Amazfit is currently one of Amazon’s top choices for smartwatches, but how does it compare to the much-loved Apple watch?
When buying a smartwatch many of us become stuck trying to decide if we want to splurge on a well known branded watch, or take a risk and go for a more budget friendly alternative from a lesser known brand.
While there are pros and cons to both sides, you never know if you have made the right choice until you end up making your final purchase – whether that be for the branded or budget device – and spend a wee bit of time using it.
Well if you are considering buying one of Amazon’s top choice budget smartwatches – the Amazfit – you’re in luck as a reporter from Birmingham Live has taken the time to test it against a much loved Apple Watch to find out which one really is the better buy.
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The Amazfit Active 42mm Smart Watch is currently retailing for £75.49 on Amazon, and many shoppers have said that this fitness tracker can rival bigger-named brands. With a 1.75″ HD AMOLED display and a ‘ultra-long’ battery life of up to 14 days, this smartwatch is built to last through your heavy training sessions or long runs.
As well as including an AI-powered training coach, you can also receive calls, text and control your music with the Amazfit watch. You can also sync up weather forecasts and alarms between your phone and the watch. The Amazfit Watch is compatible with Apple devices running on iOS 12 and later, as well as Android 7.0.
While the Midnight Black version is currently £75.49, prices slightly jump up for the Lavender Purple and Petal Pink editions, which are selling for £90.70 and £91.49 respectively.
It should be noted that the Amazfit is being compared to the Apple Watch Series 6, which was released in 2020. This means the results of the comparison may be different if marked against a newer Apple watch.
Looking at the devices side by side, there is little to no difference in terms of looks. In terms of feel, it was reported that the Apple Watch had a more premium touch in terms of quality and strap comfort. However, this isn’t much of a surprise as a refurbished model is currently selling on Amazon for £158.
The Apple watch was said to have smoother navigation through menus and apps, but in terms of functionality, both watches require all the services you may initially need. While the Apple store is available for the Series 6, the Amazfit Active syncs with the free Zepp app, which includes hundreds of dynamic faces and an app store.
For some users, the Zepp app selection may be too small depending on your specific needs. Additionally, while there are a variety of basic games, workout apps and utilities available, some of the apps come with a small download charge before you can use them.
On top of this, apps such as Spotify and Strava are not available on the Zepp app, which are common features on Samsung and Apple alternatives. However, Amazon’s description does say you can sync data from the Amazfit Watch to fitness apps like Google Fit and Strava.
Terms of monitoring steps, heart rate and receiving notifications for texts, calls and social media, the Amazfit is seen to do the job. And in terms of battery life – only needing to be charged once in two weeks – and water resistance, shoppers and reviewers have been left impressed.
Overall, if you are looking for a smartwatch that has all the latest apps and is essentially ‘all singing and dancing’, then the Amazfit may not be the watch for you. If you are looking for a smartwatch of higher spec, it may be best to invest your money in the Apple Watch.
However, if you are looking for an entry-level fitness tracker to keep track of your steps and heart rate, or just prefer a digital watch over an analogue, then Amazfit would be the more affordable and suitable option for you.
If you want to buy the Amazfit Active 42mm Smart Watch, you can click HERE.
For those who don’t want to break the bank buying an Apple Watch and are happy to pay monthly, Sky Mobile has a few deals you should consider. You can buy the Apple Watch SE for £7 a month, or you can get the Apple Watch Series 10 for £13 per month.