Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 starts at $279, offers LTE, ‘digital’ rotating bezel

Ben Schoon | Aug 5 2019 - 7:00 am PT

Samsung has been making some of the best wearables on the market for a while, and today it’s introducing another new option. The Galaxy Watch Active2 arrives with a compact design, multiple sizes, and more. Here’s what you need to know.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active debuted alongside the Galaxy S10 earlier this year, and the Galaxy Watch Active2 is arriving just a few short months later. What’s new with the Watch Active2? Firstly, Samsung has updated the hardware in a couple of big ways.

First off, there are two sizes with 40mm and 44mm options. These sizes are available in a couple of variants as well. The lower-tier aluminum build comes with a Fluoroelastomer (FKM) band while a stainless steel edition is available with a leather band. Colors for the aluminum tier include Cloud Silver, Aqua Black, and Pink Gold. As for the stainless steel finish, Silver, Black, and Gold will be available. Both the 40mm and 44mm sizes use 20mm bands.

There’s also the return of the rotating bezel, but this time as a “digital” option. It mimics the physical rotating bezel of the normal Galaxy Watch, but using a touch sensor around the edge of the display. Samsung says this allows for more screen space.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 Aluminum

When it comes to battery life, Samsung has a 247mAh battery in the 40mm size and 340mAh in the 44mm size which, with the help of Samsung’s latest One UI version of Tizen, should easily last a couple of days.

Fitness is also a focus of the Galaxy Watch Active2. Samsung has doubled the number of sensors for tracking your heart rate which the company explains provides faster, more accurate results. It can also use a sensor in the button to take an ECG. Samsung’s “Wellness Coach” has some new abilities as well. One of those is a pace coach which can track your running speed in real-time. The app can tell you as you’re running to speed up or slow down to meet your goals. Further Samsung Health improvements are also included for sleep tracking and more.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 Stainless Steel

LTE is another huge upgrade for the Galaxy Watch Active2. This allows for the watch to work independently of a Bluetooth connection for notifications and apps. Samsung is also enhancing the social media experience for the Watch Active2 with a more capable Twitter experience as well as access to YouTube.

When it comes to pricing, Samsung is asking $279 for the Galaxy Watch Active2 for the base 40mm aluminum variant. Upgrading to the larger 44mm option will cost $299. Both the standard and LTE tiers will be available from September 27th, 2019 with pre-orders available with a free Wireless Charger Portable Battery.