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| The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro offers three features I would not want to miss on a modern smartwatch. |
A long-term Garmin user puts the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro through its paces—and discovers three features that might just make you reconsider your next smartwatch purchase.
When I first strapped the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro to my wrist, I'll admit I was skeptical. As someone who has spent years relying on Garmin devices for everything from weekend trail runs to city navigation, I've developed a certain loyalty to the brand. But at $450 on Amazon, the Cheetah 2 Pro represents a compelling alternative that's hard to ignore.
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro impresses in testing as a feature-rich smartwatch with a restrained design that is not perfect in every practical detail. Priced competitively in the mid-range segment, it offers three features I would not want to miss on a smartwatch—and not only when I am outdoors.
Standalone Navigation and Offline Maps: A Game-Changer for Travelers
As a longtime Garmin user, this is nothing entirely new, but offline maps and on-device navigation are increasingly available even in more affordable smartwatches. The Amazfit Active 2 offers similar functionality at a lower price point, but the Cheetah 2 Pro takes things to another level entirely.
Many Amazfit models now offer local navigation features, while Garmin still reserves the full experience much more strictly for higher-end models. Wrist-based maps are clearly aimed at more ambitious athletes, but they are also genuinely useful for everyday users: With POIs and turn-by-turn navigation, as offered by the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro, they add real value on a city trip.
Your smartphone can stay in your pocket, which saves battery and keeps your hands free. This might sound like a minor convenience, but anyone who has fumbled with their phone while navigating an unfamiliar city knows exactly how valuable this can be.
The Feature I Initially Underestimated
A specific feature offered by the Cheetah 2 Pro, among others, that I initially underestimated is its round-trip routing function. Starting from the current location, the watch can generate a loop route with a defined distance, a chosen activity type, and a preferred direction of travel.
That is especially useful on vacation, because simply heading out without a plan often means retracing your steps or missing your target distance. During a recent trip to Barcelona, this feature transformed my morning runs from aimless jogs into purposeful explorations of the city's hidden corners.
Wrist-based maps offer a major convenience boost that becomes apparent the moment you stop pulling out your phone every few minutes to check your position.
Always-On Display and Long Battery Life: The Perfect Compromise
One major advantage Garmin has emphasized for years with its MiP displays is low power consumption and excellent readability without backlighting. The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro takes a different approach with its AMOLED display, yet it still offers an always-on mode along with watch faces designed to remain highly readable in sunlight.
Even though the automatic wake-up of the display worked reliably on the review unit, I would not want to do without always-on functionality. That is partly a matter of taste, but it is also simply practical. At a glance, you can see the time, your heart rate, or your next turn without making any exaggerated wrist movements.
The highly readable always-on display means you're never left guessing, whether you're hiking through dense forest or navigating a busy subway station.
At the same time, I do not want to charge my smartwatch constantly. Under demanding conditions, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro achieved a realistic battery life of just under a week. That is not exceptional on paper, but in daily use it is perfectly usable. I found myself charging roughly every five to six days, which is more than acceptable for a smartwatch with this many features.
The Built-in Flashlight: A Feature You Didn't Know You Needed
You often only realize how much you have been missing certain things once they suddenly become available. That was also the case for me with the flashlight built into the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro. It utilizes two white LEDs and an additional red LED—a thoughtful touch that makes the watch equally useful for preserving night vision during stargazing or late-night hikes.
As expected, its maximum brightness is limited compared with a dedicated flashlight. Subjectively, it is slightly brighter than an Honor 400 flashlight at its highest setting, but it illuminates a much smaller area. Even so, the light output is more than sufficient to avoid tripping in the dark.
Whether you're fumbling for keys in a dark parking lot, navigating a poorly lit trail, or simply trying to find something you dropped under the sofa, this feature proves surprisingly indispensable. On the Cheetah 2 Pro, the flashlight is conveniently activated by long-pressing a function button—a gesture that becomes muscle memory surprisingly quickly.
Design and Build Quality: Restrained Elegance
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro doesn't scream for attention. Its restrained design makes it equally appropriate for the boardroom and the trailhead. The lightweight titanium alloy case feels premium without being ostentatious, and the silicone strap is comfortable enough for all-day wear.
While it may not reach the rugged durability of Garmin's Fenix series, it strikes an excellent balance between style and functionality. For the vast majority of users, this will be more than sufficient.
Should You Buy the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro?
At $450, the Cheetah 2 Pro occupies an interesting position in the market. It's not the cheapest smartwatch available, nor is it the most expensive. What it offers is exceptional value for money, combining features that typically require spending significantly more on a Garmin device.
The three standout features—offline maps with navigation, always-on display with solid battery life, and the built-in flashlight—make this watch genuinely competitive in the mid-range segment.
Is it perfect? No. The sleep tracking could be more accurate, and the heart rate monitor occasionally struggles during intense interval training. But for most users, these are minor quibbles rather than deal-breakers.
If you've been eyeing Garmin's premium offerings but balking at the price point, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro deserves serious consideration. It delivers the core features that matter most at a fraction of the cost.
Price and availability subject to change. Check the current price on Amazon:
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| The red LED provides a glare-free alternative for the dark |
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| Not a powerhouse, but the built-in flashlight is practical |
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| The highly readable always-on display |
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| Wrist-based maps offer a major convenience boost |