Review of Amazfit Bip smartwatch. Likely competitor to Pebble

Convenient, compact and thoughtful

Amazfit Bip is perhaps the smallest watch among popular models. It is not surprising that this compact polycarbonate body was retained in the new version.

Polycarbonate looks rustic, but does not collect scratches. Protective glass made of Gorilla Glass 3 with rounded edges keeps the surface as clean as possible.

The update affected one of the most important characteristics: Amazfit Bip S can be left on while swimming and showering.

The soft silicone bracelet with soft-touch coating, as always, fits tightly and is suitable for hands of any size.

Those with large wrists may need a different one: there are holes along the entire length of the strap, but the maximum hand circumference still does not exceed 23 centimeters.

If desired, any clock width of 20 millimeters . Quick-release fasteners allow you to install it in seconds.

It’s impossible to find a better one than the original one: the coating on the first Amazfit Bip wore off after 2 years of continuous wear, but the strap itself did not lose its properties.

Xiaomi Huami Amazfit Bip - the best smartwatch without any buts and ifs

Amazfit Bip is the best smart watch for daily use and sports, which surpasses even more expensive models in a number of features. They have been available for sale for a very long time, about half a year to be precise, but unlike sports bracelets, Mi Band have been undeservedly deprived of attention. And in vain. After all, in fact, they combine the functionality of the Mi Band 2 sports bracelet and the legendary, but already outdated Pebble 2 smartwatch. At the same time, there are also unique properties that distinguish the model from its few competitors.

To better understand why Amazfit Bip is good, I will list the most interesting features of the device:

1. A transflective color display that works as an e-ink during the day, reflecting daylight, and at night or in low light conditions transmits light from the built-in backlight.
2. Amazing autonomy. On a single charge, the watch can last up to 45 days of use.
3. Built-in GPS module, which allows you to use the watch as a tracker, without using a smartphone. Record your tracks on the watch, and at home, synchronizing with the Mi Fit application, see everything in detail and with full statistics.
4. IP68 protection: swim in the pool, use in the rain - it's safe for the watch
5. Many sports functions: pedometer, heart rate tracking (including online during training)
6. Monitor your sleep quality, can be used as an alarm clock
7. Receive information about incoming calls directly on the watch screen; some actions can be done without taking out your smartphone (switch to silent mode, hang up). In addition to this, notifications from any applications, SMS messages - everything will be displayed on the screen, they support the Cyrillic alphabet.
8. Wide range of customization options, hundreds of Russian dials that can be installed for free through the application.
9. Pleasant appearance and high-quality materials, small thickness, replaceable straps

And these are just the main features. For details, welcome to my review. And to begin with, we will traditionally familiarize ourselves with the technical characteristics:

Video version of the review

The watch comes in a miniature box, on which you can only see the Amazfit logo. In some stores you can see the watch as Huami Amazfit, in some as Xiaomi Amazfit. So who is the manufacturer really? The manufacturer is Huami, but they work closely with Xiaomi, there is an opinion that they even own part of the assets. Xiaomi, in turn, helps with product promotion, development, integration into software, etc. Therefore, a more correct option would sound like Xiaomi Huami Amazfit. Did you know, for example, that Mi Band bracelets were also developed by Huami? I don’t think so. In any case, this is just marketing, because Xiaomi is known all over the world and it is much easier to promote products under this brand.

On the reverse side you can see the main characteristics of the watch and information about the manufacturer.

I chose the classic color Onyx Black; you can also find colors on sale: orange, gray and army green. If over time you want to change the appearance of your watch, you can purchase a bumper - an overlay of a different color.

In the kit you can find a charging docking station powered by USB. The watch is installed in the dock quite rigidly, with little effort. I would like a simpler implementation of charging, for example with a magnetic pad, but considering that you will have to charge the watch no more than once every few weeks, this is not a big problem.

There are also instructions in English, where, among other things, there is a QR code leading to the official Mi Fit application. But I would recommend installing a third-party Mi Fit client, for example from miui.su, then when there is an incoming call you can set it to display the name in Russian. In the standard version, the inscription “incoming call” will simply be displayed from the market; this is due to localization, since the watch supports the Cyrillic alphabet.

The watch itself looks quite attractive. The rectangular polycarbonate case is quite durable - I am not a careful user and often the watch gets damaged when it encounters door frames or furniture, the case withstands all these everyday everyday life with firmness. Just like the glass itself, on which I did not glue any films. The manufacturer claims Corning Gorilla Glass is the third generation and apparently this is so, although during the beach season you need to be careful, because sand can easily scratch it (on the Mohs scale it has greater hardness). Another positive point is the high-quality oleophobic coating - your finger glides perfectly across the glass without leaving any greasy residue. And even if streaks appear on the screen, all you need to do is swipe the surface on your T-shirt once and the glass will be crystal clear again.

The only physical button is located on the right side, it is necessary to unlock the watch or force the backlight to turn on. The backlight can also be activated with a gesture, as if you were looking at a regular watch; this is important in the dark, when there is not enough external lighting to see the contents of the screen.

