After the phenomenal success of its reasonably priced and intelligently marketed smartphones, Xiaomi now seems keen to repeat the same in the smart wearables space too.
The Chinese company which markets its Amazfit smartwatches under its Huami sub-brand currently occupies the second spot in terms of global smartwatch shipments behind Apple. But, now it seems like it wants to take the battle straight to Apple with the launch of its latest smartwatch.
Xiaomi has launched its latest Amazfit Bip smartwatch which looks almost identical to the Apple watch in terms of design (they don't call Xiaomi as the "Apple of China" for nothing). However, that's where all the similarities end. Unlike, the Apple Watch, the Xiaomi smartwatch comes with an impressive battery life and a price tag that's not too heavy on the pocket too.
Also read: Fossil launches 'Misfit Vapor' smartwatch with Android Wear 2.0 in India; Price, specs
Xiaomi claims that its new Amazfit Bip smartwatch delivers up to 45-days of battery life with "minimum notifications." That is an impressive feat considering that the Amazfit Bip is a full-fledged smartwatch and not just a fitness tracker. To put things in perspective, most smartwatches require charging after every 30 hours or so. Apart from the impressive battery life, the smartwatch also comes with features like GPS, LTE support and a heart rate sensor.
Xiaomi Amazfit Bip specifications
In terms of specifications, the Amazfit Bip smartwatch features a 1.28-inch always-on "transflective" color display with a resolution of 176x176 pixels. The display is protected by an additional 2.5D layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The smartwatch display is said to be highly battery efficient and offers good clarity under bright sunlight.
The biggest highlight of the smartwatch, however, is its 190mAh battery that on a full charge of 2.5 hours lasts as long as 4 months when used in the watch mode, or as claimed by Xiaomi, "up to 30 days with normal usage and up to 45 days with minimal notifications." Bear in mind though, that this is achievable only while using minimal functions of the watch. Using battery-draining features like the constant GPS tracking results in the Bip giving only 22 hours of battery life on a single charge.
The Xiaomi smartwatch comes equipped with a host of sensors including a PPG heat rate sensor, a triaxial acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor and barometric pressure sensor. It also comes with GPS+ and GLONASS support.
The Amazfit Bip also comes with an IP68 rating which makes it dust and water-resistant too.
In terms of compatibility, the Xiaomi Amazfit Bip is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones. It can be paired with both iOS and Android smartphones using the Mi Fit 3.0 app.
Despite its similarity with the Apple Watch, the Amazfit Bip comes with minimum apps on board and lacks a separate app store.
The Amazfit Bip is available in four color options – Onyx Black, White Cloud, Kokoda Green and Cinnabar Red. However, as of now only the Onyx Black color option is available for purchase.
Amazfit Bip price and availability
For those interested, the Amazfit Bip is currently available for purchase in the US for $99.99 via Amazfit's website. The smartwatch hasn't been announced in India yet, but considering that Xiaomi is planning to launch a lot more of its products - including its TVs - in India this year, we will not be surprised if the Amazfit Bip is launched in the country soon.
