Huami has been making fitness bands for Xiaomi since the very first Mi Band, and two years ago the manufacturer branched out and started selling wearables under its own Amazfit brand. The Amazfit Verge in particular turned out to be a fantastic fitness-focused smartwatch, and there's now a new one.

The Verge 2 features a set of key upgrades that make it an even better option in the wearable space. The smartwatch now offers eSIM support, allowing it to make and receive calls without being connected to a phone. The Verge 2 is compatible with all major carriers in China, and it'll be interesting to see if Huami retains the feature in the global version of the smartwatch.

Another major addition is real-time ECG, facilitated by Huami's custom Huangshan No. 1 always-on AI chip. The chip has a cardiac biometrics engine that allows for more accurate heart rate monitoring, as well as real-time ECG screening for any abnormalities like heart arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation. The smartwatch will be able to store up to 60 minutes of ECG data locally for seven days.

On the hardware front, the Verge 2 features a 1.39-inch 454 x 454 AMOLED panel with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, IP68 dust and water resistance, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, and built-in GPS/GLONASS as well as NFC. The smartwatch is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform, and you get 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. The 420mAh battery is rated for a single day's worth of use on a full charge, and the Verge 2 also has a microphone.

Like its predecessor, the Verge 2 is able to automatically track 10 activities, including running, walking, indoor running, indoor riding, elliptical, mountaineering, skipping, outdoor riding, football, and trail running. The design now sees a microcrystalline zirconium ceramic frame instead of a polycarbonate chassis, and that should make the smartwatch more durable.