Amazfit Bip U

Amazfit Bip U

The Amazfit Bip U is a sports focused smartwatch released in October 2020. Amazfit is a brand from Huami Technology, the exclusive supplier of smart wearables for Xiaomi. Huami is one of the largest smart wearable manufacturers in the world, best known for making the Mi Bands.

The Bip U is the latest in the popular Bip series for Amazfit. There is also a BIP U Pro model which adds 3 features: GPS, a microphone for Alexa support and a geomagnetic sensor (compass). While the pro version sounds good in theory, Amazfit has a history of poor GPS accuracy in their watches. Note that the Bip U is sold as the Bip Pop and Bip Pop Pro in China.

Unfortunately Huami does not disclose the chipset used for the Bip U. That being said, the watch does not lag and is responsive.

This watch is using Proprietary Amazfit OS, the proprietary operating system for Huami smartwatches. While there are some available apps, the number is minimal and you do not have access to a 3rd party app store such as the Google Play Store. This is a significant disadvantage and is common drawback for any smartwatch using a proprietary operating system.

Comparison with Original BIP

The original Bip was very popular due to the following reasons:

  • Reflective screen that performed well outdoors even though colors are not as great as some other screens
  • Always on Display due to the low energy reflective screen
  • Up to 45 day battery life

The Bip U has a TFT screen (looks better but uses more battery power), Always on Display is not available and has a 9 day battery life. Essentially the Bip U departs from the success formula of the original Bip which will be disappointing for some fans.

Design

The Bip U has a rectangular watch face design with a plastic case.  The watch is available in black, green or pink. While the design is ok, there are some negatives. The screen has a large non-usable border. The Amazfit branding on the bottom of the watch is not the most attractive either. There are also complaints that some text is cutoff due to the rounded corners on the screen. The biggest negative is the curved screen causes reflections (see picture below) which makes it difficult to see the text, particularly outdoors.

Amazfit Bip U Reflections

The Amazfit Bip U is smaller than most smartwatches at 40.9 x 35.5 x 11.4 mm. The watch is slim with a thickness of 11.4 mm and only weighs 31g. This should be comfortable when sleeping but the strap quality is a bit disappointing.

The Bip U comes with a 20mm silicone interchangeable strap. The silicone strap is average quality at best and there have been some complaints it is not the most comfortable.

You can interact with the watch using the touchscreen and 1 physical button. The touchscreen works very well with no lag. Fonts, menus and icons can easily be read and navigation is not too complex.

The Bip U has a 5ATM water resistance rating which allows for swimming and showers. The watch has a swimming mode that allows the screen to be locked. Salt water or chlorine could be problematic so make sure to rinse, wipe and dry the watch after swimming. On previous BIP models, extended water exposure shortened the life of the watch.

Screen

The screen of the Bip U while not as good as AMOLED screens, does an ok job. The 1.43″ TFT Touchscreen comes with 320 x 302 pixels. Indoors the display is good while outdoors it is not the greatest. The biggest problem is the screen curvature causes reflections making it difficult to read in certain lighting conditions.

Huami does not indicate what screen protection is provided. Since it is not a rugged watch, we expect protection to be limited. That being said given build quality is aligned with the low pricepoint.

Unfortunately, as mentioned before, the watch does not have an always on screen option. On the positive side. the watch allows for custom watchfaces which is a nice feature.

Battery

The Bip U comes with a 230 mAh battery. Huami claims that typical usage battery life is 9 days and watch mode battery life is 5 days. Real world battery life is approximately 6-7 days, while not best in class, is reasonable. However it is significantly less than the original Bip.

Connectivity Features

From a connectivity perspective, the Bip U has limited functionality when compared to full featured smartwatches. The watch can only receive notifications and there is no ability to respond to notifications from the watch. Emojis are supported which is good.

Even setting up these one-way notifications requires manually whitelisting the Zepp app on your phone. Duplicate notifications are another common complaint from owners. Not the most polished notification experience for a smartwatch.

Some users have had success with the 3rd party app ‘Notify and Fitness for Zepp’ to respond to notifications With this app, when a notification comes in, you can open the music control menu, select a pre-written response and press the play button to send. Note that by doing this you will lose the music control capabilities on your smartwatch.

The Bip U does not have a speaker or microphone and does not have the ability to answer or place calls via Bluetooth. If you opt for the Bip U Pro, a microphone is included which allows access to the Alexa voice assistant.

