CES 2025 delivered the Amazfit Active 2, one of my favorite wallet-friendly smartwatches of the year, with a starting price of just $99. New for CES 2026, we get the device’s beefier big brother: the Amazfit Active Max.
A little pricier than the Active 2, the Max boasts a massive screen with better brightness than even the Apple Watch Series 11, seriously long-lasting battery life — I’m talking weeks, not days — and tons of high-end features, all for under $200.
1. It’s only $169
Amazfit has made a name for itself in the budget-minded smartwatch category, and the Active Max represents a lot of smartwatch for the money, with a starting price of just $169.
This isn’t some shoddy plastic wearable; the Max features an aluminum alloy case design with a snazzy faux tachymeter around the bezel, a pair of physical buttons, and a highly responsive touchscreen.
You’d be hard-pressed to find another smartwatch offering so much for so little, outside of older generation models. The nearest competitor is the Garmin Forerunner 55. This time-tested workhorse costs the same but is rather long in the tooth, with a dated display, limited smart features, and no navigational tools.
2. The screen is massive and bright
While the standard circular Amazfit Active 2 sports a lovely 1.32-inch screen with 2,000 nits of max brightness, the Amazfit Active Max ups the ante (Vegas is seeping into my brain) with a 1.5-inch display with 3,000 nits of max brightness, the same max output as the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3.
This bright and saturated AMOLED screen should mean easy viewing even in direct sunlight. Despite the big display, the Active Max case size is a manageable 48.55mm, while the watch weighs just under 40g. On my 6.5-inch wrist, I'm finding the Max quite comfortable and remarkably light so far.
3. Up to 25 days of battery
The Amazfit Active 2 boasts a respectable 10 days of battery life. The Max, meanwhile, is rated for up to 25 days of use per charge with typical use.
When using GPS for activity tracking, the 658 mAh battery provides up to 64 hours of power, enough to track an entire weekend adventure with power to spare.
4. Choose from over 170 workout modes
Amazfit went ahead and added 10 or so new workout tracking modes to the Active Max compared to the Active 2, including ski mountaineering, snow shoveling, and biathlons. It also offers a variety of modes for HYROX racing training and events.
So, whether you want to record your next tap dance practice, roadtrip, gaming tournament, or indoor surfing session, the Active Max has you covered.
5. Plenty of storage for offline maps and music
Like the Active 2, the Amazfit Active Max supports offline maps for easy navigation out of cell range. However, the Amazfit massively increased the onboard storage, allowing for way more maps to be stored.
That’s not all, you can also save music and podcasts to the Amazfit Active Max to also enjoy on the go, smartphone-free.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the Amazfit Active Max and all things wearable tech from CES 2026. I’ll be rocking the Max at the show all day today, so expect additional impressions soon.
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