Amazfit - Balance 2

Switch from Apple Ultra Watch 2, etc. to Balance 2 XT. With Gadget Bridge and GrapheneOS, I’m very happy.

I switched from AW7 to the balance 2 I miss the extension that the Apple Watch was. Notifications aren’t fun anymore(can’t reply/respond to notifications) Also you know how if your phone is unlocked, the notifications don’t come up on watch and vice versa? With the amazfit, it will ring both phone and watch. Idk if you’d like it, I hated it so I switched off notifications Having said that, the fitness and sleep tracking I find to be much better and more helpful. It’s a great fitness watch. Not as much as a smartwatch that the Apple Watch is.

The closest I can think is an Amazfit - Garmin does the majority, but doesnt track post HR graph after a workout like Amazfit does. I've tested the Balance 2 and it seems a solid watch, my initial negative findings are; Navigation clunky for runners Sleep sometimes doesnt detect me awake until I stand up and sometimes puts me asleep if I struggle to fall asleep The hear rate zone alerts from training templates are only vibration (unlike the Zepp coach which actually givez you audible warnings - I have a ticket open with support on this one) Biocharge seems quite high if I've not ran that day, e.g. I can have 44 left right now even after 6hrs 50m sleep. Whereas Garmin body battery is at 21 - I don't feel like I have another half day left in me.

Amazfit Balance 2, not overpriced like Garmin, good featureset.

Amazfit Balance 2 should be about that price. The T-Rex 3 as well for something more sporty. The T-Rex 3 pro is out of that price range, but it's worth the extra. Or Bip 6, or Active 2 round or square, for a cheaper option with the same sensors and 90% of the features and limited local storage. The current gen of Amazfit devices are really very good.

What country are you located in? Straight jealous. I’m actually one of the few people that has had the Balance 2 for the last month or so testing it out. Good device

How small? Mine is 5.9” and I wear a T-Rex 3 and Balance 2. Yes they are large on my wrist but I love a chunky watch. Of the two, Balance 2 is definitely better for less movement on wrist during a workout (which translates to more reliable HRM data).

I tend to wear my watches about 3 finger width behind my wrist bone. With the TRex 3’s default strap on the tightest hole that’s mostly okay but I do use an external HRM during workouts. If I swap in a different strap (similar in style to the Apple sport band with all the holes in it) I can get the device pretty securely in place and have no issues. With the Balance 2 (using the red strap, I haven’t tried the black one) I have zero issues. If either watch were *any* bigger it would be a problem though. They do look massive on my arm, but I like that style. If you’re not sure, the slightly smaller Active 2 might be a safer bet. Feature and sensor wise it’s almost the same. It doesn’t have multi-band GPS, but neither does my Apple Watch 10 and it doesn’t great with GPS accuracy. Sometimes the specs aren’t the whole story.

I don't think you can get a bigger bang for buck than with amazfit. Active 2 premium does 90%+ what the apple ultra 2 does? For around 10% the cost? Crazy. Want something bigger and 'fancier'? You got balance 2 and t rex pro 3 that look really good and are even a bit bigger with better battery, and more durable. 

this is a great watch and I feel like each new version of amazfit is better than the last one. wish them success since competition is always better for the consumer

It is great. I use it daily, and I also own a Balance 2 and an Apple Watch Ultra 2. Have had 3 top Garmin (latest Fenix 8 which I sold last week). Still this one my daily driver; great looks and features, confort to wear despite the size.

Well, I would say that it mainly depends on the looks you prefer, otherwise they are very similar. On balance 2 speaker sounds louder because has 2, and includes golf courses (in case you play), and can be operated also with buttons (not all but mostly).