Huami Amazfit Pace Test - Sports and Fitness Smartwatch

Amazfit Pace

What's in the box

Already visible from the outside, the Huami Amazfit Pace is delivered in an attractive cardboard box with a transparent plastic lid. In addition to the smartwatch, it also includes the 4-pin charging dock, a micro USB cable and operating instructions.

China vs. US version

The Amazfit Watch is one of the few Xiaomi products that are also sold internationally. In addition to the Chinese model of the smartwatch, there is also a model that is intended for the US market. In terms of hardware, both models are identical. There are only differences in the software, which is why the Chinese Amazfit Smartwatch only has a Chinese user interface, in which the language cannot be changed. The advantage of the China model is the regular updates. In contrast to the US model, this offers a much greater range of functions.

The model I tested is the Chinese version of the smartwatch. Because of the sheer software difference, there is already the option of installing an English custom ROM ("PACEfied"), the range of functions of which corresponds to that of a Chinese Amazfit Pace.

Design and workmanship

The Huami Smartwatch has a modern and at the same time high-quality design. The watch case is partly made of scratch-resistant ceramic, which gives the watch a proud weight of 55g. The back of the case is made of plastic, but optically adapts well to the ceramic. The eye-catching red silicone bracelet is closed with a pin buckle and is adjustable in size by 15 steps. The bracelet is attached with a sliding clasp, which makes it easy to exchange. In accordance with protection class IP67, the Huami Amazfit Pace is dustproof and even protected against temporary submersion up to a depth of one meter.

Selection of Amazfit bracelets

The smartwatch is processed without hesitation. The watch case has no gaps and also the bracelet has no sharp or unsightly cut edges.

Display

The display is a so-called transflective color display with a diagonal of 1.34 inches and a resolution of 320 x 300 pixels. A transflective display is characterized by the fact that it can be easily read in direct sunlight. It is also interesting that the display is always active ("Always-On") and at the same time there is no loss of battery life.

The transflective display does astonishingly well in the test. The display is even easier to read in sunshine than in cloudy weather. In the dark or at night, the background lighting works as a support, so that the display can still be read easily under these conditions. A disadvantage of the display is the poor viewing angle stability. If the viewing angle is too steep, the display is less easy to read. What you also have to put up with are the sometimes pale colors that appear more or less strong depending on the incidence of light. The operation via the small touchscreen works well. Inputs and swiping movements were precisely recognized in the test.

Hardware

Few are known about the clock's internal hardware. The manufacturer only gives a few details about the processor. It is known that the processor clocks at 1.2GHz (dual core). The memory configuration amounts to a 512MB main memory and a 4GB internal memory. There is no memory expansion option. The system itself already takes up about 1.44GB of the internal memory, so that 2.56GB are available for other data.

The clock is addressed by cable via the 4-pin dock. This can be used to charge the smartwatch, but data can also be transferred in this way. The Xiaomi Amazfit is wirelessly equipped with a 2.4G WiFi module and Bluetooth 4.0. Further equipment features are an integrated GPS module, a heart rate sensor, a light sensor and a barometer.

OPERATION

Commissioning is straightforward. After turning on the watch for the first time, a QR code is shown on the display, which leads to the download of the Amazfit Watch app. Alternatively, the app can also be downloaded directly from the Google PlayStore or, for iOS devices, from the Apple Appstore.

In contrast to the user interface of the Smartwatch, the app is completely available in English. A Xiaomi Mi account is required for commissioning, which you have to create before connecting. Then the QR code has to be scanned again and the pairing via Bluetooth is fully automatic and only needs to be confirmed on both devices.

Amazfit Watch app

The Amazfit Watch app is the "connection center" so to speak. The battery status of the watch can be read via the app, watch faces can be exchanged and the collected data is synchronized via this app. Another function of the app is notification management. This allows you to specify which notifications should be transmitted to the watch. There are also setting options for icon management, i.e. in which order the small quick start icons are listed on the smartwatch, there are weather settings, such as the temperature unit and the location, and you can also specify which unit system is used.

The Amazfit Watch app is not responsible for the graphic display or evaluation of the collected data. The Xiaomi Mi Fit app has to be used here, which also has the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 used. The data collected by the Amazfit app is automatically synchronized with the Mi Fit app. A transfer to Google Fit is also possible.

