Amazfit Active 2 Review: Is This Budget Smartwatch Worth It in 2025?

The Amazfit Active 2 smartwatch is generating notable buzz in 2025, promising a suite of high-end features at an accessible price point of $99. With its all-metal case, vibrant AMOLED touchscreen, comprehensive health and fitness tracking, and advanced navigational capabilities, the Active 2 aims to provide nearly a week of battery life. But does this smartwatch truly live up to the hype? This in-depth review explores its build quality, user experience, fitness tracking capabilities, and overall performance after several weeks of testing.

Seven Key Takeaways from the Amazfit Active 2 Experience

This review focuses on seven significant aspects of the Amazfit Active 2, providing a comprehensive overview of what users can expect. From its initial feel to its long-term performance, each element has been carefully examined to provide a clear picture of its strengths and weaknesses.

The key areas of focus include:

• Build Quality and Design
• Wearability and Comfort
• user experience and Interface
• Holistic Health Tracking Tools
• Fitness Tracking Technology
• Onboard Maps and Navigation
• Battery Performance

amazfit Active 2: Specifications and Competition

the Amazfit Active 2 enters a competitive market, facing off against established players like Fitbit, Apple, and Samsung. Understanding its specifications and how they compare to its rivals is crucial for potential buyers. The table below provides a detailed comparison.

Amazfit Active 2: A Comprehensive Review of Features,Functionality,and User Experience

The Amazfit Active 2 smartwatch blends style and functionality,offering users a sleek wearable experience. with a bright 1.32-inch screen boasting 2,000 nits,it rivals higher-end smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Google Pixel Watch 3 in display quality. This review explores the design, user experience, and navigation capabilities of the Amazfit Active 2, providing insights into its strengths and weaknesses, including its Zepp OS, offline maps, and fitness tracking.

Design and Build Quality

The Amazfit Active 2’s design is noteworthy for its agreeable fit and elegant appearance. The watch strikes a balance between size and wearability. The premium version weighs 31.7 grams, while the standard edition is slightly lighter at 29.7 grams. both models have a thickness of 9.9mm, allowing them to easily slide under sleeves. The case diameter is just under 44mm,but it gives the impression of wearing a smaller,40mm watch.

One reviewer noted the pleasant fit, stating, almost wears, dare I say it, elegantly on my 6.5-inch wrist. this highlights the watch’s ability to cater to various wrist sizes without feeling bulky or cumbersome.

User Experience: Zepp OS and Its Quirks

The Amazfit Active 2 operates on Zepp OS, the brand’s proprietary operating system. While Zepp OS offers a range of features,it also presents some challenges in terms of user experience. One notable issue is the lack of certain functionalities that users might expect from more established operating systems like watchOS and Wear OS. For example, ther is no straightforward way to view and close currently running apps.

Navigation within the Zepp OS can also be problematic. Swiping from left to right is intended to return users to the previous screen, but this function can be unreliable. One user reported, frequently found myself stuck in various apps or menus, unable to navigate elsewhere via the touchscreen. Fortunately, the watch includes two physical buttons on the side of the case that offer a more reliable means of navigation.

the two physical buttons offer some customization options. Users can customize the secondary function of the top button, activated via a long press, and the primary function of the lower button. However, there are limitations to this customization. Oddly, there’s no way to assign a long-press function to the lower button or reassign the upper’s primary function, noted one reviewer. By default, a short press of the top button opens the app view, while a short press of the lower button opens workout tracking.

Navigation Tools: Maps and AI Voice Assistant

the Amazfit active 2 includes navigation tools such as a maps app and an AI voice assistant. However, these features have limitations that impact their usability. The maps app lacks essential functions like pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-move-around. Additionally, users have reported a bug where the top third of the map is dimmed out for the frist 30 or so seconds you have the app open, obstructing your view.

Another limitation is the reliance on a smartphone connection for certain features.The Active 2 does not have a Wi-Fi antenna, and core features like the onboard AI voice assistant require a nearby smartphone with the Zepp app running. This dependency can be inconvenient for users who prefer a more standalone smartwatch experience. As one reviewer put it, That’s hardly ideal.

offline Maps and Turn-by-Turn Navigation

The Amazfit Active 2 aims to stand out with its support for offline maps and turn-by-turn directions, a feature typically reserved for more expensive smartwatches. Downloading offline maps is relatively straightforward using the zepp app on a smartphone. Within the app, navigating to ‘map’ under the Active 2’s device settings allows users to select a specific region to save directly to the smartwatch. The default map view displays an area roughly 20 x 30 miles around the user’s current location, with the option to zoom out for broader coverage.

one tester in Seattle, Washington, downloaded the default map area, a process that took approximately 15 minutes. Given the limited onboard storage of the Active 2, users are advised to carefully consider the size and number of maps they save to the device.

