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How Good Is $170? Hands-On Review of the Amazfit Active Max After Three Weeks

sscandeals

2026-01-30

10 min read

Three-week hands-on review: the Amazfit Active Max delivers multi-week battery and a vivid AMOLED for $170 — great value if battery and display matter.

Hook: Is $170 Really Worth It? (Short Answer: Often, Yes — If Battery and Display Matter)

If you hate checking your charger every few days, squinting at washed-out screens during a run, or second-guessing a bargain because you missed a time-limited offer, this review is for you. I wore the Amazfit Active Max every day for three weeks to test the two specs most buyers care about in 2026: battery life and display quality, plus the real-world accuracy of its activity tracking. I also break down whether the current market price — about $170 at the time of writing — actually makes this a best-value smartwatch in the UK market.

Executive Summary — The Most Important Takeaways

Battery: Exceptional for a full-colour AMOLED watch — after 21 days of mixed use I had roughly 18% remaining, which extrapolates to ~25 days on a single charge in similar use patterns.
Display: A bright, high-contrast AMOLED that beats most budget fitness watches for clarity, with a readable Always-On Display and excellent outdoor visibility.
Tracking accuracy: Solid for steps and daily HR; heart-rate and GPS are trustworthy for casual runners but fall short of pro-grade devices during aggressive interval sessions.
Value at $170: Strong — especially during flash sales. If you prioritise battery and display over advanced training metrics, it’s one of the better bargains in 2026.

Why This Review Matters in 2026

Smartwatch trends heading into 2026 have split into two clear camps: power-efficient wearables that prioritise multi-week battery life (often with pared-back interfaces) and feature-heavy smartwatches that prioritize on-device AI, LTE, and advanced sensors but need frequent charging. The Amazfit Active Max sits in a sweet spot: an AMOLED smartwatch with surprisingly long battery life, aligned with consumer demand for long-run autonomy without sacrificing screen quality. My three-week hands-on test focuses on whether the Active Max delivers on that promise and whether it’s a smart buy at the current price.

Testing Methodology (What I Did, And Why You Should Care)

To give you practical, repeatable insights I:

Wore the watch 24/7 for 21 days with notifications enabled (around 80–120 notifications/day).
Tracked a mix of workouts: daily 30–60 minute runs (GPS on), two HIIT sessions (indoor), and walking and gym sessions.
Compared heart-rate readings to a chest strap (Polar H10) for three runs and used a flagship GPS watch (a Garmin model) as a positional baseline.
Measured brightness and outdoor readability during daylight runs and commutes.
Monitored battery drain with standard settings (AOD off), then retested with AOD on for sensitivity testing.

Battery Life — The Headline Feature

Claim vs. reality: Amazfit advertises multi-week endurance for the Active Max. In practical terms, that’s meaningful only if you use the watch the way real people do — notifications, continuous heart rate, sleep tracking and regular workouts. Over 21 days of real-world use I saw about 18% battery left. Plugging that into a simple projection gives an estimated total runtime of ~25 days.

What drained battery fastest

GPS during runs: ~5–8% per 30–45 minute run depending on signal and mapping frequency.
Always-on display (AOD): Turning AOD on reduced total life by ~30% compared to AOD off.
Continuous SpO2 scans and heavy notification bursts: noticeable but manageable drains.

Practical advice to stretch battery

Turn off AOD — use the quick wrist twist to check the time. That single change gave the biggest battery win.
Limit continuous SpO2 or stress scans to scheduled times if you don’t need minute-by-minute data.
Use the low-power sport mode for long outdoor sessions when precise GPS is not critical.

Display Quality — AMOLED That Feels Premium

The Active Max’s AMOLED is the watch’s second standout feature. Colours are saturated without being oversaturated, blacks are deep, and text remains crisp at small sizes — a big improvement over many budget LCD-based trackers. Outdoor readability held up well in direct sunlight; auto-brightness worked effectively with only occasional manual boosts needed.

Always-On Display (AOD)

AOD is functional and looks sharp. However, it’s the single biggest battery trade-off. If you value a constantly visible watch face, expect to charge more frequently. For most users chasing long battery life, I recommend disabling AOD and relying on wrist-raise gestures.

Wearability and screen size

The screen is large enough for clear readouts without feeling bulky on my 6.7" wrists. The interface scales nicely: notifications show full messages and the touch responsiveness is quick, matching many mid-tier competitors.

Activity Tracking Accuracy — Good for Everyday Users, Not Pro Athletes

Across steps, resting heart rate, sleep, and casual runs the Active Max performed well. Accuracy is the difference between a wearable you trust and one you use as a rough guide. Here’s how it stacked up in direct comparisons.

Steps and daily activity

Step counts matched my daily smartphone readings within roughly 3–6% — within expected variance for wrist-based trackers.

Heart rate

Resting heart rate readings were within 1–2 BPM of the chest strap baseline. During steady-state runs the watch tracked closely, but during high-intensity intervals or rapid cadence changes it showed slight lag and temporary under-reporting — a common limitation for optical sensors.

GPS

GPS accuracy was suitable for route-mapping and pace estimates. In three outdoor runs the Active Max’s distance was within 0.2–0.6 km of a dedicated GPS watch over 10 km runs — good for recreational runners, less reliable for precise cadence/stride analytics. If you need better positional certainty, consider external accessories and devices often highlighted in gadget roundups like the CES gadget lists.

Sleep and recovery metrics

Sleep detection worked reliably, and the watch offered sleep stage insights that aligned with my sleep patterns. Recovery and readiness scores are useful directional indicators but don’t replace lab-grade metrics.

