The Galaxy Watch Active 2 may be the cheapest member of the Samsung smartwatch family, but it has emerged as one of our firm favorites.
Although they are primarily built for fitness, it has just about everything you want in a fitness smartwatch. However, now that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is on the scene, you might want to consider whether you should spend big on the new watch, or save some money and go for the Active 2.
So how do the two compare? What do you lose or gain? We spent a good amount of time with the Watch Active 2 and now know what the Watch 3 is capable of, to get a better idea of how the two Samsung smartwatches match.
Here is our breakdown of how the new Galaxy Watch 3 compares to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 v Watch Active 2: Design
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
We think it’s fair to say that these two watches promised a very different look to your wrist. Let’s first start with size options, with the Watch Active 2 available in case formats 40mm and 44mm.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
That said, those case sizes are a lot closer than they have been for the previous generation Active and Galaxy Watch installations and we think that’s a good thing. The dimension on the Watch Active 2 feels right to you and it is good to follow Samsung from the next pack for the Watch 3.
As far as the watch software is concerned, all of these watches have touchscreen displays with two physical buttons, though those buttons sit fluttering against the case on the Watch Active 2 to deliver a more streamlined appearance.
When it comes to those touchscreen displays, as we have said many times before, Samsung makes some of the best smartwatch screens in the business. Resolution-wise, all of these watches offer a 360 x 360 resolution display, so you can expect sharp, bright, colorful environments.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
For size, Samsung has things right across the board, so the larger Watch 3 and Watch Active 2 models have a 1.4-inch screen and the smaller models have a 1.2-inch screen, respectively.
We should apparently be talking about rotating edges, which has become a highlight of hardware on Samsung’s smartwatches.
After being released on the Galaxy Watch Active, it brought it back to the Watch Active 2, although it introduced a touch-sensitive type that did not move physically.
However, the Galaxy Watch 3 has that physical rotating edge and it now has a more discreet appearance compared to the one on the first Galaxy Watch.
If you are concerned about thickness and have a lighter watch, then the Galaxy Watch Active 2 are the ones that you want to pay attention to. The Watch Active 2 also comes in stainless steel and aluminum, while the Watch 3 is currently only available in stainless steel.
For colors and models, there is a lot going on here. Especially for the Active 2. You have your choice of silver, black and gold in both size options for the Bluetooth and LTE varieties. If you opt for the aluminum Bluetooth option they come in silver, black and gold.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
For the Watch 3, the 45mm model comes in black as silver and the 41mm option in bronze and silver. All of these watches also support interchangeable bands. The Watch Active 2 uses 20mm bands that match the 41mm Watch 3. The larger 45mm Watch 3 uses 22m straps.
To further this selection of headaches, Samsung also offers the Active 2 in a few different editions. There’s the golf edition, which brings a new belt and more golf-centric software than an Under Armor edition. This offers some similar addition in some of Under Armor’s own watch faces and preloaded fitness apps.
All of these watches are marked with a 5ATM water rating, making them suitable for swimming up to 50 meters depth with swimming also on board.
Finally, if you like the idea of a good spinning edge and a slightly larger design, go for Watch 3. If you prefer something lighter and smaller sitting on the wrist with a more streamlined appearance, go for Active 2.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 v Watch Active 2: Smartwatch Features
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
In recent years, Samsung has tried to provide a better consistency so far than what you can expect from software over their watches. That seems to be the same story for their current crop.
Both watches run on Samsung’s Tizen OS and work with both Android phones and iPhones. They can handle notifications, miss the weather, change wake-up calls, transfer you to your own music or music from the likes of Spotify. You also have access to a not so fantastic Bixby smart assistant.
Crucially, the UI is also the same, making the best use of the moving edges, although it will likely be a more enjoyable experience with a physical bezel.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
You can download apps and take conversations using LTE models and overall we found Tizen’s OS pretty easy to get along with. Especially compared to Google’s Wear OS.
In terms of performance, it is likely that you can expect a relatively smooth experience on the whole. Both watches offer a decent amount of RAM, while the Watch 3 gives you more to play with when it comes to storage (8GB compared to 4GB).
