Budget Fitness Tackers have multiple use cases
Budget Fitness trackers are bought for many reasons, and fitness tracking is just one of them, and it’s probably the least important one. Many want it to get notifications from apps and calls as their primary usage, while others use it for sleep tracking, and very few use it for step counting. Also, they are cheaper compared to smartwatches and high-end trackers making them an obvious choice for those who would like to have few features of expensive trackers and smartwatches.
Amazfit Cor fits in well all these scenarios. Just before I start with the review, the most interesting part of the device is that it syncs with the Mi Fit app, unlike Stratos. While Stratos did sync its data with Mi Fit, but this can be paired with Mi Fit as a proper tracker just like Mi Band. Now, let’s get started with the review.
Design and Build
AmazFit Cor offers a solid looking rectangular metallic body made of stainless steel frame inlaid with 2.5D glass. It offers a minimalist, lightweight, slim style design which fits really well on the wrist. The design looks mature and better compared to Mi band, and it makes it fit well in any occasion. I had occasionally bumped my wrist at the corner of walls, and it sustained well but left some marking on the edges.
The frame has a slightly convex shape both in the front and the rear which goes along well with the wrist. The rear houses the charging port, and the HR sensor. Cor offers detachable band (it’s not easy to take them out) but is comfortable to wear. That said, while it fits well, you can only hook the band at one place, and there is no secondary latch to hold it in case the buckle gets lose. So be careful!
Display
The display size is 1.23-inch color IPS LCD display which is a delight when it comes to viewing from off angles. During workouts or just when you want to have a look at the time, you really don’t have to adjust the wrist to get a clear view. That said, viewing it in bright light is going to be a little difficult, if not impossible. Choose your watch face smartly! It also houses a small capacitive button, right under the display, which is almost invisible. This is used to wake up the watch, and the long press can stop and pause activities.
Navigation
Depending on where you are, you can tap to select, swipe left, right and up to navigate through the sections of the tracker. I had absolutely no problems such as a slow response or getting stuck while making a selection with touch. It’s responsive, fast and if I have to say it in simple words, it simply works.
Fitness Tracking
Cor keeps fitness tracking simple at its best. You don’t have tons of exercise modes here. All you get is one exercise mode which tracks time, heart rate, and calories burnt. It starts instantly, and long press on the capacitive button to pause and stop it. AmazFit has managed to make it waterproof with 5 ATM waterproof rating. You can wear it while swimming, taking a shower or in any water sports. Like any other fitness tracker of this generation, it can count steps, track sleep, and also calculate your heart rate throughout the day. I compared it with my stats on Fitbit, and it was 90%-95% match. However, you will need to enable continuous HR tracking through the app.
Notifications
Notifications work like a charm. The Amazfit Cor hardly misses any of the notifications and displays part of the message you get from the app. When multiple notifications arrive from the same app, it clubs them together.
There is a small drawback here. Notifications are displayed horizontally, which makes it difficult to read. I would have rather love to have an option where it can display the message vertically as well, and faced towards the user.
Battery Life
Amazfit claims 10 days of battery life on the Cor, and the claim is nearly right. I charged it only up to 85% and at the time of writing this, I still have 30% battery left. So even if you workout on a daily basis, have tons of app notifications turned on, I am sure you are not getting less than a week of battery life with it. I had used it for a daily workout for at least one hour.
You get a custom charger along with the tracker in the box. It’s magnetic and sticks perfectly in the rear. However, it’s going to take at least an hour or hour and a half to charge fully. That’s the reason I chose to quit at 85%.
Syncs with Mi Fit App
You can pair with your Mi Fit App just like Mi Bands. While Stratos was only sharing data through the company’s AmazFit App, this appears right in the app. You can change a lot of things from the app. Here is the list:
Change watch face. You can also download custom Watchface from here. Delay reminder for incoming calls. Very useful, especially when you already have the phone in your hand. Event Reminders and Alarms Select apps for notifications. Ideal Alert Find Band and Phone. Customize display settings. Change what to display when you swipe from left to right.
Rest of the data can be seen right in the app including Sleep, Steps, exercises, and others.
Should you buy Amazfit Cor?
If you are looking for a fitness tracker which can do little more than regular trackers, Amazfit Cor stands out. Not only the design makes it comfortable for anyone to wear it anywhere (almost), but its solid battery life, heart rate tracking, and the ability to use it during swimming are strong points. I would say, go and buy it if these features are important for you!
