The Galaxy Watch Active released back in March of this year. Here we have the new iteration coming out next month in September. Now, what does six months of technology have to offer us? Actually, there’s quite a lot to be seen.
Digital Bezel
We will start off with how the Galaxy Watch Active removed the rotating bezel that was the signature of all the Gear and Galaxy watches. It’s so easy to navigate through your watch by just spinning away at your bezel, there’s just something so satisfying about the action. A couple months ago, Samsung patented “Digital Touch Bezel” which was speculated upon the internet about how this feature will be coming to future generation watches. Well, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 highlights this feature by making the bezels around the watches screen touch sensitive to keep the same traditional way of navigating a Samsung watch.
Larger Screen Size
We now have two different sizes for the Galaxy Watch Active 2. There’s a 44mm with a 1.4 inch 360 x 360 Super AMOLED screen and a 40mm with a 1.2 inch 360 x 360 Super AMOLED screen. Meanwhile, the original Active only had a 40mm 1.1 inch 360 x 360 Super AMOLED screen. That extra 0.1-0.3 inch screen should help you view your Youtube videos on your wrist even easier. Or something like that.
Battery Life
The battery has been upped as well with a 247mah battery inside the 40mm while the 44m gets a whopping 340mah compared to the 230mah battery in the Galaxy Watch Active. Samsung claims you can get two days of battery life out of the Galaxy Watch Active 2.
Build Quality
Stainless steel is now back alongside aluminum. It will cost you quite a bit more for the stainless steel edition since it’s a more durable and sleek material. They both come in Bluetooth or LTE with their respective pricing.
ECG and Upgraded Sensors
For the first time, Samsung is including an Electrocardiogram Sensor which can measure electrical signals directly from your heartbeat. This is a certain feature that the Apple Watch released with last year. Unfortunately this feature won’t be available upon launch due to FDA not passing this feature yet. Sounds like the feature is still a few months away due to launch around early next year. On the other hand, we have upgraded sensors added with extra photo-diodes to ensure a faster and better response time for readings along with detecting workouts which by the way still have 39 workout-tracking modes.
My Style
This is a funny feature that’s very thoughtful in my opinion. A user can take a selfie with their smartphone in order to generate a colorful watch face that matches the outfit they’re sporting. Each time you use this feature, you’re guaranteed a new pattern from before. A neat feature of this nature is what makes the usability of these smart watches come to life.
Colors and Pricing
The pricing starts at $279 USD for the 40mm while the 44mm starts at $299. Both these prices starting are for the bluetooth edition. These base prices with aluminum come with the colors Aqua Black, Pink Gold, and Cloud Silver. The watch will come with a pricier stainless steel model as well in Black, Silver, and Gold. Pre-orders start on September 6 here in the USA. Pre-ordering on Samsung.com will also get you a Portable Wireless Charging Powerbank.
How many of you will be picking up your own watch? Will you be waiting for the next Galaxy Watch perhaps?