Huami's Amazfit Health Band is bringing ECG tracking to the party

The Xiaomi-backed joint is making a play for your heart
22812-original
Wareable is reader-powered. If you click through using links on the site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

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.

Read this: Best fitness trackers

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.

Huami's Amazfit Health Band is bringing ECG tracking to the party




How we test



Conor Allison

By

Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.

Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides. 

He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror. 


Related stories