Over the last four weeks, I had the opportunity to use and test the Amazfit Balance sports watch. In this blog post, I will share my personal experience and thoughts on its performance.
On paper, the Amazfit Balance is an almost perfect sports watch. It comes with a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, multiband GPS navigation, training analysis tools, and a battery life of up to 2 weeks. For an athlete, these features are some of the best in the market.
However, the question is, does it live up to all the hype? In this blog post, we will explore this topic in detail.
Amazfit Balance Specification
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 1.5″ OLED/AMOLED, 323 ppi |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM |
| Battery Life | Up to 14 days with typical usage, 475 mAh battery capacity |
| Charging Time | Approximately 2 hours |
| Standby Time | Up to 1200 hours |
| GPS Mode Battery Life | Up to 26 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS |
Amazfit Balance Pros and Cons
- User-Friendly Interface
- Variety of Watch Faces
- 150+ Sports Modes
- Store audio files on the smartwatchy
- Amazon Alexa Built-in
- Limited App Features
- Lack of alternative band options
- Zepp app overwhelming
Amazfit Balance Review
The Amazfit Balance has entered the wearables market, targeting athletes with its feature set and competitive price tag.
But does it live up to the hype? Let’s break down the good, the not-so-good, and everything in between to see if it’s the right fit for you.
Design and Display
| Display Type | AMOLED |
|---|---|
| Size | 1.5 inches |
| Resolution | 480 x 480 pixels |
| Peak Brightness | 1,500 nits |
| Display Features | Colorful, sharp, and very bright |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Durability | Aluminum frame with some plastic |
| Thickness | 10.6 mm |
| Customization | Over 200 watch faces available |
| Interface | Intuitive navigation |
Let’s start with the appearance and some key details about the watch. Design is a matter of personal taste, but my first impression was really good. It’s one of the most beautiful watches I’ve tested in recent years.
It has a round design with markings around the display and a narrow bezel. This design allows for a large display, 1.5 inches to be exact, with a resolution of 480 * 480 pixels and a peak brightness of 1,500 nits.
The display is really beautiful, colorful, sharp, and very bright. The watch’s frame is made of aluminum, but there’s also a lot of plastic, making it very light. It’s also very thin at 10.6 mm.
Overall, it’s very comfortable to wear, never bothering me during sleep or sports. For my wrist, it fits well. However, if you have significantly smaller wrists, the watch may be too large.
On the right side of the case, there are two buttons, and you can customize their function. The upper button also functions as a rotating crown, and of course, you can also use a touch display.
Overall, I have some doubts about the durability of the watch, but for now, I like the design of the watch, especially the large and very beautiful display.
Health & Fitness
Key Features of Amazfit Balance Smartwatch:
| Sensors | Gyroscope, Geomagnetic, Blood Pressure, Ambient Light, Skin Temperature |
| Activity Tracking | Various sports, Sleep Quality, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen |
In this blog post, we’re focusing on how well this watch works as a sports watch. But before we get into that, let’s talk about its fitness and health features for everyday life, which are important for athletes, too.
If we swipe right from the home screen, we first see a widget called Readiness, which is rare on smartwatches.
But we’ll talk more about that soon. Then, we see important fitness data like steps, standing time, and fat-burning time. Clicking on this widget gives us more details, like when those steps were taken.
We also get an overview of other health data like calories burned, sitting time, and even stairs climbed. The watch has a built-in barometric altimeter so that it can count floors accurately.
There’s also a heart rate widget where we can see trends, resting heart rate, and more. We can even track our pulse throughout the day. Below that, we see sleep duration, quality, and blood oxygen saturation.
You can dive deeper into these with other widgets. The Amazfit Balance provides a lot of health and fitness data on the main screen without opening the app. It’s customizable, too.
Moving on to training mode, it’s easy to use. Pressing the lower button takes us there. We can choose from various sports and see important info like duration, distance, and pulse.
There’s even an always-on mode during workouts. The pulse is measured using a sensor on the back of the watch, which is accurate. After a workout, we get a summary on the watch, and it syncs with the app for more details.
You can create your own sports profiles and even download more from the app. It supports over 150 plus different sports. I like the pacing feature, which gives voice announcements during workouts.
The watch is very accurate with distance and duration. It has a multiband GPS chip, which is important for accurate tracking, especially in urban areas. The training mode is well thought out.
