Samsung has been in the game for a decade now, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series has been one of the most amazing smartwatches with various advanced features, aesthetic looks, and displays. The Active series has been here before the Watch 5 series, so we decided to compare the Galaxy Watch 5 and Active 2 to find out who has the best features and look.
In this comparison, we’ll dive into the price, features, design, health features, and battery life of these smartwatches to find the supreme leader between the two.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 vs. Active 2: Overview
At first glance, both Samsung devices look similar but are also different in their own way. Neither of these watches offers a rotating bezel; instead, they have a touch-sensitive bezel with two buttons for power on/off and recent apps. Both watches are slimmer and boast a sporty look, and the removal of the rotating bezel keeps the watch slimmer, and the watch sits perfectly on your wrist.
How do they differ in looks?
Let’s first look at what these devices have to offer other than the same round design. The Galaxy Watch 5 looks more like a wristwatch and has a slimmer and sportier look and feel. The 1.2-inch, 321 PPI, 396 x 396 pixels and 1.4-inch, 450 x 450 pixels are surrounded by aluminium alloy casing and MIL-STD-810H ruggedness, along with sapphire crystal glass for protection. It does not include a rotating bezel; instead, it has a touch-sensitive bezel that works by moving your fingers around the edges. Plus, it has two buttons, with the top one for power on/off and the bottom one for recent apps.
Measuring at 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8 mm and weighing 28.7 grams, the Galaxy Watch 5 comes in Silver, Graphite, and Pink Gold for the 40mm model or Graphite, Sapphire, and Silver for the 44mm model. It has interchangeable bands along with multiple color options to customise your watch’s appearance. You can also switch your watch straps with the Galaxy Watch 3 or 4 (if you are upgrading).
To personalise the watch experience, it comes with multiple preloaded watch faces with options to customise them. Plus, Samsung also added many new watch faces to keep things new.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 boasts a 284-mAh battery capacity, which Samsung claims will last around 40 hours. But it didn’t quite reach that number; rather, it lasted for around 24 hours with the always-on display disabled. With AOD enabled, it drops slightly to 21 hours. If you are using GPS and heart rate tracking, you will need to plug it in every day for it to last a night for sleep tracking. But 8 minutes of charging can provide enough juice for sleep tracking, snoring, and heart rate tracking at night. The watch allows fast charging, so it takes 30 minutes to charge up the watch to 45% and 1.5 hours to fully charge it.
The Active 2, meanwhile, resembles more of a wristwatch style. It also comes in 1.2 inches and 1.4 inch sizes at 364 PPI, with a slightly shorter screen resolution of 360 x 360 pixels. The watch is surrounded by an aluminium alloy casing and Gorilla Glass DX for screen protection. It features the same touch bezel, in which you can swipe your fingers around the bezel to change apps and screens. Plus, it has two buttons: a microphone on the right and a speaker on the left side.
At 40 x 40 x 10.9 mm and 26 grams, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes in Aqua Black, Cloud Silver, and Pink Gold for Bluetooth and Black, Silver, and Gold for the LTE model. You can customise the appearance with your favourite watch straps from the other Galaxy watches. The straps are 20mm in length.
For customising your watch screen, it comes with multiple watch faces, plus the option to customise it, or you can create your own watch faces with the help of an app (facer).
In terms of battery life, it has a 247-mAh battery capacity, which can power up the watch for two days with the Always-On display disabled. With GPS and music, the battery drops to 1.5 days, but it has a battery-saving mode that can squeeze in a few more hours by switching off a few settings (dimming screen light and turning off Wi-Fi). The watch doesn’t support fast charging, so it takes 30 minutes to juice up the watch to 39% and approximately 2 hours to fully charge it.
Both devices are IP68-certified and have 5 ATM water resistance.
