Easter eggcess: Amazfit T-Rex and 4 other sub-$200 wearables to help burn those extra calories
1. The OnePlus Watch improved with age
The OnePlus Watch received less-than-stellar reviews at launch, with most claiming it was inaccurate and not worth even its low US$159 price. OnePlus has since cleaned up the Watch's act and by many accounts polished the user experience through firmware updates. While it still lacks some features found in more premium devices - things like NFC payments, active touch bezels, and a wide variety of 3rd-party apps - it does offer a full suit of workout and health tracking features to help smash those Easter calories.
It offers a variety of sensors and tracking information, from blood-oxygen levels, to sleep and menstrual cycle tracking, and even stress management features. The 14-day battery life claims are certainly impressive, as is the 4 GB onboard storage for music.
2. The Redmi Smart Band Pro is a super-budget bargain
The Redmi Smart Band Pro is squarely aimed at international markets, listed at only £44.99 (US$58.80) on the Xiaomi UK store. Despite being mostly a fitness tracker, it does offer some smartwatch functionality, such as an always-on display thanks to its 1.4-inch AMOLED panel. The Smart Band Pro comes with over 50 watch faces and 110 different fitness-tracking modes.
With built-in SpO2, heart-rate, and sleep quality monitoring, Redmi has made sure to tick many smartwatch boxes. It even has a 5 ATM waterproofing rating for swimming tracking. The plastic housing is not as premium-feeling as an aluminium or stainless steel one would be, but you can't fault it too much, considering the price.
The Redmi Smart Band Pro is also available in the US on Amazon.
3. The Amazfit T-Rex: A G-Shock lookalike?
The Amazfit T-Rex (around US$140) should appeal to the outdoorsy, rugged bunch - those of you who wear cargo pants and go outside for fun. The rugged looks aren't just for show, though. The T-Rex features the usual host of features - heart-rate and blood-oxygen sensors, Bluetooth 5.0, a 1.3-inch AMOLED screen and always-on display, and four tactile buttons for navigation. GPS tracking is also useful for those early morning post-Easter runs when you can't be bothered to take your phone along.
Amazfit claims an extraordinary battery life of 66 days in normal watch mode, and 20 days with regular fitness tracking. However, 20 days seems optimistic since that is estimated with very odd parameters, such as only 13 minutes of GPS tracking, 30 wrist raises to activate the screen, and 5 minutes of "other activities." Suffice it to say, your mileage may vary when it comes to battery life.
4. Moto Watch 100 has great build quality for US$99.99
Coming in at only US$99.99, the Moto Watch 100 from Motorola is a bargain. As the price suggests, it doesn't have too many bells and whistles and may not provide the buttery-smooth experience of more expensive smartwatches.
That being said, it is a very reasonably-priced package considering that it features an SpO2 sensor, GPS, a bright always-on display, and an aluminium case with a 5 ATM waterproofing rating. Motorola claims a battery life of up to 2 weeks and a charge time of only 60 minutes for this wearable.
If you're looking for a rather sleek smartwatch that will do far more than just help track the Easter fat burn, the Moto Watch 100 is worth looking into.
5. The Amazfit Bip U Pro is great value
The Amazfit Bip U Pro is an exceptionally feature-rich experience, considering the price. It comes in at US$69.99 directly from the Amazfit store. It features a 1.43-inch LCD display, and a built-in GPS sensor. Other standouts include sleep tracking, blood-oxygen sensors, and a built-in microphone for offline Alexa support - whether Alexa is a bug or a feature is up to you to decide. The Bip U Pro is a rather neat package to help monitor and motivate your post-Easter workouts.
Amazfit claims the Bip U Pro has a battery life of up to 9 days - Bluetooth 5.0/BLE means those claims should not be too far from the truth. Manufacturer claims aside, the small 230-mAh battery should be quick to charge once you do kill it.
