Amazfit puts out a lot of smart watches. Unlike, say, Apple or Samsung, they are willing to make design changes that extend beyond band width and bezel diameter. I like this. The Cheetah, which is not the Cheetah Pro, is absolutely targeted towards runners. I am a runner, but I would not be if given the choice. It’s just that if my heart is going to be pounding, sweat is going to be pouring, and the mind is incapable of a more complex thought than “bad place, get out now” I might as well run so I can live in denial about the cause.

It doesn’t seem to track anything more than the Amazfit GTS mini 4. As much as I am able to tell it tracks with accuracy no beer or worse than that cheaper device. It does offer some sort of subscription-required AI features for both sleep and exercise, called Zepp Aura and Zepp Coach respectively. Not having decided to take them up even on the offered free trial I can not comment on their utility. Anecdotally, Aura is some sort of large language model, with a strong guided-meditation flavor. It seems to require a linked phone or tablet, and this is probably because the Cheetah doesn’t have cellular or WiFi connectivity.

The display is big enough, that it doesn’t feel terrible when trying to read the compressed graphs of heart rate or sleep schedule. It also tracks stress, as a function of heart rate and breathing I think, which can be kind of upsetting. The ability to see your tracked data on a display that doesn’t feel cramped though, is a feature that really shouldn’t be overlooked.

At $200 USD from Amazon with their current discount, or $30 more directly from Amazfit I think that unless the Aura subscription is awesome, or one is really keen on the excersize features, it’s probably better to get one of their less expensive models. Otherwise you’re just paying for the larger display and longer battery life. It’s comfortable to wear, slim without feeling delicate, but I do kind of feel it’s not enough of an upgrade. Maybe I should have sprung for the Cheetah Pro, or one of the more advanced devices. I do know I like it enough to keep looking at the brand.