training target" is different from "alerts". The former would change the interval, while the latter simply alerts you to what you have told it to do.
In the Amazfit you can now prepare interval trainings, but it is not working well. It hangs and does not go beyond the interval. As for alerts, it does not have it.
You can have the alerts the way you want them on Garmin watches.
aupa! very good review!!
I highly recommend these!
One question, is the optical sensor thing fixed or does it keep failing more than a shotgun?
garacieeee
Thank you, Ibai.
No, the optical sensor is what it is... and it doesn't have much room for improvement.
I have a question, do you have an option to at least measure calories burned in a weight training session? My workout consists mostly of running and weight training and I don't want you to keep track of sets and repetitions, I just want you to give me an estimate of calories and my pace while I do my weight training session.
Yes, the calorie calculation simply requires heart rate data. You can see the details here: https://www.correrunamaraton.com/calculo-calorias-relojes-gps-pulseras-actividad/
A spectacular analysis, as always.
I have a couple of doubts:
Can you do a running session only by activating the GPS, without heart rate? How is it configured? If it can be configured, how many hours would the battery last in continuous use only with GPS? (For an ultra where I don't need heart rate)
Thank you very much.
I don't remember right now if there is any option in the menu to disable it, but I guess there is. Anyway, if you use an external sensor you will also save battery.
Spectacular analysis (review), as always.
Can you do an activity (run) with GPS only without a heart rate? How do you set it up? How many hours in a row (ultra) does the battery last with GPS only?
On the other hand, since this morning I have stopped receiving the notifications without modifying anything. What could be the reason? How can you solve it?
Thank you very much.
Sorry for duplicating the comment. The previous one didn't come out and when I put this second one I saw the previous one already published. I don't know how to delete one of them, sorry.
A salute.
First of all, I've never seen an analysis as complete and unbiased as this one, so congratulations.
I wanted to ask the experts, I am interested in a watch that meets 3 characteristics.
1) good autonomy
2) a route guidance superior to the stratos
3) that plays music from the clock
any recommendations?
Greetings and thanks in advance.
You have the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music (https://www.correrunamaraton.com/garmin-forerunner-645-music-analisis/) and, if you want more autonomy, the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus (https://www.correrunamaraton.com/garmin-fenix-5-5s-5x-plus-analisis-opinion/).
After a couple of weeks using the Amazfit Stratos2+, I can say that I am very happy with it and what made me decide for it was your great detailed analysis. I have a couple of doubts:
- When playing music, is there any way to listen to it with a little more volume, both the clock and the headphones are at maximum volume, I'm not deaf and I do not like to listen to music very very loud but for my taste it lacks a little volume. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if it's because of the songs that don't have enough quality (they were downloaded years ago) and I have to download them in another way.
- On the other hand without knowing how or why the buttons have let have many of the functions that had for example scrolling through the menu, just as it has changed that when receiving calls gave me the option to hang up and mute, now the hang up and forget (forget, but the phone still rings) is a nonsense but the option to mute was used.
A salute.
The volume of the music I am sure is because of the limitations imposed by the laws.
The buttons were an update that changed or rather messed up, but another one has already come out, a few days ago and they work again.
Good...
great article and description of the amazfit stratos...i just bought it and i don't know if i did it right, but good regarding quality and price, the others were out of budget...i would like to know what chest band you would recommend and if the pulse meter that comes installed for the wrist is so bad...i don't know any and garmin and polar are out of budget...and i don't know if there is any of better price...i don't know this one very much...
Thank you very much.
Whatever is compatible with Bluetooth Smart will work for you. The main difference will be in the band, so don't skimp on it either because if you go for something low quality it can cause you multiple annoyances.
Hi, I was wondering if this model has an audible alarm. Thank you.
No, just vibration warnings
Hello!
I tell you my experience with the watch from the point of view of a person who simply does sport to keep fit. I don't think any semi or professional sportsman or woman would choose this model.
As points in favor:
- I think there is only the aesthetics and the fact of poder play music from the watch (this was at least in my case the reason to buy it), many people talk about the price but I would at least consider it an advantage in quotation marks """
- Metric: it provides a lot of information but I doubt its reliability based on all the negative points it has
Points against:
- the GPS apparently positions fast but several times it has given me a mistake and has positioned my starting point 400m from where I was really...knowing this I have checked that waiting 1 extra minute to start the route the results are quite correct.
- Visibility in low light is quite bad
- The autopause mode pauses a disaster even if you choose to have it stop below a certain pace.
- On tape the first time I used it over 10 km it gave me a distance of 6.23 km, after the calibration it is giving me about 8
- the optical sensor is bad, you just have to see it and compare it with those of the competition, to have a reliable result you have to buy an external chest strap...so that supposed saving is no longer a saving and in my point of view both professionals and amateurs it is good to know if we are forcing more than advisable.
- I am an iPhone user, the first time was more or less ok...after this I updated the software and the synchronization was impossible...for this there is a solution and it is to unpair and re-pair the clock and mobile. As I have an android tablet at home I opted to pair it with it and what was my surprise when I verified that in the process I lost all the configuration of the clock including the music that I had stored...and the synchronization also became impossible.
- Other sports: It lacks "strength" workouts, for me it makes it a useless watch in indoor sports because the only solution is to use the elliptical mode and then change it on the web.
