The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro is a performance-focused running smartwatch built for marathon runners, priced at $450, and designed to challenge premium competitors at a fraction of their cost. A week with this watch reveals why Amazfit’s latest flagship might tempt serious runners away from Garmin’s established lineup—and whether the $300 price gap actually reflects a meaningful difference in capability.
Key Takeaways
- The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro costs $450, undercutting the Garmin Forerunner 970 by $300.
- Its 3,000-nit display is brighter than the Forerunner 970’s screen, making it easier to read in direct sunlight.
- Grade 5 titanium frame, sapphire glass, and 45.6g weight deliver premium build quality at a lower price.
- 32GB of storage supports offline music and detailed training data.
- Battery life spans multiple days on a single charge, outlasting many competitors.
Display Brightness Sets It Apart From Garmin Forerunner 970
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro’s 3,000-nit display is objectively brighter than the Garmin Forerunner 970’s screen, which matters more than most runners realize. In direct sunlight—the exact moment you need to glance at your pace, heart rate, or distance—a dim screen becomes a liability. The Cheetah 2 Pro’s brightness advantage is not a minor incremental improvement; it is a practical difference that affects usability during outdoor training runs. This single feature alone justifies the price gap for athletes who train in bright conditions year-round.
The display is not just bright—it combines touchscreen functionality with four physical buttons that feature grippy textures and easy access while running. This dual-input approach avoids the frustration of accidentally triggering commands through sweat or rain, a common complaint with touch-only smartwatches. The button placement feels deliberate, designed for athletes wearing gloves or with wet hands.
Build Quality and Materials Rival Watches Costing Far More
At 45.6 grams with a 48mm case, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro uses a grade 5 titanium frame, plastic bezel, and sapphire glass. This material combination is not arbitrary—titanium resists corrosion and scratches better than aluminum, while sapphire glass protects the display from daily wear. Garmin reserves these premium materials for watches at the Fenix 8 level, yet Amazfit includes them at a $300 discount compared to the Forerunner 970.
The weight matters too. At 45.6 grams, the Cheetah 2 Pro sits comfortably on the wrist for 20-mile training runs without the fatigue that heavier watches can cause. Marathon runners accumulate thousands of wrist rotations during long training sessions; a lighter watch means less strain over time. The titanium frame also feels premium during daily wear, not like a budget compromise.
Storage and Battery Life Enable Serious Training Without Compromises
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro includes 32GB of storage, enough for offline music playlists and months of detailed training data. This matters for marathon training, where runners rely on music for motivation during long runs and need access to historical data to track progression. The watch can handle the data density that serious athletes generate without forcing cloud-only storage or constant syncing.
Battery life extends across multiple days on a single charge, making it practical for training camps, trail runs, or travel where frequent charging is inconvenient. Garmin’s Forerunner 970 also delivers multi-day battery life, but the Cheetah 2 Pro achieves this without Garmin’s premium pricing. For marathon training, where consistency and minimal friction matter, a watch that survives a full week of workouts without charging reduces one more variable from your routine.
What the Cheetah 2 Pro Sacrifices for Its Price
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro is not a perfect replica of the Garmin Forerunner 970. It lacks certain features that justify Garmin’s premium, specifically ECG functionality and preloaded topographic maps out of the box. For road marathoners who train on familiar routes, preloaded topo maps are unnecessary. For trail runners or ultramarathoners, that absence stings. ECG monitoring appeals to health-conscious athletes, but most marathon runners prioritize pace and cadence data over cardiac diagnostics.
The decision to skip these features reflects Amazfit’s targeting strategy: optimize for road and track marathoners, not wilderness athletes. This is not a weakness—it is a design choice that keeps costs down. Runners who need topo maps can use their phone or accept the Forerunner 970’s higher price. Runners who do not need those features find the Cheetah 2 Pro a bargain.
Does the Price Gap Reflect Real Performance Differences?
The $300 difference between the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro at $450 and the Garmin Forerunner 970 at $750 is substantial. That gap typically signals either Garmin’s brand premium or genuine feature advantages. In this case, it is mostly the former. Both watches deliver marathon-focused training data, multi-day battery life, and durable builds. The Forerunner 970 adds ECG and topo maps; the Cheetah 2 Pro adds a brighter display and lighter weight.
For most marathon runners, the Cheetah 2 Pro delivers 85% of the Forerunner 970’s value at 60% of the price. That math is difficult to ignore. The question is not whether the Cheetah 2 Pro is objectively better—it is not. The question is whether the Forerunner 970’s extras justify $300 more. For road marathoners, the answer is often no.
Should You Buy the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro Over the Garmin Forerunner 970?
If you are training for a road marathon and do not need ECG monitoring or preloaded topographic maps, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro is a compelling choice. The brighter display, lighter weight, titanium build, and 32GB storage create a package that feels premium without the Garmin price tag. If you trail run, need topo maps, or want cardiac monitoring, the Forerunner 970 is worth the premium. For everyone else, Amazfit’s latest just raised the bar for value in performance running watches.
Does the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro have music storage?
Yes, the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro includes 32GB of storage, which is enough for offline music playlists and months of training data. This allows marathon runners to load songs directly onto the watch without relying on a phone during long runs.
How does the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro battery compare to the Garmin Forerunner 970?
Both watches deliver multi-day battery life on a single charge, making them practical for extended training blocks. The Cheetah 2 Pro achieves this without Garmin’s premium pricing, though exact battery longevity depends on usage patterns and display brightness settings.
What features does the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro lack compared to Garmin?
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro does not include ECG functionality or preloaded topographic maps out of the box, features found on Garmin’s flagship models. For road marathoners, these omissions are minor; for trail athletes, they represent a meaningful trade-off for the lower price.
The Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro proves that premium running watch features no longer require premium pricing. For marathon runners who prioritize bright displays, durable builds, and reliable training data over niche features like ECG and topo maps, Amazfit has built a watch that delivers flagship capability at a price that makes the Garmin Forerunner 970 suddenly look less essential.
Where to Buy
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: Tom's Guide
