This $170 Android smartwatch lasted me weeks before needing to charge – and it’s not a Garmin

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Amazfit’s sports watch lineup impressed me all throughout last year, with vibrant displays, very long battery life, support for more than 170 workouts, and accurate location tracking. I tested the latest in the lineup: the Amazfit Active Max, and it takes the Active series to the next level with a large 1.5-inch AMOLED display, 3,000 nits of brightness, and up to 25 days of battery life.

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I flew to CES earlier this month with the Amazfit Active Max, and by the time I got home, it still had 24% of battery remaining. Since then, I’ve tracked three outdoor runs, four Hydrow rowing sessions, and weeks of daily life and sleep. 

It’s nice to have a watch you only need to charge once a month, and even when it needs a top-up, it charges quickly via the included magnetic puck and a standard USB-C cable.

The Amazfit Active Max builds upon the Active 2 with more than twice the battery life, increased maximum brightness, a larger display, and additional features for an additional $60. The larger watch also comes with increased storage capacity for more offline maps. These include ski maps for resorts around the world so you can track your winter activities on the slopes.

Nutrition is a new feature added to the Garmin ecosystem for paid Connect Plus subscribers. The Zepp app powers the Amazfit Active Max from your smartphone and includes a powerful and capable Food Log feature. 

By snapping pictures of your meals with your smartphone’s camera, the app uses advanced recognition technology to capture nutritional elements so you can log food quickly, easily, and accurately. You can even use the Zepp App and Food Log if you don’t have an Amazfit smartwatch, so I recommend trying it out for free.

Speaking of your smartphone, the Amazfit Active Max comes with a speaker and mic, so you can control calls from your watch. With a connected Android smartphone you can also message from the watch interface. With a Bluetooth connection to your phone, you can control your phone’s camera and music playback, too.

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Just like ZDNET’s Nina Raemont, I have been very impressed by Google’s new Fitbit Premium AI Coach functionality. Zepp Coach isn’t quite as customizable as Fitbit’s subscription service, but it is more capable than most other standard coaching applications. 

The Zepp Coach app adjusts your workouts to match your current physical state, taking into account your sleep, recovery, and workout status. The personalized running plans are particularly useful, but you can also set up plans that include body weight and other activities for optimal results.

The Amazfit Active Max slots in between the Balance 2 and Active 2 , rounding out Amazfit’s product line. Personally, I prefer the Balance 2 for $100 more with a similar display size and battery life since the Balance 2 supports golf and is a bit sleeker than the Active Max. With Amazfit’s compelling hardware and long battery life, other brands like Coros are definitely being challenged in the affordable wearable space.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the Amazfit Active Max with its elegant design, gorgeous display, long battery life, and Zepp smartphone app. There are a few areas lacking for users who demand a bit more, including Strava Live Segments, subscription music support, mobile payment support, and third party applications. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

After three weeks of wearing the Amazfit Active Max,, I’m still impressed at how Amazfit was able to release such an amazing watch for $170. With fantastic watch faces, the large AMOLED display, and great battery life, this watch has exceeded my expectations. 

With a few software improvements and service integrations, the potential is there for an Amazfit watch to soon occupy a permanent spot on my wrist.