Software Experience and Ecosystem

The Amazfit app is lean and usable. It presents trends clearly and allows easy export of workout data. In 2026, users expect seamless integrations (Strava, Apple Health, Google Fit). The Active Max supports syncing to the major services, though advanced coach-style features and on-device AI coaching are still more limited than flagship competitors.

Notifications and smart features

Notifications are snappy and well-formatted. The watch supports music controls and basic on-watch replies for Android (iOS reply support is limited). There’s no LTE option, so you’ll need your phone for calls and full message replies.

Comparisons — Where the Active Max Wins and Where It Doesn’t

To put value into context, compare it to three categories:

Budget fitness bands: The Active Max’s AMOLED and longer-than-average battery make it a better daily watch for visibility and style.
Mid-tier smartwatches (Fitbit / older Galaxy / lower-end Garmin): The Active Max competes strongly on battery and display for the price, but lacks some advanced training analytics and durable multi-sensor fusion found on peak Garmin/Coros devices.
Flagship smartwatches: You’ll sacrifice some pro training features and on-watch AI for the Active Max’s battery and lower price.

Is $170 a Good Deal? Timing the Purchase in 2026

Price matters. A $170 tag puts the Active Max in the value smartwatch segment, but the sweet spot depends on timing and your needs. Here’s how to think about it.

Deal windows to watch in the UK (and global flash-sale habits in 2026)

January sales & Boxing Day: Clearance windows still deliver the deepest discounts — ideal for last-year models.
Prime Day / mid-year flash events (June–July): Frequent manufacturer-led bundles appear; warranties and accessory packs can be a differentiator.
New model drops: When Amazfit launches successor models, previous-generation units typically fall 15–30% within weeks.
Weekend flash sales & voucher stacking (2026 trend): Retailers increasingly allow voucher stacking with sitewide codes; timing a purchase for these can cut the price under $140. For practical deal tactics and weekend sale playbooks see guides on flash and weekend sale strategies.

How to decide if $170 is worth it for you

If you value multi-week battery + AMOLED for day-to-day and casual fitness, $170 is a strong buy.
If you train competitively and need pro-level HR/GPS precision or built-in LTE/advanced on-device coaching, consider mid/high-tier Garmin or Apple options instead.
If you can wait for a flash sale or voucher stacking, you can turn this into an exceptional value (under $150 is where it becomes hard to beat).

Practical Buying Checklist

Use this checklist before you click buy:

Confirm the retailer’s return and warranty policy (UK consumers should expect at least a 12-month warranty).
Check for coupon codes on voucher sites and monitor price trackers for short-term dips. I rely on price-tracking tools to time purchases.
Decide AOD vs battery life trade-off before buying — if AOD is essential, factor in more frequent charging costs.
Compare accessories: extra straps and chargers are inexpensive ways to improve comfort and convenience.

Real-World Pros and Cons — Condensed

Pros

Multi-week battery life in real-world mixed use.
Sharp AMOLED display and good outdoor visibility.
Reliable daily activity and sleep tracking.
Strong value proposition at $170, especially during sales.

Cons

Optical HR lag during high-intensity intervals.
No LTE option or top-tier coaching features on-device.
AOD significantly reduces advertised battery life.

"For most shoppers in 2026 the Amazfit Active Max hits the right balance: premium screen, worry-free battery, and accurate-enough sensors — all at a price that becomes compelling during the frequent flash-sale cycles we’re seeing this year."

Who Should Buy the Amazfit Active Max?

Buy it if you:

Want a smartwatch with long battery life and a premium display without flagship pricing.
Are a casual runner, gym-goer or everyday user who needs reliable metrics rather than lab-grade accuracy.
Value design and readability for day-to-day wear and travel.

Skip it if you:

Need the most precise heart-rate and GPS data for competition-level training.
Require LTE or advanced on-device AI coaching and analytics.

Actionable Tips — Get the Best Deal and Best Experience

Use a price tracker (Keepa, CamelCamelCamel, or site-specific trackers) to time purchase windows; set alerts for drops under $150.
Stack vouchers where possible: UK retailers in 2026 often allow voucher+site-sale stacking during weekend flash windows. Check voucher aggregators and authorized retailer newsletters, and watch weekend sale playbooks like the one linked above.
Turn off AOD and excessive continuous scans to hit multi-week battery claims in daily life.
For runs, pair the watch with a chest strap when you need high-precision HR data; use the watch on its own for casual sessions.
Keep the firmware updated: Amazfit has improved sensor fusion via OTA updates in late 2025 — treat firmware like any other critical patching workflow and follow best practices from patch management guidance to avoid regressions and security gaps.

Final Verdict

The Amazfit Active Max delivers on two core promises that matter in 2026: a high-quality AMOLED experience and multi-week battery life without forcing a trade-off on everyday activity tracking. At about $170, it’s a compelling value smartwatch for the majority of buyers who want style, battery longevity and reliable fitness tracking without paying flagship prices. If your priority is pro-level training metrics or always-on LTE connectivity, look elsewhere. But if long battery life, a bright, crisp display and dependable day-to-day accuracy are your priorities, the Active Max earns a strong recommendation — especially if you buy it during a flash sale.

Call to Action

Ready to save? Sign up for scandeals.co.uk alerts to get notified when the Amazfit Active Max drops below $150 in UK pricing windows or when verified voucher codes can be stacked. Want my exact three-week battery log or GPS comparison charts? Reply to this review or join our newsletter for a downloadable test log and weekly deal roundups.

scandeals

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.