Amazfit Balance gets first big software update in months

When a manufacturer continues to invest in its existing hardware lineup, it is always a good sign. After a rather long period of quiet, Amazfit is now pushing out a major software refresh for the Amazfit Balance smartwatch.

The new firmware, version number 3.28.8.1, is slowly rolling out to devices around the world and includes a nice mix of new health tools, some tweaks to physical controls, and some performance optimizations. The biggest change in this update is a complete overhaul of how the watch tracks daily energy. Amazfit is replacing the old Readiness app with a new app called BioCharge.

The new app is designed to give a more accurate reading of your body’s energy levels so you can more precisely assess how well you’re recovering from an intense gym session or a bad night’s sleep. And the physical controls have also been given a practical update, as well as the changes to the software.

A quick twist up on the side button's digital crown from the main watch face immediately drops down your phone notifications, while a twist downwards pulls up the quick settings menu, dramatically reducing unnecessary screen swiping.

This firmware bump also has plenty to look forward to for serious fitness enthusiasts. The Amazfit Balance now connects with popular third-party training gear, so you can pair a Helio Strap for pinpoint heart rate accuracy or connect a Stryd running pod to pull deeper performance metrics during your track sessions.

Amazfit has added some key improvements, such as the ability to store up to 100 custom workout templates on your wrist and improved speed-tracking algorithms for those running on treadmills.

The weather app has also been updated with a more legible layout for night time conditions, and some remaining bugs in the sleep tracking system have finally been squashed.

Amazfit is treating this as a phased rollout, so the update might take a few days to hit your device. You'll want to keep an eye on your companion app as the software rolls out over the next week.