I must admit with some satisfaction—it’s been a pleasure watching the evolution of Chinese smartwatches over nearly six years. From barely practical devices running stock Android with poor battery life and basic fitness bands, to models like the Filwans GTS.
These models are well-made, reasonably priced—but not overly cheap—and skillfully avoid the flaws that plagued earlier, less successful models from other manufacturers. At best, those older models earned the reputation of “cheap Chinese knockoffs of the Apple Watch.”
Cost and positioning
The Filwans GTS avoids this entirely. The smartwatch feels and looks like a quality device—which is surprising, given that the company was only founded in 2024. Yet their portfolio already includes four smartwatch models and two earbud models. A quick investigation reveals a connection through Haylou into the Xiaomi ecosystem, so it’s no wonder the quality is there.
The Filwans GTS model is the company’s most expensive product, priced at $60 on the official website, or around €53 on AliExpress, though the price occasionally drops due to promotions and sales.
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Package contents
The Filwans GTS package is almost perfect. The only thing keeping it from perfection is the lack of an additional charging cable in the box. The included cable is a two-pin magnetic type, measuring about 2.5 mm, and in my experience, these cables tend to wear out quickly.
Yes, you can find similar replacement cables on AliExpress, but prices can range from $0.60 to $9.70.
Also included in the package are a user manual and… an additional strap. It’s a fully fabric strap with a Velcro fastener, and I really commend Filwans for this. While I can’t test the watch during the summer heat, I can guarantee that in warmer weather, using a fabric strap will be much more comfortable and pleasant than a silicone one.
Read also: HUAWEI Band 9 Smart band Review
Design
For this review, I received two models—”Silver” and “Black.” Though, to be more accurate, they’re more “gray” and “nude.” This applies to both the case color and the strap color.
Overall, the Filwans GTS looks fantastic. In pictures, it resembles an Apple Watch, but in person, it leaves quite a different impression. The case isn’t rounded at the top; it’s flat, with a metal edge that slightly rises above the glass. Surprisingly, the case material is zinc, and if the manufacturer’s site is to be believed, it’s “aviation-grade” zinc.
The “protrusion” on the right side of the case looks unusual, featuring a long button and a control wheel on its edge. Between them is a microphone.
On the back side, there are two sets of openings, which are the speakers. This is because the Filwans GTS supports phone call functionality. I’ll explain how that works later.
I should also note that there’s no specific information about the strap “standard” on the website or in the manual, but the width at the point where it connects to the watch case is 22 mm.
This is a standard width, so you can find thousands of custom straps as replacements. Is it worth considering a replacement? In my opinion, yes. The strap base is plastic, not metal, and it’s not the only component that’s plastic.
The plastic feels and looks sturdy, but I often find myself snagging watches on tables or doors. During my reviews of previous watches, this snagging sometimes completely dislodged the watch from my wrist when the strap’s attachment wasn’t secure enough. If you don’t have this issue, then a replacement may not be necessary for you. But it’s something to keep in mind.
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Sensors
On the underside of the watch, there’s a set of sensors. At least two specific models mentioned on one of the shopping sites are the VC9201 pulse oximeter and the VP60A1 heart rate sensor. This set is not exclusive to the Filwans GTS; several other smartwatches across different price ranges also feature it, including the HAMTOD V300, Promate ProWatch-B18, and Black Shark S1. The most expensive of these models costs over $100.
This is an important indicator for me, and here’s why. Even the best Apple Watches do not measure vital signs at the level of professional medical devices. I have no idea how much factors like hair on my arm or how tightly the strap needs to be tightened affect measurement accuracy. Any reading regarding blood pressure or oxygen saturation that a smartwatch provides is too approximate for me to take seriously. BUT!
The standardization of sensors indicates a sufficient level of both technological advancement and overall quality. In other words, the industry has developed enough in this area to begin addressing my concerns and nuances. Therefore, I have reasons to believe that the results displayed by the Filwans GTS and other models have at least some degree of accuracy.
Perhaps someday I’ll buy professional devices for measuring bodily parameters and compare the accuracy of the sensors in at least a few smartwatches. Let me know in the comments if you’d be interested in reading such a comparison review.
Ergonomics
The dimensions of the watch are 45.7 × 36.4 × 10.8 mm, and it weighs 33 g, or 50 g with the strap. The last point is particularly important, as the Filwans GTS feels almost weightless on the wrist when paired with the fabric strap.
This is the key reason why (spoiler alert) I am choosing the Filwans GTS as my primary smartwatch for the foreseeable future. I have very sensitive skin, and the GTS is the first model in many years that I can comfortably wear around the clock.
