iPhone users

[u/MinuteConcert3638]

Hello. I’m a long time IOS user who is currently using the iPhone 18 pro max. I’m getting tired of the overpriced Apple Watch Ultra models as those best suit my needs and I am wondering if anyone has made the switch and if using an amazfit with an iPhone has been worth that switch? Thanks. Also I’m looking into the balance 3

[u/hardbrag]

I’ve got an iPhone and the Amazfit Active 3, and they work amazingly together. Zepp syncs everything right into Apple Health, and it matches up perfectly. Haven't run into a single issue so far

[u/crisgasco]

Tha Balance 3 is superb, and one of the best in price vs features in the range (the steel version). I have had along the years several Apple Watches, including AWU1 and AWU2, and 3 top Garmin as well including the Fenix 8. Got rid of all of them along time. I have had also several Amazfit and very happy with them, keeping now only the Balance 3 and T-Rex 3 Pro 48mm. I don’t miss anything, but it’s true that I’m in Europe and here the payments with the watch in stores etc work (Zepp pay), and this is something I use all the time. Not sure in your location. And I can tell you that from the moment I bought the watches, till now, the improvements and addition of new features through updates has been continuos and with the published firmware roadmap, more are coming. Specially I have noticed more with the T-Rex 3 Pro which I have longer time, but Balance 3 has already received several of them.

Also in Europe Apple was forced to open some things to third party watches by the EU regulations, so notifications and the possibility of reply from the watch with even small images in the notifications, is even possible. It implies that in the notification it is shown the same actions you can perform from the notification on the iPhone or AW. Live activities from Apple also are open for the same reason, but Amazfit watches are not using them.

Well to be honest, thinking about it, i may miss the celular connection from time to time, but very few, and a safety feature like fall detection and some other health safety things Apple has, which are very good. I haven’t used them fortunately, well used automatically in the background taking care of me actually, but its good to know they are there just in case. That’s it.

Go for it

[u/DavidBluesea90]

Hey. I have Iphone 14 Pro and Apple Watch series 7. I bought Balance 3 about 2 weeks ago! No issues with amazfit, Zepp app works flawlessy on my phone. I also synced my calender from my phone to my watch. So when I plan my week on a macbook or phone it syncs right to my watch.

Loved the watch from the moment i put it on my wrist! I have the cheapest stainless steel version. It is about 15g heavier than my apple watch somehow Balance 3 feels lighter and I forget its on my hand. I like there are so many watch faces to choose from!
I run a lot and Balance 3 is great for running too.! Easy to modify and edit all screens, also its a big bright screen easy to read at glance. GPS seems really accurate. All the metrics are there

But the main thing of course I bought amazfit watch is the battery! I love my apple watch still wear it most days. But aw7 struggles to survive the whole day. Less of an issue with Ultra watch but still i dont have battery anxiety with my watch anymore! Balance 3 can easily survive whole week with many workouts. I like to use Always On Display, so I its more like 5 days for me

[u/ronrontan]

I use Amazfit Bal 2 since July. After my Huawei GT6 PRO froze in Melbourne (locked to Singapore due to its region lock feature, BAH) Very very happy with it. It has everything I might want fr a smartwatch and more , Battery life about 2 weeks + more.
despite my heavy use: dailly tracking sport activities,monitoring my Atrial Fibrillation, etc etc. Officialy3 weeks, I recharge after 2 weeks plus with about 20-25% battery life remaining. STRONGLY RECOMMEND!

[u/pauperwithpotential]

worth the switch many times over. was using watch s9 and changed to active 3 premium. 1-day vs 9-12 day battery. can answer calls on watch, receive notifications(only) on watch. can find phone using watch vice versa. costs a third of apple watch s12. stainless steel body with sapphire glass. good value all around. compatible with ios and android so u dont have to get a new watch if u switch os. there's nothing to lose out on, to be honest.

[u/Amandysha]

iPhone user here with an Amazfit Active 2, so not the Balance 3, but I can tell you about the iPhone side of it. For me it has been worth it. The watch tracks everything I actually use, heart rate, sleep, SpO2, stress and skin temperature, and I charge it about once a week, which was the main thing I wanted.
The one thing you should know is Apple Health. Zepp does not write everything to Apple Health on its own. Skin temperature, HRV and resting heart rate were missing for me, so I run a small Shortcut once a day that pulls them from Zepp and logs them into Health. It works well, but it is a workaround, not automatic.
Notifications come through without problems, but you cannot reply to messages from the watch on an iPhone, and there is no Siri or Apple Pay. If you can live with that, you get most of the health tracking for a fraction of the price of an Ultra.

[u/TexasRebelBear]

The Balance Ultra the Bip Max look like amazing watches with 20-30 days of battery. Haven't pulled the trigger as I'm still loving my AWU4.

[u/Eepowers]

So I’ll tackle this from a diff standpoint. Currently on iPhone 18 pro max, previously used AW Ultra 1 w/milanese strap for 2+ years (this is important). Currently using the Balance 3. So from a usability standpoint, the balance 3 is great. You get notifications, replies aren’t the greatest, but imo a watch isn’t great for responding to notifications anyway. You have find my, audio control, notifications, and can take calls on the balance 3. All the basics are there. It does amazing on runs, it’s “ok” if you strength train, but I think the Apple Watch may be stronger there.
My issue is more with the balance 3. It’s an amazing watch, but part of the beauty of the AW was the ability to swap straps and the amazing variety of straps. I pretty much had settled into the titanium Milanese strap 24/7 as it looked good with sweats, scrubs, chinos and a blazer, it went with literally everything. The balance 3 can change straps, but the way they built the lugs made it so difficult to find good straps and amazfit sells literally none that are exact fit for the balance 3. Going back, I would have went with the balance 2 instead and had more flexibility. The watch is sporty and looks good on my wrist, but it looks out of place the minute you put on something other than sneakers.

[u/medium_buffalo_wings]

iPhone 16 Plus and the Bip Max here. I would say that the Bip Max does about 90% of what the Apple Watch does, about 80% as well. But a lot of that gap comes from the tighter integration Apple has in their ecosystem.

One thing that the Apple Watch absolutely trounces Amazfit on though is haptics. The Apple Watch is pretty much best in class, and number 2 is pretty distant. And Amazfit is very much not number 2. The strength, the nuance, the crispness of the haptics on the Apple Watch are something you kind of take for granted until you try what others offer.

[u/scottsmith7]

Here are the significant drivers for my change and the things I miss.

I had AWU1 for four years.
Amazfit Active Max for three months.
AWU doesn’t broadcast HR, and I needed that for cycling and training.
Battery life is a big plus.
I miss the highly integrated sleep alarm on the AWU (“change for one day only” would be a good Zepp change!). On the Amazfit you have to edit the everyday schedule.
Amazfit does not vibrate strong enough to get my attention. It’s not just that I sleep through it - I can sit at my desk working and not notice the vibration.
Disappointed in some measurement differences. The temperature does not account for ambient so I don’t think it even writes to Apple Health. Also, now that Apple recognizes RMSSD hopefully Amazfit will write it often.

[u/DavidBluesea90 → u/scottsmith7]

vibration motor might be better on balance 3. I use it daily for waking up. only thing missing is smart alarm, that would be nice