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Amazfit continues to release new watches every month, and it’s becoming clear that the company is looking to compete with the best watches from Garmin, Coros, Polar, and Suunto. For the past few weeks, I’ve been running, walking, biking, sleeping, and hanging out with new people Amazfit Cheetah,
To my surprise, its best feature may be the one you’d least expect.
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Amazfit Cheetah
A mid-range smartwatch with GPS and satellite tracking, up to 14 days of battery life and an AI-generated running coach.
I’ll start with the hardware. The watch is very light at just 32 grams and sports a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with 454 x 454 pixels resolution. The top right button works as a rotating crown to scroll through lists and the bottom right button is used to go back.
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The rest of the watch’s hardware is in line with what I’ve seen in other $200 sports watches. There is a 5 ATM rating for water resistance, and the battery capacity is pegged at 440mAh. Amazfit advertises up to 14 days of battery life with normal use. If you use special features like dual-band GNSS (most accurate mode), battery life gets you closer to 26 hours.
While the look of the Amazfit Cheetah is sportier than your traditional smartwatch, it offers the same experience as the GTR 4 that I tested in 2022. And like the GTR 4, the Amazfit Cheetah syncs with the Zepp smartphone app, which is where the real power of the experience lies.
The rubberized watchband is durable enough to withstand most environments. Matthew Miller/ZDNET
The Zepp app can be overwhelming with the sheer number of screens, settings, and options that require you to explore for hours. But once you know where your favorite menus and settings are, it’s one of the better companion apps.
A significant enhancement to Cheetah’s software is the inclusion of the AI Zepp Coach. Similar to ChatGPT, Zepp Software launches an interactive interface where you select your desired training plan in chat. A training plan is then created and automatically adapted as you carry out your running activities.
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I haven’t worked out my full training plan yet – it could take weeks, if not more – but the use of AI here is a clever way to develop the best workout for your needs. I can see how this would be helpful for new runners who need coaching and constant feedback, or have questions about best practices when it comes to different types of workouts and running in general.
A look at the AI training bot, Zepp Coach. Matthew Miller/ZDNET
As I mentioned earlier, dual-band GNSS is supported on the Cheetah, with six satellite systems. Amazfit calls its satellite technology MaxTrack, and although it performs fairly well, it’s not as accurate as the Garmin and Corros devices I’ve tested. Overall distances were still close, with most GPS tracking issues associated with corners in wooded areas. For most people, this is perfectly acceptable.
Amazfit also includes a Track Run mode so that if your connection proves unstable an algorithm corrects your GPS route to match a standard track and lane you’re running in. You can also sync your run data with a variety of services, including Strava, ReLive, Google Fit, and Apple Health, which I’m a fan of.
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For a more robust running workout, you can select four to six metrics to display on different data pages while you exercise. These categories include duration, distance, speed, steps, pace, elevation, heart rate, and more. I found the heart rate monitor to match results from the Garmin and Corros fairly well, but you can also attach the Amazfit Cheetah to an external chest strap if you want the most accurate readings.
Offline maps, offline music (MP3s loaded manually), and Amazon Alexa via connected smartphone are also supported. One of my favorite Garmin features is Morning Report and Amazfit offers a similar experience on the watch face called Morning Update. Data available in this Morning Update includes weather, battery status, sleep, PAI, and schedule.
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overall, Amazfit Cheetah, at $229, reminds me of a mid-range smartphone where as long as you are satisfied with the way it comes out of the box, you should be satisfied with the watch as well. From time to time things come up that bother me, and the smartphone app needs some improvement for normal users. But for the price and the unique AI Training Coach feature, this might be the best starter watch for aspiring runners and athletes.