The screen itself is perfectly readable without backlighting during daylight hours. In fact, the brighter the ambient light, the brighter the screen content appears. For an example photo of a watch in direct sunlight:

And in the shadows

The strap is made of silicone, it is very soft and flexible - you don’t feel the watch in your hand at all. Combined with the light weight and thickness of the watch, this makes it almost invisible during everyday wear. I’m not used to sleeping in a watch, but with Amazefit Bip everything has become different - I’m interested in tracking the phases and duration of sleep, I started using an alarm clock and they don’t interfere with my sleep at all! The range of sizes is wide, with my thin hand I fasten the strap to the 4th division and there is room to go both smaller and larger.

Those who have been wearing their watches for several months already note that the soft touch coating on the strap begins to wear off over time, but this is not a big deal, since you can replace it with another one - the fastenings are quite standard (20 mm), and you can find a huge amount on sale straps of various colors from different materials (rubber, leather, metal). You can see the variety here, prices start at $3.

The next photo clearly shows the strap fastenings. You can replace it yourself, without going to a workshop. Also on the reverse side you can see the pulse reading sensor, it is optical here.

The heart monitor works in this way: there are LEDs at the top and bottom that emit green light. And between them, in the center, there is a photosensor that detects changes in the flow of light, which changes depending on the expansion or contraction of blood vessels, and, accordingly, the density of the blood flow. This method is called optical plethysmography and gives fairly accurate readings if all the conditions for correct measurement are met, namely, the skin should not be wet. I compared the accuracy with the Omron tonometer, which can also count the pulse. At rest, the result is almost always the same. But if you sweat during training and your hands are literally flooded with it, the error can be much higher. In any case, the plethysmography method is less accurate than electrocardiography (used in chest-mounted heart rate monitors), but since I am far from a professional athlete, an error of 2-3 beats, or even 5, does not bother me. This is more for dynamics, let’s say I was interested in tracking how quickly the heart rate returns to normal after a short run of 1 km. The results upset me. During the winter period of time, when I didn’t lift anything heavier than a mouse or a sandwich, and movement was limited mainly to indoors and a car, I lost a lot of shape. It’s time to start running in the morning...

A couple more pictures on the hand so that you can evaluate the “fit”.

Perhaps, looking at my photos, someone had the opinion that the screen is black and white, like in e-ink electronic books. This is not entirely true, the screen is very similar to the one used in readers, but it is more advanced. And at the same time colored. I just chose this dial because it seemed to me the most informative, and the black and white tones made it the most contrasting and readable. You can, of course, put something bright and colorful, but somehow I’ve played enough with dials and I want the simplest possible minimalism. For those who have a different opinion, the watch has about a dozen preset dials.

But basically the dials there are complete nonsense. If you want a truly cool and informative watch face, then you need to install the “Amazfit Bip Watchfaces” application from the market. All the watch faces here are free, and there are really a lot of them. If not thousands, then hundreds for sure. There is a separate section with Russified dials; the collection is constantly being replenished.

Well, for example, there are several larger dials. There's plenty to choose from

Now let's go through the capabilities of the watch. First, I want to explain the difference between the Chinese and international versions. The only difference is in the language - in Chinese you will find hieroglyphs and the need to flash (4Pda has instructions, nothing complicated). International version - in English. Is it possible to do complete Russification? No. It is possible to partially Russify (only the names of sections), but I don’t see any point in this, because all the menu items and settings remain in English anyway. All messages, notifications, the main screen (dial) and the Mi Fit application are in Russian.

Let's look at all the possibilities from the watch, the first point is activity, here you can see how many steps have been taken since the beginning of the day, the distance in kilometers, the number of calories burned, the latest heart rate monitor readings and also how many times the watch has “kicked” you for inactivity. This function is activated in the settings via your smartphone. The watch will notify you if you have not been noticeably active for an hour.

The next point is the most interesting for athletes and people leading a healthy lifestyle - activity. There are 4 programs: outdoor running, cycling, treadmill, walking. Depending on the program, different functions are enabled and different information is collected. For example, when walking, GPS is activated and the watch records a track, notifying you with vibration about each kilometer passed. When riding a bicycle, in addition to the track, the speed is also recorded. But on a treadmill we don’t need GPS. Information is collected autonomously for hours, without the participation of a smartphone. That is, when you go for a morning run, you don’t even have to take your smartphone, all the data will be collected for hours, and the next time you synchronize with the Mi Fit application, it will be available on your smartphone.

Of course, activity information can be viewed directly on the watch screen; depending on the program, different information will be available. They will show you your track (without overlaying it on the map, of course), and give you statistical information: activity time, distance, heart rate, number of calories burned, speed, etc.

But compared to the information you can get at home, this is pampering. In the Mi Fit application, you can view your track on a Google map, as well as get all the information in more detail, including your heart rate, which is automatically tracked in real time during activity.

And more interesting are the readings in dynamics, when you can view changes in heart rate or speed over the entire period of time, literally minute by minute.

But let's get back to the clock. The next item is the weather; its clock is pulled up from the smartphone when synchronized. You can view both the current weather and a few days ahead. But what's more useful is that weather information can be used in watch faces, meaning you'll actually always see the current outside temperature without even unlocking the screen. This is natural provided that your watch and smartphone are constantly connected via bluetooth.

Alarm. More precisely, several alarm clocks. You can add and change time only from the application; from the watch itself you can only activate and deactivate the desired alarm clock. There is also a stopwatch and countdown timer.

The next tab is the compass. Here you can also view the location coordinates (GPS is turned on), altitude above sea level and atmospheric pressure.

