Smartwatches are yet to achieve critical acclaim like that of smartphones. One of the biggest reason that most consumers are not buying smartwatches is their poor battery life forcing users to charge them at least once every day. Most smartwatches in the market can last for up to 18 hours on a single charge, and last even less if you use GPS and LTE connectivity. Also Read - Poco F3 GT review: Good, but still not a true Poco F1 successor
Also Read - Realme Band 2 fitness band launched in India to take on Mi Band 6, price set at Rs 2,999Xiaomi seems to have fixed both of those pain points with the launch of Amazfit Bip. While the Bip has been available for retail in Asian market, Xiaomi has now started selling the wearable in the US as well. The Amazfit Bip will retail for $99 (around Rs 6,500), and has a design that seems reminiscent of Apple Watch and Pebble. Also Read - Redmi 9 Activ budget phone silently launched in India: First sale date, specs and other details
It features a rectangular watch face with 20mm rubber strap and weighs around 31 grams. It sports a polycarbonate body, which helps reduce weight and keep price under $100. The material will be prone to scratches but its affordable price means it will be easy to replace as well.
In terms of specifications, the Bip sports a 1.28-inch transflective color display covered with a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3 that compromises on resolution to achieve long battery life. The Bip can last up to 45 days with its 190mAh battery with its always-on display and running app and sleep monitoring working in the background.
With running mode active along with GPS, the smartwatch is capable of lasting for up to 22 hours. The battery life on Amazfit is significantly longer than most other smartwatches including now defunct Pebble, which had always been the battery champion. The smartwatch is capable of tracking run, walk and cycling, and is IP68 water and dust resistant.
The Bip runs on a custom operating system designed by Xiaomi but lacks support for third-party apps. However, it does have customization features for additional watch faces and custom notifications. The Amazfit Bip can pair with any smartphone running Android and iOS 8 or newer version via company’s Mi Fit companion app.
The Amazfit Bip is currently available for order via Amazon in the US and is available in black color variant. The smartwatch will also be available in red, green and white color options, and will likely become available by the end of March 2018.
