Is $35 GPS Smartwatch Any Good? Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite REVIEW

We are used to the fact that smartwatches with built-in GPS are expensive. However, what if I told you that you could buy it for only $35?

So, today we are going to test one of the cheapest smartwatches with built-in GPS called Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite.

The other features of the new watch are 1.32-inch IPS full color display, multiple workout modes, heart rate, spO2 blood oxygen, and other health monitors, up to 25 days of battery life.

Of course, GPS is the main feature of Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite, so we will definitely test it outdoors.

Let’s start the review with unboxing.

Unboxing

On the box, we can see the smartwatch, its full name, as well as the main features.

I have already told you about them.

There are also some information about manufacturer on the back.

When you open the box, you will find the watch face and strap separately, as well as a magnetic charging cable and user manual.

You know, the package is standard for a budget smartwatch.

Design

When it comes to design, first, I like the fact that the strap is removable.

It has a width of 22mm, so you can buy any strap of the same size and use it with the new Zeblaze watch.

However, the default silicone strap looks pretty good.

Another feature of Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite is a zinc metal bezel. The buttons are made of aluminum alloy. By the way, there are two buttons, but we will talk about their functions a little later.

The main body of the watch is made of plastic.

On the back, we see the charging contacts, heart rate and spO2 sensors.

You know, Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite looks very good for the price of only $35, but I am surprised by the thickness of the watch. It is 13.8mm, or about two times more than my iPhone 12.

I don’t know why the new Zeblaze watch is so thick, probably because of the built-in GPS.

The overall size of the dial is 47 x 47 mm, and the weight of the watch with a strap is 51 grams.

You should also know that Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite has 5 ATM water resistance, so you can wash your hands or even take a shower with the watch.

Display

The display of the new Zeblaze smartwatch has a diagonal of 1.32 inches.

This is an IPS panel with 360 by 360 pixels resolution. By the way, the screen also has a Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

At first, I thought the display had no bezel, but then I saw it with the labels of Start, Sport, and Water-Resistant. I like it because the watch looks sporty.

I didn’t find information about the screen brightness, but I think it is good for the budget watch. You can see the display outdoors.

By the way, the screen is also very responsive.

Control Buttons

I promised to tell you about the control buttons. So, you can press the Start button to wake up the screen, and the Sport button to turn it off.

When the watch is woken up, you can press the Start button again to open the menu with all the functions.

A long press on the Sport button takes you to the workout modes.

That’s all!

Functions

However, you can use the touch screen to use other functions of the watch.

By swiping up, you can read the new notifications.

The quick settings menu opens by swiping down.

Here we can change the vibration intensity, screen brightness, lock the screen, do not disturb mode, power saving mode, and settings menu.

In the settings menu, we have watch faces. By the way, there are only three watch faces available out of the box, but you can upload more from the app on the smartphone.

Then, we can change the screen brightness and vibration intensity again; auto screen lock, system settings, and QR code to bind the smartwatch to the app.

The system settings have reboot, power off and reset.

The main functions of Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite include workout, activity, stats, heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, news, weather, compass, music control, stopwatch, timer, find phone and settings.

Zeblaze Fit App

You know, before using the watch, it is better to connect it to the app on smartphone. The app is called Zeblaze Fit. It is available on Android and iOS devices.

It is actually the new application, because the previous Zeblaze watches used other apps. I am interested to see the new Zeblaze Fit app.

The interface looks very stylish and attractive.

On the main screen, you can see the connected device, battery level, as well as other information, such as distance, calories consumption, steps, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, exercise record and effective standing.

On the workout screen, we can choose the exercise mode from running, cycling, and walking.

The Device screen include dial center, where you can upload the new watch faces on the smartwatch, message notification settings, reminder settings, continuous heart rate detection, weather settings and shake to take photos.

You can also tap on the name of the smartwatch, and see the other settings, such as raise to wake, do not disturb, find device and more.

By the way, Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite supports many languages, such as English, Turkish, Greek, French, and others.

So, the new Zeblaze Fit app looks very nice, but the functions are about the same as the previous apps.

Workout Mode

OK, now, I want to test the main function of the new Zeblaze smartwatch – GPS.

So, when you start the workout mode, in my case, outdoor walking, you see heart rate, training time, distance, average pace, current pace, calories, average cadence, steps, and stride.

You can also swipe to the left and control the music on smartphone.

As you can see, the smartwatch doesn’t have a movement map. There is only a small GPS signal icon on top of the screen.

However, after completing your workout, you can open the app on smartphone and check the exercise record. There is a map here, and you know, it is accurate. I really walked this route.

There are also calories, duration and average pace on the first screen.

Then, you can open the graph, and check the pace and stride frequency.

There are also details about exercise in the app.

So, although the smartwatch doesn’t have a movement map, you can see it in the app.

Battery

The battery is another highlight of Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite, because the battery life in a normal use is about 25 days.

In a heavy usage mode, the battery life is 15 days.

However, when you constantly use GPS and heart rate tracking, the smartwatch will last 56 hours.

By the way, the battery capacity of the new Zeblaze watch is 300mAh.

Conclusion

Now let’s summarize.

Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite has a built-in GPS, so I thought it would have a movement map during the workout or at least after it was completed. In fact, the smartwatch doesn’t have a map.

However, you can find it in the companion app on smartphone.

I don’t think this is a big problem since Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite is the cheapest GPS smartwatch – only $35.

By the way, I forgot to mention that the new watch can sync workout data with Strava and Apple Health. It is a useful feature for many athletes.

So, Zeblaze Stratos 2 Lite is one of the most affordable sports smartwatches in 2023.