The last tab is dedicated to settings. In the settings, you can change the watch face, but only from the preset ones - to install more watch faces, you need to install “Amazfit Bip Watchfaces” from the market on your smartphone. You can also assign an action to a long press of the lock button, for example, so that when pressed, a running program will automatically start. Here you can also adjust the brightness of the backlight, which by default is set to 3 out of five. In fact, one division is enough for normal use. In addition, there is a function to search for a smartphone, you can view information about the firmware, reset to factory settings and turn off the watch.

If we swipe up from the main screen (dial), we get to the screen where the “do not disturb” mode is turned on/off; in this mode you will not be notified about missed events.

If you swipe down from the home screen, you can view the notifications you received on your watch (from apps, messages, etc.). The Russian language is displayed correctly, but if the message contains emoticons or the Ukrainian letter i, then question marks will be displayed instead. The length is limited to two screens on the watch and if the message is longer, it will be cut off.

When there is an incoming call, the caller's name is displayed, just like in the phone book. You can click “ignore” and the smartphone will go into silent mode and the watch will stop vibrating. Or press end call and hang up the call. Naturally, you need to use a smartphone to talk.

Well, I’ll show you what the screen looks like in complete darkness with the backlight on.

Now I’ll tell you a little about the capabilities of the smartphone. Those who have used Mi Band bracelets are well familiar with the Mi Fit application, for others it will probably be interesting to look at the main points.

On the main screen you can see the current progress of your activity - how many steps you have taken, what distance you have traveled. Moreover, it is possible to consider everything in detail, minute by minute - how much walking there was, how much fast walking, running or minor activity (with small movements around the room). If you sleep in hours, you can evaluate the quality of your sleep - slow-wave sleep, REM sleep and the number of awakenings. The program will also give an assessment of your overall sleep quality and recommendations. Next, if you play sports and use activity programs, you can go to see a detailed report on your training, I have already shown this. The next section is weight, here is only what you specified in the settings. But if you have smart scales from Xiaomi, then the weight is also synchronized with the application and you can watch its changes over time. The final section is your achievements, here you can see how many days you have overcome the given step value (the value can be changed in the settings).

Of particular interest to me is the heart rate statistics. In the settings, you can choose to constantly track your heart rate at intervals of 1 minute, 10 minutes or 30 minutes. 10 and 30 minutes are not particularly useful, but measuring every minute gives an idea of ​​your physical fitness. Then you can analyze the information by comparing what you were doing and your heart rate at that time. By the way, the battery discharges quite moderately, even with every minute measurement. You can also set the pulse to be measured only at night, during sleep. This has a beneficial effect on the accuracy of sleep phase determination. During any training (activity mode is turned on), the heart rate monitor always turns on automatically, even if it is disabled in the settings.

A little about the customization options: you can select absolutely any applications from which notifications will come. On the first day I added Viber and by the evening I turned it off because I was tired of the constant vibrations)) It turned out that I don’t want to know so often what they write to me)) You can receive messages, a notification about the completion of the goal based on the steps taken, a message about a disconnection, notifications about low activity, etc. There are many settings and they are quite flexible, you can adjust everything “to suit yourself”.

Now for autonomy. We are promised up to 45 days of operation on a single charge, but in fact this maximum can only be achieved if you use the watch very sparingly. In real conditions, with active use, this time will be less. A small example. The first 3 days I used the watch to the maximum - notifications from all applications, constant settings, watch face updates and automatic heart rate measurement every minute. In this mode, after 3 days I had 86% of the charge left, that is, 14% of the battery was consumed. In this mode, the watch would work for 21 days. Next, I turned off the daily heart rate measurement and switched it to “night mode”, when the watch measures heart rate only at night. In 4 days the battery lost 11%. That is, in this mode the watch will last 36 days. After that, I completely turned off heart rate measurement, but at the same time began to use the training mode every day when GPS is activated (about 1 hour per day). In this mode, the battery lost another 19%, meaning a full charge will last only 10.5 days. This is explained by the high battery consumption with active GPS; according to my calculations, per hour of operation of the navigator, it consumes 5% of the charge. But this is a very good result, i.e., in fact, the watch can work autonomously as a tracker for 20 hours in a row. After analyzing all the data, in my activity mode (with small workouts, a lot of notifications, maximum backlight brightness and constant synchronization via bluetooth), the watch can last from 2 to 3 weeks. And this is a very good result. If you don’t use the sports functions (GPS, heart rate sensor), and use the watch only for notifications, then it can easily last a month or more on a single charge, as other owners can confirm.

Summing up, I can state the fact that this is the best watch for practical people that can be purchased at the moment. In my opinion, they are completely devoid of critical flaws and are ideal for both athletes (or people who care about their health) and ordinary users who use the watch as an assistant for their smartphone. Yes, you can choose a more attractive (but also more expensive) watch with a beautiful OLED screen, but then you can immediately forget about the amazing battery life. A good OLED watch lasts no more than 5 days under active load, while a Chinese noname 1 watch lasts for 2 days, which is no longer an option. There are minor shortcomings here, for example, the lack of complete Russification in the settings of the watch itself (in my opinion this is generally a trifle) and some wishes for improving the software (for example, I would like to be able to add new alarm clocks not from the application, but directly from the watch). But in general, these are all nitpicks, because the advantages simply make you turn a blind eye to it: nice design, excellent screen that does not require backlighting during the day, amazing battery life, built-in GPS and protection according to the IP68 standard.

