Samsung Active2 Smartwatch Review

Samsung innovate.

They are THE pioneers of smart wearables, it was the rise of Android based phones from 2008 where the first Samsung smartwatches clasped on to the wrists of the tech savvy.

Soon it was not just the techies wearing smart watches as Samsung perfected their innovative time piece for the masses.

Samsung’s Tizen-based Galaxy Watch line has cycled through a few looks over the years, small and sporty, then rugged and masculine. The Active2 is the second lap around the Active side of that cycle.

Active2 comes in two sizes, 44mm and 40mm.

The all screen, all glass rounded watch face maximises the display real estate almost from edge to edge.

The twisty bezel from last year’s Gear and the 2019 Galaxy Watch is gone, and the Active2 is smoother for it. Menu navigation now runs through a touch-sensitive upper edge instead of a physical turnstile, so scrolling still works, just differently.

Swipe gestures also operate the Active2.

Notifications live on a right swipe, health stats on a left swipe. Pull down for the quick menu, long press the screen to change watchface. No learning curve here.

The Samsung Active2 smartwatch will need to pair with your smartphone via Bluetooth, on either iOS (iPhone) or Android.

Due to the Active2 requiring the Galaxy Wearable App to pair, you will need to install on your device.

Setting up is super easy on both iOS and Android. Generally the Wearable App will pick up that you have an Active2 and begin pairing it. While the App does offer up stats about your new and shiny Active2 you’re unlikely to use it all that much beyond the initial set up, unless you want to kit out your new wrist based companion and download and install either Samsung or third party smartwatch faces, apps this can be done here.

The health aspect of the Active2 has had an overhaul. As with the Galaxy Watches before it (and the first model of the Samsung Active) it will monitor your heart rate, count your steps, allow you to perform stress tests, set fitness goals and will remind you every hour to move if you have been sitting too still.

Samsung ditched the text-only reminders from older Galaxy Watches. The Active2 uses short animations instead, most showing you exactly what action it wants you to take.

The Active2 is also equipped to be able to control (if you allow) third party apps, such as Spotify. Or if you have your own personal collection of music tracks, the Active2 has 4GB of internal storage.

4GB of internal storage gets eaten fast once third-party apps and watch faces move in, not enough for anyone with an actual music library. RAM sits at 768MB, an oddly specific number, but across time with the 44mm Active2 there’s been no freezing or lag to report.

Two hard buttons are slim-lined on to the right side of the Active2. The lower one takes you directly to the main menu’s and the upper one acts like a ‘Back’ button. A long press however, will activate Bixby.

The Active2 comes with a rather fancy strap, when compared to the silicone offering that came with the first Active. Leather-like and buckled. Active and Active2 straps are swappable aswell.

Wearing the Active2 44mm is a perfect fit for a small or larger wrist. I have a Galaxy Watch 44mm and it appears gigantic when compared to the same sized Active2.

Battery will see you right for around two to three days. This is of course dependant on how you use the Active2, as in, Always On Display is turned on, how active you are, how many notifications you receive and of course the addition of third party apps.

I was able to squeeze three days of life and I am a heavy user. In my test with the Active2 44mm smartwatch I was able to squeeze 3.5 days out of the device by turning off Always On Display.

Still, a watch that you can wear and forget about for a couple of days is good enough for most.

50M water resistance, dust proof, drop shock protected, the Active2 leans fitness-first but doubles as a watch you’d wear without thinking about it. The all-screen display is the standout here.