Amazfit is one of the few brands that offers smartwatches at various price points. While the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity may not be as AI-ready or “balanced” as the recently launched Amazfit Balance (review), it has many useful features, making it preferable over a costlier Fitbit Versa, especially if you’re looking for a mix of fitness and productivity utilities.
The key features of the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity include a solid battery, a large display, and a stylish design. In all fairness, you will find the same features on Rs 3,000-worth Noise or boAT smartwatches, but what makes it special is the software experience, which several Indian smartwatch makers are yet to implement. Read on to know more.
Table of Contents
Design and display
At first glance, the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity will remind you of an Apple Watch with its minimalist design and square display. Despite carrying a relatively bigger dial (46mm), it weighs barely 25 grams as the squared body features plastic and brushed metal. Mind you, the build does not feel substandard by any means. For reference sake, the 45mm Apple Watch 9 series weighs over 50 grams due to its metal build.
There’s not much to complain about the comfort due to the lightweight design. Even for durability, the watch has an IP68 certification for enhanced protection against dust and water – a must-have for the price. I am not the biggest fan of the strap with buckle, as it feels a little old-fashioned for modern-day smartwatches. I like the grey colour of the band that blends nicely with the squared dial. Amazfit also offers Charcoal and Rose Gold colour options for Amazfit Bip 5 Unity, though the grey finish of the watch remains constant.
The side of the watch includes a single button for quick menu access or Alexa activation. You will also notice vents on the backside of the dial for Bluetooth calling. I will talk more about the functionalities in the next section.
As I mentioned, the watch is comfortable to wear due to its lightweight design, but the large display size can be tricky for some, especially female users. The 1.91-inch display might look disproportionately large if you have a slender wrist. The display viewing experience is decent at best, as the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity uses an LCD panel. As a result, the colours on the display (with 320 x 380 pixels and 260ppi) may appear dull, though its brightness is sufficient under harsh sunlight. The bezels across the display are also inconsistent.
There’s no complaint about the scrolling experience, and the custom software is pretty much in harmony with the hardware. What’s missing is the support for Always-on Display (AOD) – another must at this price. Other features like tap to wake and raise to wake worked smoothly in my long review. You can adjust the display settings directly from the watch or through the Zepp app.
Features
Users will need to download the Zepp app from the Play Store or Apple App Store to add or change watch faces. The app is also crucial for set-up with Android or iOS devices. I mostly used the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity with an iPhone, and it worked smoothly, though some Apple-laid restrictions linger.
For instance, you can’t activate Siri by long-pressing the power button, but Alexa assistant works perfectly fine as long as there’s connectivity with the smartphone. Alexa’s functionalities are also limited, like starting a timer or getting weather updates, but calling requires a separate Calling app on the smartwatch.
Other health functionalities of the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity include step count, heart rate and stress monitoring, sleep tracker, and blood oxygen. You expect near-accurate results for most parts, but it’s advisable to consider data only for reference. Other special features include on-device gaming, a calendar, to-do lists, water reminders, music control, and a camera shutter.
Exclusive Amazfit features include PAI (personal physiological activity indicator) and Zepp Aura for a detailed fitness report and sleep analysis. The former requires a subscription, which I couldn’t test on my iPhone. The PAI score offers a decent insight into your workout routines. Amazfit also offers a Zepp coach for “personalised training programmes” on the app, but that’s only limited to more expensive Amazfit watches.
App connectivity
Overall, the Zepp app is easy to use and straightforward. All the features available on the watch can also be explored in the app. I like its simple UI and all the options are nicely laid out.
The app lets you customise the watch’s layout and power button’s functions. As I mentioned, I couldn’t test the app’s Zepp Aura feature during my review. This could be fixed with an OTA update in the future.
In case you’re not happy with the Zepp app’s interface, Amazfit lets you sync health data with Apple Health and Google Fit – a thoughtful addition.
Usage, performance and battery
As mentioned, the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity offers several health features, but it’s best to consider the data for reference. For instance, the step count was generally a few notches higher – also a limitation with almost all mid-budget smartwatches. Even the sleep data was not always accurate in terms of minutes and hours. Also, wearing the big smartwatch to sleep, especially during Delhi summers and monsoons, isn’t always convenient.
The PAI score, which analyses heart rate and other workout activities, offers a decent insight into your fitness habits based on points. A score beyond 30-40 per day is good, allowing you to plan your next day accordingly, whether to opt for intensive or light workouts. Amazfit could consider adding a Daily Readiness Score similar to what Fitbit offers. This score considers sleep data to help users plan workouts effectively.
Beyond fitness-focused features, the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity offers a range of productivity tools, which I truly enjoyed using. These features include app notifications, even those from WhatsApp, Instagram, and Gmail. The on-device To-do list will require adding inputs manually from the Zepp app, but it is handy for those who like to keep track of pending work.
My favourite includes Bluetooth calling, which proves to be highly reliable when the connected smartphone is away but within a 10-meter range. In my case, I could take or make calls from the watch when the phone was charging at the other end of the room.
Speaking of charging, the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity offers a solid battery backup, as promised by the company. Even with maximum settings enabled (constant heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring and delayed screen timeout), you can expect a 5-day battery backup. The smartwatch took about an hour to fully charge with the bundled proprietary charging cable and a 33W charger (not included in the box). You can increase the battery life per charge with moderate settings.
Verdict
The Amazfit Bip 5 Unity fills the void between affordable and premium smartwatch segment. At Rs 6,999, it offers a good blend of fitness and productivity features appreciated by many users, including myself. Its massive display may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it looks good on my wrist. I also enjoyed using the exclusive features, like PAI and Alexa support, which definitely provide it an edge over most rivals in the sub-Rs 10,000 segment.
At the same time, the brand must also focus on improving some of the key areas, like the display and haptics, for an improved user experience. Its fitness data may not always be accurate, therefore, getting a relatively more expensive Fitbit (Charge 5 or Versa 3) could be an option.
Otherwise, if you’re okay with using it as a reference point, the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity is a great option for the price.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Pros
- Long battery life
- Feature-packed
- Alexa support
- Lightweight design
Cons
- Inconsistent fitness data
- No always-on display
