Tech Next: The tale of a smartwatch challenger and clever wireless charger

Verge is not the first Amazfit wearable to arrive in India. But might just be the brand’s most significant with a price tag that could tempt most consumers who’ve been playing the waiting game when it comes to smartwatches.

Amazfit gets the 1.3-inch AMOLED display (360 x 360 pixels) dead right — its bold and offers great visibility even under harsh sunlight. The rubber strap (its hypo-allergenic — good to wear for long periods of time) and the chassis add to the premium form of the watch. Every smartwatch brand has a different navigation philosophy — Huami keeps it simple with one physical button and on-screen navigation that is intuitive and smooth. We like the minimalist user interface too. The watch doesn’t offer too many watch faces unlike the Fitbit Versa.

A 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of onboard storage complete the hardware highlights of the Amazfit Verge. Our tests confirmed Huami’s claims of a 5-day battery life; that’s impressive for a smartwatch with a large display. Unfortunately you can’t take this watch for a swim. It’s IPS-68 certified — you’re good for a run in the rain. The watch is loaded in the fitness department — you can record 11 different sports and activities and there’s a whole bunch of sensors (including an optical heart rate sensor). The Verge combines both GPS and GLONASS (the Russian alternative to GPS) to effectively track your routes and distances.

In terms of other extras, the Verge allows you to store music (there’s about 2.5GB of storage available) and stream via Bluetooth headphones. You can catch up on key notifications on your wrist and also answer calls from Android devices (not available for iPhones though). It all adds up with an attractive price tag that makes the Verge a smartwatch worth checking out. (Rs 11,999)

Wireless chargers are here to stay especially for households with multiple devices (that are compatible for wireless charging). HUAWEI’s new charger addresses one of the biggest deal breakers for wireless chargers — charging speed. With 15W output, it gives you the same charging speed as most conventional chargers. The device uses the Qi standard and identifies smartphones or other devices intelligently and adjusts power output automatically.

We also like the HUAWEI charger’s clever ‘foreign object detection’ that allows it to detect other metal objects (like keys) that could be placed on it by mistake. It automatically switches off and avoids overheating. The charger stands out with its elegant design and unibody silicon surface and is also case compatible. You can leave most non-metal cases on when you charge your phone (Rs 3,999)