Review of budget smartwatch Amazfit Bip U

In 2020, the segment of budget smartwatches has been actively developing. Many Chinese companies have started making wrist accessories with large screens and basic activity tracking features. Usually, such gadgets are a compromise solution for those who need an inexpensive fitness tracker, but with the ability to read the text of messages. The Amazfit Bip U watch belongs to such devices.

This is a budget model with a color screen, which has the function of measuring the level of oxygen in the blood and more than 60 sports modes. Taking into account the price of 4, 5 thousand rubles, it sounds good, but surely there is something that the manufacturer saved on? Let's figure it out.

Specifications
Design
Screen
Functions
Application
Autonomy
Outcomes

Specifications

Screen	1.43 inches, TFT, 320 x 302 pixels
Protection	5 ATM
Connection	Bluetooth 5.0
Sensors	BioTracker 2 PPG optical sensor, 6-axis accelerometer, gyroscope
Battery	230 mAh
Working hours	Up to 9 days
The size	35.3 × 40.9 × 11.4mm
The weight	31 g

Design

Amazfit Bip U is the development of one of the most popular Huami watch lines. The accessory is similar to the previous models, but stands out with a more rounded case and new colors. We tested the original green version, but there are also options in light pink and black.

The watch case is made of polycarbonate. The strap is made of the simplest non-soft silicone. If necessary, it can be replaced with any other with a 20 mm mount. The buckle is classic, plastic. There is also a strap that locks into the hole in the strap. Reliable grip - will withstand even intense workouts.

Screen

If the popular Amazfit Bip watch and its updated version of the Bip S had a transflective screen, which guaranteed good readability in the sun and excellent autonomy, then the Bip U has a more modest TFT touchscreen display. The resolution is high - 320 × 302 pixels. With a diagonal of 1.43 inches, the picture is very clear. The text does not split into pixels, the notifications are easy to read.

The viewing angles for the TFT screen are very large. Color distortion is minimal and only visible in dark shades at certain angles. In everyday use, this is invisible.

The margin of brightness is average. In most cases, it will be enough, but in direct sunlight you will have to look closely at the image. There is no light sensor, so there is no automatic brightness adjustment.

The screen is protected by toughened 2, 5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3. For two weeks of use, micro-scratches did not appear.

Functions

In addition to counting steps and calories, the watch offers more than 60 sports modes, a PAI activity analysis system, measuring heart rate and blood oxygen levels, assessing stress and sleep quality, helping to restore breathing and tracking the female cycle.

Amazfit Bip U review: heart rate measurement

There is also a detailed weather report, reminders and alarms. As with any other Amazfit watch, to access all these features, simply go to the main menu with a single press of the side button.

You can view the latest notifications by swiping up from the main dial. Swipe down opens the quick settings shutter with access to alarms, do not disturb mode and screen brightness control. Swipes to the right and left allow you to quickly jump to feature cards. These can be configured in the Zepp application (more on that later).

Of the not-so-ordinary functions, we can only note the Pomodoro timer, which is initially available in the "More" menu item, but through the application it can be brought up to the main menu.

The Amazfit Bip U interface is not very smooth, but in general everything works stably. There are no problems with scrolling cards, as on the Amazfit GTS 2. Gestures are recognized without error. The vibration notifying of new events is not annoying with excessive buzzing. In the application, you can create its "picture" to determine the type of notification blindly, and from the clock itself it is allowed to change its intensity.

Application

All Amazfit gadgets connect to smartphones via the Zepp app. The section with clock settings in it is convenient, but everything related to statistics and sports modes is a little chaotic. When you first meet, you will have to dig around to find all the functions you need.

The first thing to do when launching Zepp is to check out the watch face store. While for top-end watches there are a hundred different options available to users, there are about 50 of them for Bip U. There are many bright and colorful electronic watches with sports data output, as well as classic hands in different designs. The text is in English only.

Autonomy

The watch has a 230 mAh battery. According to the manufacturer, the charge should last for nine days - thanks to the TFT screen. The official data turned out to be accurate: with an average intensity of use without hundreds of notifications from a smartphone, you can safely count on two weeks of battery life.

For recharging, a two-pin magnetic connector, standard for Amazfit, is used. It takes about 2 hours to replenish 100% of the charge.

Outcomes

The logical conclusion of the review of this watch would be to list a couple of obvious shortcomings that would justify the title of a compromise solution. But the most "terrible" disadvantages were just the lack of auto brightness and not always accurate notifications that it was time to warm up. Otherwise, this is just another reliable Amazfit Bip that stands out with its screen.

At the same time, the TFT-screen itself does not want to be ranked among the shortcomings. It has wide viewing angles and high resolution, thanks to which it is convenient to read messages in instant messengers from the watch. The same Bip S with a resolution of 176 × 176 pixels is less suitable for this, and their incredible autonomy hardly compensates for this. However, this is a matter of priorities. If you need a watch that will allow you to take your smartphone in your hands less often, then Bip U looks like a much more logical and optimal solution for its price.

You can buy a watch at, at or. The price is about the same everywhere.