ZDNET's key takeaways The Amazfit Balance 2 smartwatch is available now for $249.
The watch has a vivid AMOLED display with sapphire glass, 21-day battery life, dual speakers, and advanced golf features.
Subscription music services are not supported and the app store is still limited. View now at Amazon
Late last year I bought a lovely Woodland Brown Amazfit Balance and still marvel at the look, feel, and performance of that $200 smartwatch. For the past couple of weeks, I've been using its successor: the upgraded Amazfit Balance 2 and it's an improvement, with a very affordable starting price of $249.
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The Amazfit Balance 2 has significantly longer battery life (21 days vs 14 days), increased water resistance from 5 ATM to 10 ATM, heavier weight and slightly larger size, dual speakers, and latest generation BioTracker 6.0 biometric sensor. The increased battery life is due to the larger 658 mAh battery (previously 475 mAh) that adds seven grams of weight, but also feels slightly more power efficient.
The watch uses standard 22mm quick release watch bands, and Amazfit includes two in the retail package in the Black and Lava colorways. For charging, it uses the same magnetic charging puck via standard USB-C, and with the increased battery life, is a joy to use, knowing you don't have to worry about keeping it topped up at every possible opportunity.
The speakers and microphone support phone calls, your preferred voice assistant, and the Zepp Flow AI assistant powered by OpenAI's GPT technology. The Zepp Coach function also uses AI to help plan workouts and provide fitness insights in both the free and premium options.
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In the app, you also get full color maps, route navigation, and accurate positioning with six satellite systems ensure you stay on track and never get lost. Heart rate readings also closely match other watches and the Balance 2 also supports connecting to external sensors such as heart rate monitors and speed/cadence sensors.
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