Practical test and functions

Pedometer and sports activities

The fact that the Amazfit Pace Smartwatch is clearly designed for the sporty user can already be seen from the numerous fitness and outdoor functions. First and foremost, the pedometer with an individually definable daily goal is in the foreground. There are also several sports functions that can be activated depending on the activity. You can choose from a total of 7 sports activities, with a separate profile being loaded for each of these sports. The following sports are supported: running (outdoor), walking, running (indoor), cycling (outdoor), cycling (indoor), forest running and running on the cross trainer. Depending on which profile you select, functions such as GPS are activated or deactivated.

For example, if you select running (outdoor), the smartwatch waits for a GPS signal and then collects data on the distance run, the calories burned, the speed, the constant heart rate and the time required. The data collected for exactly this activity can then be displayed, regardless of the continuously counted steps. For this, the Amazfit itself offers an overview of activities or you can look at the data directly via the Mi Fit app.

The accuracy of the pedometer leaves nothing to be desired. Steps are accurately recognized and even when driving or office activities, there are no deviations due to incorrect measurements. Even if you pause while a sports activity is in progress, the smartwatch detects it and pauses the stopwatch or collecting data for the moment you paused.

Heart rate sensor and sleep monitor

Like most other fitness gadgets, the Huami Amazfit Pace is equipped with a photodiode and an LED for heart rate measurement. The blood flow under the skin, which is supposed to reflect the current heart rate, is measured. The accuracy of such sensors must always be viewed critically. However, the measurements distributed throughout the day during the test phase appeared realistic. Even the constant measurements during sports activities did not show any unrealistic deviations. The data collected on the heart rate can also be displayed in a list. There is also a warning function as soon as a limit value is exceeded.

The watch's sleep monitor is activated automatically and cannot be set manually. Among other things, data is collected on time to fall asleep and wake up and the different phases of sleep. The detection of sleep times worked quite well in the test. Nevertheless, after a few days I already gave up the sleep measurement, as it is quite uncomfortable to fall asleep with a wristwatch on. Here, thinner fitness bracelets have a clear advantage.

Weather features and GPS

For those who like to stay up to date on the weather, the watch has a 5-day weather forecast. The location is either received via the watch's GPS or the location is set in the Amazfit Watch app. Unfortunately, we don't know where the weather data comes from. The running route is also recorded via the integrated GPS module. The smartwatch finds a GPS fix within a few seconds. An e-compass is integrated and accurately shows the respective direction. The compass can also be used to access the barometer's measurement data, where, among other things, the air pressure and the altitude above sea level are displayed.

Music, alarm clock and training plan

If you want to listen to music while doing sports, the Huami Amazfit has a suitable solution for this as well. Locally saved songs can be played via an integrated music player via connected Bluetooth headphones. An FM function is missing. This leaves only 2.56GB for music locally, which should be enough for more than 500 tracks.

 The alarm clock is identical to the alarm function on a smartphone. Different wake-up profiles can be created and there is also a “snooze” function. You are woken up by a gentle vibration of the smartwatch. The "Training Plan" mode offers training plans lasting several weeks (57 days) for beginners, but also for marathon runners. If you activate a training plan, you will receive daily instructions on how you should exercise and which route you should run.

Watch Faces

A total of 19 watch faces are pre-installed. These can be selected via the Amazfit Watch app or directly via the smartwatch. In addition to digital, there are also analog watch faces. Each watchface is different and has different displays of the collected data. For example, in addition to the time and date, the steps taken, the battery level, the calories burned or the distance can be displayed. In addition, it is possible to create your own watch faces and load them onto the watch via the Amazfit watch app.

Battery

The built-in battery has a capacity of 280 mAh. The smartwatch is charged via the 4-pin connector on the dock. Despite the comparatively low capacity, the Xiaomi Smartwatch achieved runtimes of 3 days on average. With little use, even 5 days were no problem for the watch. Thanks to the transflective display, the Amazfit watch proves to be very economical in terms of battery consumption. A full charge of the battery took an hour and 20 minutes in the test.