I am back again testing a fitness watch, and this one is a little different to most. This is the Amazfit Active 3 Premium, a GPS running and fitness smartwatch that is doing things a little differently.
This is my first time testing an Amazfit device, and the Active 3 Premium’s low $239 retail price has me questioning how this is even possible.
Table of contents
- Specifications and price
- Design and comfort
- Features and performance
- GPS and heart rate
- Battery life
- Display and interface
- Hyrox integration
- Who is the Amazfit Active 3 Premium for?
Amazfit Active 3 Premium specifications and price
| Size | 45 mm |
| Thickness | 11 mm |
| Weight | 38 g (without strap) |
| Display | 1.32-inch AMOLED |
| Sports modes | 170+ |
| Ruggedness | 5ATM water resistance |
| Battery | Up to 12 days of typical use 24 hours continuous GPS |
| Colours | Apex Silver, Atlas Blue, Aero White |
| Price | $239 RRP |
| Warranty | 1 year (30 days on straps) |
| Official website | Amazfit Australia |
Design and comfort
This is going to be a difficult watch to review. Not because it’s hard to use, but because at $239 in Australia, there’s so little to compare it to at this price.
With that said, this watch is actually rather smart-looking. I have the Apex Silver version, which combines the classic look of an all-black silicone band with a stainless steel silver bezel. The silver is also two-tone, with an almost matte-looking backing and a shiny, more reflective silver on the front-most part of the bezel. This is a watch you can easily wear when dressing up for events and functions, which I was not expecting at all.
I found the Active 3 Premium was instantly comfortable on my wrist. This is possibly a combination of its lightweight design, coming in at just 38 g without the strap, and its flexible silicone strap. The strap has lots of adjustment intervals for getting the perfect fit using the classic pin buckle style. The watch itself has a thickness of 11 mm, which is nice and streamlined as well.
Features and performance
The Active 3 Premium delivers on features in a big way. This watch is designed primarily for runners, yet it caters for so much more. With over 170 sports modes and the ability to detect both activity and specific movements (like strength training), it’s a comprehensive wearable.
When it comes to running, which is my area of expertise, the Active 3 Premium covers all bases. Of course, you can use the watch like your everyday GPS fitness watch that tracks your runs. But from there, Amazfit has packed in some features you would normally expect from more expensive products. Things like lactate threshold, running power, ground contact time (GCT), track run mode, virtual pacer and many more. There is even a coaching feature called Zepp Coach, an AI digital fitness guide that can help you by creating personalised running and workout plans.
There were some features I really enjoyed while I was out and about, running the streets and trails. Turn-by-turn navigation is great when you have a set course to run. It kept me on track and took the thinking out of my running with real-time updates and turn instructions. Automatic rerouting paired perfectly with this, as when I inevitably did go off course, it quickly planned a new one to get me back on track. And this all happens without any input needed while I shuffle along, trying to get my fitness in for the day.
Health and smart features are another key area that I like to look at when judging a fitness watch. Once connected to my phone, the Active 3 Premium didn’t miss a beat. Not only could I easily view call, SMS and app notifications, I could also answer calls with the built-in microphone and speaker. A very cool feature I didn’t know I needed until now.
I also have a bit of an attachment to digging into my day-to-day data. I like to check things like sleep length and stages all the time, as well as sleep score. All of this is tracked with the Active 3 Premium, and it’s easy to view on the watch or in the Zepp app.
GPS and heart rate
As I have said many times, wrist-based heart rate tracking is never something you can fully trust. However, things have come a long way over the last few years, and some of the high-end GPS watches are doing a decent job these days. To test the heart rate accuracy of the Active 3 Premium, I put it up against my Garmin Fenix 8, which I have found consistently reliable.
For this test, I wore both watches at the same time during a 15 km trail run. In the graph below, the Garmin is indicated by the blue line and the Amazfit by the red line. With so many elevation changes on trails, this makes for a great all-round test for the watch. As you can see, there is some discrepancy between the two lines throughout.
Although I was generally happy with the GPS tracking at a basic level, it was clear to me that it wasn’t as accurate as my other, more expensive GPS watches. One of the reasons for this is likely that the Active 3 Premium uses single-band GPS tracking. Although single-band uses less battery, dual-band provides much higher location accuracy and therefore the data is more accurate. I particularly noticed this when moving through difficult areas such as deep into trails or between buildings in the city.
In my test run while wearing both the Amazfit and the Garmin, the Amazfit came up approximately 200 m short over the 15 km run, or about 1.3 per cent. This isn’t a huge amount, yet small differences can be crucial, and on a different course this could be a much bigger margin.
I also noticed my VO2 Max score on the Active 3 Premium is some way off from what my other watches indicate. I am typically around the 50 to 53 mark, whereas I was seeing 45 to 46 on this watch. It’s hard to know the exact reason for this, as a VO2 Max score is simply an estimate based on a lot of factors. And to truly know your VO2 Max, you would need to be tested through a lab-based graded exercise test. Not something your everyday athlete has access to. This is certainly not a deal breaker.
Battery life
Battery life on the Active 3 Premium is decent, with up to 12 days of typical use. Amazfit rates it at up to 24 hours of continuous GPS, which is very good for your typical runner. Do note that using the watch with music while in GPS mode will significantly reduce the battery life to around 10 hours. If you choose to adjust your watch to have the always-on display (AOD), the watch will only last around four days instead of 12.
Display and interface
Another surprise to me was the screen quality. I guess I was expecting a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display or something somewhat pixelated, yet the Active 3 Premium swings big again. A 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 466 x 466 and up to 3,000 nits of brightness is nothing to turn your nose up at. Now, I personally love a watch with a larger screen, so this is a little small for my liking. Yet having an AMOLED display is still a huge win in my books. It’s bright. It’s saturated. And it’s enjoyable to use. All of this is also covered by sapphire glass, so you can be confident it will hold up well against scratches.
The Active 3 Premium comes with four buttons, which are easy to use alongside the touchscreen. I always like the tactile feel of a button, especially when I’m hot and sweaty out there on my runs. I didn’t love the quality of the buttons on this watch, and they come across as a little cheap, with coloured markings on them. Not my favourite stylistic choice here, yet they serve a purpose, and they are handy to have.
Hyrox integration
For those of you who may not know, Amazfit is the official wearable partner and timekeeper of Hyrox. This means the brand is heavily promoted throughout Hyrox events around the world. In turn, Amazfit includes some interesting integration features. Playing with the Active 3 Premium, I noticed there are three activities specifically created for Hyrox: Hyrox training, Hyrox simulation and Hyrox race. These activities help the athlete track the unique exercises that are included in their sport. So if you are an aspiring Hyrox athlete, an Amazfit watch is probably a great choice for you.
Who is the Amazfit Active 3 Premium for?
New runners and those on a budget are squarely the target market for the Amazfit Active 3 Premium. This watch is purpose-built for those looking to get into running or other outdoor activities. It isn’t a super-accurate device for hardcore athletes, but it will certainly track your fitness well enough.
The post Amazfit Active 3 Premium review: High-end features on a budget appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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