Amazfit Bip 6 Review: $79 Apple Watch Alternative?

TL;DR

The $79 Amazfit Bip 6 works on both Android and iOS and tracks heart rate very well during indoor cycling, scoring correlations of 1.00 and 0.99 against a Polar H10 ECG chest strap, placing it in Pixel Watch and Apple Watch territory. Outdoor cycling results were confusing, with one unit hitting 0.91 while an identical second unit dropped to 0.71.

Transcript

Based on my testing, the $79 Amazefitit Bip 6 will be an Apple Watch alternative for some of you. And the good thing is you can use it on both Android and iOS. Weirdly though, the test results of the Amaze Bit 6 are a bit confusing as you'll see in a second. There are a number of limitations and shortcomings of this Bip 6 that you should be aware o... Read More

Key Insights

• The Amazfit Bip 6 costs $79 and works on both Android and iOS, positioning it as a potential Apple Watch alternative for some users, though it has notable limitations and shortcomings across different exercise types.
• Indoor cycling heart rate tracking is excellent, with the dark gray unit reaching a correlation of 1.00 and the light gray unit 0.99 against a Polar H10 ECG chest strap reference, near-perfect agreement.
• The Bip 6 shares the same sensor as the Amazfit T-Rex 3, which performed surprisingly well in prior testing, giving the reviewer a reasonable expectation that the Bip 6 could track heart rate accurately.
• Both Bip 6 units ranked among the top performers for indoor cycling, sitting in Pixel Watch and Apple Watch territory among devices with a correlation of 0.9 or higher.
• Outdoor cycling produced confusing results: the left-wrist 'lefty' unit scored 0.91, a good result, while the identical right-wrist 'righty' unit dropped to 0.71 with many points showing too-low heart rate.
• A possible bias exists because the reviewer was injured and could not reach his usual maximum heart rate on the indoor bike, meaning the narrower heart rate range may have given the watch an advantage.
• The device's design is a strong point, featuring a big vibrant screen and a look the reviewer personally considers better than an Apple Watch, consistent with Amazfit's reputation for beautiful, reasonably priced watches.
• Amazfit sent four colorways of the Bip 6 for testing but did not sponsor the video, provide input, or know it was being made, and the reviewer takes no device sponsorships.

Questions & Answers

Q: How much does the Amazfit Bip 6 cost and what phones does it work with?

The Amazfit Bip 6 costs $79 and works on both Android and iOS. The reviewer positions it as a potential Apple Watch alternative for some users, noting the cross-platform compatibility as a good thing. However, he cautions that it has a number of limitations and shortcomings, performing well at some things while doing quite poorly in other regards.

Q: How accurate is the Amazfit Bip 6 heart rate tracking for indoor cycling?

For indoor cycling, the Bip 6 heart rate tracking is excellent. The dark gray unit worn on the left wrist reached a correlation of 1.00 against a Polar H10 ECG chest strap reference, and the light gray unit on the right wrist scored 0.99. Almost all measurement points sat on or very close to the perfect agreement line, making both units near-perfect performers for this exercise.

Q: How does the Amazfit Bip 6 compare to the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch for indoor cycling?

For indoor cycling, both Bip 6 units ranked among the top performers when the reviewer compared their correlation values against many other devices. Looking only at watches with a correlation of 0.9 or higher, both the light gray and dark gray versions did really well, landing in what he described as Pixel Watch and Apple Watch territory, which is strong company for a $79 device.

Q: Why were the Amazfit Bip 6 outdoor cycling results confusing?

Outdoor cycling produced confusing results because two identical Bip 6 units performed very differently. The left-wrist unit, nicknamed 'lefty,' scored a good correlation of 0.91, following the reference device well. But the right-wrist unit, 'righty,' dropped to 0.71, with many points below the agreement line indicating it detected a too-low heart rate for large parts of the rides. The reviewer had theories but no clear explanation.

Q: What reference device was used to test the Amazfit Bip 6 heart rate accuracy?

The reviewer used a Polar H10 ECG chest strap as the reference device, which he states can generally record his heart rate very accurately. In the comparison plots, the Polar H10 values ran along the horizontal axis and the Bip 6 values along the vertical axis, with each dot representing a single matching heart rate measurement. Perfect agreement between the two devices would place all points on a marked blue line.

Q: Does the Amazfit Bip 6 use the same sensor as other Amazfit watches?

Yes, the Bip 6 appears to use the same sensor as the Amazfit T-Rex 3, which did surprisingly well in the reviewer's prior testing. This gave him reasonable expectations for the Bip 6. The T-Rex 3 performed a little worse than the Bip 6 in a similar heart rate range, which the reviewer partly attributes to the T-Rex 3 being heavier and therefore moving more on the wrist, potentially lowering signal quality.

Q: Was the Amazfit Bip 6 review sponsored by Amazfit?

No. The reviewer states that Amazfit sent him four different colorways of the Bip 6 to test, but they did not sponsor the video in any way. They gave no input and did not even know he was making the video. He runs the channel alongside his full-time job and does not take sponsorships from the devices he reviews, relying instead on affiliate links to support the channel.

Q: What are the design and build impressions of the Amazfit Bip 6?

The reviewer is very positive about the design. Amazfit is generally known for beautiful smartwatches at reasonable prices, and the Bip 6 is no exception. It has a big vibrant screen and everything works well. He has nothing to complain about regarding its looks and personally thinks it actually looks better than an Apple Watch in some ways, though good looks alone do not make it a full Apple Watch alternative.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The $79 Amazfit Bip 6 is tested by Rob, a post-doctoral scientist in biological data analysis, using four copies worn simultaneously on two people. It works on Android and iOS and shares the same sensor as the well-performing Amazfit T-Rex 3.

• For indoor cycling, heart rate accuracy is near-perfect against a Polar H10 ECG chest strap, with correlations of 1.00 and 0.99, placing both units among top performers in Pixel Watch and Apple Watch territory. An injury lowered the reviewer's heart rate range, possibly aiding results.

• Outdoor cycling gave confusing results: one unit scored a solid 0.91 while an identical second unit dropped to 0.71, frequently detecting a too-low heart rate. The watch also has a big vibrant screen and attractive design, but shows clear limitations across some exercises.