Compare Amazfit Balance 2 vs Garmin Approach S70

Reviewers found the watch good at recognizing strength movements and logged reps, especially for mainstream gym exercises, though exotic movements could still require manual edits.

Auto-detection is supported mainly through automatic shot tracking and measured-shot behavior, with positive convenience but some manual confirmation or sensor caveats.

The app ecosystem exists and includes a store, but reviewers repeatedly describe it as narrower and less polished than Apple, Google, Garmin, or Wear OS ecosystems.

The Garmin ecosystem is praised for tying golf, fitness, watch faces, and Connect IQ-style additions together.

Band quality is generally praised: reviewers note included silicone straps, comfort, easy cleaning, and extra color options in the box.

Band quality is mixed: reviewers like comfort and integrated looks, but several dislike the molded strap not laying flat or prefer older straps.

Battery life is the strongest consensus point, with reviewers reporting week-plus to multi-week endurance and far better stamina than many smartwatch rivals.

Battery life is one of the strongest positives, with reviewers reporting long smartwatch use, multiple rounds, and much better endurance than Apple Watch comparisons.

Blood oxygen tracking is present as part of the health sensor suite, with reviewers noting SPO2/blood-oxygen readings alongside heart-rate and stress data.

Pulse ox and blood oxygen tracking are present in several reviews and treated as part of the S70’s higher-end health sensor package.

Bluetooth support is solid for calls, external sensors, and accessories, with reviewers noting Bluetooth calls and paired heart-rate or cycling sensors.

Bluetooth connectivity is supported through Bluetooth music and headphone pairing, though the evidence is functional rather than deeply evaluated.

Brightness is widely praised, especially the 2,000-nit AMOLED display, though one reviewer found the screen coating less ideal in bright sunlight.

Brightness is repeatedly praised, with reviewers describing the screen as bright, crisp, colorful, and clear.

Build quality is viewed as premium for the price, with reviewers citing solid construction, aluminum elements, sapphire glass, and a sturdy feel.

Build quality is viewed positively, with reviewers describing a lightweight, well-designed build and confidence-inspiring construction.

Button controls are a positive, with reviewers praising the crown and physical buttons, though one noted default button logic could be confusing.

Button controls are generally praised, with reviewers liking the three-button setup and easy navigation support.

Call handling is consistently useful through the onboard microphone and speaker, with several reviewers praising volume, clarity, and Bluetooth calling.

Call handling is limited because reviewers say the watch can show or manage calls but cannot be used to actually speak through the watch.

Calorie and food tracking stands out when reviewers discuss Zepp’s food logging, AI meal capture, and everyday calorie metrics.

Charging is convenient enough through a compact USB-C cradle or puck, but multiple reviewers note that a cable may not be included or that the charger is proprietary.

Charging convenience is mixed to negative, with reviewers repeatedly mentioning proprietary charging, USB-C adapter issues, and awkward face-down charging.

Charging speed is generally acceptable to quick, with reviewers reporting roughly one hour to one hour fifteen minutes in some tests and under two hours in another.

Charging speed has limited but positive support from one reviewer who says it does not take long to fully charge.

Coaching features are mixed: workout building and AI insights can help, but several reviewers found Zepp Coach or training guidance less polished or impersonal.

Coaching features are one of the S70’s strongest themes, with virtual caddie, PlaysLike, club suggestions, shot dispersion, and scoring advice appearing across many reviews.

Comfort is broadly positive despite the larger case; reviewers cite lightweight feel, comfortable straps, and wearable day-to-day fit.

Comfort is a major strength, with reviewers saying the watch disappears, sits comfortably, and does not bother them during golf or sleep.

The Zepp companion app receives mixed-to-positive feedback: reviewers like its dashboards and insights, but some call it busy or lacking polish.

Companion app quality is generally positive, especially Garmin Golf for round data, stats, and ecosystem value, with setup requirements noted.

Contactless payments are supported through Zepp Pay or NFC, but availability is region-dependent and at least one US reviewer could not use tap-to-pay.

Contactless payments are available through Garmin Pay, but evidence is mixed because bank support and setup can be limiting in some regions.

Cross-platform compatibility is a strength, with reviewers noting Android and iOS support plus integrations such as Google Fit or health platforms.

Cross-platform compatibility is positive overall because the watch pairs with iPhone and Android, though notification controls differ by platform.

