Amazfit is quickly becoming one of the more intriguing players in the smartwatch game. After impressing us in September with its Apple Watch Ultra competitor, the Amazfit T-Rex 3, the company has now announced the Amazfit Active 2 at CES 2025.
The Active 2 is one of the more affordable options in Amazfit’s lineup, but it sure doesn’t give off that impression. I’ve had a chance to use the Active 2 ahead of its release, and so far, I’m impressed with what I’m seeing.
A sleek design and quality display
Unlike the T-Rex 3, which is a big and bulky watch designed for outdoor enthusiasts, the Active 2 is marketed as a “lifestyle smartwatch” with a much smaller and more approachable design. Compared to the first Amazfit Active, which had a square Apple Watch-like display, the Active 2 has a round design that looks more like a wristwatch than a fitness wearable. The matte aluminum frame looks good, as do the notches and numbers on the bezel around the screen. There’s no rotating crown like you get on the Apple Watch, but you do get two physical buttons, both of which can be mapped to custom shortcuts/apps of your choosing.
The display is a 1.32-inch AMOLED panel that can reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits — the same brightness level as the Apple Watch Series 10. There’s also an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustments, something that wasn’t available on the Active 1.
Please enable Javascript to view this content
The standard version of the Active 2 uses regular glass, though opting for the premium version of the watch upgrades it to sapphire glass. I’ve been using the premium model for a couple of days, and while I don’t have the standard version to compare it to, the sapphire glass feels fantastic. It’s slightly domed in the middle and feels really nice to move your finger across. The screen quality is excellent, too — displaying easy-to-read text, vibrant colors, and an always-on display mode.
Much improved health/fitness features
On the health and fitness front, the Active 2 has a really robust offering. It can track 160+ different workout modes and auto-detect 25 workout types. There’s a new HYROX Race Mode plus a “smart” Strength Training mode that can automatically track sets, reps, and rest time — perfect for doing strength workouts at the gym. The runner in me is particularly interested in offline map support, allowing you to download maps with route files for turn-by-turn navigation when you’re out running and without your phone.
Amazfit says the heart rate sensor in the Active 2 is much improved compared to the Active 1. The Active 2 has upgraded heart rate and sleep algorithms, matching the accuracy of the more expensive T-Rex 3. Also new is a barometer, enabling you to track sports like skiing.
What else do you get? Amazfit’s Zepp Coach feature is present for “personalized training and running plans,” as is a daily Readiness score. There’s also sleep tracking, blood-oxygen tracking, cycle tracking, and a skin-temperature sensor.
Making all of this better is the battery life. Amazfit promises up to 10 days of battery life with “typical use.” Whether it delivers on that 10-day promise remains to be seen, but even if it only gets halfway there, it’ll still be better than any modern Apple Watch and Wear OS smartwatch.
Amazfit Active 2 price and availability
The Amazfit Active 2 is available for preorder now and will be widely available in February. The standard version costs $100 and, in addition to the regular glass over the display, comes with one silicone band in the box. Opt for the premium version, and you’ll get a vegan leather band and a silicone band in the box, plus the sapphire glass display — all for just $130.
The Amazfit Active 2 syncs with the Zepp companion app, which is available for both iOS and Android. In other words, whether you have an iPhone 16 or Google Pixel 9, you can use the Active 2 just fine.
I’ve not had enough time to fully review the Amazfit Active 2, but my first impressions of the watch are positive. The hardware is very nice, and the watch is incredibly comfortable. The display looks great, the interface is responsive, and the amount of on-board health features is legitimately impressive. How the watch fares throughout daily use still needs to be tested, but if Amazfit can deliver on what the Active 2 promises on paper, we could be in for something special.
