Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 Review

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 shares a lot of features with its predecessor the galaxy watch active. But the watch active 2 has a couple of extra tricks up its sleeve. In this review, we take a thorough look at the design, hardware, and features that make Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 preferable to its predecessor.

Design and Hardware

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in two versions, one with a 40mm dial size and the other with a 44mm dial size. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active had a beefier 46mm dial. Both versions weigh 26g and 30g respectively (without the strap). Like the size, Samsung lets you choose the watch body type as it comes in two varieties, aluminum body with 20mm Fluoroelastomer strap band, available in cloud silver, aqua black, and pink gold, and stainless steel with classier leather strap available in silver, gold, and black color variants.

There are two buttons on the right side of the watch body one being the back button and the other being the home button. The latter one can also be used to access Samsung’s smart assistant Bixby and the best part is it can be customized to access other apps or shortcuts.

The display is 1.4 inches on the 44mm model and 1.2 inches on the 40mm one. It’s super AMOLED with 360 x 360 resolution and 16M color depth. The notable feature here is the touch-sensitive thin bezel around the watch display. Combined with some software tricks this bezel acts as a rotary navigation system for quick and precise access to menus.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 is based on Samsung’s Exynos 9110 (10 nm) dual-core chipset with a 1.15GHZ processing speed. It has 768MB RAM (upgradable to 1.5 GB) and 4GB storage space of which only 1.4 GB is available for the user. The watch is packed with sensors namely Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Light Sensor, and last but not least an Optical Heart Rate Sensor. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and NFC, Galaxy Watch Active 2 offers seamless connectivity. The battery capacity is 247mAH for the 40 mm model and 340mAH for the 44mm one.

Software and Features

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 runs on Samsung’s trusty Tizen operating system implemented with their One UI. The rotating dial makes it noticeably easier to sift through apps on your home page or notifications on the main ‘watch face’ screen, though it will take a little getting used to for precision navigation.

Since both the hardware and the software for their smartwatches are made by Samsung, performance all around is fast, snappy, and lag-free. It’s considerably better than even the best Wear OS watches, and very close to the slick experience Apple offers. The advertised battery time is around 60 hours for typical usage but in real-life scenarios, you can expect around 2 to 3 days depending on how you use it. The Active 2 wirelessly charges in just under two hours using a puck that magnetically attaches to the back of the watch. You can also charge the watch from the back of a Samsung smartphone with Powershare and with compatible wireless chargers.

Performance

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2’s fitness apps and features haven’t changed much and their comprehensive health-tracking app, Samsung Health is built into the Active 2 with 39 workout-tracking modes, like running, walking, cycling, and swimming. The exercise modes generally work fine for cardio-related routines but struggle with those defined by motion.

The features list doesn’t stop there. Watch Active 2 can monitor constant heart rate, stress, steps, floors climbed, activity, and menstrual cycle. It also has an ECG (electrocardiogram), which can be used to detect the electrical activity and rhythm of your heart. Although the hardware necessary for performing ECG is there, the feature isn’t available, as Samsung needs approval for its use in each country.

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is IP68-rated for water and dust resistance and can survive being submerged up to 5 meters in liquid. There’s even a ‘water lock’ mode that disables touchscreen functionality and vibrates to shake out excess water.

Should you buy Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 ?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 excels at tracking health and fitness, beyond the trivial steps or runs. It is light, well-made, and offers a bright, always-on screen. Galaxy Watch Active 2 is proving to be an all-around smartwatch if you are an Android user. However, anyone who is in Apple’s iOS ecosystem won’t get the most out of this smartwatch.

Specs	40mm	44mm
SIM size	Embedded-SIM	Embedded-SIM
4G LTE	B1(2100),B3(1800),B7(2600), B8(900),B20(800)	B1(2100),B3(1800),B7(2600), B8(900),B20(800)
3G UMTS	B1(2100),B8(900)	B1(2100),B8(900)
Wi-Fi	802.11 b/g/n	802.11 b/g/n
GPS	A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS	A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth Version	5.0, A2DP, LE	5.0, A2DP, LE
OS	Tizen OS 5.5	Tizen OS 5.5
Display	Super AMOLED 1.2 inches 360 x 360 pixels (~364 PPI density)	Super AMOLED 1.4 inches 360 x 360 pixels (~364 PPI density)
Processor	Exynos 9110 (10 nm) Dual-core 1.15 GHz Cortex-A53	Exynos 9110 (10 nm) Dual-core 1.15 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Mali-T720	Mali-T720
Memory	4GB 768MB RAM	4GB 1.5GB RAM
Sensors	Accelerometer Barometer Gyro Sensor Light Sensor Optical Heart Rate Sensor	Accelerometer Barometer Gyro Sensor Light Sensor Optical Heart Rate Sensor
Physical Specification	44 x 44 x 10.9 mm (1.73 x 1.73 x 0.43 in)	44 x 44 x 10.9 mm (1.73 x 1.73 x 0.43 in)
Weight (g)	37 g (1.31 oz)	44 g (1.55 oz)
Battery	Li-Ion 247 mAh Non-removable Qi wireless charging	Li-Ion 247 mAh Non-removable Qi wireless charging
Audio Playing Format Supports	MP3,M4A,3GA,AAC,OGG, OGA,WAV,WMA,AMR,AWB	MP3,M4A,3GA,AAC,OGG, OGA,WAV,WMA,AMR,AWB