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With last year's Amazfit Active 2, I was able to train with a very small watch priced just under $100. This year's Amazfit Active 3 Premium improves upon that model in several ways, making it a nearly perfect sports watch for runners beginning their journey. It's also great for anyone seeking a smaller, high-quality smartwatch that supports an extensive number of other activities.

In early 2025, Amazfit released the Active Max, priced at exactly the same $170 as the Active 3 Premium. The Active Max is 3mm larger across the face, has a basic two-button design, uses mineral glass, while the Active 3 Premium uses sapphire glass, and has a larger battery with twice the battery life of the Active 3 Premium. The Active 3 Premium has a few more metrics for runners with a size perfect for everyone.

When you look at the software on Amazfit watches, there are very few differences in capability between a $170 watch and models priced over $400, including the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro and Cheetah 2 Ultra. The primary differences in the watches are the materials, LED flashlight, internal storage, mapping functionality, and a few advanced activities such as detailed golf tracking.