PRICE ANALYSIS:
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 This is just an upgrade over its predecessor which was released earlier this year but lacked the rotating bezel that hit its beaver brother. The Samsung Galaxy Watch like this but the refined version of Samsung’s sports smartwatch comes with a digital bezel and a few more techniques to make it the best wearable in the company’s lineup.
The matches of its predecessor are probably for the best the Active 2 retains the slim, minimal, modern look of its predecessor. This is a more broadly interesting setup than the girly form of the Galaxy Watch, similar to the more ‘masculine’ style of the conventional watch.
It’s manageable and tough enough to run, yet packing enough features and power to compete with the Apple Watch but the additional features of the Active 2 come at a literal cost. It shrinks the edge of the watch more affordable than its predecessors than Apple’s watches.
Still the Active 2 is a tough choice for shoppers who are looking for Android users outside the iOS ecosystem. Especially for smartwatches and for going to the office. Yes it can be used with the iPhone but with limited functionality and for the same price you can pick up an old Apple Watch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 now starts at 27 9279.99 / £ 269 for the 40mm version or $ 299 / £ 289 / $ 549 for the 44mm version. The 40mm model is not available in Australia.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is also available in an LTE model of stainless steel, supplied in the US via Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon. In the UK and Australia you can buy this version directly for 40 399 / AU 9 749 for the 40mm version and £ 419 / AU99 799 for the 44mm version.
That launch price puts it between the Apple Watch 5 and now discounted Apple Watch 3 which offers strong competition even after the latest Apple Smartwatch reached a higher price.
But if you want the most functionality of the Active 2 and can save some money, you can opt for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Digital haptic Dial, LTE availability and extra workout features while the extra features are great additions, it’s probably not worth the price jump.
DESIGN AND DISPLAY:
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a dead ranger for its predecessor – the 40mm version, as the new smartwatch is also available at 44mm, which is more manageable than the giant 46mm model of the Galaxy watch.
As it stands, both options are quite light, starting at 26g for small aluminum (without any straps) and 30g for larger current but not heavy when worn during the run.
Like the original Active, the Basic Watch Active 2 has an aluminum body. It comes in Cloud Silver, Water Black and Pink Gold. You can also get it in stainless steel (which will come in LTE models) for a higher price, which comes in silver, black and gold.
The inexpensive model comes with a rubberized flour elastomer band, which you can recognize if you’re wearing an Apple Watch – an element that feels natural through casual and sweaty activities, and it will be fine to wear at sunset (and beyond).
If you want a classy look and feel, you can choose a stainless steel body with a heavy (by about 11 grams) leather strap – but you can also remove any Samsung-Sales or Aftermarket 20mm band if you want.
In both cases, there is a heart rate monitor with eight photodiodes on the back of the watch – double that of its predecessor. In our tests it gives a reasonably correct text.
The two side buttons are the same as before – a “back” button at the top, which is now described in some cases, and a “home” button at the bottom that brings up your apps. The second one comes with Samsung’s Smart Assistant Bixby by default when double-tapping, you can set it to something more useful (eg: frequently preferred shortcuts).
The Active 2’s 360 x 360 resolution Super AMOLED screen is slightly (e.g., 0.1 inches) 1.2-inch wider than its predecessor in the smaller 40mm model – which means less bezel this time – while the larger 44mm option has a 1.4-inch screen of the same resolution.
It’s about the standard of smartwatches, and it’s sorted by a text material rather than a notification (say, an email) even though there’s enough screen real estate to filter out the information needed.
Most of Samsung’s first-party apps have been optimized for this tiny display, but some third-party options have failed as spectacularly as they sound. Which means: We’ve downloaded a YouTube-viewing app in a lark and it’s still running as expected.
Thanks to this, the new digital dial makes it much more precise around menus. Yes, it’s not as perfect or satisfying as the original Galaxy Watch’s sensitive bezel wheels, but every time you switch to the next app or setting, it’s the next best thing with a vibrating tick.
It’s much less loose than swiping the screen, which you can still do if you like. In fact, sweeping is the only control method when you boot the watch, because Samsung is surprised not to turn on the digital dial by default.
The dial is worth trying for ease of use – it puts your finger on the outside edge of the screen and out. It’s obviously something that crowns do too (like the Apple Watch side), but a touch-based alternative method of navigation looked good.
FUNCTIONALITY AND SOFTWARE:
The Active 2 has an Exynos 9110 dual-core chipset, similar to its predecessor – and the original Galaxy Watch – but it is very fast at 1.15 GHz. The Smartwatch’s 768MB of RAM is OK for switching in and out of apps, though it has been upgraded to 1.5GB for the LTE model.
