Amazfit Verge vs Verge 2: what’s new and different?
Amazfit Verge 2 has received its China reveal earlier this month. That’s about a year after the launch of its predecessor. We walked, slept and ran with the original Verge for about a month in 2018, and found it to be a perfectly capable sports watch. Perhaps not as premium looking as its big brother – Stratos – but a pretty good device nevertheless.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
Verge 2 hasn’t made it across the Chinese border at the time of writing of this article, but it has recently snapped up a Bluetooth SIG certification. Which means the international launch should be just around the corner.
Amazfit watches have always been a great option for those that want a solid fitness device but do not want to spend too much cash. If you’ve been eyeing the Verge and are not sure whether to opt for its successor – here’s a recap of what’s new and different.
Amazfit Verge vs Verge 2: Design
The Verge range is targeted for the sporty types. The original device comes with a silicone strap, reinforced plastic casing and a bright red physical button on the right. And while it may not attract the die hard fashionistas, the watch is perfectly fine to use whether you’re in the home, going for a jog, in the office or at a formal dinner function.
The new version does look better, though. This is partly due to a microcrystalline zirconium ceramic frame which makes it an all-around more rugged device. Huami says it takes more than a month of precision processing and 24 complex methods to build its body. Verge 2 also has the option of a leather hybrid strap.
In terms of other specs, both watches come with a touchscreen AMOLED display, protected with Gorilla Glass 3 glass and anti-fingerprint coating. At 1.39 inches, the display is slightly bigger on Verge 2, though. It is also has a higher resolution, 454×454 pixels vs. 360×360 pixels. The pixel density on Verge 2 is 326 PPI, which makes it retina-grade.
Unfortunately, water resistance is unchanged from the first edition. The watch is still only IP68 rated for water and dust resistance which means it’s only splash resistant.
Hardware-wise, he major difference under the hood is the inclusion of an ECG sensor (on the ECG edition of Verge 2) and eSIM for 4G VoLTE on Verge 2. A whole bunch of other sensors are shared across both devices. This includes an accelerometer, heart rate, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, ambient light sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, NFC, GPS/GLONASS, mic and speaker.
Many were hopeful Verge 2 would come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100. However Huami has opted for a 1.1GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2500 processor and 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage. The original device features a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor with identical RAM and storage.
Powering the new watch is a 420 mAh battery that will keep the thing going for up to 28 hours with 4G switched on. Verge has a slightly a smaller capacity 390 mAh battery. However due to its lower specs, this will actually keep the original device going longer. You are able to squeeze out 5 days of regular use from the thing, 11 days of basic use and 20 hours with GPS switched on.
Category | Amazfit Verge | Amazfit Verge 2 |
Material | Microcrystalline zirconium ceramic frame | Polycarbonate chassis |
Weight | 46 grams | 46 grams |
Water-resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
Battery | 390 mAh | 420 mAh |
Battery life | 5 days regular use / 11 days basic use; GPS switched on 20 hours | 28 hours with 4G |
Sensors | Accelerometer, heart rate, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, ambient light sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, mic, speaker | Accelerometer, heart rate, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, ambient light sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, mic, speaker, ECG (ECG edition) |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, GPS/GLONASS | WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, GPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC, 4G VoLTE (via eSIM) |
Display | AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3 glass and anti-fingerprint coating | AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 3 glass and anti-fingerprint coating |
Display size | 1.3-inch (360×360 pixel) | 1.39-inch (454×454 pixel), 326PPI |
Processor | Dual-core 1.2 GHz | Snapdragon Wear 2500 1.1GHz |
Memory | 512 MB RAM, 4 GB ROM | 512 MB RAM, 4GB ROM |
Amazfit Verge vs Verge 2: Functionality
Both watches will keep you covered for 24/7 activity and sleep tracking. They automatically track a number of sports including running, walking, indoor running, elliptical and more.
Whereas the original Verge was primarily a fitness device, Huami wants Verge 2 to be a more health oriented device. And this is a major difference.
To this end, the new watch comes with low heart rate and atrial fibrillation alerts, as well fall detection. This comes courtesy of Huami’s custom Huangshan No. 1 always-on AI chip which also allows for more accurate heart rate monitoring and ECG screening. The watch is said to be able to store up to 60 minutes of ECG data locally for up to 7 days.
The new device also comes with e-SIM technology that plays nice with all Chinese carriers for 4G VoLTE services. This allows the watch to work independently of a smartphone. It remains to be seen if the feature is removed for the international version.
Amazfit Verge vs Verge 2: Price and availability
Verge 2 has been priced at 999 yuan ($144) for the regular edition and 1299 yuan ($187) for the ECG version. So far only the standard version has been available for purchase in China. The ECG model and a special Avengers-themed edition are planned in July.
 | Amazfit Verge |  |
International availability and pricing are yet to be announced but, as mentioned, Huami has just secured regulatory approval so the launch should not be too far off. The original device sells for $160 in the US. We expect the regular Verge 2 to sell around this price point with the ECG iteration hovering around the $200 mark.
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