Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 – Review
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 was released in August of 2019. Post-launch, the Active 2 has benefited from several upgrades that brought a range of extra features onboard, like an FDA-approved ECG tool, trip detection, etc. So this watch actually got better with time!
Overall, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is excellent value when tied to an Android phone. It’s a sleek-looking watch, with good battery life and enough fitness-tracking features to keep sports adepts happy.
I however find it hard to categorize the Active 2 as a good buy for iPhone owners. More on this in the next section.
Does Galaxy Watch Active 2 Work On IPhones?
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is compatible with iPhones but will give a better user experience when paired with a Galaxy phone. When pairing an Active 2 watch to an iPhone, you will miss out on a few features and settings such as:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Samsung Pay
- Siri
- On-watch replies to calls, text messages and emails
- On-watch selection and customization of watch faces
- Remote wiping of watch data
- Ability to locate watch from a distance
- Cellular connection (the LTE model is more expensive and therefore not worth it if you have an iPhone)
For clarity, the following features will still work when Active 2 is paired with an iPhone:
- Calls, text messages and email notifications on your watch
- Find my phone & find my watch alerts
- Bluetooth and wifi connection
- Bixby (Samsung’s smart assistant)
13 Best Overall Features of Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Below is our assessment of the 13 features we found most important to test and rate.
1. Workout Modes on Galaxy Watch Active 2
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes with 39 workout-tracking modes such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, and lots more. Seven of those activities can be detected and tracked automatically by the watch.
The watch is compatible with various fitness apps, like Strava and MapMyRun, providing sports enthusiasts with a range of options to track their workouts.
2. Galaxy Watch Running Coach
Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes with an updated running coach. It allows runners and want-to-be runners to choose one of seven workout programs aimed at improving either endurance, or speed.
During a run, you’ll get audio, visual and sensory cues. The sensory cues are a light vibration, generally to tell you to reduce or increase your speed. The Running Coach is great for beginner and intermediate runners. It helps give a structure to your runs and promotes commitment to becoming a more regular and faster runner.
3. Navigation
The Active 2 features both a touch-enabled rotating bezel for easier and quick navigation between different apps, as well as two additional control buttons.
4. Galaxy Active 2 Battery Life
Samsung states that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 battery will last between 24 and 60 hours, depending on use. That’s an ok performance, comparable to that of some Apple and Fitbit watches, but incomparable to the 14 days battery life of some Garmin products.
With Watch Active 2, the most battery-consuming features are the always-on display, using GPS during a workout, music streaming, and taking calls on the wrist.
It’s worth mentioning that the smaller 40mm model has a marginally shorter battery life than the larger 44mm model.
5. Build Material
The Gorilla Glass DX Plus material of the Active 2 is more resistant to scratches and bumps than the original Active watch’s Gorilla Glass 3.
6. Water Resistance
The Active 2 is resistant to 50 meters depths, making it suitable for pool and ocean swims. Its “water lock” feature disables the touchscreen’s functionality, vibrating to shake out penetrated water. The classic sports band made of rubber is also made to last regardless of how much sweat and water it’s exposed to.
The watch is not suitable for diving or extreme water sports.
7. Active 2 Watch Sensors
The Active 2 features: a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer and an ambient light sensor.
The heart rate monitor has twice as many photodiodes as the original Active watch.
It’s been reported as not being the most accurate watch out there for HRM, but for many non-athletes, the Active 2 heart rate readings will be within a perfectly acceptable accuracy range.
The range of sensors offered by the Active 2 falls short of those offered by competitors like Fitbit, which also feature skin temperature sensors, oxygen saturation readings (SpO2), breathing rate sensors, etc.
8. Weight
With the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2’s lightweight, sprinting or running becomes easier without adding to your weight. Even the larger 44mm Active 2 watch is lighter than the smallest 41mm Series 7 Apple Watch model.
9. Galaxy Active 2 Has An Electrocardiogram
The Active 2 watch has been upgraded to include a FDA-approved ECG feature, which I suppose is aimed at competing with Apple watch and Fitbit bands. Both competitors have offered electrocardiogram readings for some time.
The ECG is an Android only feature. When paired with an iPhone, the Active 2 will not report any ECG readings.
10. Galaxy Active 2 Calculates VO2 Max
The Active 2 has another great feature to help you assess your fitness level: on demand VO2 Max readings.
As you progress through your fitness journey, you should see your VO2 Max improve. Tracking that progression is great way to keep motivated and remain accountable.
11. Sleep Tracking
The Active 2 is a great tool for tracking your sleep, ranking somewhere in between the disappointing sleep tracking of Apple Watch and the hard-to-beat Fitbit sleep tracking technology.
The Active 2 provides an estimate of sleep time and a breakdown of your time spent in each of the three sleep stages (REM, light and deep sleep).
12. Design
Look is a very subjective thing to assess of course, but I’ve given a three-stars ranking to the Active 2 in regards to design.
I like its sleek design. I like that it has a smaller display variation. I like its rounded shape and I like that the rubber sports band is delicate and goes unnoticed with professional clothes.
There’s also several color variations, more on that later.
13. Music Storage on Active 2 Watch
The Active 2 allows you to control music from your watch. It also has offline Spotify support and music storage, which is a sought-after feature by runners.
Downloading songs, playlists, and podcasts on the watch is a relatively easy process for Android users, but a multi-step one for iPhone users.