You can purchase Amazfit Bip with international firmware here

Economical display that is always visible

The screen of the original model no longer caused such delight: the transflective matrix of the first generation of watches can display a minimum of colors and has a rather grainy image.

The S version received an improved display with a white backlight (it was blue), 1.28 inches diagonal, a resolution of 176 × 176 pixels and support for a total of 64 colors.

Very similar to a regular clock screen. But with the Amazfit Bip S, in active mode it is clearly visible day and night, whether under the bright sun or in complete darkness.

Lifehack: maximum brightness works like a flashlight, for which there is a quick shortcut. Enough for spot illumination, for example, a keyhole.

The technology has made it possible to implement extremely economical color Always-On , so it is not at all necessary to turn on the display to find out the time.

Additional information is only visible under good lighting, but the watch is perfectly legible on any selected dial, regardless of external conditions.

Display Features

The operating principle of a smartwatch is similar to the display of an e-reader (using the e-ink ink system). The screen has 5 brightness levels, so the model works in both monochrome and color modes. Although the Xiaomi Amazfit is small in size, it “understands” the classic swipe. The controls are simple and intuitive.

The screen is clearly visible under different conditions: in sunny weather, in rain, in an apartment. Easily customized for the user, you can select the modes of the most suitable energy consumption levels and contrast. The glass is made of durable materials, perfectly protects against damage, and does not leave streaks, stains, or fingers on it.

The main feature of the smartwatch is the ability to choose the themes you like and download your own design options through applications. There are nine preset watch faces for this purpose.

User-friendly interface, intuitive controls

The watch is controlled using a mechanical key with imitation of a clock mechanism and a touch screen.

Rotation is a nice tribute to fashion trends: there is no mechanism behind it, so calling any function on it will not work.

Press only: a short press turns on the screen, a long press activates the training mode. For everything else, swipe across the screen.

Swiping down opens the system menu with a calendar, backlight adjustment, activation of DND mode and a new Amazfit feature - a widget for controlling music on a smartphone.

DND allows you to turn off automatic screen backlighting when you turn your wrist and alerts when necessary. In the settings you can set the automatic activation time.

Swiping left or right alternately opens pedometer statistics, a PAI health monitor, a series of heart rate control screens, and a weather forecast.

The PAI health monitor is Amazfit’s new near-sports health tracking mode, which evaluates a comprehensive health indicator on a 100-point scale based on the dynamics (read: daily increase) of load.

Accordingly, each of them offers a series of menus that you can navigate by swiping up and down with detailed statistics for each mode.

Depending on the settings in the Amazfit companion app of the same name for Android and iOS, a long or double press on the button launches the settings.

Here you can also view detailed statistics, start a training mode/timer, open the compass, set alarms or display world time.

What Amazfit Bip can and cannot do

The watch is protected according to the IP68 standard from moisture. I walk with them in any weather, take a shower and bath, wash dishes. Unless I haven’t swum in the sea yet.

The watch can:

• count the distance traveled;
• motivate to walk more;
• measure pulse;
• record offline training data;
• track sleep phases;
• show icons for incoming notifications;
• vibrate when there is an incoming call, show the caller's number, there is an end call or mute button;
• kick the owner if he sits still for a long time;
• be an alarm clock.

A big plus of Amazfit Bip compared to bracelets is the ability to autonomously record training data. You can leave your smartphone at home.

I go out early in the morning with the watch on my wrist, select the “Run” mode with three clicks on the display and start racking up the kilometers. Every kilometer the watch vibrates, indicating success, the heart rate monitor constantly takes heart rate indicators and displays them on the display. At the end of your workout, you can even view the route you took in a diagrammatic form.

The watch displays notifications from most applications, but with a couple of caveats:

• only the information that fits on the display, without the ability to scroll;
• they don’t understand the Ukrainian letter “i” and the watch emoticons at all and disguise them with a question mark in a square;
• You can view notifications, but you can't do anything with them.

What was particularly disappointing was that the Amazfit Bip cannot be used to control the player on a smartphone. You constantly have to reach into your pocket to change the track or change the volume.

The watch has a proprietary OS without the ability to install applications. This is where Amazfit Bip significantly loses to solutions from Pebble. A few more shortcomings of the gadget were well described by one of the forum members:

• The timer (and stopwatch) cannot be started “in the background”. Either they work and you don’t see the time, or you see the time, but don’t use the timer - a big minus, I often need to do/remind something after, say, 20 minutes and usually I just set the timer (on Pebble literally in 3-4 button presses).
• The alarm cannot be set from the watch. The new alarm clock is set from the phone; from the clock you can only turn on/off any alarm clock.
• In Pebble it was possible to respond to SMS/IM with prepared templates (such as “yes”, “no”, “I’m late”) and emoticons; in amazfit no actions were provided. Well, at least there is an option to reset the call.
• You cannot set do not disturb mode according to a schedule (for example, at night). And when you set it manually on the watch, the icon does not appear on the watch face - you can forget that you set it.

Simple and intuitive application

The main part of the Amazfit Bip S settings is located in various sections of the already mentioned Amazfit application (iOS, Android). Now there is no alternative, since the updated version does not work with Mi Fit (iOS, Android).

The programs are very similar and offer exactly the same capabilities. But on a number of smartphones, notifications do not come when pairing watches with Amazfit.