As this is a simple smartwatch, the Bip U does not have a camera, cellular connectivity, Near Field Communication (NFC) for payments or GPS. You will need to rely on your smartphone for GPS tracking of activities or opt for the Pro version which comes with GPS.

Health and Fitness Features

The Bip U comes with 4 sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2). These cover numerous fitness and health areas. These sensors allow you to track the following 10 metrics: Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Menstrual Cycle, Sleep, Steps, Stress, Swimming.

Heart rate accuracy at rest, casual activities or steady state runs is relatively accurate. For casual tracking, this may be adequate but could be a concern if you are looking for high tracking accuracy for your sports or fitness goals. However with interval training, short bursts of activity or high intensity training, accuracy is not great. Tattoos, hair, sweat and even skin color are factors that impact accuracy as well.

This is a common problem with nearly all wrist based optical heart rate monitoring. While there are a few exceptions that do a pretty good job on heart rate monitoring, such as the Apple Watch 6, serious trainers should look into a chest strap for best heart rate accuracy.

Also included are 60+ different sports modes. When compared to more fitness or health focused watches, the BIP U does a good job on the fitness activities but less so on the health activities.

Zepp App

The Amazfit Bip U uses the Zepp app, which is decent but not best in class. While the app has a lot of functions and features, it is not the most refined or easy to navigate. You can see how the Zepp app ranks on our Smartwatch Apps Page.

Zepp App

Known Issues

As this watch has just recently been released, there are no common known issues.

Verdict

When compared to the very popular original Bip, the BIP U is disappointing. We are not fans of the curved screen due to reflections and battery life, while ok, is significantly less than the original BIP. Other drawbacks include no notification reply ability, no GPS, no 3rd party apps and no NFC. Consider the cheaper HONOR Band 6 with similar functionality but a better screen and longer battery life.

Specifications

General

Read Review
Watch Type Sports Focused Smartwatch
Gender Unisex
Release Date October 2020
Operating System Proprietary - Amazfit OS
App Zepp
Supported Devices Android 5.0+, iOS 10.0+
Processor Not Disclosed

Design

Shape Rectangular
Case Size 40.9 x 35.5 x 11.4 mm
Case Material Plastic
Weight 31g
Strap Width 20 mm
Strap Material Silicone
Interchangeable Strap Yes
Watch Colors Black, Green, Pink
Input Touchscreen, 1 Button
Water Resistance 5 ATM

Screen

Screen Size 1.43"
Screen Type TFT Touchscreen
Resolution 320 x 302
Pixels per Inch Not disclosed
Always On No
Custom Faces Yes
Screen Protection None

Battery

Typical Usage Battery Life (Days) 9
Watch Mode Battery Life (Days) 5
GPS Mode Battery Life (Days) N/A
Charging System Magnetic
Capacity 230 mAh

Features

Notifications Receive Only
Bluetooth v5.0
Bluetooth Calling No
Bluetooth Music No
Speaker No
Microphone No
Camera No
Cellular No
GPS No
Near Field Communication (NFC) No
Payments No
WiFi No
Voice Command No
Memory None
Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate Monitor (HRM), Pulse Oximeter (SpO2)
Tracking Blood Oxygen Level, Calories, Distance, Fitness Level, Heart Rate, Sleep, Steps, Swimming, VO2 Max
Sport Modes 60+
Warranty 12 Months

Summary

Unique Features None
Advantages 9 day battery life
Notifications support emojis
Disadvantages Rounded screen not as clear due to reflections
Cannot respond to notifications
No app store with third-party apps
Zepp app is more complex than other smartwatch apps
Verdict More of a fitness band with a larger screen than a smartwatch. Watch is light and battery life is ok. Drawbacks include no notification reply ability, no GPS, no 3rd party apps and no NFC. Consider the cheaper HONOR Band 6 with similar functionality but a better screen.

Published: December 23, 2020

Amazfit Bip U - WatchSmarty
Amazfit BIP U

The Amazfit Bip U is more of a fitness band with a larger screen than a smartwatch. Watch is light & battery life is OK. Some cheaper fitness bands are better.

Product SKU: Amazfit Bip U

Product Brand: Amazfit

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 50

Price Valid Until: 2023-01-01

Product In-Stock: SoldOut

Editor's Rating:
5.9