$600 Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra emerged as ZDNET's pick after a month of running, biking and hiking tests against the $850 Garmin Fenix 8.
Battery life drove the verdict: Amazfit is rated for 30 days in smartwatch mode versus Garmin's 16, while Garmin held a slight edge in GPS endurance at 35 hours versus 33.
Amazfit won on value and runner-focused features, including Hyrox support, trail-running tools and AI-based Zepp Coach training plans, while avoiding most subscription costs.
Garmin still stood out for divers and outdoor users with 10 ATM water resistance, a 40-meter dive rating, broader sensor and app integrations, plus music and contactless payments.