And I think that's pretty much it. My opinion is that it's just an expensive smartwach, as a sports watch it's very green.
Thank you very much and congratulations for the website, it is really useful.
Hi, have you used it recently?
Do you know if the system updates have improved?
I am starting in triathlon and I want a watch to measure my performance in this discipline but brands like Garmin and Polar are very expensive.
Besides the stratos, would you recommend another watch?.
Thank you!
I don't recommend it for triathlon. If you want a basic watch for that use without raising the price too much, the cheapest one is the Suunto Spartan Trainer. Anyway take a look at the recommendation guide.
The stratos 2 with auxiliary band q me, type h7 of a polar, would improve the data of heart rate and training in general?
Yes, the pulse data would be from the pulse band and not from the optical sensor. This would solve the pulse problem, but not the altimeter or other problems.
Hey, great analysis. Do you know if amazfit Verge has improved the heart rate?
Well, I haven't tested it, but I'd bet my right foot that it's exactly the same sensor as the Stratos (i.e. it's not worth much).
I read somewhere that they had improved it, but I don't know.
Hi, Eduardo,
First of all, congratulations on your analysis, it's truly spectacular, it leaves anyone else in awe.
Secondly, I am amazed to see that you are the only one who has found the problem with the GPS and made it public. I mean, I read your analysis and it was pretty far-fetched, but I discussed it with a colleague who has one and he said he hadn't had any problems, so I bought one from Amazon and tried it out. The result running around Madrid was a real disaster and I had the update on... What's wrong with us? Are we freaks? Have we been hit by two clocks that don't work properly?
Does anyone else have it?
Greetings
Impressive analysis, it's nice to read these reviews instead of the typical ones that tell you the features and little else.
I'm a regular MTB rider, I don't do almost any sport apart from cycling, my question is, looking at the optical sensor issue, would the stratos work for me using a chest strap or do you recommend any other device? For me the basics to consider are the GPS and the pulse issue.
For cycling you will need an external pulse sensor whatever the clock is. It makes no difference.
As for GPS, it is not something I stand out either, although in cycling it is less noticeable.
Nevertheless, with today's offers the one I would recommend is the Garmin 735XT.
Thank you very much.
In order to help: the watch's range drops SIGNIFICANTLY if an external pulse sensor is used. In general, with any use of bluetooth, whether it is a chest sensor, or headphones for listening to music, consumption increases by almost double.
Morning,
What a piece of analysis you've marked, congratulations.
Lately I'm watching several watch reviews, I have a garmin fr235 and I'd like to change it for something with track tracking option.
I use the watch mainly for cycling, with a chest strap and a cadence sensor (Ant+), hence my first question Is it compatible with ANT+?
I would also like to know if you have NFC and if it is usable for payments.
And the third and last question is the reason why I started using the fr235, its live tracking or also called livetrack by garmin, is the function I use the most, I usually do solo outings and I like to know where I am, does this watch have something similar, and for score, it would be great if it had the "Collision sensor" or something similar that have the mid-high range garmin, which sends a warning in case of collision and not having disabled the alarm, does it have something like that?
Thank you very much.
Well, this is all very quick to answer...
- No, only Bluetooth
- No, NFC is only operational in China
- No, there's nothing like LiveTrack for the Amazfit
- No, there is no incident report
Basically what you're looking for is a Garmin, because those are the functions they have. The FR245 complies with all but the NFC, and to have them all including route navigation, the FR945 or Fenix 6but the prices are different...
Hello, everyone,
someone's having trouble connecting a chest strap lately.
at the beginning i connected it without any problem but i have not been able to link them for a while now. the chest strap is a polar H1.
thanks
Hi, I bought the STRATOS 3 a couple of days ago, can you extract the data on some website to see it better.
Greetings and thanks
In the article I indicate how you can export the training file from the application.
Thank you, more than exporting which is an option, I was wondering if there was any Amazfit website where you could see the results without using the app. g se min connect style. A greeting and great work
No, there is no online platform, only the mobile application
Good morning Eduardo, will you do a review of the Stratos 3? Do you think it's better than the 735xt? And about the Stratos 2, in the pool it fails a lot? They say it doesn't count the meters doing dolphin kicks. Is it true?
Thank you very much in advance as always for your response. Great job and keep on giving it, you are a machine!
Kind regards,
Jesus.
Yes, I intend to do it, but first I have to finish the work I have pending. I still have to buy a unit, although it is basically very similar to the Stratos 2.
As for measuring swimming, no watch will measure specific exercises such as kicking, because all the recording is done through the internal accelerometer. And if there is no movement of the arms, there is nothing to be able to measure...
Hi, I've been using the Stratos for a week now, I've been using it for running and I see that when I finish the route it puts me in the Amazfit app some times per km and if I export it to Strava it puts me other very different ones, what's the reason? Is it happening to someone else?
If you haven't stopped and there hasn't been a stop, the time should be the same, second up or second down
and another doubt, this also happens with the Garmin? because I was hesitating to get a Garmin 235 and if that doesn't happen I return the Stratos and get the Garmin
Great analysis and thank you very much. I am a stratos 3 user and previously a stratos 2 user, I knew I would not trust the heart rate but I never imagined it was that bad and the altimeter I had never stopped to compare. But thanks to you I have discovered better how my watch works. I fully share what you comment on the pros and contrasts of this watch. Best regards