Huami has today unveiled the next-generation model of the Verge smartwatch in China. The device known as Amazfit Verge 2 deviates significantly from the Verge with a refreshed design but on the inside, it dwarfs the Verge with several new features. The Amazfit Verge 2 builds on Huami’s aspiration to position the smartwatch line as not just a sports-centric watch like the Stratos but a complete smartwatch. This time around the company seems to have gotten it right with the simple but classy design. The Verge 2 also looks to take on the Apple Watch series 4 with several spectacular features and affordable pricing. Huami also announced the Amazfit Verge Lite which had already been unveiled on its official store with same features as the Verge but a cheaper price tag.

DESIGN & FEATURES: AMAZFIT VERGE 2

The flagship Amazfit Verge 2 smartwatch comes with a spectacular design manufactured using a new material different from the plastic body which the first-gen Verge utilises. It comes with a premium build that looks more like the much-loved Stratos. The Verge 2 has a Microcrystalline zirconium ceramic body with skin texture and extremely high hardness. Huami says the ceramic body comes out after 35 days of precision processing and that it wet through 24 complex processes.

The Verge 2 features a 1.39-inch AMOLED color display with a resolution of 454x454pixels with retina-grade 326 PPI. The display is covered with a 2.5D glass which offers some bit of protection. The watch comes with four redesigned custom watch faces; simple, dashboard, classic, and caterpillar.

On the internals, the Amazfit Verge 2 smartwatch is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2500 series processor with a frequency of 1.1GHz. The processor is paired with 512MB of RAM while there is 4GB of eMMC storage onboard. The watch also comes with a built-in e-SIM communication module, making it the first 4G VoLTE call-supporting smartwatch from Huami. The e-SIM function isn’t tied to any particular carrier network but supports all the carriers in China. The Verge 2 has a 420mAH battery with a battery life of 28 hours, obviously, due to the heavy features onboard. The watch also comes with a GPS module that can be used for ten different sports modes (running, walking, indoor running, indoor riding, elliptical, mountaineering, outdoor riding, football, skipping, trail running).

Another spectacular feature on the Amazfit Verge 2 is the ECG version. The ECG version integrates Huami’s Huangshan No. 1 AI processor, which not only enables accurate heart rate monitoring 24 hours a day but also allows for real-time screening of PPG & ECG arrhythmia with atrial fibrillation. The watch also comes with features such as Alipay offline payment support, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2+BLE, WiFi, etc. The watch has an IP68 rating just like its predecessor which means you still can’t take a shower with it.

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Huami is also in partnership with Tencent to bring Tencent music streaming, live translation and QQ chat features on the watch. The feature will be added via an OTA update in the near future.

The Verge 2 comes with silicone straps while the ECG version has a Silicone+ leather hybrid strap. Huami also announced that the Verge 2 will support keyless entry and keyless start functions on cars the Verge 2 will support keyless entry and keyless start functions on cars manufactured by Xiaopeng Automobile. The feature will debut on the P7 model in no distant time. There is also a special Avengers Limited edition of the Verge 2.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

As for the prices, the Amazfit Verge 2 standard version is priced at 999 yuan ($144), the Avengers limited edition with just 5000 units available costs 1499 yuan ($216) while the ECG version is priced at 1299 yuan ($187). Reservation for the standard version opens today in China while the Avengers Limited Edition and ECG version are scheduled to go on sale in July.

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The post Amazfit Verge 2 debuts with a sleek design, e-SIM, ECG features; pricing starts at ¥999 (~$144) appeared first on Gizmochina.