Good rings have arrived. They’re now not the protect of Finnish pioneer Oura; we’ve got examined rings from Ultrahuman, Ringconn, and Movano in latest months, and our Samsung Galaxy Ring review is within the works. These finger-based trackers are straightforward to put on and supply probably helpful insights about our well being and health. As maybe the dominant Chinese language participant within the health monitoring area, Amazfit must be well-placed to leap aboard the development, however the Helio good ring appears like a piece in progress.
Amazfit grew from Huami, based greater than a decade in the past. The corporate has a number of expertise turning out reasonably priced devices, and Amazfit is a sub-brand that launched its first smartwatch in 2016. Huami rebranded to Zepp Well being in 2021, and the Amazfit app turned the Zepp app, though the Amazfit model was retained for the units. (Please simply choose one title.)
We’ve got examined a couple of of Amazfit’s health trackers, together with the Amazfit GTR Professional (5/10, WIRED Review) and the Amazfit Stability (5/10, WIRED Review). Amazfit was bullish in regards to the ring and watch mixture, with the Zepp app aggregating knowledge from each, so it despatched me the Cheetah Professional alongside the Helio. (Amazfit additionally sells the ring bundled with different fashions.) The duo works nicely, however testing the Helio ring alone rapidly revealed its shortcomings.
Rushed Ring
{Photograph}: Simon Hill
The Amazfit Helio is available in just one coloration and two sizes. Amazfit calls the colour titanium. It’s titanium alloy, however the end appears bronze with a refined, classy-looking dot sample on the highest and a tiny indentation on the opposite facet that will help you align the sensors appropriately. The Helio weighs simply shy of 4 grams, is 2.6 mm thick, and is cozy to put on. It’s bulkier than a daily ring however not terribly so.
The Amazfit Helio is rated at 10 ATM for water resistance. You possibly can swim or bathe with it on. It comes with a wee, wi-fi charging plinth, identical to Oura’s, and a USB-C cable, however you have to provide an influence adapter. Amazfit presents measurement 10 or 12. (Fortunately, I’m measurement 12.) Ultimately, it’ll provide sizes 7 by way of 13. The restricted choices enhance my impression that Amazfit has rushed the ring to market.
The ring appears sturdy. Mine is usually blemish-free after a few weeks, and I are usually robust on good rings, although I did handle to gouge my porcelain lavatory sink. (You should keep in mind to take away your ring earlier than cleansing, lifting weights, or any exercise the place it’s more likely to contact a tough floor.) Like most good rings, the Helio works finest in your index finger, however this makes it extra more likely to come into contact with … nicely, all the things.
Mighty Metrics
The Helio has the same old sensor suspects, together with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, temperature sensor, and electro-dermal (EDA) sensor. It could observe your coronary heart fee and coronary heart fee variability, lively minutes, whole steps, energy burned, and some different bits. You should set up and hyperlink the Zepp app (iOS, Android) to evaluate your knowledge.
{Photograph}: Simon Hill by way of Zepp app
