Just a few months after unveiling the Galaxy Watch Active, Samsung has now launched the second-generation Galaxy Watch Active. The Korean company didn’t want to wait a full year before refreshing its wearable device. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 brings tons of cool features such as stylish design, a digital rotating bezel, and better fitness tracking than its predecessor. The Watch Active 2 will be competing with the immensely successful Apple Watch Series 4 for consumers’ money. So, let’s check out how the two wearable devices stack up.
Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Apple Watch Series 4: Design and display
The Samsung smartwatch has a round and sporty design. It is available in both aluminum and stainless steel cases, and there are tons of band choices. Samsung has launched a Bluetooth-only model and an LTE model. The Bluetooth model has an aluminum body while the LTE variant comes with a stainless steel body.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is available in two different case sizes of 40mm and 44mm. The 40mm model measures 40 x 40 x 10.9 mm. It sports a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 360 x 360 pixels resolution. The 44mm version measures 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm and features a slightly larger 1.4-inch Super AMOLED display with 360 x 360 resolution.
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The Galaxy Watch Active 2 screen is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass DX+. The Bluetooth-only model is available in Rose Gold, Silver, and Black colors with a matching silicone strap. The LTE version comes in Silver, Gold, and Black colors with a leather strap. Samsung also offers a wide range of watch straps that you can buy separately.
The Watch Active 2 has two buttons on the side to let you navigate. One of the biggest highlights of Samsung’s new device is the digital bezel around the screen. The digital bezel offers haptic feedback to emulate the rotating bezel of the original Galaxy Watch. It makes navigation even smoother.
Both the Watch Active 2 and Apple Watch Series 4 offer 5-ATM water-resistance, meaning they can survive being submerged in up to 50 meters deep water.
The Apple Watch Series 4 has a rectangular design with a button and a Digital Crown on the right side. Apple’s wearable device also comes in aluminum and stainless steel cases. The display is protected by sapphire crystal glass. The Digital Crown and the Force Touch technology make the Apple Watch pretty easy to navigate.
The Digital Crown provides haptic feedback, offering you a more mechanical and responsive feel through a comforting click. It also has an LTE red dot indicator ring. The Apple Watch Series 4 comes in two sizes – 40mm and 44mm. The 44mm version has a resolution of 368 x 448 pixels and total display area of 977 sq mm. The smaller 40mm model offers 324 x 394 pixels resolution and display area of 759 sq mm.
The Series 4 Watch’s rear panel is made out of black ceramic and sapphire crystal. It lets radio waves pass through the front and back with little resistance, improving cellular reception. The aluminum version of Apple Watch comes in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray colors. The stainless steel version is available in Silver, Gold, and Space Black.
Given the popularity of Apple Watch, there are tons and tons of first-party and third-party accessories available in the market.
Hardware specifications
Both the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Apple Watch Series 4 come with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology. They both support NFC and LTE connectivity. Both of them get GPS, barometer, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, and a heart rate sensor. The LTE version of both devices lets you make and receive calls, meaning you can leave your phone at home.
The Watch Active 2 runs Samsung’s in-house dual-core Exynos 9110 processor. It packs 768MB RAM for the Bluetooth version and 1.5GB RAM for the LTE model, though both versions have the same 4GB of internal storage.
The Series 4 has a 64-bit dual-core S4 chip. Apple claims the processor is up to two times faster than the S3 chip inside the Series 3 Watch. It has an impressive loudspeaker.
Software
Samsung’s wearable device runs the Korean company’s custom Tizen OS. It supports Twitter and YouTube, allowing users to respond to tweets and watch YouTube videos right on their wrist. The Watch Active 2 also supports Spotify to let users stream music. You can also use Google Translate on the device as long as you are connected to the Internet. Samsung offers My Style feature in the Galaxy Wearable app, which allows you to customize your watch face.
The Apple Watch Series 4 runs Apple’s watchOS software, which has a vast collection of apps. It brings better integration with iPhones, iPads, and Macs. The watchOS offers the Walkie-Talkie feature, which is a watch-to-watch connection that allows you to communicate with your friends over cellular or WiFi.
Samsung’s device is compatible with both Android and iOS. The Apple Watch is primarily for iOS users.
Battery life
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 packs a 247mAh battery inside the 40mm model and a 340mAh battery for the 44mm version. The device supports WPC-based wireless charging. The device hasn’t been tested yet, so there is no way to tell how long it lasts in real life. Samsung claims the Watch Active 2 battery “lasts the day and more with normal usage.”
Battery life continues to be a disappointment on the Apple Watch Series 4. It has the same 18 hours of battery life as its predecessor. However, Apple promises an outdoor workout battery life of six hours with full GPS tracking. Even in the best-case scenario, you have to charge the Series 4 Watch every two days.
Health and fitness tracking
Both smartwatches are capable of tracking a wide range of workouts, and can automatically track some workouts. Both of them can monitor your stress levels and offer tips and alerts. The devices store your health data in the respective Apple Health or Samsung Health apps. Talking about apps, Apple Health is cleaner and much easier to navigate than Samsung Health.
Samsung has added the electrocardiogram (ECG) support in the Galaxy Watch Active 2 to help detect atrial fibrillation, but it hasn’t yet received the USFDA approval. The Apple Watch Series 4’s ECG feature has already received FDA approval. Samsung claims its device can monitor real-time stress levels and offer you guided meditation.
The Apple Watch Series 4 has electrodes built into the Digital Crown and an electrical heart rate sensor embedded in the back sapphire crystal. When you place your finger on the Digital Crown, it can measure the rhythm of your heart.
The Series 4 Watch also supports Fall Detection. It can detect when you have fallen over using a variety of sensors and algorithms. Upon detecting a hard fall, the Watch will send you a notification, which you can dismiss or use to initiate a 911 call. If you remain immobile for 60 seconds after the hard fall, the Watch will automatically call the emergency services. It will also send a message along with your location to emergency contacts.
Pricing
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 will go on sale on September 27. Samsung will start accepting pre-orders on September 6. The Bluetooth-only version has been priced at $280 for the 40mm model and $300 for the 44mm model. The LTE version will be even more expensive, but its pricing will vary depending on the carrier. Apple has priced the GPS version of Series 4 at $399. The GPS+cellular version is going to set you back by $499.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is an excellent competitor to the Apple Watch Series 4, and it costs far less than Apple’s device. But the Series 4 Watch’s still has the edge of brand loyalty and a great design. The Watch Active 2 is a great choice for Android users.
