The Breakdown
Pros
Cons
Amazfit is a brand well known for accessories like fitness watches and fitness trackers and it does quite well in that segment. But lately, it has branched off into other more lucrative segments such as the booming and popular wireless earbuds category. And one of the company’s most attention-grabbing products is the new Amazfit Powerbuds that it just launched in India a few days back. The buds are the company’s first TWS offering in the Indian market even though it debuted other products at CES this year for the global audience. Amazfit sent us a review unit of the Powerbuds and we were really excited to try them out. Here are our thoughts.
In the box:
Inside the retail box, we have the buds nestled inside the case, the charger and a USB-C cable. There’s some reading material as well. The magnetic hooks also rest on the ceiling of the case.
A few quick highlights worth mentioning about the Amazfit Powerbuds:
Heart-rate monitoring via PPG, split ear hook design, IP55 water resistance, ENC noise reduction, and more. For more in-depth specifications, here’s a link to the launch story.
Amazfit Powerbuds: Design
Unlike other round-shaped or circular designed earphones, the Powerbuds have an extra added module just under the main body. That’s PPG heart-rate monitor which makes the buds jut out more than others. It’s an in-ear design though and Amazfit has taken care to also provide extra ear detachable magnetic hooks which is a very nice and much-needed addition. The build quality is really nice and premium as well. Each bud weighs in at 6g, while the charging case feels slightly hefty at 57g. The earbuds are IP55 water and dust resistance certified, but that doesn’t extend to its charging case. So you can do workouts with it, but you can’t go swimming with the buds.
In terms of fit, the default ones were good and comfortable for us, hence we didn’t try the other three included tips. Most ears are covered in these four sizes and for extra precaution, the ear hooks will give good extra security. The buds get a strong grip once the hooks are added and we felt more confident running with them. Without them, not so much. However, if you’re just chilling around, there’s not much need to use them. Remember, every ear size and shape is different and your experience may vary. So, be sure to play around with the custom options provided. For me personally, it was a comfortable and enjoyable experience and I wore it longer than what I do for most other buds I use.
The pill-shaped case also has a smooth but coarse finish to it, something I prefer a lot. And this helps it is not getting smudges and scratches. The lid, as well as the inside of the case, all feels good quality. There’s also the attention to detail with magnets sticking to the buds in the case. This prevents them from falling off accidentally when opening the lid. It has a USB-C charging port and a small LED light.
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Battery
The battery life of the Amazfit Powerbuds is surely outstanding. It lasts well around 6.5 hrs of moderate use, some times a bit less, sometimes more. The case can further extend that to 16 more hours (with the case) giving a solid 24hrs backup. But suffice to say, we were delighted to not worry for a full work-day duration. There’s no wireless charging here though, but that’s not complaining at its price point. There’s also no fast charge, so it takes time around two hours for a full top-up. Although Amazfit claims three hours of playback from a 15-minute charge. And that’s pretty much it for the battery, it’s one of the longer-lasting earbuds out there and also one of the features I like. I haven’t yet tested out its stand-by battery life but will be doing so in the coming days.
Audio and call quality
The first thing that stands out about the Amazfit Powerbuds audio to me is its clarity and the stereo effect. At the price point, it’s pretty good. At full volume, there’s enough thump in the bass that you won’t complain either. But it doesn’t muffle the mids and the lows. I found the sound signature to be balanced enough to not want to change it. Mids and lows were good as well. At those higher volumes, there’s enough noise cancellation too to make you completely oblivious to the outside world. What’s even better is how you can customize the sound signature as per your liking through the app’s equalizer. So, if you want better bass, that can be arranged to a certain extent. There’s no support for Hi-Res audio codecs such as aptX or LDAC though.
The call quality is ok, nothing too great, nothing too bad either. The earbuds have a stable Bluetooth 5.0 connection that ensures you don’t get cut off in between your calls and the range is pretty decent too. The in-ear detection is good as well and it pauses the audio without much error when you take out an earbud. You can walk away from your phone up to 10 metres (even with walls in between) and it will still stay connected. I didn’t have any issues on the connectivity regard. All in all, the Amazfit Powerbuds delighted me with the music quality they offered. And the equalizer settings added some much-needed flexibility which you won’t find on many earphones at its price.
Heart-rate tracking and Amazfit app
The PPG heart-rate tracking features in the Powerbuds is a rarity to see under Rs 6,999. But it’s only the right ear that supports it. Also, it works only in the workout mode which is activated by the smartphone. There are a few basic modes like running, cycling, and jogging. If the heart rate starts to go too high during a workout, the buds will alert you to it. Considering I’ve been locked inside my home most of the time sadly, due to the current situation, I haven’t been able to test out the sensor adequately. It is to be noted that the sensor is not as accurate as ECG sensors. And I would personally prefer a smart band that can actively track stuff all the time and also have basic info at hand. Although, having the sensor in the buds is always a good addition but it would be nice if it isn’t limited to the work out mode.
The Amazfit app is pretty simple and easy to set up. Once installed, it guides you through a visual guide to setup the buds and it’s quite easy. The buds themselves are quite easy to link to Bluetooth as well. I plan to test it out a bit more in the coming days and will update the review with more images and thoughts soon.
Is the Amazfit Powerbuds for you?
The Amazfit Powerbuds offer above-average audio quality for the casual user and an ample amount of bass as well. Add to that, the comfortability factor and the all-day battery life and the Amazfit Powerbuds are an excellent option under Rs 6,999. Moreover, they are versatile enough to be used in workouts due to the hooks which is another big plus. Hence, I wouldn’t have any qualms suggesting them to a casual listener. For audiophiles or Hi-Res audio enthusiasts, they would have to look elsewhere.