The Galaxy Watch 3 will offer some extra features over the Watch Active 2, such as smarter, more contextual responses to messaging, though we should not rule out that these features will also come with the Watch Active 2. That said, Samsung has gotten into a good habit of rolling out software updates, and we hope some of the Watch 3 features are underway.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 v Watch Active 2: Features for Health and Fitness
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
The big play of the Active 2 is to be a better fit for tracking your fitness and with the smaller, lighter frame it is one we enjoyed running, swimming and using for HIIT sessions. With the Galaxy Watch 3 offering a similar size, we expect it to be a good fit as well. Especially since it almost all offers the same features and more.
Both watches offer heart rate monitors, built-in GPS and an accelerometer for indoor tracking. There are the likes of 24/7 fitness tracking, stress monitoring, guided breathing and some really useful motivational features to get you moving.
When you are ready to take steps and sleep, there is automatic activity recognition, and dedicated modes for the fun of running, swimming and cycling. Those features have been all over the place for us on the Active 2, and we expect to see more of the same with the Galaxy Watch 3.
Samsung promises some extra features for its newer Watch 3, including advanced running metrics and the ability to track workouts that use the on-board heart rate sensor to transmit live data. That aside, it looks like these two will offer much the same in the way of sports and fitness tracking.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Health monitoring has become a big pressure for Samsung, which really starts with the Active and the promise of blood pressure monitoring. With the Active 2 and the Watch 3 you get an ECG sensor to help detect serious cardiac conditions. Both offer the ability to take blood pressure measurements as well, if you have first calibrated the watches with a cuff-style blood pressure monitor. The Galaxy Watch 3 promises extra to take oxygen kills.
Following in the footsteps of Apple, you can also expect the new fall detection mode that works in a similar way to the feature included on the latest Apple Watch. Like ECG and blood pressure features, these features are not enabled in countries outside Korea. In the case of serious health oversight features, it will need to seek the necessary approval to get users to start using them.
So it’s fair to say that these two watches levels are pegged when it comes to what they can follow and promise to follow in the future.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 v Watch Active 2: Battery
For battery life, Samsung has been pushing to improve things. It may not match Fitbit as Garmin’s week-long battery life, but things are getting better.
For the Watch Active 2, Samsung states that you should get 3-4 days with both sizes for typical use. In our tests, we would say that it was more two days, when we used most of the features.
On the Watch 3, Samsung does not increase the battery life, but it does reflect the battery capacity found on the smaller and larger Active 2. That would suggest a similar type of battery performance.
With its Watch mode alone, that will push things further, albeit with more restrictive access to those great smartwatch features.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 v Watch Active 2: price
So how do the watches compare in terms of price? Let’s start with the Galaxy Watch 3, which is $ 429.99 for the 45mm version and ($ 399.99) for the 41mm model. If you want 4G / LTE, skip this $ 449.99 for the 45mm model and  £ 439 for the 41mm Galaxy Watch 3.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 in comparison costs $ 249.99 for the 40mm option and $ 269.99 for the 44mm Active 2. Throw in that extra LTE / 4G in the mix and then look for $ 379.99 in the 40mm and $ 399.99.
That is a significant difference in price for the versions of Bluetooth / WiFi only, and you have to pay a premium for LTE on both watches.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 v Watch Active 2: Honest Review
If you had to choose between the Galaxy Watch 3 and the Watch Active 2, which one would you have to go for? These watches are the closest they have been in terms of what they can offer in the way of those core marches and health and fitness features.
The designs promise to make you feel right on the wrist and to have that attractive, clean look all over them. There is also no large wave in case size.
We still think the Active 2 is one of Samsung’s best smartwatches and an option to consider if you want a smaller, lighter watch to practice with. The Galaxy Watch 3 has a bit more of that classic watch style around it and feels a little more at home outside of a gym or pool.
It speaks volumes that the Watch 3 has more in common with the Active 2. Samsung has clearly realized that it got a lot right with its sportier option and filtering that in its top-end watch can only be a good thing.