Customization is strong, with reviewers noting configurable watch faces, interface options, button preferences, and many ways to tune the experience.

Customization is strong, with reviewers noting data fields, colors, golf settings, watch faces, and movable pin or flag controls.

Display quality is usually praised for its AMOLED panel, clarity, sapphire cover, and resolution, though one reviewer disliked the sunlight-reflective look.

Display quality is the strongest consensus attribute: reviewers repeatedly praise the AMOLED screen’s sharpness, clarity, color, and impact on maps.

Durability is a strong point because of sapphire glass, scratch resistance, 10 ATM water resistance, and reported lack of scratches during testing.

Durability has limited direct support but is positive where mentioned, with the scratch-proof lens cited.

ECG functionality is missing; reviewers explicitly note that the watch does not include ECG/electrocardiogram recording.

Fit is generally acceptable for average wrists, but one reviewer warns the larger, thicker body may be noticeable on smaller wrists.

Fit is positive, helped by wrist comfort, swing clearance, and the smaller 42mm option for users who found larger cases too big.

Fitness tracking accuracy is mostly positive across workouts, swimming, and stats, though scientific testing found some limitations in detailed heart-rate scenarios.

Fitness and shot-tracking accuracy is mostly positive, with reviewers praising Garmin-level sensor accuracy and convenient data, though some note shot-tracking limitations.

GPS accuracy is broadly praised in most reviews, including golf and outdoor tracking, while one scientific review calls it only okay rather than class-leading.

GPS and yardage accuracy are consistently praised, including quick GPS lock, accurate yardages, and close agreement with rangefinder-style measurements.

Health tracking accuracy is generally solid for heart rate, SPO2, and overall trends, though reviewers note some metrics can be generous or imperfect.

Reviewers describe broad health tracking as useful and Garmin-level accurate, especially when combining sleep, stress, heart rate, pulse ox, and fitness metrics.

Heart-rate accuracy is a major strength in many reviews, with strong results in running and daily tracking, but weightlifting and some outdoor cycling results are less consistent.

Heart rate appears as part of the S70’s fitness and wellness tracking, with reviewers treating it as a useful everyday metric rather than a golf-only add-on.

LTE connectivity is absent; reviewers repeatedly state there is no LTE, cellular option, or independent phone-free connection.

Mapping and navigation are a major strength, with detailed hole maps, hazard views, pin movement, blind-shot tools, and full-color course layouts repeatedly praised.

Materials quality is consistently viewed as premium for the price, with aluminum, fiber-reinforced polymer, sapphire glass, and solid-feeling hardware mentioned.

Materials quality is positive in the available evidence, especially the ceramic bezel and premium-feeling build.

Menu navigation is mixed: some reviewers call it easy and responsive, while others find maps, routes, or dense menus less intuitive.

Menu navigation is mixed: several reviews praise simple starts and quick menus, while touch-heavy hole navigation frustrates one reviewer.

Music controls are supported and described positively in one review through a well-optimized music player with playback controls.

Music controls are present, but reviewers split between liking access and finding Garmin’s menu path less convenient than Apple Watch behavior.

Onboard music storage is useful through 32GB storage and MP3 uploads, but reviewers criticize the lack of streaming-service sync.

Onboard music storage is a clear plus, with multiple reviewers noting downloaded songs or playlists from services such as Spotify or Amazon Music.

The operating system is generally responsive and intuitive, with Zepp OS praised by some reviewers but still behind fuller smartwatch platforms.

Operating system experience is mixed: one reviewer finds Garmin software mostly intuitive, while another says the OS hurts enjoyment on the course.

Outdoor visibility is usually good thanks to brightness, but one reviewer reports a washed-out reflective effect in bright sunlight.

Outdoor visibility is excellent across reviews, with several reviewers saying bright sunlight or sun glare did not prevent easy reading.

Pairing reliability is positive in the reviews that discuss setup, syncing courses, Google Health Connect, or watch setup.

Pairing reliability has limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer calling phone pairing straightforward through Garmin’s apps.

Recovery insights are mixed-to-positive: BioCharge and readiness-style metrics are useful to several reviewers, but some training-load or readiness results can feel generous.

Recovery insight evidence is limited but supported by HRV readiness language, tying recovery-style feedback to sleep and heart-rate variability.

Reliability is generally good for core use, tracking, and basics, though reviews still surface limitations in software polish and some measurement edge cases.