Highlights: Galaxy Watch Active 2
Highlights
- Flexible control (touch rotating bezel + buttons)
- Automatic workout tracking
- Running coach – Inbuilt music storage
- Two sizes and an LTE option
- Inbuilt GPS
- Battery life ranges from 24 – 60 hours
- Optional always-on display
- Heart rate monitoring
Comparison: Galaxy Active vs. Galaxy Active 2
How does the Galaxy Active 2 compare to its predecessor, the Galaxy Active?
There’s no mind-blowing change, but there are a few unique features that set the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 apart from the original model.
The main changes are related to:
- Control
- Heart rate monitoring
- Optional LTE
- Glass material
- Display
1. Galaxy Watch Active 2 Has Better Control
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 brings back the bezel control that was so popular in the original Galaxy Watch, and unfortunately missing altogether in Samsung’s first Active Watch.
Now instead of a physical rotating bezel, the Active 2 has a digital touchscreen one. It’s not as satisfying to use as the physical one, but the digital response is good and it has haptic feedback to give sensory cues.
Overall, control is much better with Active Watch 2 than with the original Active Watch, as you get to use both buttons and a digital rotating bezel to set up and command the watch.
2. Improved Heart Rate Monitoring
The Active Watch 2’s heart rate sensor has about twice the number of photodiodes that the original Active watch had.
This means heart-rate readings are more precise and reliable.
In addition, the Active Watch 2 has ECG, which is lacking with the original Active watch.
3. Optional LTE
The Active 2 has an optional (and more expensive) LTE model, which allows you to access all of the watch’s features even without your phone nearby. Note that the LTE function isn’t supported when the watch is paired with an iOS mobile device.
The new release comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, whereas the original Active Watch was 39.5mm. Both sizes of the new model remain light but weigh a bit more than the original watch. With the aluminum model, you’re looking at a weight of 26g and 30g, and for the stainless steel model, you’re looking at a weight of 37g and 42g.
4. More Resistant Glass
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is designed with Corning Gorilla Glass DX Plus instead of Corning Gorilla glass. The new Active 2 is more resistant to bumps and scratches.
5. Minor Display Changes
The resolution hasn’t changed, with the Active 2 still offering a good 360 X 360 Super AMOLED touchscreen.
What’s changed (but barely) is the display dimensions. The old model was 1.1”, whilst the new model comes with a 1.2” and 1.4” screen for the 40mm version and the 44mm model respectively.
The AMOLED touchscreen display provides clear reading if you are in the darkest place or in the bright light.
Check Today’s Price: Galaxy Active 2Pros and Cons: Galaxy Watch Active 2
PROS
- 39 workout modes
- Running coach
- V02 max and ECG
- Touch rotating bezel and buttons
- Music storage & offline Spotify
- Good sleep-tracking features
- Good enough battery life
- Water-resistant to 50 meters
CONS
- Limited access to third-party apps
- Limited compatibility with iOS
Specifications: Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Bluetooth and LTE variations
- 40mm and 44mm variations
- Stainless steel and aluminum variations
- Touch-enabled rotating bezel plus buttons
- 360-by-360 pixels color display
- Tizen OS
- Lightweight
- 24 to 60 hours battery life
- 5ATM water-resistant
- Inbuilt GPS
- Samsung Pay
- Heart rate monitor
- 39 workout modes
- Bixby smart assistant
- VO2 Max readings
- ECG sensor
- Music storage
- Sleep-tracking
Variations and Options: Galaxy Watch Active 2
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in different sizes and colors, and has a cellular vs. Bluetooth connectivity option.
Here are the variations and options to watch out for when buying:
Active 2 Watch Size Options
- 40mm
- 44mm
The Active 2 comes in sizes “44mm” and “40mm.” The “44mm” watch measures “44 x 44 x 10.9mm” and the “40mm” watch measures “40 X 40 X 10.9mm.”
Whilst the 40mm one is sleeker and nicer on a small wrist, its battery tends to drain a little bit more quickly.
Color And Material Options For Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Aluminium
- Stainless Steel (only option for LTE watch)
The stainless steel watch comes in silver, black and gold. The aluminium watch is available in Aqua Black, Cloud Silver, and Pink Gold. Plus, the 40mm Aluminium watch also comes in rose gold.
The stainless steel option is a few grams heavier than the aluminum one.
Connectivity
- Bluetooth
- LTE
The LTE version of the watch is equipped to receive cellular connection, meaning certain features like calls and notifications will work even when you don’t have your phone nearby.
The cellular connection option is slightly more expensive both at purchase and on an ongoing basis, given mobile providers often charge a small monthly surcharge to provide cellular connection to a watch.
The LTE watch comes with an internal memory of 1.5GB RAM + 4GB, while the Bluetooth comes with an internal memory of 768MB + 4GB.
Note that the LTE watch is only available in stainless steel.
Verdict: Is Galaxy Watch Active 2 a Good Watch?
Samsung is catching up on other brands of fitness watches with the Galaxy Watch Active 2, which features the majority, but not all, of the “must-haves” sensors and fitness features.
The ECG monitor, the additional photodiodes of its heart rate sensor, the trip-detection feature, and advanced running analytics are all great additions and upgrades that make the Active 2 more attractive as a fitness watch.
The Active 2 battery life is long enough and all the important sports made it on the list of workout modes.
It features Fitbit-comparable sleep tracking, 5ATM water resistance, music storage and an in-built GPS. The built-in GPS allows tracking of distance and routes, even without your mobile smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a good buy for Android users, but in my opinion, iPhone users should look elsewhere (eg. Apple Watch Nike or Fitbit Versa 3), given some features are restricted when paired with an iPhone.
