The Philippine wearable industry is on the rise. This is very evident to the number of product releases in the past years, and Amazfit wants a good portion of the pie graph with its value-for-money wearables and intricately made software that comes with its hardware. The latest addition to the watches line is the Amazfit Bip S. It's a beefed up version of the popular Amazfit Bip. This time it packs an always-on display, 10 sports mode, 5 ATM waterproofing, and more.
We are delighted to have this smartwatch for unboxing and setup. And for almost a week of use, we are also giving our first impressions. Join us in this Amazfit Bip S Unboxing, Setup, and First Impressions.
Amazfit Bip S Unboxing
The Amazfit Bip S comes with a premium-looking package just like any other Amazfit products before it. There's a somewhat embossed print of the watch highlighted with a ripple effect on the front - this means that the watch can take on serious water activities other than swimming.
Aside from that, we have the key specs printed on the front - the always-on color display, water resistant up to 50m, built-in GPS, lightweight, heart rate sensing, notifications, multi-sports tracking, and long-lasting battery. There's no information on the sides, while the back has the product name, specifications, and some regulatory and accreditation deets for the smartwatch.
Opening the box is such a treat. We opened it from the bottom part, revealing another white box with the Amazfit branding which houses the essential items. This white box is kinda sturdy which also gives another layer of premium experience to the users. Opening it, we will be greeted by the Amazfit Bip S. You need to pull this cradle to easily remove the watch. This reveals some icons which signifies the charger and documentations.
The proprietary charger comes in a square form factor. It's not magnetic, you'll have to push the smartwatch to snap it on its location when charging. Also, we have some useful documentations.
Design
The Amazfit Bip S is mostly made of plastic. But it doesn't look cheap at all. In fact, I love the implementation of its matte exterior. It feels like it has a premium feel to it. It features a 20-mm band which is not that flexible, although it's not that rigid either. It just has the right amount of flexibility to wrap around your wrist. The bands are comfortable, I wouldn't mind using it when I'm sleeping.
The wearable's charcoal black colorway is my jam. It comes off with a grayish tone on it which I like. The side button is also easy to click.
Setup
After peeling the plastic cover from the display, we need to power on the watch by using the side button. There's an Amazfit branding on the bottom bezel, and the actual display is kinda smaller than the panel. Once it's turned on, we will be prompted with a QR code for us to pair the watch with the Amazfit app. You can download this app on Google Play or the App Store.
Once downloaded, we just have to sign in or register an account and input necessary information about our statistics.
And then, we just have to add the watch and scan the QR code to pair the device. After that, we will be greeted with a series of updates which include AGPS and GPS updates. It could run for about two to three minutes.
Impressions
Just a quick run down of my favorite features; we can select watch faces directly from the watch or using the app. There are tons of watch faces to choose from here. And you can even customize the stats that you want from an existing watch face.
The watch uses a "transreflective" display. This means that it uses light from the surrounding and reflect it to its display. Compared to an LCD or LED panel, the display is not that clear. But, I always love this kind of display especially when using it outdoors. It could give an LCD display a run for its money. The always on display is also a joy to have.
For a quick tour of the interface, you'll have your quick toggles when you swipe from the top - do not disturb, brightness level, screen lock, and music. I love the music player since it's compatible with Spotify. This means that the watch knows what song is playing on your Spotify app.
Of course, swiping from right will direct you to the main features of the watch. This includes music, step counter, PAI, heart rate measurement, and weather. Swiping from left is the universal back gesture. From the main interface, tapping the side key button will give your status information, heart rate, workout modes, weather, alarm, music, settings, PAI and timer. We'll discuss more of this in our review.
The Wrap
The Amazfit Bip S is a promising wrist computer. I love its construction and design. On top of that, it's partner app offers a lot of information, settings, and modes. A good optimization between the hardware and software makes a good smartwatch, and I think the Amazfit Bip S is something that we would use for a long time.
Stay tuned for our review for our in-depth usage and reactions!
Amazfit Bip S Specs
42 x 35.3 x 11.4mm at 31 grams1.28-inch ( 176 x 176 pixels)
Always-on reflective touch display
2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection + AF coating
Push Notifications
10 sports modes
Optical heart rate sensor
Tri-axis Accelerometer + Tri-axis Gyro
Bluetooth 5.0 LE
Compatible with Android and iOS
Music Control
GPS + GLONASS for route tracking
5 ATM, Water Resistant up to 50 meters
200mAh battery, 40 days battery life
