Review of the fitness bracelet Amazfit Band 5 - the twin brother of Xiaomi Mi Band 5

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

All the best from the mega-popular Mi Band bracelets and one significant bonus that can be decisive.

The fitness bracelet Amazfit Band 5 is a complete analogue of the Xiaomi Mi Band 5, which is produced by the same Huami. It is just as compact, has the same display and offers exactly the same autonomy. At the same time, the price is slightly higher, but the set of possibilities is a little wider. Do the differences justify the purchase of this gadget instead of the Mi Band 5? Let's figure it out.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Design
• Screen
• Functions
• Application
• Autonomy
• Outcomes

Specifications

Screen	1.1 inches, AMOLED, 126 × 294 pixels
Protection	5 ATM
Connection	Bluetooth 5.0
Sensors	Three-axis accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope, BioTracker 2 PPG optical sensor
Battery	125 mAh
Working hours	Up to 15 days
The size	47.2 × 18.5 × 12.4 mm
The weight	24 grams (with strap)

Design

Externally, Amazfit Band 5 is a classic fitness tracker with a removable waterproof capsule and a silicone strap. Their grip is reliable - they will definitely not separate by accident.

The same can be said for the clasp. It is strong and comfortable: just thread one part of the strap into the loop and fix it with a metal rod in the hole. In general, everything is the same as with the Mi Band 5.

Visually, bracelets can be distinguished from each other in several ways:

• The button under the screen on the Amazfit Band 5 looks like an oval, and on the Mi Band 5 it looks like a circle (in the version without NFC).
• On the reverse side, the capsules differ in marking and the location of the sensors in the central part.
• The shape of the capsule itself in the Amazfit tracker has a less pronounced rounding at the top and bottom, as if the body was squeezed a little.

At the same time, the capsules are identical in size (47, 2 × 18, 5 × 12, 4 mm), so the straps for Mi Band 5 are quite suitable for the Amazfit Band 5, even despite the slightly different shape - it is leveled by the elasticity of silicone.

The original strap of the Amazfit tracker is more pleasant to the touch and slightly longer than that of Xiaomi. Its girth ranges from 162-235 mm versus 155-216 mm.

Screen

Amazfit Band 5 is equipped with a 1, 1 ‑ inch AMOLED ‑ display with a resolution of 126 × 294 pixels. It is protected by 2, 5D toughened glass with an oleophobic coating. The screen is touch-sensitive, touches are recognized perfectly, as well as swipes. A gesture up or down allows you to scroll through the menu, and from left to right - go back. Pressing the button sends you to the main screen with a dial.

The font and almost all menu items are exactly the same as on the Mi Band 5. Only the icons are different.

Holding your finger on the home screen allows you to change and customize some of the watch faces. There are five of them in the gadget, about 40 more are available in the application. You can choose what kind of data to display next to the clock: weather, steps, heart rate, battery charge, or something else.

The screen brightness is high enough, it can be adjusted directly from the bracelet in the "Additional" section. Always on Display is not supported, but the app can be configured to activate the display by lifting your wrist.

Functions

The capabilities of the Amazfit Band 5 and Xiaomi Mi Band 5 are almost identical, but the former has an SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen levels. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, a pulse oximeter is especially useful, but you should not rely on its data completely. The bracelet is not a medical device, it can only be used to track the dynamics.

There are 11 different modes for sports, including walking, running, yoga and even swimming in the pool. In all options, the pulse is measured and the calories burned are calculated. There are also traditional PAI statistics that measure the effectiveness of your classes and measure your progress.

Additionally, there is a stress level measurement and a "Breathing" function. The latter allows you to calm down and relax. You just need to breathe in and out in time with the animation on the screen.

The bracelet display can display not only notifications of new events in connected applications on the smartphone, but also the text of messages from instant messengers. It is quite small, but usually it is enough to assess the importance and decide whether to take out the smartphone or not.

Other functions of the bracelet include tracking sleep phases, displaying the weather, remote camera control, displaying reminders, controlling music playback, searching for a smartphone, alarm clock, stopwatch and timer. Also, the manufacturer declared support for the Alexa voice assistant from Amazon, but he does not know the Russian language, so the function is not available in our country.

Application

The bracelet connects to a smartphone via the Zepp app. It clearly demonstrates all the statistics, allows you to configure operating modes, the frequency of measurements of pulse and oxygen in the blood, as well as activate notifications and reminders.

There are a lot of things in the application, it is even somewhat overloaded, which we already talked about in the Amazfit Neo review.

More than 40 watch faces are available in the "Shop" section, some of which can be customized. They are different from those presented in the Xiaomi bracelet. Not better or worse, just different.

Autonomy

The tracker received a 125 mAh battery. The manufacturer promises up to 15 days of work in normal use and up to 25 days in an economical mode. If you do not connect Telegram with a couple of hundred daily notifications and do not measure the heart rate every 5 minutes, then it is quite possible to count on 3-4 weeks of autonomy. In active mode - for the stated 15 days.

For charging, there is a two-pin connector on the back of the capsule. It is magnetic, so the wire is easy to attach. The Mi Band 5 has exactly the same charging - it is suitable for the Amazfit Band 5, and vice versa. It takes about 2 hours to replenish 100% of the energy reserve.

Outcomes

By and large, Amazfit Band 5 and Xiaomi Mi Band 5 are twin brothers. The Amazfit tracker differs only with a slightly more pleasant to the touch silicone strap and the function of measuring the oxygen level in the blood.

If you were looking for a self-contained, functional and affordable fitness tracker with a pulse oximeter, then the Amazfit Band 5 is an excellent choice. It is as reliable and convenient as the Mi Band 5. It has no obvious flaws for which one could scold it. When choosing between these two accessories, decide based on whether you need a blood oxygen meter.