Amazfit Helio Strap screenless fitness tracker and Balance 2 smartwatch debut in India
A fitness band without a display might sound counterintuitive in today’s world of always-on screens, but that’s exactly what Amazfit has introduced with the Helio Strap in India. Designed for athletes who want to train without distractions, the Amazfit Helio Strap focuses purely on accuracy, recovery, and sleep tracking. This makes it the first screen-free fitness, recovery, and sleep tracker officially available in India.
Interestingly, the idea isn’t entirely new as the Whoop fitness band follows a similar display-less philosophy, but it isn’t officially available in India. The Amazfit Helio Strap is also much cheaper than the Whoop 5.0 Peak fitness band, which is selling unofficially for around Rs 28,000 in India. Going further back, the first Xiaomi Mi Band (2014) also shipped without a display, tracking just steps, sleep, and basic activities. With the Helio Strap, Amazfit gives buyers a choice who want a no-distracting performance-focused fitness band.
The Helio Strap will likely appeal to a niche but serious set of athletes who value focus and recovery insights over constant notifications. It’s refreshing to see a brand take this risk in India. At the same time, smart rings are also emerging as a strong contender in the fitness-focused domain, offering a lightweight, discreet form factor while still delivering essential health and recovery metrics. This shows how wearables are evolving beyond traditional smartwatches and bands, giving users more specialised choices depending on their training style and lifestyle needs.
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Alongside it, the Amazfit Balance 2 brings a multisport smartwatch experience with military-grade durability, 170+ sports modes, and premium lifestyle features. Both products will be available in India from August 28th, 2025, priced at Rs 24,999 for the Balance 2 and Rs 8,999 for the Helio Strap.
With the latest products, Amazfit seems to be positioning itself as both a performance-first brand (Helio Strap) and a lifestyle-smartwatch alternative to premium brands (Balance 2). By covering both ends, it appeals to niche athletes and mainstream buyers simultaneously.
Amazfit Helio Strap
The Amazfit Helio Strap might seem unusual to look at in the beginning since it doesn’t have a screen. But the no-screen device is designed for athletes who prefer a distraction-free fitness band to get their stats in. But what can you track with the Amazfit Helio Strap? The fitness band offers 24/7 high-precision heart-rate tracking. It also offers 27 workout modes, including running, cycling, yoga, and HIIT. The fitness band also has a dedicated HYROX Race Mode, a popular exercise for running. It consists of 1 km runs with 8 different functional workout stations, repeated eight times in total.
The Amazfit Helio Strap also features the new BioCharge Score that monitors real-time body energy levels by calculating your sleep, exertion, and stress. The idea is to give users data for a balanced recovery and performance. This helps athletes know when to push harder or when to rest, preventing burnout.
Amazfit Balance 2
The Amazfit Balance 2 is a premium smartwatch designed for athletes and everyday fitness enthusiasts. The smartwatch is Military Grade certified, so it should be suitable for use in extreme environments. You get a circular dial with a sapphire glass display that offers 2,000 nits peak brightness, which is quite good for this price point.
The smartwatch features over 170 sports modes, including HYROX Mode for training, racing, and PFT (Physical Fitness Test) modes. It also comes with 24/7 heart rate monitoring. The smartwatch is said to deliver a 21-day battery life, making it a reliable wearable for long adventure sessions. It’s equipped with dual-band GPS for high-precision location tracking for outdoor activities. The Amazfit Balance 2 has 10ATM water resistance, which makes it suitable for swimming, surfing, and freediving.
With the Amazfit Balance 2, you get two built-in speakers for Bluetooth calling and possibly some music as well. It has 32GB of onboard storage that lets you store offline maps and music.
Who should buy which Amazfit product?
If you’re an athlete or fitness enthusiast who wants to focus without distractions, the Helio Strap is built exactly for you. By skipping a display, it prioritises comfort, accuracy, and recovery insights, making it ideal if you already log your workouts in an app and don’t want notifications buzzing on your wrist. But if you’re someone who needs music, maps, or smartwatch-like conveniences, this band will feel limiting.
On the other hand, the Amazfit Balance 2 is a well-rounded multisport smartwatch that can rival Garmin and even the Galaxy Watch 8 at a more approachable price. With dual-band GPS, 21-day battery, and offline storage, it’s better suited for runners, swimmers, divers, and everyday users who want performance and lifestyle features in one device.
