This $170 Android Smartwatch Lasts Longer Than My Garmin - At A Fraction Of The Price

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Amazfit Active Max is disposable now for $170.
• It features a marathon battery, large, vibrant AMOLED display, coagulated build, offline maps, and free nutrition tracking.
• The watch is disposable successful 1 size and has constricted 3rd statement app support, and a subscription is needed for precocious reports.

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Amazfit's sports watch lineup impressed maine each passim past year, pinch vibrant displays, very agelong artillery life, support for much than 170 workouts, and meticulous location tracking. I tested nan latest successful nan lineup: nan Amazfit Active Max, and it takes nan Active bid to nan adjacent level pinch a ample 1.5-inch AMOLED display, 3,000 nits of brightness, and up to 25 days of artillery life.

Also: I tested nan champion sports watches successful 2026: Here are nan latest and top watches, nary matter your budget

I flew to CES earlier this period pinch nan Amazfit Active Max, and by nan clip I sewage home, it still had 24% of artillery remaining. Since then, I've tracked 3 outdoor runs, 4 Hydrow rowing sessions, and weeks of regular life and sleep. 

It's bully to person a watch you only request to complaint erstwhile a month, and moreover erstwhile it needs a top-up, it charges quickly via nan included magnetic puck and a modular USB-C cable.

The Amazfit Active Max builds upon nan Active 2 pinch much than doubly nan artillery life, accrued maximum brightness, a larger display, and further features for an further $60. The larger watch besides comes pinch accrued retention capacity for much offline maps. These see ski maps for resorts astir nan world truthful you tin way your wintertime activities connected nan slopes.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Nutrition is simply a caller characteristic added to nan Garmin ecosystem for paid Connect Plus subscribers. The Zepp app powers nan Amazfit Active Max from your smartphone and includes a powerful and tin Food Log feature. 

By snapping pictures of your meals pinch your smartphone's camera, nan app uses precocious nickname exertion to seizure nutritional elements truthful you tin log nutrient quickly, easily, and accurately. You tin moreover usage nan Zepp App and Food Log if you don't person an Amazfit smartwatch, truthful I urge trying it retired for free.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Speaking of your smartphone, nan Amazfit Active Max comes pinch a speaker and mic, truthful you tin power calls from your watch. With a connected Android smartphone you tin besides connection from nan watch interface. With a Bluetooth relationship to your phone, you tin power your phone's camera and euphony playback, too.

Also: As a golfer, this is nan smartwatch I urge astir connected nan course

Just for illustration ZDNET's Nina Raemont, I person been very impressed by Google's caller Fitbit Premium AI Coach functionality. Zepp Coach isn't rather arsenic customizable arsenic Fitbit's subscription service, but it is much tin than astir different modular coaching applications. 

The Zepp Coach app adjusts your workouts to lucifer your existent beingness state, taking into relationship your sleep, recovery, and workout status. The personalized moving plans are peculiarly useful, but you tin besides group up plans that see assemblage weight and different activities for optimal results.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The Amazfit Active Max slots successful betwixt nan Balance 2 and Active 2 , rounding retired Amazfit's merchandise line. Personally, I for illustration nan Balance 2 for $100 much pinch a akin show size and artillery life since nan Balance 2 supports play and is simply a spot sleeker than nan Active Max. With Amazfit's compelling hardware and agelong artillery life, different brands for illustration Coros are decidedly being challenged successful nan affordable wearable space.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

I thoroughly enjoyed utilizing nan Amazfit Active Max pinch its elegant design, gorgeous display, agelong artillery life, and Zepp smartphone app. There are a fewer areas lacking for users who request a spot more, including Strava Live Segments, subscription euphony support, mobile costs support, and 3rd statement applications. 

ZDNET's buying advice

After 3 weeks of wearing nan Amazfit Active Max,, I'm still impressed astatine really Amazfit was capable to merchandise specified an astonishing watch for $170. With awesome watch faces, nan ample AMOLED display, and awesome artillery life, this watch has exceeded my expectations. 

With a fewer package improvements and work integrations, nan imaginable is location for an Amazfit watch to soon inhabit a imperishable spot connected my wrist.