Amazfit’s much-hyped budget Garmin rival has built-in music storage and claims three-week battery life

Amazfit has officially launched the Active Max, a new sports-focused smartwatch aimed squarely at those who like the feature set of top-tier Garmin watches but can't quite stretch their budget.

Rumours about the upcoming running watch have been swirling online for weeks, and it looks like the expected headline features are all true.

These include offline maps, AI-powered training tools, auto-pause workouts and long battery life, all at a budget-friendly price.

The Active Max is said to deliver detailed workout summaries and recovery insights, such as sleep quality, heart rate variability and training load.

It measures 48.5 x 48.5 x 12.2mm and weighs just 39.5g without the strap, so it’s lighter than many outdoor watches.

It’s rated to 5ATM water resistance, built around an aluminium alloy case with a strengthened glass lens, and uses a 22mm silicone sports strap with antibacterial treatment.

Endurance mode, always on

Power comes from a 658mAh battery, with Amazfit quoting up to 25 days of daily use, 13 days with heavy use, and up to 64 hours of continuous GPS tracking.

Sensor-wise, the Active Max includes Amazfit’s self-developed PPG optical heart-rate sensor, plus SpO₂, temperature, ambient light and barometric altimeter, along with a GNSS chipset from Airoha.

Connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC is available in supported regions.

One of the standout features is its support for offline maps and navigation tools, which lets you use topographic, ski resort and contour maps without relying on a phone, which is still a rarity in this price bracket.

The watch also supports contactless payments, pairs with headphones for on-the-go audio, and offers 4GB of onboard storage for music and podcasts.

Up front, the Active Max sports a 1.5-inch AMOLED display with a 480 x 480 resolution, 60Hz refresh rate and up to 3,000 nits of brightness – the same as the Apple Watch Ultra 3 – making data easy to read outdoors, with automatic brightness to suit changing environments.

Amazfit has priced the Active Max aggressively, and it’s now available from Amazfit’s online store and select partners for £169 / $170 / €169.90 (~AU$341.73).

The brand is clearly positioning the Active Max well below many premium Garmin and Apple competitors.

With its launch timed perfectly for New Year fitness resolutions and its feature set that punches above its price, the new watch looks like one of the most intriguing budget smartwatches of the season.