Could Amazfit pull off this bold concept after all?
The Amazfit X smartwatch/fitness band concept will hit Indiegogo in early April – and perhaps get one step closer to being a real product.
The last we saw of the Amazfit X was in teaser on Indiegogo back in January – and it’s now going live on the platform.
We need to caveat to say this is still very much a concept – and given the history of crowdfunding projects everyone should beware when parting with cash. Especially as Indieogogo offers little protection for backers against no-shows. But given it’s from Amazfit, we’re allowing ourselves to get a little excited.
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So let’s recap the details that are already broadly known:
Indeed it has a curved 2.07-inch AMOLED display, with some serious credentials. It will boast a 326ppi density beaming out pixels at 430nits.
The case – according to Amazfit’s materials – is all metal, so should have a premium finish – more so than the likes of the Amazfit Bip S. And there are no physical buttons, but uses a touch-sensitive panel to the right hand side.
The original leak hinted at a 220mAh battery, which is backed up by the release materials. That does seem on the small side, given most smartwatches now pack more than 400mAh.
There are some extra details worth mentioning. The curved construction has meant Amazfit having to custom design a lot of the parts – so the screen is flexible AMOLED, there’s a curved glass, battery, and for all you teardown geeks out there, a three-piece motherboard.
However, there’s no word on a heart rate monitor, or features like GPS or ECG. And these will be crucial to whether the Amazfit X will be a hit or miss. Some of the renders show heart rate displayed on the watch face.
Amazfit has put plenty of focus on health – that’s how it differentiates from Xiaomi – so we’re hoping for a full gamut of wellness features here. That includes the use of the excellent PAI health score its licensed from MIO.
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Will we ever see the Amazfit X?
We’re always extremely wary of concept products hitting Indiegogo, but when it’s from a known brand using the platform to try something new, who doesn’t get a little excited?
The Amazfit X is most certainly a smartwatch, just cut from a different cloth to the current market. It goes where the likes of the Samsung Gear S and absolute horror shows like the Nubia Alpha have gone before.
It’s great to see a wearable tech brand still innovating in this era of shrinking competition – but the Amazfit X is an outlier in terms of design, which is clearly why the company is launching on Indiegogo rather than a traditional release. As such, will it get enough support to see the light of day? Buyer beware.