In addition to standard maps, Amazfit also provides support for numerous ski maps worldwide. If a selected region includes a ski area, users have the option to download and save the corresponding ski map to their Active 2.

Despite the convenience of offline maps, the Active 2’s implementation has notable limitations. Unlike the fluid experience of using Google Maps or Apple Maps on a smartwatch, the Active 2’s map interface can feel clunky. While most streets, parks, and green spaces are labeled, the maps lack a contour view, and common points of interest, such as the Seattle Space Needle, are not identified. Critically,users cannot select and navigate to specific points within the saved map view,which substantially restricts the feature’s utility.

To access turn-by-turn directions on the amazfit Active 2, users must create their own navigational file (GPX, TCX, or KML) using a third-party app and then import it into the Zepp app on their smartphone. This process is considered needlessly elaborate and unintuitive for the average user. Furthermore, the quality of the turn-by-turn directions themselves leaves much to be desired.

During testing,the Active 2 only provided timely reminders for crucial turns on uploaded routes approximately half the time. Consequently, relying on the device for navigation is not recommended.The app does offer warnings for deviations from the set course, which are triggered by default after wandering 50 meters in the wrong direction. This threshold can be adjusted to a more useful 20 meters.

Deviation warnings only appeared roughly 50% of the time when intentionally straying from the designated route. One navigational feature that proved useful was the backtrack function, which guides users back to the starting point of an outdoor workout. While the turn-by-turn aspect of this feature may be unreliable, the visual map itself is helpful and accurate.

Workout and Health Tracking

Amazfit has made significant strides in adding support for a wide range of workout types and activities, including HYROX racing, skiing, and snowboarding. With over 160 options available, the brand is considered a leader in this area, comparable to Garmin. The Amazfit Active 2 offers a comprehensive suite of fitness and health tracking features, delivering post-workout statistics, including insights into heart rate, pace, distance, and calories burned, with generally solid accuracy. The Active 2 also incorporates advanced health monitoring technology, such as blood oxygen saturation measurements. However, discrepancies have been noted in elevation gain data when compared to other popular wearables like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Sense 2.

Conclusion: Balancing Features and Functionality

The Amazfit Active 2 presents a mixed bag of features and functionality.while it boasts an attractive design, a bright screen, and customizable buttons, the zepp OS has quirks and limitations. The navigation tools, including the maps app and AI voice assistant, also have drawbacks that may affect the overall user experience. The offline map feature presents a promising addition to a budget-friendly smartwatch, but limitations in navigation functionality and the cumbersome process for turn-by-turn directions temper its overall effectiveness.The workout and health tracking capabilities, tho, remain a strong point for the device. Potential buyers should weigh these factors when considering the Amazfit Active 2 as their next smartwatch.

Amazfit Active 2: A Deep Dive into Fitness Tracking, AI Features, and Battery Life

The Amazfit Active 2 smartwatch, a compelling option for budget-conscious consumers in 2025, offers a blend of fitness tracking, AI-driven features, and extended battery life. Priced under $100, this device provides a daily sleep score, assesses readiness levels, and incorporates AI for various functionalities.While some advanced health metrics may lack detailed context, the Active 2 stands out with its ability to mirror smartphone notifications, make calls from the wrist, and support NFC tap-to-pay. Let’s delve into the specifics of what makes the Amazfit Active 2 a noteworthy contender in the smartwatch market.

Fitness and Wellness Features

the Amazfit Active 2 provides users with a comprehensive overview of their daily health and wellness. Like many fitness-focused wearables, it presents a daily sleep score out of 100, accompanied by detailed insights into sleep stages, REM sleep, and any sleep disturbances.This allows users to understand the quality and duration of their sleep patterns.

Along with sleep tracking, the Active 2 offers a daily readiness score, also out of 100. This score considers sleep quality, previous workouts, and overall trends to provide a holistic view of the user’s physical state. This feature helps users gauge their preparedness for physical activity and make informed decisions about their training regimen.

While the wellness tools appear reasonably accurate,it’s advisable to interpret the results with a degree of caution. The Active 2 also includes advanced health metrics such as sleep HRV, training load, and a PAI score. However, these metrics are described as “light on details and context,” which may limit their practical utility for the average user.

AI and Smart Features

The Amazfit Active 2 incorporates an AI assistant to enhance user interaction and device functionality.To utilize the built-in AI assistant, the Zepp app must be open on the user’s phone, and a stable Bluetooth connection must be maintained. The Active 2 does not support Wi-Fi connectivity.

