{"id":528276,"date":"2026-06-10T15:41:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T15:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/528276\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T15:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T15:41:17","slug":"amazfit-confirms-price-rises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/528276\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazfit confirms price rises"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"AmazfitImage: Gemini<\/p>\n

Zepp Health has confirmed that average selling prices across the Amazfit portfolio rose more than 20 per cent year-over-year in Q1 2026. Consumers are paying the higher prices. For now, at least, the market appears willing to follow Amazfit upmarket.<\/p>\n

I assumed the usual Amazfit pattern would reassert itself: launch high, discount quickly. So far, it has not, as all seven products launched in 2026 are holding at MSRP. Clearly, this is the new strategy:<\/p>\n\nProduct
\nLaunch
\nPrice (unchanged)
\n<\/tr>\n\nActive Max<\/td>\nJanuary 2026<\/td>\n$169.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nActive 3 Premium<\/td>\nFebruary 2026<\/td>\n$169.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nT-Rex Ultra 2<\/td>\nFebruary 2026<\/td>\n$549.99 \/ \u00a3549.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nCheetah 2 Pro<\/td>\nApril 2026<\/td>\n$449.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nCheetah 2 Ultra<\/a><\/td>\nMay 2026<\/td>\n$599.99 \/ \u00a3599.90<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nBip Max<\/td>\nMay 2026<\/td>\n$99.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\nBalance 3 \/ Balance Ultra<\/td>\nJune 2026<\/td>\n$369.99-$599.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Q: Could discounts be widespread in third-party channels?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: No. Price comparison sites show only Amazfit\u2019s own channels, including its Amazon Store, so there is no meaningful independent retail channel in the UK applying competitive pricing pressure. The periodic coupon codes and Prime Day bundles are shallow.<\/p>\n

The Cheetah 2 Ultra<\/a>, recently launched at \u00a3599.90, now sits alongside the Garmin Forerunner 970<\/a>, which launched at \u00a3629.99 and is currently available at slightly lower retail levels (around \u00a3592 to \u00a3599). Garmin remains ahead in software, ecosystem depth, and training functionality. Battery life still goes the other way in Amazfit\u2019s favour, but price no longer does. The brand is no longer asking buyers to take a chance on a cheaper alternative. It is asking them to choose Amazfit.<\/p>\n

The Polar and Coros trap<\/p>\n

Amazfit is falling into the same trap that Polar fell into a decade ago, and that Coros is currently walking into with its eyes open. The difficulty is that premium watch buyers rarely make a purchase based on a specification sheet. The Cheetah 2 Ultra\u2019s titanium and sapphire are real and valuable product characteristics. But Garmin\u2019s advantage is its brand. At one end, that means genuine trust and perceived quality. At the other, it simply means the watch a friend mentions when asked.<\/p>\n

The strategic problem<\/p>\n

The pincer movement on Garmin that this site has argued for<\/a> requires Chinese brands<\/a> to compress from below, while Apple compresses from above. Amazfit moving upmarket and away from the discounted zone blunts the lower jaw of that pincer, leaving the entry levels open for the next challenger.<\/p>\n

As Michael Porter wrote in Competitive Strategy (1980, p.41): \u201cThe firm stuck in the middle is almost guaranteed low profitability.<\/strong>\u201d He restated it on the same page: \u201cA firm stuck in the middle is in an extremely poor strategic situation.<\/strong>\u201d Porter\u2019s generic strategies framework<\/a> makes the survival logic plain: defensible positions are either high volume and low cost, or low volume and high margin. Garmin does not occupy the low-cost end. Amazfit is vacating it.<\/p>\n

Huawei is the wildcard. Smartphone-scale distribution in China and a device that shares truly smart features give it a platform neither Garmin nor Amazfit can match, though its reach outside China remains limited. The full picture of Amazfit 2026 product launches<\/a> is covered separately.<\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions
\nHas Amazfit discounted any of its 2026 watches?<\/p>\n

Not as of June 2026. All seven products launched this year are holding at MSRP. Periodic coupon codes exist but are shallow and short-lived.<\/p>\n

Why are Amazfit\u2019s prices rising?<\/p>\n

Zepp Health confirmed that average selling prices rose more than 20 per cent year-over-year in Q1 2026, driven by a deliberate shift toward premium materials, including titanium and sapphire glass, across the range.<\/p>\n

Is Amazfit a good value compared to Garmin at the same price?<\/p>\n

On materials, yes. On features, software depth, and ecosystem maturity, no.<\/p>\n

What is Porter\u2019s \u201cstuck in the middle\u201d theory?<\/p>\n

Michael Porter argued in Competitive Strategy (1980) that firms which fail to commit to either cost leadership or differentiation end up in an indefensible middle ground. He called this being \u201cstuck in the middle\u201d<\/a> and described it as almost guaranteeing low profitability.<\/p>\n

Last Updated on 9 June 2026 by the5krunner<\/a><\/p>\n

My favourite kit and nutrition<\/p>\n