Battery Life
| Battery Life | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Normal Daily Use | Up to 14 days |
| Intensive Use | Up to 7 days |
| Always-On Mode | Up to 5 days |
| Multiband GPS Mode | Up to 26 hours |
| Automatic GPS Mode | Up to 47 hours |
| Running with Multiband | Approximately 4-5% battery consumption per running session |
| Normal Daily Use | Approximately 13-15% battery consumption per day during regular activities |
For athletes, after testing many smartwatches, I always come to the same conclusion. These watches are becoming genuinely interesting as sports watches as well, but their battery life remains a major drawback.
However, the Amazfit Balance promises up to 14 days of battery life with normal daily use.
In general, the manufacturer provides various specifications for different scenarios, such as seven days with intensive use, five days in always-on mode, up to 26 hours in multiband GPS mode, and even up to 47 hours in automatic GPS mode.
These are all very impressive figures for an Amazfit watch and lean more towards a sports watch than a smartwatch.
During my running sessions with multiband, the watch consumed about 4 to 5% of the battery. Without using the always-on mode, it would last about 20 to 25 hours in these settings.
If I use the always-on mode, then the consumption is about twice as high. On a day when I track a workout and use it normally during my daily life, it consumes about 13 to 15% of the battery, so it lasts about a week. The battery life is also impressive, making it a great sports watch option.
Customization and User Experience
With over 200 watch faces to choose from, the Amazfit Balance offers endless customization options to suit your mood and style.
The intuitive interface makes navigation a breeze, and the integration of Alexa adds convenience by allowing me to set timers, check the weather, and control smart home devices directly from my wrist.
Price
Now, let’s talk about price. At an approx price point of $219 on amazon and Amazfit website (price may vary), the Amazfit Balance offers exceptional value for money compared to other high-end sports watches on the market, like Garmin Forerunner 245 and Fitbit Charge 6.
Despite a few minor drawbacks, such as pulse measurement accuracy and app features, its affordability, combined with impressive performance, makes it an attractive choice for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Amazfit Balance emerges as a top contender in the sports watch category, boasting a winning combination of advanced features, long battery life, and affordability.
It earns high marks for its design, functionality, and overall value, making it a standout option for anyone seeking a reliable and feature-rich fitness companion.
While the Amazfit Balance offers a lot of features at a great price, it might not be the perfect fit for everyone.
Here are some alternative smartwatches to consider depending on your priorities:
Amazfit Balance
Amazfit GTR 4
You may also like:-
Q. What is the Amazfit Balance Function?
The Amazfit Balance isn’t just a single function device, it’s a smartwatch designed specifically with athletes in mind. It boasts a variety of features that cater to athletic training and health. Here’s a breakdown of its key functionalities:
Fitness Tracking: Tracks steps, calories burned, sleep quality, blood oxygen, and other health metrics, giving you a comprehensive picture of your overall well-being.
Sports Watch Features: Offers multiple sports modes (over 70!), built-in GPS for accurate distance and pace tracking, and even a training mode with features like pace guidance.
Long Battery Life: One of its strong points, lasting up to a week on a single charge with regular use.
Heart Rate Monitoring: Monitors your heart rate throughout the day, with improved accuracy during workouts (although it might take a few minutes to settle down initially).
Stylish Design & Comfortable Wear: Features a large, bright AMOLED display for easy viewing and a comfortable design suitable for all-day wear.
Affordable Price: Compared to similar sports watches, the Amazfit Balance is significantly cheaper, making it attractive for budget-minded athletes.
Overall, the Amazfit Balance functions as a feature-rich sports watch with a focus on affordability and long battery life.
Q. What is the battery life of Amazfit Balance?
The Amazfit Balance battery is like a marathon runner – it can go a long way! Here’s a quick rundown:
Normal Use: Up to 2 weeks! This is if you wear it daily and track some activities, but don’t use GPS much.
Lots of Workouts: About a week. This applies if you use GPS tracking during runs, bike rides, or other outdoor stuff.
Always-On Display: Up to 5 days. Keeping the screen on all the time uses more battery.
Accurate GPS Tracking: 26 hours. This mode is great for precise location tracking, but drains the battery faster.
Battery-Saving GPS: Up to 47 hours. This mode uses GPS less often to save battery, good for activities where exact location isn’t super important.
Remember, these are estimates. How long your battery lasts depends on how bright you keep the screen, how many notifications you get, and what features you use the most.
Q. Is Amazfit Balance waterproof?
The Amazfit Balance is water-resistant, meaning it can withstand splashes, sweat, and even rain. However, it’s not recommended for submerging it in water or wearing it while swimming.
