Amazfit just rolled out two fresh smartwatches—the Balance 3 and the Ultra—with upgraded health sensors and the kind of battery life Apple Watch owners can only dream about. The catch? Prices are up about 15%, and that’s a big deal for a brand that built its name on being the “pretty good, way cheaper” option.
This is Amazfit trying to grow up. Better sensors, broader health tracking, more polish. But when you start charging closer to the big dogs, you’d better be ready to fight like one.
Sharper health sensors—welcome to the expensive part
The headline upgrade is the sensor package. Amazfit is pitching more precise health tracking—heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen—the stuff people actually look at after they buy a smartwatch and swear they’re going to “get serious” about wellness.
For regular users, that translates into fewer bogus alerts and cleaner day-to-day data. And it’s clearly aimed at the same lane as Garmin and Samsung, who’ve been pouring money into health instrumentation for years. But here’s the rub: that arms race costs money, and Amazfit is passing the bill along. Balance 3 and Ultra pricing jumps noticeably compared with prior generations, and that’s a new vibe for a company whose whole pitch was value.
Battery life stays Amazfit’s secret weapon
If you’ve ever owned an Apple Watch or a Galaxy Watch, you know the routine: charge, forget, panic, charge again. Amazfit has long played the opposite game—watches that can run one to two weeks instead of tapping out after a couple days. Balance 3 and Ultra keep that tradition alive.
And yeah, that matters. If you travel for work, take long weekends, or just don’t want another device begging for a charger, long battery life is the difference between “wearable” and “annoying bracelet.” Still, battery alone doesn’t excuse a price hike. It just makes the hike easier to swallow.
Amazfit’s identity crisis: bargain hero or premium contender?
Amazfit got popular by undercutting the premium crowd—offering a lot of the same core features for 30% to 40% less. In France, that meant people could get a capable watch without coughing up roughly €400—about $430—for the usual big-name suspects.
Now the company’s edging upscale, and that’s risky. The deal-hunters will stick with older models (which are still on shelves). The higher-budget shoppers Amazfit wants to attract might look at the new price tag and think, “If I’m paying that much, why not just buy Garmin?” That’s the danger zone: when you stop being the obvious value pick, you have to win on reputation, ecosystem, and trust—areas where the incumbents have a head start.
The sensors probably are better. The real test is whether they’re better enough to justify the extra cash. Give it about three months of sales and reviews, and we’ll find out whether Amazfit pulled off a glow-up—or just priced itself into a tougher neighborhood.
