The Xiaomi-backed joint is making a play for your heart
Xiaomi’s partner Huami has unveiled the Amazfit Health Band, adding to the growing line of affordable fitness trackers from the pair.
The device has initially been launched in China and features a wide rubber band and 0.42-inch OLED display, yet no timeline has been confirmed for when it will hit western shores.
The Health Band’s headline addition here is the built-in electrocardiography (ECG) sensor, allowing users to pick up heart rate variability data in real time, as well as their general stats from the band or accompanying smartphone.
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It also offers IP67 waterproofing, meaning it can handle the odd splash or accidental submersion but not a fully-fledged trip to the pool, and can be synced with a phone to tether notifications and activity data.
In terms of battery, the band is housing a 95mAh pack, which Huami claims will see it stay alive on your wrist for seven days. And if you do need an emergency charge, it can shoot from 0-100 in under three hours in its cradle.
Interestingly, when the tracker launches in China in its black, blue and rose gold colour variations, it’ll also feature a price tag of 699 Chinese yuan — which translates roughly to . This, if it were to launch in wider markets, puts it in competition with the likes of Fitbit’s Alta and Alta HR.
And while Fitbit, for example, is a more established household name around the world and offers a more advanced ecosystem, it’s yet to provide a package with this kind of heart rate tracking.
Instead of the ECG tech inside the Amazfit Health Band, many fitness trackers and smartwatches make use of an optical PPG sensor. This opens the door to potential to accuracy drawbacks, particularly within heart rate variability.
Still, while this would appear to give the Amazfit Health Band a leg-up on its surrounding competition, whether it can deliver this feature to a consistently high level remains to be seen.
