Quick verdict: the Amazfit Bip 5 Unity is a basic, very cheap fitness watch with long battery life. It’s a good first tracker or a Fitbit replacement for someone who mostly wants steps, sleep, heart rate and notifications. It is not a running watch, because it has no GPS of its own.

How we put this together: we haven’t worn one. This review is built from Amazfit’s published specs, independent spec databases, launch coverage and owner reviews. An earlier version of this page described features the watch doesn’t have (an AMOLED screen and built-in GPS). Those mistakes are fixed below.

What the Bip 5 Unity actually is

Amazfit launched the Bip 5 Unity in May 2024 as a cheaper sibling to the Bip 5. The specs that matter:

• 1.91 inch TFT LCD screen, 320 x 380 pixels, under 2.5D glass (not AMOLED)
• Stainless steel middle frame, about 24 g without the strap
• Connected GPS only, meaning it borrows your phone’s location; there’s no GPS chip in the watch
• Up to 11 days typical battery, about 5 days with heavy use, up to 26 days in battery saver
• IP68 water resistance, so rain and hand washing are fine, but it doesn’t carry the 5 ATM swim rating of pricier Amazfit models
• Heart rate, SpO2, stress and sleep tracking; no HRV readout
• 124 sport modes, Bluetooth 5.2, and Bluetooth calling plus Alexa on some regional versions

Screen, fit and battery

The TFT screen is the main place the low price shows. It’s big and sharp enough for notifications and stats, but it won’t have the contrast or outdoor punch of an AMOLED watch, and there’s no always on mode to speak of. At around 24 g it’s light, which matters for sleep tracking, and the quick release strap pins make it easy to swap bands.

Battery is the strong point. Eleven days of typical use is a lot for a watch at this price, and owner reviews generally line up with Amazfit’s numbers when notifications and continuous heart rate are left at defaults.

Workout tracking

This is where you need to know what you’re buying. With connected GPS, the watch only maps an outdoor run or ride if your phone comes along. Leave the phone at home and you get time, heart rate and estimated distance, not a route. For walks, gym sessions and treadmill runs that’s fine. If you run outside without your phone, skip this and look at the Active 2, which has its own dual band GPS.

The 124 sport modes are mostly labels; most people will use walking, running, cycling and strength training. Auto detection covers the common ones like outdoor running, walking, elliptical and rowing.

Sleep and health

Sleep tracking covers stages, a sleep score and awakenings, and the Zepp app presents it clearly. Like every wrist tracker, the stage numbers are estimates, so watch trends rather than single nights. SpO2 is spot check style and heart rate is continuous. There’s no HRV readout, which is the main thing recovery focused buyers will miss.

What It’s Missing

• No music storage on the watch itself
• No always on cellular (this is a Bluetooth watch only)
• Limited third party app support compared to Wear OS or Apple Watch
• Voice assistant requires phone proximity
• No NFC payments

If any of those are dealbreakers, this isnt your watch. The Bip 5 Unity is specifically for people who want fitness tracking and basic phone notifications without the smartwatch complexity.

Bip 5 Unity vs Amazfit Active 2

The Active 2 is roughly $170 to $200 depending on the variant. Its got dual-band GPS, brighter screen, more refined software, and slightly better workout tracking. If you take fitness tracking seriously, the Active 2 is the better buy.

The Bip 5 Unity at $55 is the better buy for casual users. You give up some tracking precision and feature polish but you save half the money. If a watch is replacing a Fitbit or being your first tracker, the Bip 5 Unity is more than enough.

Bip 5 Unity vs Apple Watch SE

Apples cheapest watch (SE 2nd gen) is around $250. Its a better smartwatch by every objective measure. It also has 18 hour battery life and locks you into the Apple ecosystem. The Bip 5 Unity is a focused fitness tracker that happens to do basic smartwatch stuff. Totally different products for different people.

Who Should Buy This

• First time smartwatch buyers who dont want to drop $300+ to figure out if they like wrist tech
• Anyone wearing a Fitbit Inspire or Charge who wants a real screen
• Casual runners and gym goers who want workout tracking but dont care about advanced metrics
• People with Android phones who dont want Wear OS battery anxiety
• Anyone who likes the look of premium watches but doesn’t want to spend $200+

Who Should Skip

• Anyone who runs or rides outside without their phone (there is no built-in GPS)
• People who want HRV based recovery data
• Lap swimmers (IP68, no 5 ATM swim rating)
• iPhone users who want full integration (Apple Watch is the obvious pick)
• People who want to leave their phone at home (no cellular)
• Anyone who wants to pay at registers from their wrist (no NFC)