The Amazfit Bip is an amazing piece of technology. A cheap, well preforming, long lasting, waterproof smartwatch. That sounds to good to be true, let’s have a look at the Amazfit Bip!

Introduction & Specifications

Apple introduced the Apple Watch with a design I was not familiar with. I had to get used to it in the first place but now I really like the design. I prefer it over a round watch. Amazfit Bip has the same design as the Apple Watch and this is highly personal if you like it or not. Some people may find it ugly while others love it. I’m one of those who really like the design.

The features of the Amazfit Bip are amazing. The battery life is one of the biggest benefits for me. Like the Xiaomi Mi Band 2, the Amazfit Bip can last for more then a month on one single charge. This is without the GPS function. With GPS function enabled, I saw a big drop in battery life. I’m not using it that often, but it uses around 50% more with GPS enabled.

Hardware
Brand:	Xiaomi
Bluetooth Version:	Bluetooth 4.0
Waterproof:	Yes
IP Rating:	IP68

Functions
Bluetooth Calling:	Call Reminder
Messing:	Message Remdinder
Health Tracker:	Heart rate monitor, Pedometer, Sedentary reminder, Sleep monitor
Alert Type:	Vibration
Other Functions:	Alarm, Barometer, GPS

Screen
Screen:	Cornering Gorilla Glass Screen
Screen Resolution:	176 x 176
Screen Size:	1.28 "
Operating Mode:	Button, Touch Screen

Battery
Type of Battery:	Lithium-ion Polymer Battery
Battery Capacity:	190mAh
Charging Time:	+- 2.5 Hours
Standby Time:	+- 40 days

Dial & Band
Shape of the Dial:	Rectangle
Case Material:	Polycarbonate
Band Material:	Silicone

Compatible with:
OS:	Android, iOS
OS Version (from):	Android 4.4 & iOS 8 or higher

Weight & Size
Product Size: (L x W x H)	24.00 x 2.50 x 1.30 cm / 9.45 x 0.98 x 0.51 inches
Package Size: (L x W x H)	15.00 x 15.00 x 15.00 cm / 5.91 x 5.91 x 5.91 inches
Product Weight:	0.0320 KG
Package Weight:	0.1420 KG

Package Content
Package Content:	1 x Smart Watch, 1 x Charging Cable, 1 x English User Manual

Unboxing

The box is pretty simple.

When we open the box, right away we see the Amazfit Bip. There is a sticker over the screen to make it look like it is turned on. When we take out the Amazfit Bip, we also take out the other box inside the box. Boxception! In the small other box is the charging cable that is attached to some sort of charging dock. In this dock you will place the Amazfit Bip and it will automatically charge.

Want to buy the Amazfit Bip? Buy it here!

Hardware & Design

Like I said in the intro as well, there are people who like the design (me) and people who absolutely hate the design. For me this is the perfect design. I can wear it in my private time and it looks good and on at my work people like it as well. The material chosen might not be the best, the case is made out of Polycarbonate mixed with plastic. The band is made out of silicone. This makes the Amazfit Bip very light weight and you are almost unable to feel the weight of your Amazfit Bip. So the materials chosen both have a benefit and downside.

There is only one button on the Amazfit Bip. This button unlocks the screen when it is in “sleep mode”. You are able to still read the display so you will not have to tap the display, click the button or activate the “rise to wake” option. Only when you want to interact with the display, you have to press the button once.

At the back of the Amazfit Bip we find the heart rate monitor and the charging pins. I’m not using the heart rate monitor that often, only sometimes are a check if the sensor is working. I have not used it on my Xiaomi Mi Band 2 either. It saves battery and I’m not paying attention to my heart rate, but it is nice that it is available for you if you want to measure it. The way to charge the Amazfit Bip is way better then the Lenovo HW01 for example.

Software

The Amazfit Bip works with the Mi Fit app, which I think is a good app to work with. I connected my Xiaomi Mi Band 2 without a problem, have a connection with the Xiaomi Smart Shoes and now as well with the Amazfit Bip. It gives you a clear overview of your day and night and you can change the settings if needed within the app per device.

Here are some examples of the settings we can change of the Amazfit Bip in the Mi Fit app.

Set Watchfaces

There are two ways to change the Watch face. In the settings you can change the Watch Face, which is the first option if you click on your Amazfit Bip in the MiFit app. If you click on this, which did not work for me in the beginning, you can select different preloaded watchfaces. While it was not working, I found another to change the watch face, so I will explain both methods down here:

Method 1: In the app settings

In the Mi Fit app you can select the Amazfit Bip and the first option in the menu is “Change Watchface” as you can see in the picture. From the list, you can click on some preloaded watch faces.

Method 2: Via the Amazfit Bip

On the Amazfit Bip you can go to settings as well. If you unlock the screen by pressing on the button and swipe from right to left a couple of times, you will see the gear sign for the Settings menu. In here, the first option is “Set The Watch Face”. When selecting this option, you will be able to choose from a set of preloaded watch faces.