Reliability is mixed: GPS/course lock and battery endurance are praised, but one reviewer reports missed shot detections.

Safety features are lightly evidenced through health alerts for unusually high or low readings; no broader emergency-safety system is strongly reviewed.

Safety features have limited support, with one guide noting an assistance/fall-detection-style safety feature.

Size options are limited because reviewers note a single black color option and a fixed larger case size rather than multiple size variants.

Size options are widely praised because the S70 offers both smaller and larger versions, though color choices are limited in some reviews.

Sleep tracking accuracy is mixed: some reviewers find it close to Oura or improved, while scientific testing criticizes REM-stage accuracy.

Sleep tracking gets frequent attention, with reviewers noting sleep scores, deep sleep or REM data, and morning feedback, though one reviewer questions how helpful the messaging feels.

Notifications are useful for viewing and replying, especially on Android, but richer notification actions and smartwatch-level interaction remain limited.

Notifications are useful but mixed: reviewers like seeing messages and alerts, yet some call them distracting or limited for replies and conversation flow.

Smartwatch features are adequate but not flagship-level; reviewers praise calls, notifications, apps, and tools while noting limits versus Apple or Wear OS.

Smartwatch features are strong for a golf watch, but reviewers still flag limitations compared with dedicated Apple or Android smartwatches.

Software smoothness is mostly strong, with praise for fluidity and responsiveness, but some reviewers mention polish issues or occasional stutters.

Software smoothness is a noted weakness in limited evidence, especially around pan-and-zoom behavior on the course.

Step counting is mentioned positively in limited evidence, mainly as an advanced counter one reviewer found useful.

Stress tracking is present and generally responsive, appearing alongside heart-rate, SPO2, temperature, and wellness metrics in several reviews.

Stress tracking is widely mentioned; some reviewers found it surprisingly accurate or habit-changing, while one reviewer considered it less valuable.

Style and design are widely liked, with reviewers describing the watch as sleek, premium, modern, mature, and suitable beyond workouts.

Style and design are positive, with reviewers calling the S70 stylish, modern, and suitable beyond the course.

Third-party app support is a common weakness, especially around missing Spotify, streaming services, app integrations, and broader training-platform support.

Third-party app support is useful but not always seamless, with Connect IQ and downloadable apps/features appearing as the main support path.

Touchscreen responsiveness is strong, with reviewers noting responsive swipes, taps, smooth scrolling, and natural touch interaction.

Touchscreen responsiveness is mixed: some reviewers find it good or responsive, while others find on-course panning and zooming fiddly.

The user interface is mostly positive and responsive, though some reviewers find dense menus or default logic initially confusing.

User interface evidence is limited but negative where cited, focused on the touchscreen interface feeling fiddly during golf use.

Value for money is a major strength because reviewers repeatedly compare the feature set favorably against pricier sports watches and smartwatches.

Value for money is mixed but generally favorable for advanced golfers: reviewers praise value if using the full feature set, while warning basic-yardage users can spend less.

Voice assistant quality is generally positive for Zepp Flow, with reviewers praising natural speech, fast responses, and useful hands-free controls, though one called it only mildly useful.

Watch face quality is mixed: customization and downloads are available, but some reviewers dislike the preloaded or available watch-face selection.

Watch face quality is well supported, with reviewers praising built-in faces, Connect IQ options, and the AMOLED screen making faces look better.

Water resistance is consistently strong, with reviewers emphasizing 10 ATM, 100-meter protection, swimming, and even diving-oriented capability.

Water resistance is positive, with reviewers citing 5 ATM or 50-meter ratings and shower/swim use.

Wellness insights are a strength where BioCharge, energy trends, daily recommendations, and food or sleep insights are discussed.

Wellness insights are a major differentiator, especially Body Battery, sleep, stress, energy, and Garmin’s explanations of what the metrics mean.

Wi-Fi connectivity is present, but review evidence is limited to one reviewer noting Wi-Fi support and recommending keeping it off except for updates or downloads.

Wi-Fi connectivity is lightly supported by setup/menu evidence showing the watch can connect to Wi-Fi for updates.

Workout tracking variety is outstanding, with reviewers repeatedly noting 170-plus sport modes, golf, HYROX, strength training, diving, swimming, and other activities.

Workout variety is a clear strength, with reviewers citing running, cycling, swimming, yoga, skiing, pickleball, and other activity modes.