Amazfit Balance Defies Expectations: The $150 Smartwatch That Stays on My Wrist Over Premium Rivals

As a wearables reviewer drowning in premium smartwatches from Apple, Samsung, and Garmin, I never expected a $150 device to dominate my wrist. Yet months after testing, the Amazfit Balance remains my unexpected daily companion. Its triumph isn’t just about price—it’s a masterclass in strategic compromise, delivering core functionality where it matters while challenging the industry’s premium pricing dogma.

Hardware That Punches Above Its Weight

The Balance immediately disarms with its 10.6mm thin, 40-gram frame—sleek enough for dress shirts and forgettable during sleep. Its 1.5-inch AMOLED display rivals screens on watches costing triple, rendering vibrant metrics even under harsh sunlight. During Pacific Northwest downpours, the 5 ATM water resistance proved flawless, while wooded trail runs revealed GPS accuracy nearly identical to a $1,000 Garmin Fenix.

Heart rate and sleep tracking, validated against medical-grade wearables like the Oura Ring, showed negligible deviations—typically within 5–8 BPM and matching sleep stage transitions. For developers, the open embrace of external sensors (Bluetooth heart rate belts, power meters) via Zepp OS 3.0 is a quiet win, enabling custom workout integrations.

The Data Deluge: Zepp App’s Double-Edged Sword

Where the Balance stumbles is its companion Zepp app—a labyrinth of health metrics that overwhelms as much as it empowers. Setting up the watch requires tunneling through nested menus (Profile → Watch Settings → Sync), and the interface drowns users in granular data tabs: Home, Sleep, Workout, and more. While fitness nerds might revel in the depth, casual users face a steep learning curve.

"This level of customization makes the watch feel like a much more expensive wearable," notes reviewer Matthew Miller, "but the experience can be daunting."

Yet once configured, the app fades into the background. The Balance’s offline strengths shine: 7–8 day battery life (with always-on display disabled), Bluetooth call handling, and Alexa support. Notably, it lacks subscription-locked features—a jab at rivals monetizing basic analytics.

Why This Matters for Tech’s Future

The Balance exposes a critical industry shift: advanced sensors and durable batteries are no longer exclusive to luxury gadgets. Its bioelectrical impedance and temperature sensors offer health insights once reserved for clinical devices, democratizing wellness tech. For developers, its accessible price and Zepp OS SDK invite experimentation without financial risk—a boon for indie health app creators.

While the app complexity highlights UX challenges in data-heavy ecosystems, the Balance’s endurance and accuracy prove budget wearables can compete on substance, not just cost. As Miller concludes: "The companion app demands patience, but everything else makes it a beacon for value-driven innovation."

Source: ZDNET, July 2025