Features

There are numerous other smartwatches available, so why the Amazfit Bip? First of all because I’m a huge fan of Xiaomi. I really like all their products and the fact that it is way more affordable than Samsung or Apple which a lot of people buy just because of the brand. But the Amazfit Bip also has some nice features, that is why I choose it eventually.

Battery Life

First of and most important one for me is battery life. I want a smartwatch that lasts for at least two weeks and the Amazfit Bip is even better! It can last more then a month if I want to. Normally, when using GPS around 2-3 times a week, 1 hour a day, I’m able to use it for 3 weeks. This is way more then I expected and wished for my smartwatch.

Waterproof

The other important point is that is is water & dust proof. It has a rating of IP68, which means it is water and dust proof. For some people this may not be a requirement, but I like to sleep and shower with my smartwatch on. If I go for a swim in the pool or in the sea I want to use my smartwatch as well. I don’t want to think about it every time I’m near water and take it off if needed. Just swim, shower and do the dishes with it without worrying.

Heart rate sensor

This is not a requirement for me, but it is nice that it is available for the Amazfit Bip. In the rare occasion I want to check my heart rate, I’m able to do so. It gives me a clear and nice overview of my heart rate and I can see and check it while I’m doing a work out. For some people, who uses it like a sport watch, this is a very handy feature to improve your workout.

Sleep monitor

Another feature that is a MUST for a smartwatch if you ask me. I want the battery life to last longer then 1 day and I want to measure my sleep. The Amazfit Bip is able to do that without a problem! Due to the crazy long battery life, you are able to get a month of data without taking of the watch to charge it. Given me the inside look on how I sleep. In the app I can rate my sleep on how I feel the day. This is a nice little extra, but the true value for me is to see if I had a lot of deep sleep, light sleep or that I was awake 10 times a night.

Notifications

The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 showed me what application was given me a notification, but with the Amazfit Bip I’m able to see the content of the notification, which is really handy sometimes. Now I’m able to see who is calling and sending me a WhatsApp message. I can ignore the call from my wrist, which I handy in a meeting.

If I see an important SMS or WhatsApp on my Amazfit Bip in can take my phone and react right away. If it is just a normal message, I can decide to reply later. Really handy if you are at work.

BUT… There is a big but here. The default settings of the notifications for WhatsApp are really annoying. It will buzz twice, once letting you know that there is a notification and the second time what the content of that message is, if there are no other messages.
If you have 2 messages, the notification will look like this: “There are 2 messages from WhatsApp”.

Useless. Maybe it can be changed easily with a new app, but by default it does not work really good.

Want to buy the Amazfit Bip? Buy it here!

User Software

Is it possible to install user software, like Google Maps or something like that? No. Unlike the Apple Watch, we are unable to add software to the Amazfit Bip. First I thought this was a major downside of the Amazfit Bip, but now that I use it for a couple of weeks, I see the I don’t need any extra software. It is fun to install more apps and make it easier to use, but everything I need and want from the Amazfit Bip is there. That is why I also gave it 50 points in the table at the bottom of the post.

Luckily the features of the Amazfit Bip are there and everything works really well. Starting an exercise, setting a timer, settings which apps are allowed to give notification and so on. Almost everything I want and need is already on the Amazfit Bip by default. Good job Xiaomi!

Battery Life

Battery life is more then amazing from the Amazfit Bip! Lasting more then a month is even better then I expected. Getting my notifications, sometimes starting an exercise with GPS and get my sleep, all on a single charge for more then a month! That does not only sound amazing, but it is amazing! I don’t have to worry about charging my watch, unlike my experience with the Apple Watch.

Whenever I had a party at night or I was going somewhere late, I worried that my Apple Watch could die on me. Luckily with the Amazfit Bip I can go anywhere I want for a month without power and still see the time. Simply amazing!

Of course the battery life might not be the same for every user. If you do an activity for 2 hours a day with GPS function enabled, the battery life will be lower then a month, probably you will last a week or less.

Charging

Charging is easy but it take some time. When it is completly empty, it takes around 2,5 hours to charge it. That is not long if you consider the battery life of 40 days +, but 2,5 hours is pretty long if you have to wait on it.

The charging dock provided with the Amazfit Bip looks pretty good and makes it very easy to charge your smartwatch. Instead of the Lenovo HW01, you don’t have to open a flip or do anything else to charge it. Just click it in and you are good to go!

Conclusion

I’m really happy with this Amazfit Bip! The best thing for me is the battery life. Lasting more than 30 days is just amazing. It tracks my steps and sleep all month, which is really great. Begin able to swim and shower with the watch is even better. Not that I want to see my notifications when I’m in the shower, but the waterproof design is a big plus. The down side is that you are not able to install apps yourself, like you can with the Apple Watch. Also the default notifications for WhatsApp are not good. Everything is there you need to work with the Amazfit Bip, but it would be nice if that was possible.

Is it the best value for money smartwatch? Yes. It is cheap and packed with features. Really nice to see that it actually works.