Zepp Health has pushed firmware version 6.1.206.1 to the Amazfit Balance 3, bringing a 19.57 megabyte package packed with new navigation management tools, data fields and altitude fixes.
Maps get easier to manage
This adds support for deleting maps, resuming downloads, updating maps and handling other map operations from the Zepp Health app. The path is Zepp Health app, Device, Map Management and then the icon in the upper right corner.
That sounds like admin work, because it is. But offline maps are one of those features that only feel good when the boring stuff works properly. If downloads fail, storage fills up or you cannot easily clear regions you no longer need, the feature quickly becomes more hassle than it should be.
The update also improves map downloading when the watch battery is low. Balance 3 can now download maps while charging in that situation, which should make large offline map transfers less fussy.
Better route handling on the watch
Routes also get a bit of attention. Zepp Health says the maximum number of stored routes on the watch has been improved, with support now going up to 100 routes.
Route navigation text has also been cleaned up. The wording on start point setup and destination arrival pages should now be clearer.
There is also a change to offline round-trip route planning. Balance 3 now supports three options: Save Route Only, Save Route and Navigate and Start Navigation Only. That gives users a bit more control over whether they simply want to generate a route for later or start following it immediately.
Turn alerts during route navigation have also been adjusted. Zepp Health says it has optimized their sensitivity.
Runners get new data fields
The update adds a Lap GAP data field for Outdoor Run and Trail Run. This can be set through the workout settings data page under the pace class, with options for Last Lap GAP and Current Lap GAP.
There is also a new HybridCharge data field during workouts. That sits under the Other Class section in the workout data page settings.
Support for writing HRV data to Apple Health has also been added.
The altitude fix is worth watching
One line in the release notes stands out: “Optimized the accuracy of workout altitude data.” That is interesting because, in my recent 7.5K Balance 3 versus Garmin comparison, elevation was one of the obvious mismatches. Garmin recorded 49 metres of ascent and 26 metres of descent, while the Amazfit logged 6 metres gained and 4 metres lost on a mostly flat lake route.
That does not automatically mean the new firmware will make Balance 3 match Garmin. Altitude can vary between platforms because of GPS, barometer behaviour, correction algorithms and how each brand processes the workout after the fact. But it is good to see Zepp Health touching this area, because distance, heart rate and cadence were already quite solid in that test.