On the main screen you can see more detailed and structured statistics than the native Xiaomi application offers.

The “Profile” section hides general application and account settings and allows you to adjust your own settings for connected devices.

Conclusion

The advantages of the Xiaomi Huami Amazfit Bip smart watch are long-term operation without recharging, compact size, clear display, built-in GPS tracker, high degree of protection, low cost. The disadvantages are: the instructions are not Russified, the new alarm clock can only be set from the phone, there is no way to control the player or receive notifications, you cannot upload statistics to the WEB server, the stopwatch and timer do not work in the background. If you are looking for a smartwatch model for sports, the device from Xiaomi will be an excellent budget option. For image or status, you should opt for another device, for example, Amazfit Health, which we reviewed earlier.

Improved filling for sports

The main update of the Bip S is hidden inside. Thus, the Bluetooth 5.0 module for smartphone synchronization has improved the connection to a stable 10 meters.

If there are reinforced concrete floors between the watch and the phone, the distance of stable communication will be halved. This is not much, but it is better than that of my classmates.

The update also affected the GPS/GLONASS module. A high-precision Sony sensor is used, which perfectly writes a track even in the city. Could be used for orientation.

Alas, it is used only for autonomous calculations of movement coordinates in case the smartphone is not available in training mode. And it works at lightning speed, without delay.

Instead of a conventional heart rate monitor, engineers equipped the Bip S with an updated BioTracker PPG . This is exactly what we saw in the older Amazfit GTS and GTR models.

But the pressure sensor, characteristic of the usual, first Bips, is no longer there. All that's left is the compass.

What is in the box

Amazfit Bip comes in a compact box. Inside, everything is furnished very modestly and on a budget.

In addition to the watch itself, I discovered:

• instructions in Chinese with a QR code for downloading the Mi Fit application;
• charging cradle with a short USB cable.

I don’t really understand why I need to use a whole mold to set the watch to charge. It would have been possible to get by with a more compact block, like the Arc bracelet.

There are no screen films or additional straps included, but they can be purchased.

Record autonomy without restrictions

Improved color and increased display brightness required a more capacious battery. Amazfit Bip S easily works 40-45 days without recharging , if you do not use GPS and training mode.

And this is with background heart rate measurement turned on! This seems to be the most battery-powered fitness tracker on the market.

For comparison, the first Amazfit in this mode is discharged in 30 days, the Mi Band 4 in 20, and the updated Mi Band 5 in just 15 days.

Charging is carried out through a new design dongle: still with an integrated USB cord. There is no compatibility with the previous version.

The watch sits a little tighter in it, although the contacts on the watch themselves are no longer recessed. You should treat it with care; you can only purchase an additional one on AliExpress.

Since the capacity is only 190 mAh, replenishment is only possible from devices that support low currents, and charging itself takes about 2 hours.

Autonomy

Autonomy is one of Amazfit Bip’s strongest points, which clearly sets them apart from their competitors. According to the manufacturer, the watch can operate on a single charge for up to 45 days. On average, users on the Internet write about 30 days, and this is an excellent result, considering that, for example, for the Apple Watch this figure barely reaches 2 days.

This autonomy is achieved thanks to the reflective display, which is always active but consumes extremely little energy. Consumption occurs at the moment the information is updated, i.e. we can conclude that by using third-party dials with second hands or numbers, you can increase energy consumption significantly.

The GPS module drains its charge quickly; the instructions indicate that with continuous track recording, the battery will last for 22-24 hours.

Personal impressions

Despite a bunch of watches that I went through in search of the perfect one, in the end I settled on the Amazfit Bip S. And here's why.

Most budget analogues are a little more comfortable (Bip S are a little high and do not allow you to wear shirts with narrow sleeves), but are less resistant to impacts.

Again, Amazfit's sleep and step tracking is much more accurate than its counterparts from realme, Huawei or Xiaomi, which is overall quite surprising.

Mi Band can find the pulse of a bottle of wine, while products bearing the logo of the manufacturer of these devices cannot do this.

Low cost allows you not to think about watches. Will I break it? No pity. I just didn’t manage to seriously damage the first and second Bip. Small scratches on the screen from the first couple of years of use do not count.

During the first months of using the Bip S with breaks for wearing more advanced and stylish models, there were no scratches or signs of use.

A serious drawback that forces you to look for an alternative is the appearance. They look too much like a budget electronic watch, which is not always appropriate with a suit pair.

However, these particular watches no longer surprise anyone, even in bright colors. Balanced, comfortable, they are found around every tenth person.

Possibilities

First of all, this is a sports tracker that tracks the user's workouts and daily physical activity, but it also has functions typical of conventional electronic watches. Most features are available when using the Mi Fit app.

Heart rate monitor

On the reverse side of the Bip there is an optical heart rate sensor; its operation is based on photoplethysmography technology. Two bright LEDs emit light at the time of heart rate measurement, and a sensor located in the center records the level of its reflection. To accurately measure your pulse, the watch must be firmly fixed on your wrist (without squeezing). It is noted that moisture (for example, sweat) getting between the sensor and the skin negatively affects the accuracy of the readings.

The beeps allow you to keep track of your heart activity throughout the day, taking measurements at certain time intervals, which can be configured in Mi Fit. In the sports program mode, heartbeat measurements are taken without stopping, which allows the athlete to keep his heart rate in the required zone.

