Hi-tech

20.03.2017 1:07

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch review: why Xiaomi will never become new Apple

Sports smart watches is a special category of wearable devices market. They have many advantages, but there are also disadvantages. Let’s figure out how this device was implemented by Huami, which was commissioned by Xiaomi.

I had a Chinese version of Xiaomi Amazfit Watch in my hands. You can find actual price here.

First, let’s look at how sports smart watch looks on my hand. After all, the smartphone can always be carried in your pocket, while smart watch is such an accessory that is always in sight.

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When you have such smart watch on your hand – it is immediately clear that you are an athlete-runner. The design is not strict, but sporty. You can not wear Xiaomi Amazfit Watch under a jacket. However, if you replace the standard complete straps with metal ones, it will be much more solid. Fortunately, the straps of watch are the most standard – 22 mm.

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In the photo above, you can see the pulse sensor working on “skylight”. The accuracy of technology is small, ± 10%. But for non-professional athletes it will be enough to communicate with cumbersome breast sensors if you run a few kilometers in the evenings.

Design

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch has a small round display made by OLED technology. Below – a small dark area on which nothing is displayed. A lot of smart watches have such area.

OLED technology makes it possible to make a very contrast image. You can see the display in the sun. The only thing – in difficult conditions the screen can slightly blink, then it is better to turn it to yourself perpendicularly.

Look also at the photo of Xiaomi Amazfit Watch next to SD card (otherwise you do not know how big my hand is).

Using Xiaomi Amazfit Watch

Let us see the main features Xiaomi Amazfit Watch. Since it is a sports watch, the manufacturer paid very much attention to measuring the pulse, as well as working with running, biking, and so on.

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch review: why Xiaomi will never become new Apple

In addition to running and walking outdoors, Xiaomi Amazfit Watch measures running on the simulator, riding a bike, and also riding a simulator. By the way, the watch supports a cadence sensor for bicyclists. Unfortunately, I did not have such a sensor, so I could not check its work.

There is a mode of “running along the tracks”. It is different in that the calculation of calories and distance traveled depends on the difference in altitude. On the same screen, as you can see an “activity” and settings.

The settings screen is everything clear. There are all the necessary things for non-professional training. For example, Xiaomi Amazfit Watch can warn you with vibration if the pulse has come out above the recommended zone. Also you can adjust if you run too slowly.

You can set the time after which there will be a warning, or a distance. I have a Chinese version of Xiaomi Amazfit Watch, so all warnings are pronounced in Chinese.

Very conveniently made statistics. You can see how many ran, you can go to every workout, and check it out. Even a small track shows, but without a map. It is visible and that the heartbeat sensor was intending.

The sensor, by the way, works constantly, and not only during training. You can analyze your activity throughout the day, see how it was last day, an average of a week.

Of course, Xiaomi Amazfit Watch can also be used as a separate music player. Music can be uploaded to the watch independently. If you connect it to PC, watch is added as a normal Android smartphone in the mode of storage, just throw in the folder Music. Application Watercress FM gives you for each workout of 30 interesting high-energy tracks.

Of course, there is an alarm clock in Xiaomi Amazfit Watch. For some reason, Xiaomi does not like the functionality of a smart alarm clock, so here it is the most common.

Weather widget – takes information from a smartphone or via Wi-Fi. Also there is a compass – in case if you get lost in the forest. As you can see, in my half English version these components are still in Chinese. As I understand it, the English version of Xiaomi Amazfit Watch should come release very soon.

Much attention is paid to the quality of sleep. You can keep track of whether you slept well, either directly by day or in retrospect.

The device is navigated by swipes. I told you about the main menu (default applications) that switch with horizontal swipes. The last of them is the number of steps in the “big” version, as well as the stopwatch.

Also, you can swipe the screen down. There will be another menu, which, as I understand it, is intended for quick access to the main functions. So, you can watch the weather, see the remaining battery life Xiaomi Amazfit Watch. Of course, there is”do not disturb” mode, which does not receive notifications.

Also here are the settings. For example, you can connect Bluetooth headphones, find an attached smartphone.

Connect to Wi-Fi network to download tracks for Watercress FM, set “silence mode” by the watch, and adjust when the backlight turns on (in the dark it is needed, in the light – no ).

In general, in my opinion, the functionality of Xiaomi Amazfit Watch is interesting. An insignificant number of hieroglyphs does not interfere – in principle, everything is obvious.

Packaging

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch arrived in such a beautiful box. It is immediately evident that the manufacturer is associated with Xiaomi.

Another photo of the watch without taking it out of the box, but with the film removed.

The delivery package is “necessary and sufficient” – a watch, a microUSB cable and charging station.

Software

Perhaps, this is the weakest side of Xiaomi Huami Amazfit Watch at the moment. The watch works with application Amazfit Watch, not traditional Mi Fit or Huami Amazfit. The functionality of application is weak. In fact it only serves for synchronization and installation of icons.

There are a lot of icons, they are beautiful. I think they will do even more. You can also see the status of the watch, etc.

Also notifications in the application are really cool. By the way, text sms, as well as messages in English is shown absolutely correctly, despite the fact that Xiaomi Amazfit Watch is half in English, half in Chinese. Here it is, the magic power of Android Wear.

Applications can be turned on or off. At the end of the review I will tell you how to install additional ones. And now, perhaps, the most unpleasant. You can see data about sleep and about training only in Mi Fit and Mi Dong applications. App Mi Dong has data about training, but bot about the sleep.

How to translate Xiaomi Amazfit Watch to English

Initially, Xiaomi Amazfit Watch came with Chinese application language and the watch itself. Subsequently, the application translated into English. The same thing happened with watch, but the interface has not yet been shown to users. Starting with firmware version 1.2, you can translate the interface in hours. In translation there are flaws (in could see them on the screens), and applications are not yet translated not all. However, it is better than nothing.

You can translate Xiaomi Amazfit Watch to English using a debugging utility for Android ADB. It can be downloaded complete with software for development on Android or separately by this link . After installation, start the terminal, connect the watch to the computer via USB. Then type in the terminal commands line by line, after each pressing Enter.

All the commands you enter at your own peril and risk. We do not give any guarantees, your watch can deteriorate, and even explode, sweeping everything around.

So, let’s begin.

adb kill-server
adb start-server
adb shell

So you will enter the watch to the shell and @watch:/prompt appears in the terminal. Continue typing commands.

setprop persist.sys.language en
adb reboot

After that your watch will reboot.

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch: Battery life

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch works for 2-3 days if you run in the evenings; 3-4 days if you do not run, but only receive notifications; more than 5 days if you use watch mainly as a pedometer and watch. Autonomy is not bad.

The most energy is spent running with GPS on, as well as listening to music.

A full charge from Tronsmart charging station takes about 50 minutes. The watch consumed a maximum current of 0.5A at 5V.

Damage resistance and waterproof

During the testing I was several times applied to the door jambs and metal surfaces in the metro. Absolutely no damage happened. Just fine.

Also, once I forgot to take off my Xiaomi Amazfit Watch before taking a shower. Also no consequences.

Conclusion

Xiaomi positions itself in China as a new Apple. Some even believe this. But it is not true.

Xiaomi Amazfit Watch looks impressive and works long. They constantly measure the pulse, regularly send notifications. If you need a smart watch to use it only as a tracker / player / notifier / GPS, then Xiaomi Amazfit Watch is excellent. For a deep analysis of sports achievements they are not suitable.