There’s A New Contender For Budget Smartwatch King

Amazfit whitethorn not beryllium a family name, but it’s been crushing it successful nan money smartwatch abstraction for a agelong time. And astatine CES 2025, nan institution is trying to outdo itself pinch nan $99 Amazfit Active 2.

I was a ample instrumentality of nan company’s GTR 4 watch — it wasn’t a looker, but it packed successful an unthinkable magnitude of worthy for $200. I liked it truthful overmuch that it’s sat comfortably arsenic nan apical wide premier successful our fittingness locator buying guideline for 2 years. Compared to that watch, nan Active 2 has moreover overmuch functionality for half that price.

It’s sewage a agleam 2,000 nit OLED display, upgraded wellness sensors, revamped bosom title and slumber algorithms, and nan Zepp Flow AI assistant. There’s too a smarter spot training mode that tin auto-detect sets, reps, and rest, offline maps pinch turn-by-turn directions, and personalized training plans via nan Zepp Coach integration. For group pinch periods, there’s too a mini app successful collaboration pinch Wild.AI, which delivers fare and workout recommendations based connected hormonal and menstrual cycles passim a person’s life (i.e., reproductive years, perimenopause, and menopause). The watch too useful successful tandem pinch nan company’s precocious launched Helio smart ring, akin to really nan Samsung Galaxy Ring optimizes sensor accuracy pinch its Galaxy Watches. European users will too get contactless payments via Zepp Pay, a characteristic that was notably missing from nan GTR 4.

You almost ne'er find this benignant of characteristic group for nether $250. It’s bonkers that you tin get it for $100.

Amazfit’s Active line, which launched past year, efficaciously replaces its celebrated GTR lineup (though you tin still easy find GTR 4 models online). Style-wise, you tin spot that successful really nan Active 2 switches from nan original Active’s square, Apple Watch-esque creation to a overmuch classical 44mm accusation watchface. The modular exemplary comes pinch a tempered coagulated screen, stainless alloy case, and a 20mm silicone athletics band. The premium exemplary costs $129 and upgrades nan aboveground to a overmuch durable sapphire coagulated and includes an further leather strap. Compared to nan Active, nan Active 2 too adds overmuch precocious hardware for illustration a barometer, a gyroscope, and an ambient ray sensor. Battery life isn’t alternatively arsenic good, dropping to 10 days pinch normal usage compared to 14 days. (That said, 10 days is still awesome compared to nan competition.)

On paper, nan Active 2 feels for illustration it ought to personification immoderate benignant of catch. However, I’ve been wearing nan premium Active 2 for nan past less days, and it’s alternatively nice. So far, capacity has been zippy, it’s lightweight connected nan wrist, and I’ve already gotten respective compliments from coworkers. Sometimes money devices tin look chintzy, and while nary 1 would correction nan Active 2 for a luxury watch, it doesn’t look aliases consciousness arsenic inexpensive arsenic a $100–$150 smartwatch could. I’m still testing retired nan wellness and fittingness features, but truthful far, it’s held up bully connected a fistful of treadmill runs, and successful nan past 3 days, I’ve only utilized astir 25 percent battery. I wish nan touchscreen were a spot overmuch responsive, but it’s point excessively egregious frankincense far. It’s excessively early for maine to make a definitive telephone connected nan Active 2, but truthful far, it’s looking for illustration it could beryllium a compelling action for folks who want a simpler smartwatch without breaking nan bank.

The Active 2 is disposable for preorder successful nan US now and will motorboat globally successful February.