Amazfit's affordable, 5-star Apple Watch rival just got a surprise sequel — and it promises 'meaningful progress' for runners

• Amazfit has launched the Active 3 Premium smartwatch
• It follows the Amazfit Active 2, which we loved
• The watch is available to buy now for $169.99 / £169.90 / AU$TBC

We were completely wowed by the Amazfit Active 2 smartwatch when it launched last year, giving it a five-star rating and praising its value-for-money proposition compared to the best Apple Watches — and now there's a brand new sequel that also looks very promising.

The Amazfit Active 3 Premium picks up where its predecessor left off, and importantly, keeps a relatively affordable price tag. Amazfit says the watch is designed to turn "daily movement into meaningful progress", through structured training programs, health data insights, and route navigation features.

Sporting a 1.32-inch AMOLED screen (matching the Active 2) with sapphire glass protection and 3,000 nits of peak brightness, the 45mm watch brings with it a stainless steel frame, a four-button design, and up to 12 days of battery life with "typical use".

The on-board sensors monitor all your key stats, including heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress, and sleep quality. There's also a microphone and speaker on the watch, so you can take calls on your wrist (via a connected smartphone), and chat with the Zepp Flow assistant we've seen before on Amazfit wearables.

Running fitness made simple

Amazfit is clearly positioning this as one of the best cheap smartwatches: covering all the fitness features most people will need, while also avoiding the clutter and complexity that some of the top-end models in this category can bring with them.

The included running programs will guide you through routes, pacing, recovery, and strength training — so you can set and hit goals successfully, Amazfit says. It's particularly suitable for those just getting started with their running, as you can build up a structured running program basically from scratch.

As well as advanced running metrics like posture and balance monitoring, there's also comprehensive GPS mapping that includes turn-by-turn navigation and offline maps. NFC payments are supported, and podcast playback is apparently on the way.

Apex Silver, Atlas Blue, and Aero White are your case and strap color options, and the watch costs $169.99 / £169.90 / AU$TBC, slightly more than the $129.99 / £129.90 cost of the premium version of the Active 2 — but it looks like you definitely get a lot for your money, and we have high expectations given our experiences with the 2025 model.

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