Featured in this comparison chart are two fine smartwatches; the relatively new Active 2 from Samsung and the Watch 3 released in 2017. Each of these two has a decent and stylish design as well as being loaded with lots of features.Compare the specifications and features of the Apple Watch Series 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 to find out the differences and which is a better choice for you.
Table of Contents
Apple Watch Series 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) Specifications, Features and Price |
 Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) Bluetooth Full Specifications and Features |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $227.96 | $66.97 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm) | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) |
| Device type | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch | Fitness/Classic smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2017 | September, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Apple Watch Series 2 | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active |
| Successor | Apple Watch Series 4 | — |
| Versions | Apple Watch Nike+ | Bluetooth only, LTE |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 42.5 x 36.4 x 11.4 mm | 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm |
| Weight | 52.8 grams | 30 grams (aluminum), 42 grams (stainless steel) |
| Shape | Rectangular | Circular |
| Case material | Aluminum, Ceramics (cellular), Stainless steel (cellular) | Aluminum, Stainless steel |
| Strap material | Elastomer | Fluoroelastomer (Aluminum), Leather (stainless steel) |
| Bezel material | Bezeless | Aluminum, Bezeless |
| Strap size | 24mm | 20 mm |
| Screen protection | Sapphire glass | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | MIL-STD-810G |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black, White | Aqua-black, Black, Cloud-silver, Gold, Pink-gold, Silver |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.65 inch | 1.4 inches |
| Display type | 1000nit, OLED | Super AMOLED, Full color |
| Display resolution | 312 x 390 pixels | 360 x 360 pixel |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | No | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 1 Physical button, Digital crown, Touchscreen | 2 Physical buttons, Digital rotating bezel, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | GLONASS, GPS | Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 0.768GB | 0.75GB |
| ROM | 16GB (GPS + Cellular), 8GB (GPS) | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | 4G LTE | None |
| SIM type | e-SIM | None |
| Band | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | No | — |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | No | No |
| Thermometer | App, No | No |
| Other sensors | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | No | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | - |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | No |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | No | No |
| On-screen workout | No | No |
| Sport modes | Yes | 39 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | 279mAh | 340mAh |
| Battery life | Regular: up to 18hrs | Regular: 2 days, Standby :5 days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | WPC based wireless charging |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Apple S3 | Exynos 9110 |
| CPU | Dual core | Dual core 1.15GHz |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | WatchOS 4 | Tizen OS 4.0 |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Apple Watch App | Samsung Gear app |
| Compatibility | iOS 12.0+ | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ |
| Payment system | Apple Pay | Samsung Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 24mm, Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Siri | Yes, Bixby |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Apple Watch Series 3, Charger, Manual, Straps | Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm), Straps |
| Price | $227.96 | $66.97 |
Apple Watch Series 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: Which is Better?
- Although the Watch 3 has a slightly bigger display that allows you to see more at a glance, the Active 2 is slimmer and sleeker which makes it a more stylish smartwatch.
- The Watch 3 comes with a far higher storage capacity compared to the Active 2 which allows you to take more of your favorite tracks along with you.
- The Active 2 has a far longer battery life than the Watch 3.
VERDICT:Although each of these two is an outstanding smartwatch, the Watch 3 which is only compatible with iOS devices is a better smartwatch for iPhone owners, while the Active 2 remains one of the best smartwatches for Android users. It’s also available in cellular model which is a standalone smartwatch with a stainless steel case.
