Zepp Health introduced its first rugged smartwatch – the Amazfit T-Rex – at CES 2020. A year later, a successor appears with the T-Rex Pro, which offers subtle improvements to the familiar recipe of a “rugged watch”. At first glance, the T-Rex Pro is difficult to distinguish from its predecessor, but its creators have focused on delivering a contemporary successor that offers more of what’s expected in the current wearable market, while doubling down on the features that set the T-Rex line apart from the crowd.
If you’ve seen the original T-Rex, you’re also familiar with the T-Rex Pro. Reminiscent of Casio’s G-Shock watches, it’s full of rough edges. Since the T-Rex Pro is made of polycarbonate, it may feel a bit like a toy compared to some of its competitors, but if you’re a fan of that general “tough tech” aesthetic, the T-Rex Pro is for you.
Despite its intentionally chunky appearance, it’s actually a surprisingly lightweight timepiece – whether that’s an advantage or a disadvantage is probably more a matter of personal preference than a functional advantage/disadvantage. The T-Rex Pro has been subjected to the same MIL-STD-810G tests as its predecessor, and even exceeds them with a total of 15 certifications (up from 12) covering everything from extreme temperatures and humidity to shock resistance and waterproofing.
The Pro model not only has a familiar design, but also features the same 1.3-inch circular AMOLED display as the original T-Rex. Colors are pleasing, contrast is good, and sharpness is impressive, helped by the 360 x 360 pixel resolution. The brightness is sufficient even in direct sunlight, so you can look at it comfortably in all conditions. There’s also an automatic brightness adjustment and a manual slider accessible from the watch’s quick settings – a swipe down from the selected dial.
The Pro’s proprietary user interface is not particularly rich, but it is clean, functional, and easy to navigate. Swiping down gives access to quick settings like brightness slider, Find My Phone, flashlight, and theater mode. Swiping up brings up a customizable overview that includes widgets for everything from real-time weather to steps and activity goals.