With the Active Edge, Amazfit has a smartwatch in its range that is visually reminiscent of a G-Shock. The target group is therefore young and hip users who are appealed to by the watch’s idiosyncratic look. We took a closer look at the Edge in the test and are now clarifying whether the smartwatch is for 136 Euro has more to offer than just an unusual look.
Design and usability
The Amazfit Active Edge has almost the same name as the Amazfit Active, but externally the two smartwatches have nothing in common with each other. While the Amazfit Active is reminiscent of an Apple Watch, the design of the Amazfit Active Edge looks more like that of a G-Shock. The Edge comes across as decidedly sporty and almost intentionally hip. The Mint Green color in particular exudes enormous lollipop vibes and therefore stands out quite clearly from the smartwatch competition. Accordingly, the design of the Active Edge is also a matter of taste.
Overall, the workmanship of the Amazfit Active Edge seems solid as usual, only the plastic clasp on the silicone bracelet makes a somewhat cheap impression. Otherwise, all parts of the watch are well coordinated and appear to be of high quality. Anyone who can get used to the obviously deliberately chosen, idiosyncratic design of the Active Edge will definitely get a robust sports watch that is explicitly designed for outdoor use. According to the manufacturer, the watch is waterproof up to 10 ATM, which is why it is suitable for both swimming and snorkeling and can withstand water pressure of up to 10 bar. The silicone-coated housing also makes the Edge resistant to impacts. During the test, we dropped the watch from a height of two meters onto a stone floor and could not find any damage to the casing or display.
Our positive first impression of the Amazfit Active Edge is confirmed in terms of usability: the 1.32-inch TFT display with touch screen responds reliably and quickly to our input. The watch also has four buttons on the housing that we can use to alternatively navigate through the functions and menus. This also worked perfectly in our test. The brightness of the display can be continuously adjusted using the options and is still sufficient even in direct sunlight.
App and setup
The app and setup of the Amazfit Active Edge work in the same way as the Amazfit Active, so we’ll only go into it briefly here: To connect the watch to our smartphone, we download the app, create a user account and scan it QR code displayed on the Edge’s display to pair the watch with the app. The whole process only takes a few minutes. We are then shown a short tutorial that explains how to use the Edge before we can get started.
Activity and training
Although the Amazfit Active Edge is aimed at a significantly different target group than the Amazfit Active, the two watches hardly differ at all in terms of training and activity tracking. As is usual for Amazfit smartwatches, the Active Edge also relies on the Physical Activity Index (PAI) to calculate our daily physiological activity. In addition to our training sessions and steps taken, the watch takes into account, among other things, our pulse and data such as height and weight. As usual, in the Zepp app we find suggestions for increasing our daily PAI, such as jogging for 20 minutes or jumping rope for 6 minutes.
The Active Edge measures various health data such as pulse, steps, calories burned, breathing and blood oxygen saturation. While the Amazfit Active offers more than 120 different profiles for different sports, with the Active Edge we can even select over 130 modes. The watch also automatically recognizes a total of seven sports, including running, cycling and walking in several variations as well as rowing machines and elliptical trainers.
Functions known from the Amazfit Active such as the Zepp Trainer and Zepp Fitness are also supported by the Edge. Based on our willingness to train, which the Edge calculates based on our health data, the Zepp trainer recommends a specific workout with suggestions for duration and intensity, about 30 minutes at a heart rate of 150 BPM on average. As with the Amazfit Active, this feature also works perfectly with the Active Edge and is a solid alternative for all hobby athletes who want to keep moving regularly and don’t feel like detailed training planning.
For runners, the Active Edge also offers some useful functions such as a virtual pacer and a forecast of racing performance, which we are otherwise familiar with from high-priced sports watches from Garmin and Polar. These features performed well in the test, even if they may be too imprecise for professional runners. This gives hobby runners a good orientation.
If the Zepp trainer is not enough for you, you can also book Zepp Fitness for 3.99 euros per month or 29.99 euros per year. Similar to Zepp-Aura, with Zepp-Fitness we get an AI coach who answers questions about training. There are also detailed training plans and advanced analyzes of our data.
Like the Amazfit Active, the Amazfit Active Edge also has integrated GPS tracking that uses five different satellite systems. In our test, the route recording worked absolutely reliably. Under cloudy skies and in the forest, the pace display sometimes stalled for a short time while running, but this phenomenon also occurs with other GPS watches such as our comparison device (Garmin Fenix 7). The heart rate measurement during training was at a similarly good level as in the case of the Amazfit Active: Even with strongly fluctuating pulse rates, the optical sensor still delivered usable results that only deviated from the measurement of our chest strap in the low single-digit range.
Amazfit Active Edge – photo gallery
Amazfit Active Edge – photo gallery
Sleep
Similar to activity and workout tracking, the Active Edge is no different than the Amazfit Active when it comes to sleep tracking. The Edge also supports the paid Zepp Aura, which we have already discussed in detail in our Amazfit Active test. The feature, which costs 29.99 euros per year or 3.99 euros per month, seamlessly supports the Edge’s sleep recording and expands the tracking with additional features such as a sleep coach and content that is intended to make it easier to fall asleep.
As with the Amazfit Active, sleep tracking on the Edge also works without Zepp Aura and delivers reliable results. The time you fall asleep and wake up are registered, as are the individual sleep phases. The watch also measures heart rate, breathing and awake times during the night. If you want, you can rate your own mood after waking up.
Additional features
Unlike the Amazfit Active, users of the Amazfit Active Edge have to do without a comprehensive portfolio of additional features. In addition to the customizable notification function, there are only the membership cards already known from the Amazfit Active. This allows us to store bar or QR codes on the watch, such as payback cards or membership cards from gyms, libraries and more.
Unfortunately, Zepp Pay is not supported by the Amazfit Active Edge. We also have to do without integrated music storage and a telephone function like the Amazfit Active has to offer.
Amazfit Active Edge – Zepp-App
Amazfit Active Edge – Zepp-App
battery pack
According to the manufacturer, the battery life of the Amazfit Active Edge is 16 days with typical use (permanently activated heart rate measurement, sleep monitoring, 150 push messages, three training sessions per week of 30 minutes each with GPS). We pushed the watch a little harder in the test and completed five training sessions, each lasting an hour, in one week. In this usage scenario, the watch lasted a good two weeks before we had to recharge the battery – an excellent value. Like the Amazfit Active, the battery charging time is around two hours.
Technical data
Price & alternatives
Conclusion
The Amazfit Active Edge differs from the Amazfit Active mainly in its appearance. With its G-Shock look, it is aimed at a completely different target group than the Amazfit Active, but the functions of both watches are practically the same. The Edge is only slightly ahead when it comes to waterproofing and battery life, which is surprising given the same price that the manufacturer charges for both models.
Because the Active and Active Edge are very similar overall, our conclusion about both watches is almost identical. As with the Active, Amazfit has once again brought the Active Edge onto the market, a flawless smartwatch with an excellent price-performance ratio. Although the Active Edge, like the normal Active, lacks a payment function and we also have to do without music storage and a telephony feature, the watch scores points with its robust workmanship and long battery life.