A couple of weeks ago, Amazfit Malaysia launched the latest smartwatch product, the Active. With 2023 being history soon, they have sent over a retail unit for review once again.
So will this be a nice gift for your loved ones when the holiday season is just around the corner? Let’s find out.
First thing first, the box. Just your usual Amazfit design layout.
But the sides are extra fluffed up this time with an actual image instead of just the ‘UP YOUR GAME’ slogan. Really gunning for the active lifestyle companion image eh?
But still, gonna give credit for making the packaging more attractive.
As usual, The same packaging will almost net you the same stuff – the watch itself, user manual, and charging cable (Just hoping Amazfit would change up the layout/design/bundled accessories for a little refresh from 2024 onwards).
Now, if you’re wondering why this thing falls under the premium section despite the Bip 5 which I last reviewed has a larger screen? That’s because the Active runs an AMOLED panel instead of a cheap IPS LCD that offers way better color contrast and high brightness to work around tough ambient lighting, resulting in a more pleasant user experience in daily life.
The size of it is 1.75-inch with 341PPI and 73% screen-to-body ratio although I must admit that I would like to see even thinner screen bezels in the future so that every piece of screen estate can be utilized fully.
On the other hand, the stainless steel frame is clean and smooth with no signs of loose jobs but considering the reflective material, it can sometimes get smudged with oil or other things without you noticing so be sure to wipe and clean regularly.
The strap leather is as good as I can remember – no skin rashes, no itchiness during and after workouts, and just the right amount of tightness.
Charging? Grab the trusty magnetic pogo cable and plug it in. On average, it’ll take about 70 minutes for me to charge it from completely empty to full. The battery life lasts about 2 weeks or longer if you just wear it when you’re going out which is my case so your mileage may vary.
At this size, the interface of the watch is more or less the same with previous offerings with the Quick Access page hosting 6 functions per panel, the Quick Info dashboard accessed through swiping from left to right, and more.
The Progress Reminder is there to help get your things in check while the detailed physical well-being tracking is on the right side showing each and everything screen by screen.
Scrolling through the interface also gave a pretty noticeable contrast between a budget option and a premium selection – The Active appears to run a slightly higher refresh rate panel since it is extra responsive and relatively smoother than any Amazfit product I came across.
Before I forget, this model also has side speakers as well so when you start or end any workout session, some form of TTS will tell you exactly your training parameters and such.
Since the Zepp companion app applies a unified experience for all of the Amazfit smartwatches, the default layout is just the same across everything with the Home page hosting quick and easy-to-digest info cards like steps, sleep, heart rate, workout history, and tools
The Sleep tab is still the same – you’ll get the data when you go for a long sleep or a quick nap.
If you do care about the ratings and data, be sure to note down your Pre-Sleep Sate and Wake-Up Mood for accurate long-term monitoring.
As for WorkOut, now, if you’ve read some of the older Amazfit reviews, you know that I always have a bone to pick when it comes to treadmill activity tracking where the device just refused (Or maybe the inability) to detect your movement if the arm you’re wearing is not moving at all due to you holding onto the sidebars or something.
But the Active seems to have this problem remedied to a fair degree and by not grabbing the sidebars too hard allowing mild hand movements, the tracking now works!
I do hope that Amazfit continues to “apply” this “updated” tracking regardless of whether this is some hardware fix or software magic.
The device-specific “control panel” is still the same as ever – tuning particular health monitoring features for better tracking or battery saving, messing with how many notifications you want to get bombarded, sorting out the best layout for your apps, etc.
And of course, who can forget about all the watch faces you can pick out from the store?
Since Amazfit is constantly updating the page there will be plenty of choices for different moods and timings.
Also, I just realized that a portion of them are generally shared between models while some are tailored towards specific shapes.
Conclusion
So is the Amazfit Active good? In terms of functionality, it pretty much covers most of the ground of the Zepp OS 2.0 software and be used like the Bip 5 I reviewed last time.
Compared to the Bip 5’s RM329 price tag, the Active is in a steeper range which is RM599 so if you ask me, it is a bit harder to swallow if your budget is a bit lower or prioritizes on function rather than looks.
But you know what else is at RM599? Yes, the GTR Mini. Not only the colorway is a close relative of rose gold to the Active’s pink color but the metallic bezel is just a nice throwback (The colors are a bit different though, still).
But certain things are still factual. For one, the Active is a newer model and thus will definitely have longer support for things like software. And two, the screen is way bigger. And three, both of them are slightly different in terms of what kind of attire they can fit in.
Sure, both of them are designed to be as “generic” as possible but I still feel the Active would go well with active people especially in sports scenarios and smart casual outfits due to the the rounded square design while the GTR Mini is nice for attending events thanks to the full-circle round screen with crown honoring the traditional timepiece idea.
So if you have the budget, then the choice is kind of up to you. Like the round shape and turning crown? GTR Mini it is then. Want a “typical” yet slightly premium smartwatch with more features as a whole instead? Get this new Active!
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