The Galaxy Note 10 won’t be official until Wednesday, but Samsung has announced details about its latest premium fitness tracker, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 ahead of its next Unpacked event.
With a sleek design that looks a bit like a round Apple Watch, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 largely maintains the look of a fashion timekeeper. The watch will be available in 40mm and 44mm size options and two design options, which include an aluminum body and an FKM wrist strap and a premium stainless steel watch body with a leather strap.
The wearables will also have a decent color range, with the aluminum model available in aqua black, cow silver, pink gold and the stainless steel model available in black, silver, gold. Users can also customize their watches further with any standard 20mm band.
Samsung really doubles down on a health focus with the Galaxy Watch Active 2. The wearable can automatically detect 39 exercise categories and also allows users to input new workouts. In addition to standard metric tracker including GPS, barometer, accelerometer and an improved optical heart rate sensor, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 also now features an electrocardiogram (ECG). This feature can track the electrical activity of a users’ heart, and was originally seen on the Apple Watch Series 4.
Specs-wise, the stainless steel model includes 1.5GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage, and also supports LTE connectivity, while the aluminum model includes 768MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage and is Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connected.
The 40 x 40mm Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a 1.2-inch 360 x 360 Super AMOLED display, a 1.15 GHz Exynos 9110 dual-core processor, and a 247mAh battery. The 44 x 44mm Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a 1.35-inch 360 x 360 Super AMOLED display and a 340mAh battery, with other hardware features matching the smaller model.
Connectivity for both versions includes Bluetooth v5.0, NFC, and 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi for all models. The smartwatch includes waterproof and durability certifications including 5ATM, IP68, MIL-STD-810G. It also runs Samsung’s Tizen OS.
Other software features include Spotify integration thanks to Samsung’s partnership with the music provider. Other proprietary apps and features, including Samsung Health, Samsung Pay, Smart Things, and Bixby. The LTE model also allows users to access various social media platforms, such as Twitter and YouTube. The wearable also supports real-time voice and text translation of over 16 languages.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2, of course, works best with Samsung smartphones but is also compatible with other Android devices and iPhones.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 launches to market September 27 with availability at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon. Preorders begin September 6. The aluminum 40 x 40 mm model starts at $279.99 and the aluminum 44 x 44 mm at $299.99. Those who preorder will receive a Wireless Charger Portable Battery for free. Samsung has not yet shared pricing details for the LTE/stainless steel model.