The AI assistant excels at opening apps and adjusting settings on the device. However, its capabilities are limited when it comes to more complex tasks. As an example, attempting to reply to a text message via voice command on an iPhone may require downloading and signing up for a third-party service like Beeper, which may not be ideal for all users. The functionality may be less cumbersome with an Android device.

When prompted to provide the current price of a popular stock, the AI assistant responded that this function was unavailable and instead suggested viewing recent workout history. This illustrates the limitations of the AI’s capabilities.

Despite these limitations, the Active 2 offers mirrored smartphone notifications (SMS previews only) for both iOS and Android devices. It also supports making and answering calls from the wrist, a feature frequently enough unexpected in budget-friendly devices. Additionally, the inclusion of NFC support for tap-to-pay adds to its convenience.

Other useful smart features include an onboard voice memo app. Though, there is no option to export saved audio files, restricting users to playback only.

Compared to advanced smartwatches with watchOS and Wear OS, the Active 2’s selection of smart features and non-wellness/fitness-oriented apps is relatively basic.

Battery Life

While the Active 2 may not be a full-featured smartwatch like the best Apple Watch models or the best smartwatches for Android, it compensates with superior battery life.

Amazfit claims that the Active 2’s battery can last approximately ten days with typical use, five days with heavy use, and 21 hours with continuous GPS tracking.

During testing, the Active 2 achieved about six days of battery life per charge with the always-on display enabled, “wake on wrist raise” activated, and screen brightness set to auto. This included nightly sleep tracking, daily wear during work and errands, testing of navigation functions, tracking workouts, and utilizing various holistic tools, voice memos, and on-wrist calling.

fitness Tracking Capabilities

The Amazfit Active 2 provides users with a wide array of workout tracking options, suitable for various activities ranging from daily walks to more intense snowboarding sessions. The device captures essential metrics such as heart rate,pace,and distance,providing a holistic view of workout performance. the accuracy of these metrics has been tested against other leading wearables, revealing some captivating comparisons.

In a 7,000-step walk test comparison against the Apple Watch SE, the Active 2 demonstrated similar accuracy in step counts, distances, heart data, and pace. However, a notable difference emerged in elevation gain measurements. The Active 2 measured the climb as 152 feet greater than the Apple Watch SE. This discrepancy highlights a potential area of inaccuracy in the Active 2’s elevation tracking capabilities.

Further testing against the Fitbit Sense 2 in a 6,000-step comparison revealed that the Amazfit Active 2 excelled in step-count accuracy. Though, the device continued to over-inflate climb measurements. Additionally, the Active 2 generated questionably low heart rate data in this comparison, a trend also observed when compared against the Samsung galaxy Fit3 fitness tracker.

Heart Rate Monitoring and Snowboarding Performance

Despite some inconsistencies in heart rate data during specific comparisons, the Active 2 generally provides heart rate measurements in line with expectations. During a solo snowboard day, the device recorded a maximum heart rate of 179 bpm, aligning closely with the user’s known maximum heart rate. This suggests that the Active 2 can accurately track heart rate during high-intensity activities.

The Active 2’s snowboard/ski-tracking features are especially impressive, offering detailed post-ride maps and a variety of charts and graphs. The device also boasts sufficient battery life to GPS track even the longest days on the slopes.

Health Monitoring technology

Beyond fitness tracking, the amazfit Active 2 incorporates a range of health monitoring technologies.One notable feature is the onboard blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurement, which takes 30 seconds to complete and appears to be reasonably accurate.In five attempts, SpO2 levels were measured between 98% and 100%.

Users can also measure body temperature, heart rate, and stress levels with a few taps.The device’s “one tap” app provides a comprehensive overview,delivering SpO2,breath rate,stress level,and heart rate readings in under a minute.

However, the body temperature sensor presents some limitations. It consistently reported temperatures in the low 80s Fahrenheit, which is significantly below normal body temperature. A disclaimer within the app clarifies that the tool measures local temperature, influenced by environmental factors, and does not reflect internal body temperature.

The tool is not meant to reflect your actual internal body temperature but instead “measures local temperature, which is impacted by environmental and other factors. It is not the same as the body temperature.”

Sleep Tracking

The Amazfit active 2 offers sleep tracking capabilities, providing morning insights into sleep patterns. Though, these insights are not as detailed compared to sleep reports from brands like Samsung, Garmin, and Oura.

