Early this year, we took a look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active (review) that was announced along with the Galaxy S10 series of flagship smartphones. Now, we have the Galaxy Watch Active 2 which was announced alongside the Galaxy Note10 series of smartphones.
The new Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, which is a mouthful of a name for a smartwatch, comes with a few upgrades, too. While these upgrades might seem small… they make a huge impact on the user experience.
There are two different sizes and has two different variants – either in 44mm or 40mm, and either in aluminium or stainless steel. We have the 40mm version in stainless steel which means we can compare it with the original Galaxy Watch Active.
Unboxing
This time around, the box is somewhat a lot larger than before. The packaging layout is revamped and honestly, I deem this new packaging to be educational as the wrist band is placed separately and requires us, the customer, to install the wrist band ourselves. That lets us know that the wrist band is removable.
This time, Samsung included a leather strap. That is only for the stainless steel version, so keep that in mind.
Digging out all of the contents from within the box, we can see that it’s pretty much identical to the original Galaxy Watch Active, minus the extra wrist strap of different sizes. Perhaps Samsung punched more holes onto the strap to cater to both larger and smaller wrists with just one strap. That’s a logical thing to do, honestly.
Similar, yet different
The new Galaxy Watch Active 2 looks almost identical to the original Galaxy Watch Active. The new Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a bigger back button and also a thicker body to house that new heartrate sensor with 8 photodiodes.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 still uses a 20mm watch strap, which means all the straps that we have are compatible – if the buckle is is compatible too, that is.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 also combines the elegance of this sleek design with the functionality of the rugged wristwatches with a bezel. One complaint that I’ve seen about the original Galaxy Watch Active is the lack of a bezel like the Galaxy Watch, so Samsung included a software-based rotating bezel on the Galaxy Watch Active 2.
Honestly, this is a big quality of life improvement as I placed many seldom-used apps at the far end of the list. With the rotating bezel, I don’t have to spam swipes to navigate between the apps. Just trace my finger on the edge of the bezel and navigate!
Battery life
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 now has a 247mAh battery – which is larger than its predecessors but doesn’t offer any significant improvements in its battery life because of its larger display. Locking in at level 5 brightness, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 lasts for about 2 and a half days – which is more or less the same as its predecessor.
The charger is still the same as the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is still compatible with any Qi wireless chargers in the market – but only if it has a compatible small coil size. In my opinion, this means I need to bring a dedicated charger – either the included charger or a Samsung wireless charging power bank – is just tedious. Wireless PowerShare on the Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Note10 series of smartphones work, but that means I can’t use my phone while the watch is charging. And I will have to align the watch correctly to charge.
Wrapping up the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 review
So, is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 superior to its predecessor? Pretty much, yes. Comparing both these smartwatches, there is no argument that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is an upgrade all around. It’s an easy recommendation from us.
As for the price of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, it’s a little complicated. It depends on what size and which variant you’re looking for, which creates a list of different versions available.
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 | ||
| 40mm | 44mm | |
| Aluminium | RM1,099 (Under Armor Edition) |
RM1,099 |
| RM1,199 (Under Armor Edition) |
||
| Stainless steel | RM1,299 | RM1,399 |
The one that we have for review here is with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 with 40mm size, stainless steel. For the price of RM1,299, it’s pretty steep. Moreover, the price overlaps between the 40mm and 44mm versions complicate our decision even more. The 44mm version has a larger battery and an even larger display and uses a larger strap size. That’s pretty much it.
However, we should also point out that the Galaxy Watch and the original Galaxy Watch Active is still available in the market, as shown in Samsung Malaysia’s website.
So, ultimately, it depends on what type of watch you’re looking for. Do you want a rugged look? Then the Galaxy Watch is the one to buy. Seeking for elegance with a larger display? Then the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is for you. But if you want an affordable and elegant smartwatch, then be on the lookout for the Galaxy Watch Active during sales as they were available for RM499 on 9.9 and 10.10 sales. Perhaps once more on the 12.12 sale?
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