Sleep monitoring

The watch allows you to study sleep quality based on data from a heart rate monitor and a three-axis position sensor. When synchronized with Mi Fit, in the corresponding section you can find information about the start time of sleep, its end, the number of slow and fast phases, tips for improving sleep and comparison with other users.

This is an interesting function, thanks to which you can experiment with the time of falling asleep, etc., correlating with how you feel in the morning.

Training programs

The smartwatch has 4 built-in training programs:

• Treadmill.
• Run.
• Bike.
• Walking.

By selecting the appropriate one, the user will receive a data display corresponding to the training. For example, in running, the distance traveled and running speed will be available on the main screen, and in the treadmill, instead of distance, calories will be available.

Many people have a question: what is the difference between a treadmill and running? It’s simple: when running, the GPS module is activated, which is completely unnecessary on a treadmill.

Thanks to the built-in sports programs, you can keep track of your workouts, as well as monitor your performance directly during exercise.

Alarm

The beeps do not have a built-in speaker, and vibration is used for notifications and alarms, but, however, if you wear the watch all the time, this is not a drawback. But the lack of ability to set an alarm on the watch itself is a real problem. All settings are made in the Mi Fit program on the smartphone, and the watch only allows you to activate/deactivate the selected alarm clock.

Also, unlike the Mi Band 4 bracelets, Amazfit Bip does not have a “smart alarm clock” function - the device tracks the phases of sleep and wakes you up when the REM phase begins, this allows you to wake up easier.

Pedometer

To maintain health, doctors recommend walking at least 8 thousand steps per day. With Amazfit, counting is very easy; you can even set up an alert when you reach a goal of N number of steps.

Barometer and compass

Thanks to the built-in barometer, you can understand the current atmospheric pressure. An electronic compass will help you navigate the terrain. It has been noted that metal bracelets can affect the accuracy of the compass.

Aipay

Unfortunately, the method of contactless payment for purchases is available only in China. In the summer of 2020, representatives of Mastercard and Xiaomi at the international economic forum discussed the possibility of integrating services - this suggests that contactless payment using Bips (this applies to all Xiaomi products with NFC chips) will become available in the Russian Federation.

GPS and GLONASS

When you activate any training program (except for the treadmill), the GPS module is automatically turned on, which remembers the coordinates of your movement with high accuracy. In addition to drawing the track on the map in the Mi Fit application, GPS allows you to receive data on speed and distance, which is much more accurate than the pedometer gives.

Packaging and design

The Xiaomi Amazfit Bip package includes:

• smart watch;
• charging stand;
• adapter;
• warranty card.

Amazfit Bip A1608 is sold in a white cardboard box, the back of which contains information about the technical characteristics of the smartwatch, the color of the strap and the manufacturer of the gadget.

The device came with an instruction manual, in which it is difficult to find the necessary information: the printed version does not have a Russian translation.

Strap

The bracelet on which Amazfit Bip is worn is made of soft silicone, which does not cause allergic reactions. The strap width is 20 mm: on a thin wrist the watch looks sporty and fashionable, and on a wide man’s hand it looks discreetly elegant.

The manufacturer offers four types of straps for the Xiaomi Amazfit Bip watch:

• grey;
• black;
• protective green;
• blue with orange.

The Xiaomi watch strap is removable: if you wish, you can replace the bracelet by disconnecting the lever of the plastic clasp.

In my opinion, the gray strap is the most versatile:

• stains and stains are less noticeable on it, unlike black;
• goes well with sporty and casual styles.

The strap material is soft and pleasant to the touch, does not rub the skin, and is easy to use and clean. The soft-touch coating may wear off over time, but you can always order a cheap replacement for your old bracelet on a Chinese website.

Due to its light weight (about 30 g), the Xiaomi Amazfit Bip is not felt on the hand and does not cause discomfort.

Case and display

Initially, the screen of the Xiaomi Amazfit watch had a protective film that protected the device from damage during transportation.

The watch case is made of scratch-resistant plastic. On the right side there is a single button that unlocks and turns on the Xiaomi watch. It does not accidentally press, unless, of course, you try to press your hand with something.

The back of the device is made of a porcelain-like material and is equipped with a touch sensor that responds to changes in the body's physical parameters. When in contact with skin heat, the sensors glow bright green.

The size of the device is 5.1 x 2.5 x 0.6 cm: the watch does not look bulky, and the inscriptions on the screen are legible. The 1.28-inch display features third-generation oleophobic Gorilla Glass, a scratch-resistant tempered glass.

The level of protection, according to the description on websites and in customer reviews, is IP68 - this means the ability of a smartwatch to withstand immersion in water for up to half an hour without negatively affecting the performance of the gadget.

However, I do not yet risk taking a shower or washing dishes with the Amazfit Bip, since I have not found confirmation of this level of protection from dust and moisture in the official specifications.

The Xiaomi Amazfit Bip watch has a transflective screen : it reflects light and also glows on its own. In bright sunlight, the display shows information like the screen of an e-reader: the more light it gets, the better the data on the device screen is visible.

The ability to adjust the intensity of the backlight allows for less strain on the organ of vision, so that the eyes do not get tired even when using a smart watch, even at night.

The disadvantage of the screen is the imperfectly sensitive touch controls. Sometimes you have to swipe your finger across the glass several times to get the device to work.

