The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 launched today and it's their most ambitious attempt yet to directly compete with Garmin's Fenix 8 yet. At $549.99, it's less than half the price of a Garmin Fenix 8, but does it deliver Fenix-level performance? I dug into in-depth reviews from three top sports watch experts to find out what they really thought after weeks of real-world testing.
Design and Build Quality: Premium Materials at a Budget Price
The T-Rex Ultra 2 is a beast. This is the largest watch Amazfit has ever released, coming in at a 51mm case size—significantly bigger than the 48mm T-Rex 3 Pro. The weight has increased by 15g compared to its predecessor, and the strap width has grown from 22mm to 26mm.
According to DCRainmaker, "It's a big chonkin' watch. It is the biggest watch that Amazfit has ever released." Chase The Summit noted that even compared to other flagship sport watches, "it's really not that big"—placing it squarely in the same ballpark as the Garmin Fenix 8 and COROS Vertix 2S.
The build quality received universal praise. The bezel, buttons, and back panel are all made from Grade 5 titanium—a genuine upgrade from the T-Rex 3 Pro's plastic back. The display is protected by sapphire crystal, and the watch carries a 10 ATM water resistance rating with dual diving certification.
As DesFit put it: "At this kind of price, most of us would expect premium materials. And with the Ultra 2, they use grade 5 titanium for the bezel, the back plate, as well as the buttons."
The design has also been refined. Chase The Summit appreciated that "the angles on the new T-Rex Ultra 2 aren't so aggressive—the octagon shape of the T-Rex 3 Pro is much more pronounced where on the Ultra, it's almost a round watch." He called it "more refined" and "more subtle" than previous models.
Display: Bright and Beautiful
The 1.5-inch AMOLED display is a significant upgrade, featuring 480×480 resolution, 322 ppi pixel density, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. This makes it larger and brighter than the 1.14-inch, 454×454 display on the 51mm Garmin Fenix 8.
DesFit found the display impressive: "Tons of pixels, tons of contrast, and tons of colors. It's a really nice display." He kept it on auto-brightness and found it "seemed to do a pretty good job for the most part of adjusting the display brightness appropriately."
The green LED flashlight is a notable addition—replacing the red option on the T-Rex 3 Pro. DCRainmaker explained that "the theory behind the green light is that it gives you better night vision goggle compatibility."
Battery Life: Truly Exceptional
Battery life emerged as the T-Rex Ultra 2's standout feature. The 870mAh battery (25% larger than its predecessor) delivers up to 30 days of typical use and up to 50 hours of high-accuracy GPS tracking.
DCRainmaker put it to the test with real-world workouts: "I started the run at 95% and at 3 hours and 1 minute later, it was down to 87%. So basically 8% battery burn or 2.666% battery burn per hour, which again is super impressive and above their specs."
His trail run with always-on display and navigation enabled burned only 2% per hour—"really impressive and above their specs."
DesFit achieved approximately two weeks of battery life with "everything on and all the features" including always-on display and sleep tracking. For GPS-specific activities, Amazfit claims 50 hours in highest accuracy mode without route navigation, and around 28 hours with route navigation.
Chase The Summit summed it up: "This has some very good battery life."
GPS and Navigation: Major Improvements
The T-Rex Ultra 2 includes preloaded global base maps (terrain maps), with contour and ski resort maps available for download from the Zepp app starting March 2026. Storage has doubled from 32GB to 64GB, with approximately 30GB available for maps.
DCRainmaker noted a significant improvement: "They've increased the detail in the contour maps. In other words, trails should show as trails as opposed to roads." He showed an example where "it does indeed show the actual trails now is little dotted line trails as opposed to the road."
The addition of checkpoints for navigation routes was praised, though DCRainmaker noted "there's a lot of weird categories here that don't make a ton of sense" compared to industry standards.
Software and Features
The Ultra 2 runs on Amazfit's BioTracker 6.0 PPG biometric sensor—the same as the T-Rex 3 Pro—paired with a full suite of environmental and motion sensors. It supports over 180 sports modes, includes Hyrox-specific modes, and offers diving options.
One-tap measurement checks most vitals in 45 seconds. The free food logging feature in the Zepp app—similar to Garmin's paid Connect+ offering—lets users log meals via photo, barcode, text, or voice.
Voice memos during workouts and advanced pace metrics like grade-adjusted pace are new additions. The Zepp Flow voice control works offline.
However, DCRainmaker warned: "Not all of them actually work" — some software features feel unfinished compared to Garmin's polished offering.
Heart Rate Accuracy: The Achilles Heel
Heart rate accuracy remains a concern. As DesFit explained: "A potential disadvantage to this size and weight of watch is heart rate accuracy during workouts where in general a larger and heavier watch can bounce around the wrist more than something smaller and lighter. These kinds of optical heart rate sensors don't like any sort of movement."
Chase The Summit confirmed this is still an issue: "Heart rate accuracy during high-movement activities remains a concern."
The good news: the watch supports external Bluetooth heart rate sensors if you need more accuracy.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exceptional battery life (exceeds official specs)
- Premium Grade 5 titanium build
- Bright 3,000-nit AMOLED display
- Preloaded global base maps
- Built-in LED flashlight with green option
- 10 ATM water resistance + diving certification
-Garmin-compatible 26mm QuickFit bands
- Excellent value vs. Garmin Fenix 8
Cons
- Large size may not fit smaller wrists
- Some software features feel unfinished
- Heart rate accuracy during high-movement activities
- Sleep tracking can be uncomfortable with large case
- Display software quirks (sleep mode not auto-disabling)
Competition Comparison
At $549.99, the T-Rex Ultra 2 enters premium territory previously dominated by Garmin, COROS, and Suunto. Here's how it stacks up:
| Feature | Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 | Garmin Fenix 8 | COROS Vertix 2S | Suunto Vertical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $550 | $1,100+ | $799 | $699 |
| Display | 1.5" AMOLED, 3000 nits | 1.4" AMOLED | 1.4" AMOLED | 1.4" AMOLED |
| Battery (GPS) | 50 hours | 49 hours | 60 hours | 60 hours |
| Water Resistance | 10 ATM + DIVING | 10 ATM | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Storage | 64GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB |
| Titanium Build | ✅ Full | ✅ Partial | ✅ Full | ❌ SS |
The Amazfit undercuts the competition significantly while matching or exceeding key specifications. Only COROS and Suunto offer comparable battery life at higher price points.
The Verdict: Who Should Buy It?
The Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 represents the most convincing alternative to Garmin yet. Chase The Summit called it "a genuine alternative to Garmin" at "half the price." DesFit concluded it's "competing with watches costing twice as much."
If you want Fenix-level features—dual-band GPS, offline maps, diving certification, exceptional battery—without the $1,100+ price tag, this is your watch. The battery life alone justifies the price for ultra-endurance athletes.
However, if you need polished software, best-in-class heart rate accuracy, or have smaller wrists, you might want to look elsewhere—or pair this with a dedicated heart rate strap.
For those who've been waiting for Amazfit to truly challenge Garmin, the wait is over.
Featured Image Description for AI Generation
A rugged outdoor smartwatch with a black titanium case and dark gray magma band, shown in an outdoor trail running setting. The watch displays a terrain map with a route line. Early morning golden hour lighting, nature background with blurred trees, product photography style, shallow depth of field, 4k resolution, adventure/outdoor aesthetic.
Price: $549.99 / £549.95
Available: February 19, 2026 from Amazfit.com and Amazon