Conclusion

The Amazfit active 2, priced at $99, presents a compelling option for users seeking a balance between fitness tracking, smart features, and long battery life. While its AI capabilities and advanced health metrics may have limitations, its core functionalities, such as sleep monitoring, daily readiness scores, and smartphone notifications, provide valuable insights and convenience. With its impressive battery performance and budget-friendly price point, the Active 2 is a solid choice for those prioritizing essential features and extended usability. while it demonstrates accuracy in step counts, heart rate monitoring, and blood oxygen saturation measurements, users should be aware of potential discrepancies in elevation gain data and the limitations of the body temperature sensor. The Active 2 provides valuable insights for users looking to monitor their fitness and health metrics.

Amazfit Active 2: the Budget Smartwatch to beat in 2025?

The Amazfit Active 2, a smartwatch launched in 2025, is making waves in the budget-friendly market. Priced around $100, this device aims to deliver a compelling choice to more expensive options from brands like Apple and Samsung. Boasting a comfortable design, comprehensive health and fitness tracking, and impressive battery life, the Amazfit Active 2 is attracting attention from consumers seeking value without compromising essential features. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s delve into the details and explore what makes this smartwatch a potential game-changer.

design and Comfort

The Amazfit Active 2 distinguishes itself with a design that prioritizes both aesthetics and comfort. Its lightweight construction ensures it remains unobtrusive during all-day wear and even during intense workouts. The sleek profile and thoughtful design choices have lead some to consider its appearance “more refined” than even some of the latest offerings from Apple and Samsung. This makes it an appealing option for budget-conscious consumers who don’t want to sacrifice style.

Health and Fitness Tracking

A major selling point of the Amazfit active 2 is its comprehensive suite of health and fitness tracking tools. The inclusion of a SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen monitoring is a notable feature, typically found in higher-end smartwatches. While some tracking elements, such as elevation gain data, “could benefit from recalibration,” the overall insights provided are remarkably impressive for a device in this price range. This makes it a valuable tool for users focused on monitoring their health and fitness metrics.

Battery Life and Charging

The Amazfit Active 2 truly shines when it comes to battery performance, often exceeding the advertised estimates. Real-world testing has demonstrated minimal battery drain during typical use. For example, walk tests lasting between one hour and approximately 90 minutes resulted in a battery drain of only “between 0 and 1%.” Even more demanding activities, such as tracking three hours of snowboarding, only consumed about “10% of the battery.” This extraordinary battery life sets it apart from many competitors.

Recharging the Amazfit Active 2 is also a relatively speedy process, taking “a little over two hours to reach full capacity.” However, it’s important to note that the device ships with only “a small magnetic charging puck,” requiring users to supply their own USB-C cable and wall converter. This is a minor inconvenience to consider.

Alternatives to Consider

While the Amazfit Active 2 is a strong contender in the sub-$100 smartwatch category, it’s worth exploring alternatives if your budget allows for greater adaptability. The Apple Watch SE,often available on sale at a price closer to the Active 2,offers a broader range of apps and smart features,including on-wrist translations and Apple’s Check In safety feature. “though, it lacks the Active 2’s SpO2 sensor and some of the more specialized outdoor sports tracking modes.”

Similarly, the previous-generation Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 can sometiems be found for less than “$100 more than the Active 2.” the Galaxy Watch 6 offers “arguably better health and fitness tracking tools and a similar level of smart functionality to the Apple Watch SE.” Though, “neither of these options can match the Active 2’s impressive battery life.” Thus, the best choice depends on individual priorities and needs.

The verdict

the Amazfit Active 2 is a compelling option for budget-minded consumers seeking a capable and stylish smartwatch. Its strengths lie in its “comfortable design,comprehensive health and fitness tracking,and remarkable battery life.” While its software “may require some refinement and certain tracking tools could benefit from recalibration,” the overall value for the money is undeniable. It’s a solid choice for those prioritizing essential features at an affordable price.

In 2025, amazfit is the budget smartwatch brand to beat, and the Active 2 is my favorite sub-$100 model

Ultimately, the Amazfit Active 2 is ideal for those who want “a svelte, easy-wearing smartwatch with decent health and fitness tracking tools.” For $100, “the holistic insights impress, even if smartwatch features are limited compared to the latest options from Apple, Samsung and Google.” It strikes a balance between functionality and affordability.

Even though its software “needs some refinement and certain tracking tools could benefit from recalibration (namely, elevation gain data),” the features on offer represent great value for the money. Plus, “the physical design manages to be more refined on both the wrist and the eyes than even Apple and Samsung’s latest offerings.” This makes it a visually appealing and practical choice for budget-conscious consumers in 2025.