The strap doesn’t irritate my skin or distract me. At least, that’s the case in autumn. I’m not sure how it will be in summer. However, I’ve reviewed watches that caused discomfort even in winter, and this one doesn’t have that issue.
Read also: Oppo Watch X Smartwatch Review
Display
At the beginning of the review, I mentioned the evolution of smartwatches. One of the most pleasant outcomes of this evolution is the quality of the screens.
If it weren’t for a few absolutely terrible standard watch faces that feature noticeable banding in the gradient, I would call the display on the Filwans GTS flawless.
This is an AMOLED display with a resolution of 410×502 pixels and a diagonal of 2.01 inches. It supports 1.67 million colors, and its peak brightness reaches 1000 nits, with Always On Display functionality included. The screen is protected by glass that the manufacturer claims has a hardness rating of 9H, meaning it’s tougher than topaz and quartz, with diamond being the only material rated higher. Additionally, it’s worth noting that the Filwans GTS is rated for water resistance under the IP68 standard.
The only thing I don’t quite understand is the claim regarding the 2.5D glass. The glass is completely flat, not curved at all. Additionally, the oleophobic coating seems minimal or even non-existent. It’s hard for me to assess because I’m used to high-quality oleophobic coatings. However, after activating the Always On Display, the watch looks incredibly appealing and functional, as the hands glow in the dark.
Specifications
As for the sensor models, I’ve mentioned them earlier. The exact model of the processor in the Filwans GTS is unknown, but if we are to believe the box, it features a dual-core processor. The Bluetooth chip is identified as the Realtek RTL8763E-VP. However, there are some questions here, as all the websites I checked state that the watch supports Bluetooth version 5.2, while the chip itself supports version 5.3. It’s also confirmed that the flash memory has a capacity of 128 MB.
The battery capacity of the watch is 300 mAh, and the manufacturer promises that it will charge within a maximum of 2 hours, as the watch draws 5V at 0.5A, which equals 2.5 watts. One thing that raises eyebrows is the 2-year warranty, but this is only mentioned on the official AliExpress page and comes with an additional charge. Typically, the standard warranty should be 12 months, but I wasn’t able to find an exact figure.
Software
There are two sections to consider: the smartphone app and the software on the watch itself. The app, called Filwans Watch, is proprietary and available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Android:
iOS:
The app features an elegant interface design and offers a sufficient range of functions to avoid being called pointless. However, it’s not overly complicated, which prevents users from feeling lost in it. It’s clear that the manufacturer has invested significant effort into this app. It’s not a cheap Chinese knockoff but rather a unique and well-thought-out product. Trust me, I’ve seen plenty of contrary examples, so I can confidently make this assertion.
The most important functions of the smartphone software that I highlight are those that cannot be performed directly on the watch itself. This includes granting all necessary permissions for the Filwans GTS, syncing with the smartphone, firmware updates, the “find my watch” feature, and weather synchronization, among others. Some functions are duplicated, such as reminders to stand up, heart rate monitoring, and detailed watch face customization.
The number of watch faces available on the Filwans GTS is quite sufficient, with over 100 options to choose from. Users can also create their own custom watch faces using personalized images and font colors, which can be saved on the smartphone.
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Watch software
The interface on the watch itself isn’t exactly exemplary, but I really like it. Understand me correctly—I’m not the direct target audience for smartwatches, and I’m not focused on the interface design of the Apple Watch. I’m simply sharing what feels convenient to me personally.
On the Filwans GTS, navigation is done using two buttons, one of which is a rotating and pressable knob. I can confidently press this button with my nose to activate the display backlight. Yes, the display doesn’t activate with a touch on the touchscreen, but I noticed this fact as soon as I started writing this review.
The functions of the Filwans GTS are quite standard: it includes a pedometer, heart rate monitor, stress measurement, blood oxygen saturation monitor, and sleep tracking (there’s also supposed to be a women’s calendar monitor, but it didn’t show up for obvious reasons). It supports a multitude of sports modes—running, treadmill, walking, cycling, and various gym exercises, with a total of 150 promised modes.
The Filwans GTS also features music player controls, a voice assistant, stress monitoring, breathing exercises, weather tracking, and even an SOS button. Additional functionalities include a timer, stopwatch, flashlight, calculator, smartphone finder, and a camera trigger (via a proprietary app, but it’s still a useful feature). All of these are conveniently organized under a separate options menu.