This is enough power to zoom the interface around, although we still want Samsung to be able to fit more than 4 GB of storage there – especially since, once the operating system and baseline applications are loaded, you leave 1.5 GB with the violin. Lots of songs and apps (most of which just take up a megabyte) are enough, but don’t leave too much space for the big, bold software.
Like its predecessor, the Active 2 runs on top of Samsung’s reliable Tizen operating system in Samsung’s One UI overlay, and hasn’t changed much since the original active. The rotating dial makes it relatively easy to notice notifications on your home page through apps or on the main ‘clock face’ screen even though it will become somewhat accustomed to precise navigation (e.g. the right stop doesn’t zoom in).
There are even more new integrations that Samsung Champion is doing – such as taking a photo on the phone with the Samsung Wear balls app and creating an algorithmically chosen color-and-pattern watch face design. Obviously, this is your Active 2 to sync with what you’re wearing, but if you’re fancy you can snap pictures of a specific color or natural color.
Unfortunately, Tizen did not gain as much as third-party application support in the interim after the original Active. With the exception of flashlights, calorie counters, and run mapping, you’re probably relying on first-party applications to carry most of your interactivity. Tizen is still behind the Apple Watch OS and even wear the OS in this case.
The included apps are still in effect, although iOS users still can’t access all the best features, such as replying to messages or interacting with emails outside of notifications. Some things have improved – Find My Phone now makes your iPhone buzz even though it’s not the default – but you just won’t get the full functionality of the watch without an Android phone.
ADVANTAGE:
Not much has changed in the fitness applications and features of the Watch Active 2: there are still 39 workout-tracking modes, such as running, walking, cycling and swimming. Exercise modes usually work finely for cardio-related routines but fight those defined by speed.
For example, ‘Crunches’ mode is only calculated when the arm (and thus the Active 2) is extended above the knee … which means it is out of luck for anyone to be crushed with arms over their chest. This is a weird feature that extends to other workouts like arm extensions and jumping jacks, which were similarly clever.
There was no problem providing us with the Active 2, where it tracked our runs, and when it was felt we would stop moving and perhaps the workout would be completed (or just telling us to wrap up). The smartwatch was effortlessly paired with Bluetooth headphones, making it easy to hear the occasional vocal updates of the Active 2 about the progress of our workouts.
Listening to music was a lot of work, especially when connected to an iPhone, for which adding music is a multi-step process. Frequent alerts and notifications mute audio for a moment With multiple interruptions per song, it’s easy enough to sync up a Spotify account. This is strange, especially when a barrier-disruptive feature seems like such a logical addition to a workout mode.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance and can sink up to 5 meters of liquid and become somewhat deadly. There is even a ‘water lock’ mode that disables the touchscreen functionality and vibrates to shake off excess water.
The watch has an ECG (electrocardiogram), which can be used to detect the electrical activity and rhythm of your heart. This is a feature we have already seen in the Apple Watch 4 and 5 and can be used to detect atrial fibrillation choices.
However, the feature is not available at launch when the hardware is present here, as Samsung’s approval is required for its use in each country. Like we couldn’t test it.
BATTERY LIFE:
If anything survives Samsung’s claims about the Galaxy Watch Active 2, it’s battery life. With normal use, our Active 2 lasted a full two days. While it’s not entirely certain that our original Galaxy Watch survived four days, it can’t be said about the Apple Watch line.
That battery life is reduced with lots of activity playing music or running GPS (say through these workouts) can drain power at a much faster speed. Depending on how much you use it to spend more life on the charge and there battery-saving setting (switching grayscale, switching off Wi-Fi).
The original capacity of the 40mm model is 247mAh, slightly larger than its predecessor’s 230mAh. The 340mAh capacity of 44 millimeters can give it an edge over the smaller vibe (only we tested), although it also strengthens the larger screen.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Android phone owners looking to make a quality smartwatch from a well-known brand should consider the Active 2 – especially if they are good, active. This is true for lovers of the original Galaxy Watch who were wary of dial-less watches and since we will never get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, it may be the closest we have to it.
WHO ISN’T THIS FOR:
Anyone locked into Apple’s iOS ecosystem won’t get the most out of this smartwatch, and it’s hard to recommend an undeniably inferior wearable OS with a competitive Apple Watch 3 in the market. Likewise, any serious fan of War OS can be affected by the small application library.
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