Mi Band maker Huami teases what could be a rugged Amazfit smartwatch

The Xiaomi Mi Band is possibly Huami’s biggest success story even though it makes its own Amazfit branded fitness wearables too. While we await the launch of the Mi Band 5 (also a Huami-made product) the company has started teasing a new smartwatch called the Amazfit Ares.

Huami first acknowledged the existence of the fitness watch back in April. It has now confirmed that the watch will launch on May 19.

An official teaser posted by the company on Weibo shows the octagonal shape of the Amazfit Ares. It appears to have four navigation buttons on both sides and is shown in green and black colorways.

Additionally, it features a color display and a familiar UI that we’ve also seen on previous Amazfit watches. The wearable is teased to come with over 70 different sports modes, Firstbeat training analysis features, and more.

Is it a rugged smartwatch?

The Amazfit Ares looks like it’s built to survive shocks, drops, and possibly water immersion. The display seems to be protected by a thick plastic and rubber enclosure. Even the straps look like they’re made out of a durable silicone material. Given its chunky design and the fact that official teaser images show it in a jungle-like background, the Ares could turn out to be a rugged smartwatch.

We don’t know much else about it yet, but we expect the watch will have features like built-in GPS, a heart-rate sensor, sleep tracking, and more.

Related: Amazfit’s next smartwatch packs a slick curved screen

As far as Amazfit smartwatches go, Huami manages to do a decent job in terms of design, battery life, and watch UI. However, its accompanying app is pretty cumbersome and so is the software update process. There are also no third apps available onboard Amazfit watches, which is a bummer.

We hope the brand can work on these aspects to improve the user experience of its wearables going forward.