Let’s break down the specs
| Specifications | Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 | Samsung Galaxy Active 2 |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand | Samsung | Samsung |
| Model Name | Watch 5 | Active 2 |
| Design and Body | ||
| Weight | 28 grams | 26 grams |
| Material | Aluminium | Aluminium |
| Lens Material | Sapphire Crystal Glass | Gorilla Glass DX+ |
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Display | ||
| Type | AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Touch | Yes | Yes |
| Size | 1.2 inches (40mm) and 1.4 inches (44mm) | 1.2 inches (40mm) and 1.4 inches (44mm) |
| Resolution | 450 x 450 pixels | 360 x 360 pixels |
| Features | Always-on Display | Always-on Display |
| Connectivity | ||
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Built-in GPS | Built-in GPS |
| Extra | ||
| Sensors | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor | Pedometer, Heart Rate Monitor, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen) Monitor, Calorie Count, Step Count, Sleep Monitor |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | ||
| Camera | No | No |
| Technical | ||
| Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Multimedia | ||
| Music | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| Backup | Up to 24 hours | Up to 2 days |
| Fast Charging | Yes | No |
| Features | ||
| Water Resistant | Yes | Yes |
| Water Rating | IP68 and 5 ATM | IP68 and 5 ATM |
| Water Depth | 50m | 50m |
| Extra Features | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder | Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Timer, Reminder |
| Price | $279 (40mm) and $329 (44mm) for Bluetooth model and $299 (40mm) and $329 (44mm) for LTE model | $249 (40mm) and $269 (44mm) for Bluetooth model and $379 (40mm) and $399 (44mm) for LTE model |
Fitness, workouts, and activities
If we talk about fitness tracking, both devices offer various advanced features that we use every day. The Galaxy Watch 5 features heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, fall detection, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation, stress tracking, blood pressure monitoring, sweat loss measurement, and ECG. On top of that, it also detects irregular heart rate rhythms, and it can alert you to any early signs of atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
There are various sleep tracking features that offer insights into how well you slept, nuances in your sleep, and more. They also added sleep coaching, which offers a step-by-step guide to improving your sleep habits and acts according to them, like dimming the screen, changing the settings of smart home devices, and more.
In contrast, the Active 2 upgraded its LED from 4 to 8, which provides more accurate and faster readings compared to its predecessors. It also features a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, ECG, blood oxygen tracking, and stress management. They also doubled the accelerometer to 32G’s, whereas previously it was 16G’s.
When it comes to sports tracking, both devices can track multiple sports modes, including running, swimming, cycling, and many more. They sync all your data in the Samsung Health app, which provides more detailed health and fitness insights in one place.
Let’s look at performance and software
When it comes to performance and software, these devices are quite different. The Galaxy Watch 5 launched with Wear OS 3, but was updated to Wear OS 4. It allows you to use Google products like Google Maps, Wallet, and Google Assistant. The keyboard is easy to type on, and it features a dictation-to-text feature in which you can use your voice to type text messages.
In terms of RAM and storage, it has 1.5 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage to download and store music for offline listening, plus you can download more apps. The device feels smooth and runs effortlessly when switching between apps and watch screens.
The Galaxy Active 2, meanwhile, is equipped with an Exynos 9110 dual-core chipset and runs on the Wear OS. The watch stopped receiving software updates, but it’s still usable and offers a decent set of features. You can also use Google products, including the Play Store, maps, wallets, and Google Assistant.
One downside of the Watch Active 2 is that it only has 768MB of RAM and 4GB of storage, with the operating system taking up most of the space and leaving only 1.5GB to store apps and music. Its not laggy, but still not as smooth as the Galaxy Watch 5.
What else can they do?
Both devices support Bluetooth calling, thanks to their built-in speakers and microphones. You can make and receive calls directly on your wrist, and the quality is crisp and clear, providing a seamless calling experience. But you need your phone nearby and connected via Bluetooth to use the calling feature. They also have WiFi (802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz).
Both watches let you download multiple apps via the Play Store. Plus, you can download Spotify to download your favourite music to listen to on the go.
On top of that, both smartwatches have NFC for contactless payments and support both Google Assistant and Bixby. Although Google Assistant has better quality and capability overall and Bixby is still evolving, you can choose whichever you want.
Both devices offer built-in GPS, meaning you don’t need to reach out to your smartphone for GPS tracking but rather glance directly at your wrist.
Which should you choose?
Deciding between these smartwatches highly depends on your personal preference. Both devices have similar screen sizes, health features, and support for Google products. So it comes down to other aspects, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, which offers extra battery life, but the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 supports fast charging.
Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 5 has Bluetooth version 5.2, ensuring seamless connectivity and a seamless calling experience. It also has more RAM and storage, which provides more space to download music and apps without feeling slow and laggy. On top of that, it’s still receiving software updates, so you can get some new features. The Active 2 stopped receiving software updates, which makes it less appealing as bugs and glitches can hinder your watch experience.
Other than that, both look identical and feature the same touch-sensitive bezel, on which you can swipe your fingers to switch apps and watch the screen. They also have two buttons, with one button for recent apps and the other one for back action. So choose the watch that fits your style and needs, and if you have a Samsung smartphone, you can enjoy Samsung’s ecosystem with whichever watch you choose.