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Following the successful Amazfit Active 2, known for its excellent value for money, Amazfit launched its Active 3 Premium in early March 2026, continuing with the same philosophy: offering a decidedly sporty device at a more affordable price.
Like many models, this smartwatch includes numerous common sports modes such as walking, running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), tennis, and swimming. It also incorporates standard health metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep tracking.
The partnership with HYROX, a fitness competition that alternates running with functional exercises, clearly shows Amazfit’s commitment to athletes.
However, compared to the Active 2, the Active 3 Premium is nearly 70 euros more expensive, thicker, heavier, and frankly, less comfortable to wear. It has a more “extreme” look. Moreover, it competes with the Amazfit Active Max, offered at the same price but with massive battery life, and with renowned competitors under 200 €, like the Xiaomi Watch S4, known for excellent heart rate tracking and very good battery life.
As of now, there is no sign of a non-Premium Active 3 model priced under 100 €. So, we were eager to test it and see its value.
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Amazfit Active 3 PremiumTechnical Specifications
| Model | Amazfit Active 3 Premium |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 45 mm x 45 mm x 11 mm |
| Technology | Li-Ion |
| Screen Resolution | 466 x 466 pixels |
| Panel | AMOLED |
| Internal Memory | 4 GB |
| Weight | 38 g |
| Accelerometer and Electronic Compass | Yes |
| Sleep Analysis | Yes |
| Ambient Light Sensor | Yes |
| Protection Rating | 5ATM |
| Product Sheet |
The watch for this review was provided by the manufacturer.
Amazfit Active 3 PremiumBold Design with Quality Build
The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is not a subtle watch. Its large circular format of 45 x 45 mm and a thickness of 11 mm make it unsuitable for smaller wrists. The casing includes no fewer than four physical buttons for navigation (two on the left, two on the right), and we will discuss later in the dedicated section that this is not always an advantage in terms of ergonomics.
However, the device is very well-crafted. The case is made of stainless steel, and the screen is covered with sapphire glass to increase resistance to drops and scratches. A very good point for a watch under 200 euros. Additionally, it features a 5 ATM water resistance rating. While it’s not the highest standard and isn’t suitable for diving, it’s sufficient for surface swimming, and it can certainly be worn in the shower. On the underside, you find the watch’s sensors and the port for its proprietary charger.
The device includes a built-in speaker and microphone. Thus, it’s possible to make calls. The provided strap is quite standard: black, perforated, made of silicone, and attached to the casing via a horn system.
The assembly is relatively simple, although we’ve seen more practical systems. Indeed, the two independent parts of the strap each have a small latch that you need to manipulate with a fingernail to insert into the mechanism.
Amazfit Active 3 PremiumBright AMOLED Screen with Large Diagonal
The AMOLED panel measures 1.32 inches diagonally and boasts a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 353 pixels per inch. This is more than sufficient for excellent display quality.
The brand claims a maximum brightness of 3000 cd/m². It’s hard to verify this claim with the naked eye, especially since we don’t have the necessary equipment to precisely measure its accuracy. Regardless, we encountered no issues reading the screen under various lighting conditions, whether in the middle of the night or in direct sunlight. We were able to check our session summaries without any trouble, even with the sun directly overhead.
Moreover, the device features an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the screen’s brightness. It proves to be quite responsive, and we rarely found it lacking.
At night, through the app, it is possible to set a time range to disable the “lift wrist to display info” function. This helps prevent being dazzled in the middle of the night.
The Always-On Display mode keeps the panel partially lit, providing a more aesthetically pleasing look than a completely turned-off screen. However, note that this feature is particularly power-hungry and significantly impacts battery life.
By default, the watch comes with ten pre-installed watch faces, but it’s possible to download more through the app.
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Amazfit Active 3 PremiumDisappointing Ergonomics, but a Top-Notch Zepp App
The Amazfit Active 3 Premium is powered by the Zepp OS operating system, which we’ve quite liked in the past. It’s a straightforward OS at first glance, but it’s impressively effective, especially since it’s compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones. However, note that the installation of third-party apps is limited to the Zepp ecosystem.
Zepp (formerly Amazfit)
The main issue with this model lies in navigating the interface. The presence of no less than four physical buttons around the casing is a real downside in terms of ergonomics. It took us some time to get used to it, but even after two weeks of use, we would have preferred to do without them.
The red button, located at the top right, provides direct access to the sports modes. The one at the bottom right serves to go back. To return directly to the watch face, you need to press and hold the blue button (the one on the right). Alternatively, after navigating through several menus, you need to press the button several times in a row or perform swipe gestures to the right to navigate back through the interface.
This setup is not very ergonomic, especially since the system’s responsiveness left us somewhat disappointed. While not unusable, the watch is less fluid than some competing models in this price range. The two buttons on the left, meanwhile, allow you to scroll through menus. It’s also worth noting that it’s impossible to reprogram the functions of the physical buttons.
However, it is possible to operate the watch solely via the touchscreen. Here are the offered interactions:
- Swiping down displays quick functions, such as the flashlight (which simply involves pushing the screen to its maximum brightness), the “Do Not Disturb” mode, the rest mode, and a function to make your smartphone ring in case of loss.
- Swiping up accesses certain functions linked to the smartphone, like controlling music playback directly from the watch.
- Swiping to the right displays smartphone notifications.
- Swiping to the left opens the main menu, grouping elements such as the weather, exercise history, activity level, and heart rate.
On the other hand, the Zepp app saves this chapter. It remains very pleasant to use: clear, well-organized, and the most common metrics (such as sleep duration, effort level, or recovery score) are easily accessible. It’s also easy to navigate from one day to another to consult, for example, the previous day’s data.
Then, the “Device” tab provides access to numerous settings:
- Health Monitor: configuration of heart rate alerts (high or low at rest), setting of heart rate tracking frequency (continuous, every minute, every 5 or 10 minutes), activation of respiratory tracking during sleep, as well as functions related to stress and blood oxygen.
- Battery Level: display of the watch’s charge status.
- Watch Faces: viewing and installing new watch faces directly from the app.
- Device Settings: settings related to display, vibrations, sleep mode, etc.
And much more.
Amazfit Active 3 PremiumPrecise GPS, but Inconsistent Heart Rate Tracking
The Amazfit Active 3 Premium offers a wide range of health metrics. It includes heart rate tracking (which you can set at various intervals to save battery life), blood oxygen (SpO2) measurement, and much more. It’s equipped with an accelerometer, an electronic compass, and a pedometer. It also incorporates a GPS.
The Accuracy of the GPS in the Amazfit Active 3
To ensure your location, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium uses a single-band multi-GNSS GPS (positioning by Glonass, Galileo satellites, etc.). We tested it in open terrain, but also in urban environments, where positioning is more challenging for embedded systems.
| Runs | Apple Watch Series 9 | Amazfit Active 3 Premium | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run 1 (park) | 6.69 km | 6.64 km | – 0.75 % |
| Run 2 (park) | 4.59 km | 4.56 km | – 0.65 % |
| Run 3 (city) | 3.88 km | 3.97 km | +2.32 % |
| Run 4 (city) | 1.03 km | 1.02 km | – 0.97 % |
| Total | 16.19 km | 16.19 km | 0 % |
We compared it to a model used here as a reference, the Apple Watch Series 9, known for the reliability of its route tracing. We conducted two walks in open terrain, as well as a route in a city, right in the heart of Paris.
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