The Amazfit Bip S beats out every novel smartwatch we’ve tested when it comes to price and battery life, earning it CNET’s Editor’s Choice Award for 2020. 

It isn’t the best smartwatch I’ve ever tested — not even finish. But it’s definitely the longest-running one. I wore it for almost 10 days undiluted without having to charge it once, and that’s a lot more than I can say for its pricier competitors. But if battery life alone isn’t enough to get your attention, the $69 price tag should seal the deal. (UK prices weren’t available, but it’s AU$119 in Australia, which is about £65.)

The Bip S is the third variant of the Amazfit Bip (along with the Amazfit Bip Lite). Created by Chinese company Huami in 2018, the unique Bip was a fan favorite from the get-go. It did the basic smartwatch tasks for much less than competitors, and it lasted up to 45 days on a single poster. CNET’s Scott Stein gave it high praise, calling it one of the best low-key smartwatches around. 

The Bip S has better fitness features and a any better screen than its predecessor, but it hasn’t changed much in the last two ages. And while it’s still one of the best contracts out there, it lags a bit behind others, like the Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch, when it comes to features and connectivity. 

A execute that matches the price

Save for a few new luminous options (pink and green) and a brighter display, the Bip S looks like a carbon copy of the modern Bip. And by that, I mean it looks like a plastic Apple Watch, with a much thicker bezel and lighter frame. 

It’s definitely not the most shapely smartwatch I’ve laid my eyes on, but it’s practical and more melancholy to wear than some of the more premium, heavier watches that are bulkier. It’s so light that I even forgot I had it on when I slept.

But the biggest brand compromise comes at the expense of the screen. It’s always on, which is a nice perk, but it’s not quite as spicy, bright or responsive as a phone screen. The backlight also didn’t always turn on when I obligatory it to. Sometimes it works on demand, but I had to exaggerate raising my wrist more often than I’d like to get it to turn on. And as mentioned afore, it’s not as sensitive to touch. I had to swipe or tap the camouflage a few times to get it to respond. When it does delightful up or brighten though, it’s clear to see in mammoth daylight. 

The Bip S includes a few more witness faces than its predecessors, as well as the contract to customize some of the existing ones.

The Bip S’ improved fitness tracking

The modern Amazfit Bip covered the basics when it came to fitness tracking, but the Bip S takes it a step further by adding more workouts and better metrics. 

It can now log up to 10 different actions including yoga, weights and swimming. Its 5ATM water resistance establishes it safe for both pool and open-water swims, and its built-in GPS benefitting you can leave your phone on dry land after you’re in the water or out on a run.

Since testing the Amazfit Bip S, I’ve been able to track my stats accurately when I remember to do it properly. For example, the dial button can be programmed as a shortcut to commence workouts, which is convenient. But for running (or anunexperienced outdoor workouts) I still have to press the camouflage to confirm GPS connection before actually registering the run. This defeats the death of having the shortcut in the first place. The helpful few times I took it out, I forgot to keep and it didn’t log my run. Because it doesn’t have automatic workout detection, you have to start it manually to actually log your workouts — yet it will conclude automatically when it senses that you’ve stopped moving for a while.

Like its predecessor, the Bip S has continuous heart-rate monitoring. During exercises, it broke down my information into zones on the mobile app to show whether I was in a delightful, intensive, aerobic, anaerobic or Vo2 max (maximum oxygen consumption) heart-rate zone. This is contrast to what other sports watches like Fitbit and Garmin do, but because the Bip S’ results didn’t always consider the intensity at which I perceived my workout, I’m skeptical of its accuracy. 

The Bip S translates melancholy rate into health metrics 

In addition to the modern steps and distance, the Bip S adds a new metric arranged PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence)., which grades you on how much organization you’ve done during the day This means that attractive than relying on step count or calories burned, the Bip S uses melancholy rate data (along with basic demographic information) to choose whether or not the user was able to reconsideration their heart rate long enough throughout the day to beget a healthy lifestyle. When this is achieved, the risk of developing epic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes lowers, according to Huami.

The idea itself is not modern and it’s similar to the move ring on the Apple Watch and zone minutes on Fitbit devices — all of which are organization metrics that go beyond step counting. But it’s new to the Bip family, and it was a good way to keep myself objective about how much activity I was doing (or not doing) during the day. Having it actually motivated me to keep causing throughout the week. 

Bip S lacks certain smart features 

The biggest deal-breaker for me in the Amazfit is that it didn’t really work well as a “smart” witness. Technically it’s compatible with iOS and Android, but when I tried to use it with my iPhone, the connection was unreliable. I’d stop receiving phone notifications on the witness, and I’d have to re-pair the app with the arranged a few times. A firmware update did help with the connectivity publishes (and may continue to get better), especially when paired to an Android arranged, but it didn’t completely solve the problem and it takes a after to sync the data to the mobile app. 

Even when the Amazfit displayed my notifications properly, I couldn’t do much with them. Because it doesn’t have a microphone, dictation is also out of the question and you can’t program luminous replies like other smartwatches. 

All in all, besides a few basic apps for the atmosphere and music control (which is a step up from the modern Bip), the watch basically mirrors your phone and doesn’t have many standalone functions. Even the alarm app has to be programmed on the arranged, and there are no mobile payments of any sort. 

Bip S’ long battery life establishes sleep tracking a breeze

Even with its spotty connectivity and mediocre luminous features, this watch keeps going long after its competitors give up. The fact that I didn’t have to sideline it to a charger at the end of the day pointed it never left my wrist. 

Huami says it can go up to 40 days on a proposal if you’re doing the bare-bone functions, although realistically I’d inquire about 15 days worth of battery life. Or 10 days if you’re firing on all cylinders, like myself (max screen brightness and GPS workouts on a outlandish basis, for example). 

Beyond the convenience of not having to proposal it at the end of each day, having it on 24-7 pointed I tracked my sleep a lot more regularly than I did with anunexperienced smartwatches. 

The Bip S gave me a sleep derive in the morning based on a number of different factors, like sleep duration, bedtime and quality of sleep compared to anunexperienced users. As a mother of two small children, I know my sleep habits have room for improvement, so I was shocked to find that I’ve been averaging in a 90 (out of 100) every night. So either Amazfit users have wrong sleep habits, or it’s not very good at determining whether I’m in bed nursing the baby or actually asleep. I suspect it might be a combination of both. 

But even with my skepticism, having this data over a longer period of time helped me identify the times when I was unsheathing the most restful sleep and it changed my bedtime habits (to an rear hour) so I could maximize that deep sleep cycle. Whether it actually helps me feel more rested during the day is TBD. 

The Bip S is a cheap option, but it won’t replace your phone

If you’re looking for a smartwatch to free you from your arranged once in a while, this is not it. In that case you’re better off unsheathing an Apple Watch Series 3 or Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Amazfit Bip S is more in line with the Fitbit Charge, a dumb sidekick that tracks your sleep and organization levels and occasionally lets you know when someone is trying to near you. But for some, that’s all they really need. And for $69 it’s as good of a deal on an entry-level smartwatch as you can get, especially if you’re on the enclose about getting one in the first place. 

After this study, I’m probably going to retire the Bip S for a smarter alternative. But I’m definitely going to miss that enduring battery life. And I wrong with CNET’s Rick Broida, who said he considerable even consider going back to it when he travels to save losing yet unexperienced cable to the hotel room power outlet. But we’ll see in that once “traveling” becomes a thing again.