The Amazfit Helio Ring just became a much more compelling smart ring

What you need to know

• The Amazfit Helio Ring is getting a permanent discount from $299 to $199.
• The Zepp Aura ($69/year) and Zepp Fitness ($29/year) subscriptions are now available to Helio Ring users "for free, for life."
• A redesigned Zepp app is launching next month with new features like exertion score and food camera diary.

Amazfit has permanently discounted the Helio Ring to $199 and made its two hidden subscriptions free to all new and existing Helio Ring owners, eliminating one of our biggest complaints about the smart ring.

Amazfit claimed at launch that the Helio Ring had "no subscriptions required," which we called "disingenous" in our Amazfit Helio Ring review because certain sleep insights, fitness summaries, and chatbot conversations did require expensive subscriptions. 

"We heard the feedback and are now offering all of the Zepp Aura and Zepp Fitness features to new and existing ring users for free, for life," an Amazfit rep told us on Thursday.

Zepp Aura will assess possible issues like sleep apnea, insomnia, and general sleepiness while analyzing your Helio Ring sleep data, as well as offer wellness coaching and an "AI audio engine" that plays relaxing music through your phone for better sleep. The Zepp Fitness sub lets you see in-depth weekly or monthly Fitness Reports and a fitness-focused chatbot to help you with your training.

Combined, the Zepp Aura and Zepp Fitness subs cost $100/year with annual passes, more than the $70 annual fee for an Oura Ring Gen 3 membership. Now, Helio Ring owners will get these tools for free.

We've asked Amazfit if Helio Ring owners who previously subscribed to Zepp Aura or Fitness will get a refund or rebate, and we will update this post if we hear back.

Compared to the Oura Ring ($300–550 + $6/month subscription), the Samsung Galaxy Ring ($399), the RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring ($299), and most other smart rings we've tested, the Amazfit Helio Ring ($199) is now significantly more affordable. It still has other issues like short battery life and limited ring size options, but they're easier to swallow at this price point.

Amazfit also announced that it'll launch the new version of its Zepp app on October 14, available to all Amazfit watch and ring owners. It'll have "an entirely new and improved redesign," along with new features like a workout exertion score, a health monitoring section, and a food camera diary.

Specific to health monitoring, the Zepp app will lump together key stats like physical/mental recovery, RHR, HRV, deep sleep total, exertion load, and training status and warn you which stats "need attention." If everything is where it should be, the Health Monitor will say you're "Within Range" in the main Today view.

The lower price, combined with this Zepp app revamp, have us more optimistic about the Amazfit Helio Ring as a budget smart ring option, even if plenty of people will pay extra for other brands.