Balance 2 sapphire, scuba and three weeks of battery from Amazfit

What is new about the Amazfit Balance 2?

The Balance 2 is the second version of Amazfit's round, mid-priced multisport watch. It launched in China in May 2025, and Notebookcheck reported on 24 June 2025 that it had gone on sale in the UK at £299.90. That is still the price on Amazfit's UK store, where it is sold in Black with a second strap in a red-orange colour Amazfit calls Lava.

The upgrades over the first Balance are mostly physical. TechRadar lists a bigger battery, a brighter display, a faster chipset, dual speakers and better water resistance. The screen now sits under sapphire glass rather than toughened glass, and Amazfit raises its typical-use battery claim from 14 days to 21. The water rating rises to 10 ATM, and Amazfit says the watch is certified for dives to 45 m, including recreational scuba.

Software has kept moving since launch. Amazfit's UK page now lists Zepp OS 6, a training calendar, a training library, gear tracking, effort logging after workouts and a combined energy score it calls HybridCharge, which brings together BioCharge, Training Load and a measure of daily life strain.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Amazfit gives the case as 47.4 mm across and 12.3 mm thick, not counting the heart rate sensor, and the watch head weighs 43 g without its strap. That is large in diameter but light for the size, because the frame is aluminium alloy and the case is fibre-reinforced polymer rather than steel or titanium.

TechRadar found it sat comfortably without looking bulky. The strap is 22 mm silicone with a normal pin buckle, so standard quick-release straps will fit, and Amazfit quotes a wrist range of 140 to 210 mm. Expect it to look big on a slim wrist all the same.

What does it track, and how good is the battery?

The Balance 2 covers more than 180 sports modes, including official HYROX race and training modes, automatic recognition of 25 strength exercises and running metrics such as lactate threshold, running power and finish time predictions. Dual-band GPS works with six satellite systems, and free offline maps include turn-by-turn directions, ski resorts and 40,000 golf courses. TechRadar lists 32 GB of storage, and there are NFC payments through Zepp Pay with supported cards, and Bluetooth calling.

Amazfit quotes up to 21 days of typical use, 10 days of heavy use, 33 hours of dual-band GPS and 67 hours in power-saving GPS mode. TechRadar reached the full 21 days with occasional workouts, and about a week with the always-on display and more GPS use. A full charge takes about two hours. There is no cable in the box, just a magnetic charging head, so you need your own USB-C lead.

How well is it built?

The sapphire glass is the highlight. Sapphire is still uncommon at this price, and it should resist the scratches that mark ordinary glass. The 1.5 inch AMOLED screen has a 480 by 480 pixel resolution and a quoted peak of 2,000 nits, though Amazfit notes that peak brightness is not available when the battery is below 30%.

The 10 ATM rating has been tested by TÜV, according to Amazfit. TechRadar thought the digital crown felt a little cheap, which fits with the polymer case: this is a well-specified sports watch rather than a luxury object.

Is it good value against its rivals?

The closest rival on price is the Huawei Watch GT 7 46 mm, which Huawei's UK store lists at £279.99. Huawei claims the same 21 days of battery for the 46 mm size, and it adds new skiing and cycling modes. Both rely on their own apps rather than a big third-party app store, so the choice comes down to which features and phone app you prefer. The Garmin Venu 4, which Garmin UK lists at £439.99, has deeper training analysis and a far larger app and accessory ecosystem, but costs £140 more.

Within Amazfit's own range, the Active 2 starts at £99.90. It shares much of the same tracking and the Zepp app, but the £99.90 version has no sapphire, a smaller battery and fewer advanced training tools. If you just want steps, sleep and the odd GPS run, it is the better buy.

What is the catch?

The software is good at fitness and weak at everything else. TechRadar criticised slow map rendering and the lack of third-party apps such as Spotify and Strava on the watch itself, although workouts do sync to Strava through the Zepp app. There is no LTE version.

Launch was also rocky. Notebookcheck reported in July 2025 that owners on Reddit were asking why BioCharge and the golf app, both advertised, were missing; Amazfit said BioCharge was still being refined and golf had been removed in some regions. Both now appear on the UK product page, but it is worth checking that a feature you need is live in the UK before you buy.

“Sapphire and a scuba rating for under £300, with software still catching up.”

What do owners say?

Themes from public owner feedback, paraphrased. We never copy Amazon reviews or ratings.

• Early owners on Reddit asked why the advertised BioCharge score and golf app were missing at launch; Amazfit said both were being refined or restricted by region

  Notebookcheck (reporting Reddit owners) (opens in a new tab)

• Owners of the Balance 2 and Balance 2 XT on a Spanish running forum report under-read elevation gain when cycling, altitude drift and a crown that is too sensitive mid-workout

  Foroatletismo forum (opens in a new tab)