Also, due to the characteristics of the material and the convex surface of the Xiaomi watch, dust sticks to the screen, fingerprints and stains remain, which interferes with the operation of the smart gadget.

Charging for smart watches

The type of charging connector is a removable cradle. The kit includes a special docking station (stand) connected to a USB cable. It takes about two and a half hours to recharge; I usually leave it overnight.

The battery is non-removable, Li-Polymer. The 190 mAh capacity allows you to charge the device once a month, but in sleep mode the smart watch can work for up to four months.

Despite the numbers indicated in reviews of xiaomi amazfit, under constant use, the gadget lasts about two weeks without recharging.

Options and packaging

When ordering, the equipment is standard. It includes:

1. Cardboard box with a retractable insert on which the manufacturer's logo is placed.
2. The charger is a USB cable on a stand. While the bracelet is charging, it is placed in the appropriate slot.
3. Warranty card, instructions, operating manual.

The packaging is quite voluminous, but not heavy at all. The device is reliably protected, so you can safely order it from China. The manufacturer has ensured that the Xiaomi Amazfit watch is not damaged during transportation.

You can find information on the Internet that the gadget is available in several configurations. But this is either a problem with adapting the proposal into Russian, or a decision by the company’s advertising department.

Amazfit has only one package.

Design

The bracelet has a laconic design, as the manufacturer focused on development. The appearance is as similar as possible to the popular Apple Watch model.

The body is square and small in size. The dial is touch-sensitive, there is only one mechanical control button, and an original strap. This model is distinguished by a branded inscription located at the bottom of the display. The big advantage is the oleophobic coating.

The structure of the case allows you to change the belts

The bracelet itself is rubber, elastic to the touch with a porous structure that does not absorb moisture. Due to its anti-allergenic properties, you can wear the watch for days without taking it off. The plastic clasp allows you to clearly adjust them to your hand. If desired, you can order a new bracelet.

Specifications Amazfit Bip

Functionality and capabilities

A special application on your phone allows you to use the following smartwatch functions:

1. Monitor daily physical activity.
2. Measure calories burned.
3. Leave and watch tracks.
4. Receive notifications from your mobile device.
5. Watch your sleep.
6. Use a smart alarm
7. Notify about plans and tasks for the day.

There are 4 sports modes:

1. Bike.
2. Walking.
3. Running outside.
4. Running on a special track.

In other cases, the system will simply monitor the general indicators of the body.

Mi Fit app

The watch is controlled programmatically via a companion app on a smartphone. However, far from a smart gadget, Amazfit Bip can also live as an autonomous and pre-configured alarm clock, pedometer, heart rate monitor, stopwatch, timer or compass. As I mentioned above, alarms need to be set in advance; the clock itself will only allow you to turn them on or off, but not change the time.

But in an amicable way, it’s still better with a smartphone. Mi Fit from Xiaomi is used as software for synchronization and operation. Application variations - wagon and trolley. Among the main ones:

• original application from Google Play;
• version from Mi Market with Chinese language;
• Russian-language modification from miui.su;
• several mods from the 4pda community that expand functionality.

For example, the original application forwards a notification about an incoming call to the watch only 3 seconds after the call starts.

You're sitting in a meeting and the phone in your pocket starts screaming furiously - you don't have three seconds to answer the call from your watch. You can remove the delay by installing Mi Fit from uv. lolex. But then you will have to update the application exclusively manually, after the release of each new iteration.

Each version of Mi Fit comes with the latest firmware files for Amazfit Bip. If desired, you can even extract them from the .apk file by opening the latter with an archiver.

From the point of view of useful functionality, the Mi Fit software not only draws beautiful graphs of the distance traveled and hours slept, but also gives useful tips on how to improve the situation. Of course, information about all past workouts is immediately collected and data can be exported to other sports applications.

There are a lot of screenshots of this goodness

A few words about the accuracy of measurements. The heart rate sensor gives approximately the level of those sensors that are built into exercise equipment in the gym. The indicators differed by 1-2 beats per minute. To get accurate results, the bracelet must fit snugly to your hand.

I cannot adequately assess how the tracker tracks sleep phases, but it looks plausible. In advanced sleep tracking mode, the watch will take heart rate readings every minute, which will come at the cost of battery life.

Amazfit Bip: Chinese and international version

There are two versions of the Amazfit Bip Watchface available for sale. This:

• Chinese version available on Ali at the most attractive price
• International version, $10 more expensive, but instead of hieroglyphs it has an English interface.

It is extremely difficult to use the Chinese version. The international English version is quite acceptable.

How to install English firmware

If you do not have the English version, then you can replace the hieroglyphs with the usual Latin alphabet by installing the appropriate firmware. Download the MiFit app (for Android or iOS), synchronize with the device and the program will automatically update the watchface.

How to install Russian on Amazfit

If your Huami Amazfit Bip has English as the default language, you can try to Russify the interface. The menu will be partially translated. To do this, you will need to download the third-party gadgetbridge application, create a file with the .res extension, and launch it on your smartphone through the file manager. If Russification was successful, then after that your Amazfit starts working in the desired language.

