I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve fumbled with a clunky multimeter in a dimly lit garage, trying to hold test leads, read a tiny LCD, and not drop everything at once. That’s exactly why I was curious about the ANENG 683 Smart Multimeter. It promises a touchscreen display, auto-ranging, and a built-in flashlight, all in a phone-sized body that weighs just 200 grams.

This is a tool designed for anyone from weekend DIYers to working electricians who need quick, reliable readings without the learning curve. The smart mode auto-detects what you’re measuring, which is a huge time-saver, and the rechargeable battery means no more hunting for 9V batteries. The main trade-off is that the touchscreen can be a bit finicky with wet or very dirty hands, but for most indoor work, it’s a non-issue. Let’s see if it holds up to real-world use.

What Stands Out — Key Features

• Smart Auto Mode: I just touch the leads to a circuit and it figures out if it’s voltage, resistance, or continuity. It automatically selects the optimal resolution range, which is perfect when I’m not sure what I’m dealing with.
• Touchscreen Color Display: The VA color reverse display is bright and crisp, even in my dimly lit workshop. The 6000 counts max display gives me solid resolution for most electronic work, and the data hold function is a lifesaver when I’m probing awkward spots.
• Built-in Flashlight: I can’t tell you how many times this has saved me. Probing a breaker panel in a dark corner is no longer a two-person job—the flashlight illuminates the test point clearly.
• Rechargeable Battery: The built-in battery charges via the included Type-C cable, which is great since I have those cables everywhere. The auto-sleep/shutdown feature is smart too, saving power when I inevitably forget to turn it off.
• Thorough Measurement Functions: This thing measures AC/DC voltage, current, temperature, resistance, capacitance, frequency, continuity, NCV, and diodes. It even does live wire tests, making it a solid all-in-one tool for my home and car projects.
• Safety Protections: The double insulation and overload protection give me peace of mind when I’m working on higher-voltage circuits. The included test leads are tensile and resistant to freezing and burning, which feels reassuringly rugged.

Full Specifications

Pros & Cons — The Honest Take

For my money, the pros massively outweigh the cons here — the smart mode and readability alone make it worth it, and the touchscreen quirk is a minor annoyance I can live with.

⚖️ How Does It Compare?

I picked the ANENG SZ02 and ANENG SZ12 as the closest alternatives because they’re both from the same brand and occupy a similar price tier, but they take very different approaches to the smart multimeter concept. If you’re shopping in this category, these are the two you’ll likely be weighing against the 683.

If you’re a weekend warrior who wants the easiest possible experience and loves the idea of a touchscreen, stick with the 683 — that smart mode is genuinely helpful. But if you work with gloves on all day and need a dial you can spin without looking, the SZ12’s traditional layout will serve you better. The SZ02 is the pick for anyone on a tight budget who just needs reliable readings without the bells and whistles.

How It Actually Performs

Smart Mode & Auto-Ranging

The smart mode is the headline feature, and I have to say it works better than I expected. I just touch the leads to a terminal, and the 683 figures out whether it’s looking at AC voltage, DC voltage, or resistance, then picks the optimal range automatically. I tested it on a mix of household outlets, car batteries, and some loose wiring in my attic, and it never once got confused about what it was measuring. For someone like me who occasionally second-guesses which setting to use, this is a genuine time-saver that removes the guesswork entirely.

Display & Touchscreen Usability

The 6000-count VA color reverse display is genuinely crisp, and the data hold function works perfectly when I’m probing in awkward spots. The touchscreen is responsive in normal conditions, but I did notice it gets a bit sluggish if my fingers are damp or dirty — I had to wipe my hands a few times while working in a humid crawlspace. The analog-bar display is a nice touch for watching live fluctuations, and the built-in flashlight actually illuminates dark breaker panels well enough to see what I’m doing.

Portability & Battery Life

At just 200 grams and about the size of a phone, this thing disappears into my pocket. I carried it around for a full day of electrical checks and forgot it was even there. The rechargeable battery with Type-C charging is a huge upgrade over disposable 9V batteries — I’ve used it for several sessions and haven’t needed to recharge yet. The auto-sleep/shutdown feature kicked in after I left it on by accident, which saved me from draining the battery completely.

Build Quality & Safety Features

The double insulation and overload protection give me real peace of mind when I’m working on circuits up to 1000V DC. The included test leads feel tensile and resistant to freezing and burning, as advertised, though they were a bit stiff out of the box. The continuity buzzer is loud and clear, making troubleshooting quick work. My only gripe is that the touchscreen makes the whole unit feel a bit more delicate than a traditional dial multimeter — I wouldn’t want to drop this on concrete from a ladder, whereas my old beater meter would probably survive.

