Amazfit BIP Review – Always On Display with 45 Days of Battery Life

Amazfit BIP Review – Always On Display with 45 Days of Battery Life

Just recently been introduced to the U.S market, the Amazfit BIP gained already a huge attention due to its look, the price and the battery life, dubbed by tech fans as the Apple Watch clone. But using the BIP for several months now, I must say it’s not a clone but more of a look alike, the BIP is much more inclined on the Pebble type smartwatch than Apple watch when it comes to its features and functions. So far, here is our take on the Amazfit BIP smartwatch.

Design

Having a rectangular design, the wearable measures 24.00 x 2.50 x 1.30 cm and just weigh 31 grams, one of the lightest smartwatch so far that I have used. But of course, the light weight design comes with a downside, the BIP’s body is made from plastic, instead of aluminium alloy like most of the premium smartwatches in the market. The BIP feels ordinary and cheap, due to the material that that was used to the BIP, yes it is light but I question the durability of it in an accidental fall.

Display

If the body and its design might not be that impressive, the display screen is where the Amazfit BIP do well. The 1.28 inch touch color display is amazing, the resolution might not be sharp compared to AMOLED display, but its reflective tech performs way, way better to that of AMOLED, it is viewable outdoors even in direct sunlight, the always on display is a feature that smartwatch fans will surely love, plus it is a power saving screen adding battery life to the Amazfit BIP.

The 1.28 inch is protected by a crystal clear 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 + with AF coating. So far, the touch technology of the Amazfit BIP is very responsive, clear, crisp graphics and the overall body is IP68 waterproof rated, rain, dust, splash, rain proof but not swim proof.

Hardware and Features

Before we go into its features and other functions, let’s have a short walkthrough it is inner hardware. Amazfit did not divulge on the chip and memory for the BIP, but we have some information on its sensors and other functions.

The Amazfit BIP is loaded with PPG heart rate sensor, 3 axis accelerometer, a barometer (elevation), geomagnetic sensor (compass) and the feature that that outdoor fitness enthusiast will surely love, a built-in GPS. When it comes to accuracy, it works OK, especially the GPS, I was able to track my trajectory and check the overall results on the app.

Features

The smartwatch is a support watch for your smartphone, it doesn’t have a SIM card, just a Bluetooth connectivity for your phone. It connects your phone via Bluetooth 4.0, anyways connecting to your phone is easy with the support app, synchronizing with the app is fast and so far no issues at all.

The BIP handle the call and message notifications very well, although it is just a simple actions like ability to receive messages and read it on your smartwatch. It is a very useful feature, no need to pull-out your phone every time that there is message notifications.

When it comes to its fitness tracking, the BIP has at least four fitness tracking activities such as “Outdoor running”,”Treadmill”,”Cycling”,”Walking”, all of the activities except treadmill has the option to activate the built-in GPS. All of the data is accompanied with heart rate, pace and distance data.

So far, it got the basic fitness tracking information, with the options to see the history and sync record to your smartphone. For its pedometer, you don’t need to activate the walking tracking feature, it automatically tracks your steps with heart rate monitor, the distance, as well as the calories burned. Additional features in the smartwatch include weather, alarm, timer and compass, all can be access directly on the smartwatch.

Battery

The Amazfit BIP has a small form factor, but even with a compact body, Huami was able to packed 190 mAh Lithium Polymer battery. Surprisingly with touch screen display, pedometer, heart rate monitor and built-in GPS, the BIP has 30 days of battery life which is very impressive, Pebble fans who miss this feature in their non-Pebble smartwatch will surely appreciate the BIP’s long battery life.

Quick Specs

  • Corning Gorilla Glass Screen
  • Always-on reflective 1.28 inch color touch display
  • Sensors GPS, barometer, geomagnetic sensor, PPG heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer
  • Sport tracking, sleep monitor, sedentary reminder, distance and calorie counter, social app notification
  • 190mAh Li-Polymer Battery 45 Days of Battery Life
  • See full Specs here

OverAll

The smartwatch is one of the best in the market when we are talking about price + features. The battery is also a plus making it very attractive for those who are looking for a smartwatch with good battery life. If you are a Pebble fan, the smartwatch is a good alternative, if you want a simple notifications and fitness tracking device, the BIP is a good pick.

Jo Di Calivo -Blogger, Tech Guru, providing the current news on wearables particularly on smartwatches, smartbands. And loves to go fishing on spare time.