Amazfit's first smart ring is impressive - until the battery dies
2-9-2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Lorenz Keller
No subscription, favourable price of 130 francs or euros - Amazfit actually does everything right with its first smart ring. Unfortunately, it has one major weakness, namely the battery life.
Amazfit has built up an excellent reputation in recent years. The Chinese manufacturer specialises in sports gadgets that are inexpensive but of high quality. For example, colleague Patrick Bardelli gave top marks to the T-Rex 3.
Price check already fulfilled
The expectations for the first Amazfit smart ring are therefore high. And they are fully met, at least in terms of price. Depending on the size, the Helio Ring costs around 120 to 130 francs in our shop. This makes it a hundred francs cheaper than the cheapest model from the established competition, namely the RingConn Gen 2 Air. Models from Oura or Samsung are three times as expensive.
Important to know: There are no additional costs. No plan is required for the app. Everything can be used free of charge. I did find a «Premium» area in the app. But I was even able to unlock it for free. I didn't need the extras such as meditations or sleep music customised to my heart rate.
It's a shame that Amazfit hasn't officially launched the ring in Switzerland. Now in stock, you can find imports and unfortunately not all sizes. There is also no sizing kit. I simply ordered size 12 as I have done with all other smart rings so far. This fits well on the middle finger of my left hand.
Unfortunately, the ring doesn't last long
After just a few days of testing, the biggest weakness of the Helio Ring became clear: the battery doesn't last very long. I have to charge it every three and a half days. By comparison, the competition offers twice as much as standard, with some models even managing ten days.
This didn't bother me at first, but after several weeks of testing it did. After all, one of the strengths of smart rings compared to a smartwatch is the ability to wear them around the clock. With the Helio Ring, I had the feeling that I had to constantly check the charge level.
In fact, I missed the right time several times and didn't track individual nights or days. I can only see the charge level in the app. And I only look at it once or twice a day.
Exceptional design, but not in the app
In my opinion, the ring itself is one of the most unusual models on the market. The surface with a matt gold titanium alloy is slightly perforated. But I can only see this when I get really close to it. From a distance, it looks very elegantly structured. A pleasant alternative to the otherwise mostly plain-coloured, smooth, often even shiny smart rings.
With a weight of 4.1 grammes (in size 12), it is very comfortable to wear. The Helio ring is water-resistant up to 10 ATM, so it does not need to be removed for showering, swimming or snorkelling.
The gadget synchronises the data with the «Zepp» app, which is available for Android and iOS. Zepp is the name of Amazfit's parent company. The software is much less elegant than the hardware.
The design is very simple, the many numbers and the rather long texts can be off-putting. There are also minor inaccuracies in the German translation. For the word «Anstrengung», the second «g» has slipped directly onto a second line in the main view.
Unfortunately, the app is not particularly clear despite its understated design. For example, I can only find the pedometer on the overview page when I scroll down and not under the menu item «Exertion», as I expected. The sleep values, on the other hand, can be found on the overview page - and also under the menu item «Sleep».
Large data collection for your own analyses
Perhaps the structure of the app is also due to Amazfit's focus. The brand comes from the sports and training sector rather than the lifestyle corner. Accordingly, I find a huge amount of data in the app, from resting heart rate and heart rate variability to sleep regularity. Five different metrics are available for sleep alone, which can then be analysed individually.
However, I mainly have to do the analysis myself. Amazfit uses a traffic light system to show which values are good, average or not so good, and there are short daily reports on sleep, stress or other abnormalities in the overview. However, other manufacturers provide much more advice, tips and instructions. I generally like the restrained analysis, but I don't find the data fast enough.
The amazing thing is that a somewhat hidden area, which actually has nothing to do with the ring, towers above all others. I can also count the calories of all my meals in the app. I can do this either by simply using text and voice input to tell the app what I have eaten - or by taking a photo and uploading it for analysis. The stored AI is really good and calculates the calorie value in a matter of seconds. Otherwise, I would have to download a separate app with lots of adverts or a paid plan for this kind of function.
How accurately does the ring measure? As always with such everyday tests, this is difficult to judge. When it comes to sleep tracking, at least the sleep and wake-up times are always correct. And the ring is also impressive when it comes to the pedometer.
I counted 1000 steps twice by hand. In the Ring app, I counted 1007 steps once and 1008 steps once. Amazfit is therefore a little more optimistic, but the deviation is absolutely within limits - even when I compare it with other models and a smartwatch.
Is the Helio Ring a step forward overall? Yes, because for the first time an established manufacturer is bringing good tracking technology to the market at a price that everyone can afford. No, because I have to make too many compromises in terms of battery life and the app.
In a nutshell
First-class price and design, but not battery life and app
Tracking specialist Amazfit launches the first smart ring on the market at a competitive price. And with a stylish design and precise sensors. The fact that no additional plan is required for the analyses is an additional plus point.
You have to make compromises with the app. It provides a large amount of pure data in a rather confusing display - and few tips or explanations. The short battery life is a hassle in everyday use.
Pro
- low price
- No plan model
- chic design
- good AI calorie counter
Contra
- Less than four days of battery life
- confusing app design
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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