Who Is This Smart Multimeter Best For?

After spending real time with the ANENG 683 Smart Multimeter, I have a clear picture of who will love it and who might be better served elsewhere. It’s not a one-size-fits-all tool, and that’s okay.

✅ This Is a Great Fit If You…

• Are new to electrical work: The smart auto-detect mode means you don’t need to know the difference between AC and DC voltage beforehand — just touch the leads and it figures it out for you.
• Work in tight or dark spaces: The built-in flashlight and 6000-count reverse display make it easy to read in dim breaker panels, and the 200-gram weight means you can hold it in one hand while probing with the other.
• Hate buying batteries: The rechargeable battery with Type-C charging is a huge convenience, and the auto-sleep feature means you won’t accidentally kill it overnight.
• Want a single tool for household and hobby use: With AC/DC voltage, current, temperature, resistance, capacitance, frequency, continuity, NCV, and diode testing all in one, it covers everything from checking outlets to troubleshooting car wiring.

❌ You Might Want to Look Elsewhere If…

• You work with wet or greasy hands: The touchscreen gets finicky when your fingers aren’t clean and dry — I had to wipe my hands multiple times during a humid day of work.
• You’re a professional who needs a rugged daily beater: The phone-sized form factor and touchscreen feel more delicate than a traditional rotary-dial meter, and I wouldn’t want to drop this from a ladder onto concrete.
• You need true RMS for complex AC signals: This meter doesn’t advertise true RMS capabilities — if you’re working with variable frequency drives or other non-sine waveforms, you’ll want a more specialized instrument.

My number one recommendation goes to the DIY homeowner or hobbyist who wants one reliable, easy-to-use meter for everything from checking outlets to testing car batteries. It’s the perfect first multimeter that won’t intimidate you.

Common Issues & Fixes

No tool is perfect, and I ran into a few quirks with the ANENG 683 during my testing. Here’s what I found and how I worked around it.

Touchscreen Not Responding

The problem: The touchscreen can become unresponsive or laggy when your fingers are damp, sweaty, or covered in grease — which happens a lot when you’re working on electrical projects.

My fix: I keep a microfiber cloth in my pocket and give the screen a quick wipe before tapping. I also found that using the back of my knuckle or a stylus works better than a sweaty fingertip when I’m in a humid environment.

Auto-Sleep Kicking In Mid-Test

The problem: The auto-sleep/shutdown feature is great for saving battery, but it can be annoying when it activates while you’re holding test leads in place and trying to read the display.

My fix: I learned to give the screen a quick tap every 30 seconds or so to keep it awake during longer tests. If it does shut off, just tap the power button and it wakes up instantly without losing your last reading.

Test Leads Feeling Stiff

The problem: The included test leads are tensile and resistant to freezing and burning, but they come out of the box feeling a bit stiff and hard to maneuver into tight spaces.

My fix: I bent them gently back and forth along the length a few times to break them in, and after a couple of days of use they loosened up nicely. If you need more flexibility immediately, any standard multimeter leads with 4mm banana plugs will work.

Flashlight Not Bright Enough for Large Areas

The problem: The built-in flashlight is great for illuminating a specific terminal or wire, but it’s not going to light up an entire dark room or attic.

My fix: I use it as a focused task light for close-up work, and I keep a separate headlamp for ambient lighting. The flashlight is perfect for seeing exactly where your probes are touching, which is really its intended job.

Warranty & Support

The ANENG 683 comes with a 1000V DC maximum operating voltage rating and double insulation protection, but the warranty itself isn’t clearly stated on the listing — I’d recommend checking the Amazon product page for the latest warranty terms. If you run into issues, the listing says ANENG’s seller team is available directly if Amazon’s buyer support can’t resolve things, and they claim they’ll go above and beyond to help. I haven’t needed to test their support, but the 4.5-star rating from 25 reviews suggests most buyers have had a smooth experience.

My Final Verdict

The ANENG 683 Smart Multimeter is the most approachable multimeter I’ve used in years. The smart auto-detect mode, 6000-count touchscreen display, and 200-gram pocket-friendly design make it a genuine pleasure to work with. I’d recommend it to any DIY homeowner or hobbyist who wants one reliable tool for checking outlets, car batteries, and small electronics without needing an electrical engineering degree to operate it.

The touchscreen quirks with wet hands and the relatively small sample size of 25 Amazon reviews give me slight pause, but for the price and the feature set, I’d still buy it again. The rechargeable battery alone makes it worth it over traditional battery-hungry meters, and the smart mode genuinely saved me time on multiple occasions.