Amazfit's $600 Smartwatch: Worth the Premium?

Amazfit's parent company, Zepp Health, has introduced the Cheetah 2 Ultra, a premium smartwatch priced around $600, targeting trail runners. This new model boasts multi-band GPS for enhanced accuracy and an extended battery life of up to 80 hours in ultra-trail mode, sufficient for endurance events. Its design includes a durable grade-5 titanium case, sapphire glass for scratch resistance, and a peak screen brightness of 3,000 nits.

Despite its robust features, the Cheetah 2 Ultra faces criticism for its premium pricing, which deviates from Amazfit's typical affordability. While it offers advanced navigation and mapping capabilities, mirroring some high-end competitor functions, its Zepp OS software lacks the polish and third-party app integration found on platforms like Apple Watch and Garmin. The music player's incompatibility with streaming services further limits its appeal.

Comparisons with other Amazfit models, like the T-Rex 3, highlight that similar functionalities can be acquired at a significantly lower cost. While the Cheetah 2 Ultra performs well in GPS tracking and navigation, its overall ecosystem experience is considered less refined than leading rivals, leading to questions about its necessity within the existing Amazfit lineup.