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Fitbit Versa 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Active 2: Which Smartwatch Is Better
Samsung’s Galaxy Active 2 is a popular smartwatch with a slim, sleek design and a cool digital rotating bezel. What sets this smartwatch apart is its combination of smart features and precise tracking. Its slim design also makes it versatile for both casual and formal attire. Another fitness tracker receiving rave reviews is the Fitbit Versa 2.
FitBit is a pioneer in sleep and fitness tracking, with the Versa 2 offering a slim and sleek profile and a range of smart features. However, the biggest difference between the two smartwatches is the price. The Versa 2 is priced at around $150, while the Active 2 costs around $300. To determine which smartwatch is best for you, let’s compare them in more detail. Let’s get started!
Design, Display, and Fit
The Samsung Galaxy Active 2 stands out with its unique design. It is the first Samsung smartphone to feature a digital rotating bezel. Simply swipe over the edge to navigate menus and screens. It is truly brilliant!
The physical bezel’s absence provides the smartwatch with a slim appearance, which is one of its best features. Additionally, the smartwatch has a high-quality AMOLED display. It is equipped with two buttons, Home and Back, that offer excellent feedback and a solid feel.
The silicon band on the Galaxy Active 2 is comfortable to wear for long durations. I regularly wear it for workouts and have experienced no sweat or itchiness. Additionally, there is the option to switch to more stylish bands.
The build quality of the Galaxy Active 2 is solid. The display withstands accidental brushes with door frames or seat handles. After four months of use, there are no scratches on it.
Samsung Galaxy Active 2
Like the Apple Watch, the Fitbit Versa 2 also adopts a square design approach. Despite not having a crown on the right side, the visual similarity cannot be unseen.
The absence of the crown is filled with a button on the left edge that doubles as the back button. I feel it’s a bit flat, which robs the tactile feedback. Though the watch can withstand daily wear and tear, I feel the band is stiff. Hence it may be uncomfortable to wear for longer durations.
Thankfully, you can easily swap the band for a more flexible and slightly shorter third-party band.
Apart from that, the AMOLED display is bright. It has a new Always-on Display feature that activates when the watch is inactive. While this makes it easy to check your stats when the watch’s display is off, you’ll need to make sure that the watch-face you picked has an AOD-compatible watch face.
The Versa 2 does not have a default face display. Unlike the Galaxy Active 2, it does not offer an AOD mode for each watch face it has.
You can adjust the brightness in both watches. The Galaxy Active 2 has eight brightness levels, while the Versa 2 has three: Dim, Medium, and Max.
In both the watches, you’ll enjoy the easy navigation. While the Galaxy Active 2 has the advantage of a rotating bezel, it eventually becomes forgettable. However, it’s still enjoyable to navigate with it.
Battery Backup
Let’s begin with a few disappointments. The battery of the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 is terrible. If you enable all the cool features like Always On Display, Wi-Fi, or a fancy colorful watch face, the battery can hardly make it two days before needing a recharge.
Shutting down some services helps, but that limits the smartwatch’s ability.
Most Samsung smartwatches have initially good battery life, but it significantly drops after a few weeks of regular use. The use of a proprietary charging base and a 2.5-hour charging time doesn’t help.
I generally charge it every third day before going to sleep so that I wake up to a fully charged smartwatch.
In contrast, the Fitbit Versa 2 has excellent battery life. The company claims a five-day battery life, and it usually lives up to this claim.
Switching on the Always-on Display drastically reduces battery life. Without it, you can expect over 4 days of usage, but with it, you’ll only get around 2-3 days.
Exercise and Sleep Tracking
Even fitness trackers now include pedometers, heart rate sensors, alarm clocks, and notification support. It’s crucial to ensure that the gadget you’re wearing accurately estimates these stats.
The Fitbit Versa 2 and Galaxy Active 2 offer highly accurate and comprehensive fitness tracking features. They both include intelligent workout detection, heart rate monitoring, and excellent sleep-tracking capabilities, especially in the Versa 2.
The Galaxy Active 2 displays your sleeping habits on the Samsung Health app, while the Versa 2 goes further and provides a sleep score. Fitbit trackers have been able to monitor sleep for a while now.
On the Fitbit app, you can view the sleep stages: REM, Light, and Deep sleep. However, to see your resting heartbeat or the restfulness factor, you need to upgrade to the Pro features.
In contrast, the Active 2 allows you to view these stats on the smartwatch (excluding the sleep chart). So, you don’t have to open an app.
Smart Features
So far, both smartwatches have many common features like exercise tracking and heartbeat monitoring. However, there’s a significant difference between the two in terms of smart features.
The Versa 2 allows you to listen to offline music while running or check and reply to messages without your phone. However, its smart features are limited. You can record fitness stats, monitor your heartbeat, stream songs on Deezer, and connect the watch to wireless Bluetooth earphones. There are a few extra apps, but that’s all.
You can’t stream songs on Spotify or take calls on your phone because there’s no speaker. The Samsung Galaxy Active 2, on the other hand, has these features and much more. It supports third-party apps, allowing you to take notes and use it as a camera remote. Additionally, it comes with a variety of fitness-oriented widgets, including a step tracker and apps screen accessible by swiping your finger on the digital bezel.
You can download your favorite songs from your Spotify playlist (Premium) and pair your earphones to the Versa 2, allowing you to leave your phone at home during your morning jogs. However, uploading offline tracks to the Versa 2 can be a bit cumbersome and requires the desktop version of the Fitbit app.
In summary, the Galaxy Active 2 is the superior choice when it comes to intelligence.
The Fitbit Versa 2 is a great device. It balances fitness features with smartwatch capabilities. The AMOLED display is excellent, and you can easily switch between different watch faces.
While the Fitbit Versa 2 is a great option, it lacks some features like onboard GPS, ability to take calls, and support for third-party apps. However, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 not only has all the smart features but also includes fitness tracking and built-in GPS for accurate run tracking. Additionally, it integrates with Alexa. Considering its price, the Fitbit Versa 2 is still a good option.
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
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