How to install dials: instructions

By default, the gadget is equipped with a standard watchface. In constant mode, the main screen displays a minimum of information. This is the current time, your heart rate and the number of steps taken. If configured appropriately, weather information can be displayed on the main screen. Changing the screen provides access to detailed data. The display operates in monochrome mode and displays information in sectors:

• Day of the week - letters and graphics
• Date – in month, day format
• Time – 12 or 24 format with seconds indication
• Current activity – number of steps taken
• Battery charge

To view detailed information or detailed statistics, you need to launch your smartphone and go to the proprietary application. A total of 10 standard dial options are preinstalled. To install a new interesting interface or create your own version of the watch face, you will need a smartphone with which the device is synchronized and access to the Internet.

1. In the Mi Fit application, wait for synchronization with the device, enter the profile section. After successful synchronization, you will see the Theme Settings item at the very top. There are ten preset watch face themes, any of which you can install.
2. Next, you will need to download the Amazfit Watch Faces application, it is available on the Play Market. Go to this installed program. The software automatically starts downloading that file with the .bin extension. which has just been installed in the smartwatch.
3. Now you can go to the catalog (in the form of flags) and from there select any watchface you like.
4. We exit the program, open Mi Fit again (the page is updated) and again select the watch face installed for the first time. After clicking the Sync button, the watch will display the watch face that was selected in Watch Faces.

To make the process more clear to you, watch the video instructions.

How to reboot your device

Rebooting the watch allows you to reset all settings and return to factory settings. There were cases when the system froze, and the instructions simply did not describe how to restart the watch. To reset all personal parameters, you can use 3 methods.

Method 1

Open the Mi Fit app and unpair the device by clicking “Unpair” or “Unpair”. When it disappears from the application, link the watch to any other device - a second smartphone or tablet. If the watch vibrates upon startup, it means the settings have been reset.

Method 2

Completely discharge the device. Not the most correct way, but it works. The downside is that it takes a very long time. The watch can work in standby mode for more than one month. The negative consequences of this method include possible unstable battery operation.

Method 3

Log out of your personal account in the Mi Fit application, and then delete it from your smartphone. The next time you install, define your watch as a new device. An alternative is to use the unofficial version of the Mi Fit application to bind the bracelet.

Connectivity, functionality

When you turn it on for the first time, a QR code appears on the watch screen: you need to scan it with your smartphone to download the proprietary Zepp application - or you can find the application yourself in Google Play or the App Store. After pairing (you need to turn on Bluetooth and GPS), the gadget will require a few minutes of setup and, possibly, a firmware update, after which it will be at your complete disposal.

Next, you need to enter information about yourself: indicate gender, height and weight, set your desired goals (for example, 8000 steps). In addition, you can choose from a variety of watch faces - there are actually a lot of them (about 80 at the time of writing this review), so you can customize your smartwatch every day. Four more dials are in the gadget’s memory, and two of them can be customized by selecting the displayed elements.

The Zepp application contains three sections. The “Home Page” shows the user’s general condition: the number of steps taken and calories burned, sleep duration and quality, heart rate, as well as PAI - this is the motivation tool mentioned above.

PAI rewards the wearer with points for successfully completing certain goals, such as 10 minutes of jumping rope or walking for 120 minutes with a heart rate of 110 beats per minute. I must say, this works - especially for gamers who are used to completing quests. If you think of PAI as something like an RPG that requires you to complete tasks, the daily load becomes somehow easier. Moreover, your results are compared with the results of other users, and it is so nice to see notifications like “Your sleep is deeper than 76% of people.”

I liked the seriousness of the application developers’ approach to user health. Based on data received from watches (or other gadgets, including smart sneakers), Zepp analyzes a person’s condition and makes recommendations - for example, advising you to go to bed earlier or warning that your heart rate has been too low recently. You can also track the intensity of your training, make daily measurements of physical parameters (for example, arm circumference, waist and other parts of the body) and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of certain loads. Almost a professional tool.

The “Enjoy” tab - yes, there are problems with localization - allows you to set an alarm and reminder, find a device, add relatives and friends to track their parameters, and also enable or disable the ability to display incoming calls and notifications from instant messengers on the gadget screen, and activate Unlocking your smartphone screen using your watch.

The last tab, Profile, gives you access to additional options. Here you can add new smart gadgets, specify the hand on which the watch is located, configure the weather display, and so on. All of these are, in fact, auxiliary tools - all the main points related to health and training can be found on the first tab of the application.

Although there is still one very useful option - a reminder in the title of the article that it is time for the user to get up and warm up: it works every hour, and it really works - it is very easy to make it a rule to get up after the signal, walk around the room, and do a light warm-up .

You can use the Amazfit Bip S Lite watch without a smartphone. The gadget's OS has enough basic tools. Thus, the main screen displays the time and date, the number of steps taken, battery charge and other data (depending on the selected display style).

Swiping up will open a list of missed messages and calls if synchronization with a smartphone is configured. Swiping down opens a window with quick access to brightness settings, do not disturb mode, screen lock, and music player (the latter works in conjunction with a smartphone and allows you to switch tracks and adjust the music volume).

By swiping left and right, you can scroll through the carousel from the menu: music player, number of steps taken, PAI, heart rate measurement, weather. Pressing a button on the watch opens access to another menu, where the functions called by swipes are partially duplicated, and there are several new ones - alarm clock, timer, choice of training mode (walking, running, cycling, and so on, including exotic ones like cricket), watch settings. Here you can turn off the gadget and reset it to factory settings.

The controls are easy to get used to, whether it's the Zepp app or the smartwatch interface. The main functions are just a couple of swipes away, and you're unlikely to spend more than ten minutes memorizing all the options.