Amazfit Balance 3 vs Amazfit Active Max
The Amazfit Balance 3 lists for about $200 more than the Amazfit Active Max. With the screen always on, their makers quote 10 days for the Amazfit Active Max and 7 days for the Amazfit Balance 3. For a GPS workout the figures are 64 h and 41 h. Only the Amazfit Balance 3 has dual-band GPS. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Amazfit
Amazfit Balance 3
~$370
Amazfit splits Balance 3 into a stainless steel model and a lighter titanium one, both with sapphire glass, a 3,000-nit 1.5-inch AMOLED screen and a red-and-white flashlight that the cheaper Balance 2 lacks.
Best for: Gym-and-run hybrid trainers who want maps and three weeks between charges without a subscription.
Amazfit
Amazfit Active Max
~$170
Built around a 658 mAh battery, Active Max is the long-running member of the Active family: Amazfit rates it at 25 days of typical use and 64 hours of GPS.
Best for: Buyers who want the most battery and screen per dollar and do not need dual-band GPS.
| Specification | Amazfit Balance 3 | Amazfit Active Max |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$370 (Stainless Steel model, $369.99 on us.amazfit.com (Titanium model $449.99)) | ~$170 (Black, regular price $169.99 on us.amazfit.com (on sale at $139.99 on 2026-10-06)) |
| Type | Fitness | Fitness |
| Platform | Zepp OS | Zepp OS |
| Case sizes | 51.4 mm | 48.5 mm |
| Weight | 51.4 mm: 62 g (stainless steel model, without strap (titanium model 55 g)) | 48.5 mm: 39.5 g (without strap) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 21 days (Amazfit: "Typical Use Battery Life: Up to 21 days" (heavy use up to 10 days)) | 25 days (Amazfit: "Typical Use Battery Life: Up to 25 days" (heavy use up to 13 days)) |
| Battery, always-on display | 7 days (Amazfit: "AOD Mode Battery Life: Up to 7 days") | 10 days (Amazfit: "AoD Mode Battery Life: Up to 10 days") |
| Always-on keeps | 33% of the headline figure | 40% of the headline figure |
| Battery, GPS workout | 41 h (Amazfit: "Accuracy GPS Mode Battery Life: Up to 41 hours" (dual frequency, all satellite systems); Amazfit publishes no standard single-band figure) | 64 h (Amazfit: "Continuous GPS Usage: Up to 64 hours" (5 satellite systems)) |
| Battery, dual-band GPS | 41 h | not published |
| Battery note | Power Saving GPS mode (single frequency, low-power GPS, AOD off): up to 84 hours. | Amazfit also lists "Continuous GPS Usage with Music: Up to 22 hours". |
| Works with | Android; iPhone with limits | Android; iPhone with limits |
| iPhone | Yes, with limits | Yes, with limits |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Phone limits | Amazfit lists Call Quick Reply as Android only, so iPhone owners cannot send quick replies from the watch; phone camera control is iOS only. | Amazfit says message replies by keyboard or voice are Android only, and lists Call Quick Reply as Android only; phone camera control is iOS only. |
| Paid tier | Zepp Aura, $69.99/year | Zepp Aura, $69.99/year |
| What the paid tier gates | No watch feature requires it; Amazfit sells workout and recovery data in the Zepp App with no subscription. Zepp Aura adds unlimited AI sleep-assistant chats (free users get one message a day), detailed weekly and monthly sleep reports, and the full sleep and meditation music library. | No watch feature requires it; Amazfit sells workout and recovery data in the Zepp App with no subscription. Zepp Aura adds unlimited AI sleep-assistant chats (free users get one message a day), detailed weekly and monthly sleep reports, and the full sleep and meditation music library. |
| Update years | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Cleared health features | None the maker cites | None the maker cites |
| Display | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | Yes | No |
| Maps | Full topo maps on the watch (Amazfit: "Base, Contour & Ski Resort Maps, Turn-by-Turn Directions, POI Search, Route Planning, Round-Trip Routes & Auto Rerouting"; 64GB storage) | Full topo maps on the watch (Amazfit: "Downloadable Offline Maps with Contour Details, Turn-by-Turn Directions"; 4GB storage) |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | No | No |
| Flashlight | Yes | No |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Case | stainless steel frame, fiber-reinforced polymer shell (titanium option) | aluminum alloy frame, polymer case |
| Released | 2026 | 2025 |
Amazfit Balance 3: what it gives up
- No contactless payments in the US
- Third-party music apps such as Spotify cannot be installed
- iPhone owners lose call quick replies
- 51.4 mm case is large on small wrists
- Always-on display cuts the rating from 21 days to 7
Amazfit Active Max: what it gives up
- Single-band GPS only
- Strengthened glass instead of sapphire
- Keyboard and voice message replies are Android only
- 48.5 mm case is wide for small wrists
- Amazfit does not state whether music can be stored on the watch
Full pages: Amazfit Balance 3 · Amazfit Active Max