Amazfit Pushes Swimming, Rowing Upgrades to 8 Watches, Narrowing Gap With Garmin

Q: Why was the standard T-Rex 3 deliberately excluded from Amazfit's crucial new touchscreen lock feature?

There is no confirmed public explanation from Amazfit that the standard T-Rex 3 was *deliberately* excluded for a specific reason. What is clear from the company’s own compatibility notes is that Always Locked is unavailable on the T-Rex 3 while it is enabled on most of the rest of the lineup. The most likely explanation is a model-specific software or interface limitation rather than an intentional product snub. The feature keeps the touchscreen locked for an entire workout while leaving physical buttons active, so it depends on how each watch handles workout controls, touch-lock behavior and button input at the system level. The T-Rex 3 appears to use a different control scheme or firmware implementation from the Pro and Ultra variants. That reading is supported by user feedback around the T-Rex line. Reviews and forum posts have highlighted frustrations with workout screen locking and unlocking on T-Rex models, especially where touch input could be unreliable during exercise. In that context, Amazfit may have withheld the feature on the base T-Rex 3 because its current software does not support the new lock mode reliably enough. In short, the evidence points to a technical or firmware compatibility issue, not a stated strategic exclusion. Unless Amazfit provides a formal reason, anything more specific would be speculation.

3 articles · Updated · TechRadar · Aug 11

Eight Amazfit watches are receiving a software update that adds manual pool-swim rests, FTMS indoor-rowing support and Athlete Defaults across much of the current lineup.
Pool sessions can now separate swim and rest segments by stroke, while FTMS-compatible rowers such as the Concept2 RowErg stream live workout metrics to the watch.
New workout tools also include a touchscreen lock and automatic presets that enable Do Not Disturb, mute workout alerts and switch GPS to maximum precision at the start of training.
The rollout covers models from the Balance Ultra and T-Rex 3 line to the Cheetah 2 series and Active 3 Premium, extending training features beyond individual devices.
By filling long-standing gaps in swimming and rowing, the update gives Amazfit's lower-cost fitness watches more of the training depth typically associated with Garmin.