Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

Comprehensive and expansive exercise tracking ; Stainless-steel version looks watch-like ; Easy-to-read display in all lighting ; Two-day battery with light usage ; You can scroll Twitter on a watch

Simple yet stylish design ; Bright, clean display ; Vibrant and engaging UI ; Lots of customisation on offer ; Better-than-expected battery life

Lack of third-party app support ; UI could be more intuitive ; Incremental upgrade over predecessor

As one of the market’s best alternatives to an Apple Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is an excellent choice for Android users, or anyone looking for a feature-rich, fitness-focused smartwatch bursting with great health features.

Touch-sensitive bezel ; Offline Spotify ; Decent battery life

Requires too many Samsung phone apps to work ; Bixby ; No good mapping solutions

Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch Active 2, is similar to the Galaxy Watch Active that came out earlier this year. But it has the crucial circular control bezel that the prior model lacked, and it’s perhaps the best smartwatch you can get...

Digital rotating bezel makes navigation easier. Available in two sizes. LTE connectivity.

Inconsistent battery life and fitness accuracy in testing. Limited iOS compatibility. Thick bezel.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 is a solid smartwatch, but unless you want LTE connectivity, there's very little reason to buy it instead of saving some money on the original model. And if fitness features and accuracy are more important to you than...

Familiar sporty look with two size options ; Comfortable to wear day and night ; Touch bezel works well ; Easy-to-use software ; Decent fitness-tracking features

Software a bit clunky for sports tracking ; ECG and Fall Detection not available yet ; Battery life only slightly improved ; Underwhelming app support remains ; LTE model bumps up the price

If you’re looking for a round smartwatch that does fitness and core smartwatch features well in equal measures, the second-gen Active is one smartwatch worth checking out.

Great design ; Digital bezel ; Decent battery life

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

The Good ; 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.

The Bad ; 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.

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