Probably the best ‘Android ecosystem’ smartwatch and even better with a Galaxy phone. Premium hardware, great minimalist looks, and Samsung Health are ideal for most. Don’t be surprised if Samsung Health is the main reason to buy.

Nice aesthetics, Samsung Health is the app for us all, Great AMOLED daylight display, Relatively accurate step and heart rate counts, Flawless performance, Uses standard 20mm wristbands

ECG issue not yet solved, Big price premium for LTE over Wi-Fi/BT

Just six months after the launch of the Galaxy Watch Active, Samsung has followed it up with the next generation of its flagship smartwatch. But why I've been wearing the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 to find out. Here's my full review.

Flawless performance; Excellent AMOLED display; Digital bezel works well; Attractive design; Always-on display

Samsung bloatware required; Bixby is still awful; Poor third-party app support

 With two-day battery life, excellent design, and fitness features that don't overpower the overall experience, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is one of the best smartwatches you can buy for an Android phone.

It's everything I wish Wear OS would be

More like an iPhone 13S. The generational upgrades for the iPhone 14 are limited to a few subtle changes. At the same time, however, the base price climbs to 800 USD, while the only true innovation happens inside the iPhone 14 Pro series.

excellent OLED display, dust- and waterproof, fast Wi-Fi, wide range of supported frequencies, great camera, very fast performance, good battery life

display limited to 60 Hz, charging rate limited to 20 watts, no macro lens, wide notch

A year after release, there's a lot to like about the Galaxy Watch Active 2 especially now that ECG is finally available.

Comfortable during workouts and when sleeping. Same VO2 max and trip detection as the Watch 3. Updated running coach works if you can live with the Bixby voice. Touch bezel to navigate between menus. Comes in two sizes, with an LTE option.

Battery life on the smaller 40mm version takes a beating during workouts, especially with the always-on display active. ECG is only available when tied to a Galaxy phone.

Editors' note, Nov. 18, 2020: With the addition of the long-awaited electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and an update that's given the watch many of the same health features as the more expensive Galaxy Watch 3, we've awarded the Active 2 an Editors' Choice. It's a good all-round option for someone looking for a smartwatch compatible with Android and iOS. Our review, originally published September 2019, follows.

This watch is the best looking smartwatch around. The Design is top notch and Tizen OS is great on a watch. Best: -Notifications on your wrist. Notifications are always available, you can leave your phone on silent and sill get important notifications. -Design.

I use this with iOS and can whole heartedly recommend instead of Apple Watch easily for the price and features. The only downside is I can't use Samsung Pay as iOS doesn't have an app for it and I can't reply to texts/emails from the watch but I can make and receive phone calls which is perfect for...

If you’ve been waiting for Samsung to deliver a wearable that’s on the same level as Apple’s hardware, the Galaxy Watch Active is probably the device you’ve been waiting for.

The Galaxy Watch Active is imminently capable, supremely polished and mature in a way that most other smartwatches aren’t.

Great design; Digital bezel; Decent battery life;

Few third-party apps; NFC connectivity could be more open;