For
- Price
- Visible screen
- Well-made app
- Autonomy
Against
- Small notifications
- Cheap build quality
Amazfit is the brand behind a whole series of successful wearable products often associated with the Xiaomi brand. Today we review the Bip (Check on Amazon.com), a rather successful smartwatch thanks to its cheap price.
Package
The package contains the charging base and the watch.
Build quality
The Amazfit Bip is made of plastic and this makes it light (and cheap). It weighs just 32grams which makes it the lightest smartwatch in circulation. The design is simple and is something of a fusion between a Casio (recently back in fashion) and an Apple Watch. It has a square shape and an almost a retro design. The strap is silicone made. It looks cheap (and it is) but still functional and rather sturdy.
It is also waterproof and dustproof according to IP68 certification. You will quickly forget that it is on your wrist and this makes it perfect for those of you that do not like big or heavy watches.
Hardware
The spec sheet is insignificant. This doesn’t mean that it isn’t adequate. It has low energy Bluetooth (the connection is solid) and a heartbeat reader that works quite well.
Display
The display is definitely the highlight of this device. It is a small 1.28-inch screen with a 176×176 pixel resolution. The different dials also look a little grainy and that’s why we chose the “fake” digital watch as the ultimate dial. The screen is perfectly visible both outdoors and in low light conditions thanks to the integrated sensor that activates the backlight when needed.
Software
The software is simple but at the same time quite complete. On the other hand, the smartphone companion app (Mi-Fit) is excellent. The app offers a multitude of options to indulge in. The synchronization is very fast and we have never experienced any disconnections.
From the application, you can configure the notifications you want to receive to your smartwatch. Some of these notifications are hard to read on the small watch but they are useful enough.
If you don’t like Mi-Fit there are also many apps in the Play Store that can replace it and this way you can try out different functions and different notifications. One of the most famous is Notify & Fitness. In any case, it will no longer be possible to use Mi-Fit simultaneously.
Autonomy
The small battery is just exceptional. It lasts for about 20 days! However, every physical activity tracking session will knock down battery life by about 10% per hour.
Price
The Amazfit Bip is a real bargain (Check on Amazon.com) making it one of the cheapest smartwatches in the market.
Final verdict
The Amazfit Bip is an almost perfect product: it has an “infinite” battery life, it is waterproof, comes with complete software, it offers a solid connection with your smartphone, a visible screen under any condition and a fitness app. The only unknown is its durability, but at this price, it is really difficult to ask for more.