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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Amazfit Active 2 is available in a premium package for $129.99 and standard for $99.99
- It will start shipping to customers in mid-January
- The watch is small, lasts up to 10 days, has a brilliant AMOLED display, measures an extensive amount of data, and is inexpensive
- The small size is great for many people, but may also be too small for some.
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Amazfit’s growth and maturity in the wearable space are reminiscent of Coros’s successes. Given the widespread enthusiasm for the affordable and powerful T-Rex 3, exciting times are coming for Amazfit. The brand starts 2025 with a compelling and diminutive watch priced under $100.
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I’ve spent the past week walking, running, rowing, sleeping, and living with the small Amazfit Active 2<!–> on my left wrist. For just $30 you can upgrade to the Premium version with a sapphire glass display, red silicone band, and black vegan leather band instead of a tempered glass display and a black silicone band. I tested the Premium package and I highly recommend this option.
For the price, it’s tough to argue that any other smartwatch can compete on value. Amazfit has improved the Active I reviewed in 2023 by moving to a round form factor, including a barometric altimeter and ambient light sensor, a brighter 2,000 nits display, and additional indoor and outdoor sports. The sports update includes ski maps to track and navigate your runs on the Amazfit Active 2.
I was extremely impressed by the quality of the smartwatch and its stainless steel bezel and sapphire glass screen. The AMOLED display is brilliant with clear fonts and vibrant colors. Unlike many other smartwatches, the complications on many Amazfit watch faces are actionable so you can tap right on the complication and jump into the widget showing the details of that metric. High-end devices like the Apple Watch support this capability, but many others only show you the summary data and do not allow you to dive into the details.
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The swipes and taps on the display work flawlessly with no lag or missing hit points. Two buttons on the right side are set up for optimal efficiency where you can customize a long press of the upper button and a short press of the lower button. I have set the long press of the upper button to launch voice memos. This setup means I can record my thoughts as I work out and have them synced to the Zepp smartphone application.
With support for voice memos, there is a microphone on the watch. A speaker is also present so you can listen to those voice memos on the watch and even accept calls from your wrist. Offline voice commands let you perform common system functions and open apps installed on the watch.
Amazfit is one of the first wearable platforms to support HYROX racing. This worldwide competition consists of running and eight functional workouts such as rowing, sled pulling, farmer’s carry, and more. HYROX appears as one of the optional activities you can install on the watch. The watch is designed to count the various repetitions while providing performance insights.
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The integrated GPS receiver, supporting five GNSS, has closely matched the dual-band GPS receivers on other watches. Amazfit advertises up to 21 hours in GPS tracking mode, which matches my experiences. A BioTracker 6.0 optical heart rate sensor is positioned on the back of the watch and has been accurate, again matching wrist and arm-mounted heart rate sensors.
The silicone and leather bands are 20mm wide and can be replaced easily with the quick-release slide pins in the bands. You can use any standard 20mm band with the Active 2. I am a fan of the new magnetic charging puck which plugs into any USB-C cable to charge the watch.
The Zepp smartphone app has also seen significant improvements over the past few months and is now a big positive. The Zepp app is better organized while still having lots of data and metrics to browse through as you work to improve your health and fitness. Readiness, sleep-tracking details, resting heart rate, and other metrics are closely matched to other flagship wearables I have been testing alongside the Amazfit Active 2.
ZDNET’s buying advice
If you want to try a wearable to track your health and wellness, the Amazfit Active 2<!–> is the perfect first smartwatch for just around $100. It is small, comfortable, durable, and provides interesting health and wellness data. The Zepp Aura tab gives access to sleep and relaxation sounds, progress reports, sleep reports, and breathing exercises. The Daily Readiness insights are also useful for guidance on your day ahead. The integrated artificial service (AI) service can help answer your questions, set up customized training plans, and help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
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