Widget management on the Filwans GTS is done by rotating the wheel. The function display mode can be accessed from a pull-down curtain triggered by a swipe down. Swiping left to right brings up a quick menu containing shortcuts for tools, mood tracking, exercises, and settings. However, I couldn’t find a way to modify the elements in this quick menu.
The English localization is ALMOST flawless, and I didn’t find any major mistakes. Additionally, the font used for messages is not the typical “Chinese jumbled” style; it appears solid and is very readable.
Communication functions
I will highlight this section separately because this function is the most… peculiar among all that the watch offers. The Filwans GTS does not connect to headphones and does not function as a call relay; it has no support for any SIM card. However, the watch does come equipped with speakers and a microphone. This means you can talk to someone using the watch as a headset. You can answer calls directly from the watch and also end conversations in the same way.
In terms of quality, don’t expect miracles. Although the Filwans GTS microphone has noise cancellation and handled transmitting my voice quite well, even with a hairdryer running at 20%, you still need to speak DIRECTLY into the watch for it to pick up your voice. The speakers are only adequate in complete silence. This means your conversation partner will likely hear you well, but you might struggle to hear them at all if there’s a lot of background noise.
Battery life
Since the Filwans GTS is positioned somewhere between a fitness band and a full-fledged smartwatch, its battery life is accordingly. The manufacturer claims up to 9 days of use with the 24-hour heart rate monitor active and up to 15 days in power-saving mode. However, as I understand it, these figures are for situations WITHOUT a connection to a smartphone.
With full synchronization and Always On Display mode enabled, I managed nearly exactly 3 days of battery life. The charging time for the watch is a maximum of two hours. It’s nice that the charging cable features a Type-A connector, allowing the device to be charged from any adapter or source, including high-capacity power banks.
Operating experience
Overall, from smartwatches of any type, I primarily need four things: an Always On Display (AOD) that doesn’t drain the battery, notifications, synchronization with the pre-set Android alarm clock, and weather display. The Filwans GTS met three out of four requirements at 9/10, while the third one scored 6/10. The Always On Display is present, eliminating the need to activate the screen by moving my wrist, which I found to be too sensitive. There are no issues with notifications; everything works well. The weather display is available on the standard screen and can be accessed with a swipe from the left, but tapping on it doesn’t open the widget.
However, synchronization of the alarm with the smartphone is simply not possible, and there is no alarm widget available. But in the list of features on the watch, there is a built-in alarm that can be accessed relatively quickly. You can set it to a single mode or have it repeat on specific days.
Thanks to how enjoyable it is to use the watch, I could get used to setting the alarm directly on the Filwans GTS instead of on my smartphone, especially since this smartwatch has speakers.
Drawbacks
I’ll start with the watch’s interface. It’s far from perfect, but it reminds me of Android 11 or 12—specifically the period when smartphones first introduced Do Not Disturb switches, but the option to enable this mode on a timer instead of on a schedule was missing. So, the feature lost its usefulness without the settings I need. The Filwans GTS is similar—it has the mode, but it can only be set on a schedule, not on a timer. Yes, setting the alarm is convenient and quick, but I have no idea how to change the volume or melody. While there are plenty of widgets, the most essential ones for me are absent.
The design of the app also needs improvement. For instance, it’s surprisingly difficult to select apps and contacts for synchronization with the watch. There’s no quick scrolling in these lists, no search by name, and no option to select everything at once. But that’s just part of the problem. In the app list, there’s no sorting available—by default, they don’t even appear in alphabetical order, but rather randomly.
So, to find something like Telegram, I had to scroll carefully all the way to the end of the list. I hope the manufacturer prioritizes fixing this issue. Lastly, it’s quite strange to see a mandatory registration requirement for using the app; even Nvidia has moved away from that approach.
Conclusions
It’s time to summarize my thoughts on the Filwans GTS. I see immense potential in this smartwatch. The build quality is something I’ve never encountered before at this price point. The display quality, thoughtful controls, design, and software convenience all contribute to its overall excellence. I would rate this watch a solid 98%, and that’s why I’ll continue to use it moving forward. In fact, by the time this review is published, I should already have an additional charging cable on the way.
I don’t believe that an updated version of the watch will address the remaining 2% that I personally find lacking. It’s not certain that the manufacturer sees these as shortcomings. However, I won’t stop hoping for improvements. That said, what’s already available meets my needs, so this will be my main watch for the foreseeable future. Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend the Filwans GTS for purchase.
Where to buy
- Official store on AliExpress – Use coupon code 4BNAU2 to get $5 off when you purchase an item