Featured in this comparison chart is the newest smartwatch from Samsung, Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Active 2. While Galaxy Watch 3 succeeds Galaxy Watch, Active 2 succeeds Galaxy Active. The main difference between the two is that Galaxy Watch 3 has a physical rotating bezel, while Active 2 has a digital rotating bezel. Active 2 had come with ECG and blood pressure monitoring, now Galaxy Watch 3 comes with these features and as well has more health tracking features which include VO2 Max, blood oxygen monitoring and trip detection which may come to Active 2 in the future updates. Compare the differences between Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch Active 2 to find out what’s new.
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch Active 2: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |
 Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm) (LTE) Full Smartwatch Specifications, Features and Price |
 Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) (LTE) Full Specifications and Features |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $319.99 | $99.95 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm) (LTE) | (LTE), Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) |
| Device type | Fitness/Classic/Standalone smartwatch | Standalone/Fitness smartwatch |
| Gender | Men | Unisex |
| Release date | August, 2020 | September, 2019 |
| Predecessor | Samsung Galaxy Watch | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | Bluetooth, LTE, Titanium | Bluetooth only, LTE |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 46.2 x 45 x 11.1 mm | 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm |
| Weight | 53.8g (excluding straps) | 30 grams (aluminum), 42 grams (stainless steel) |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Stainless steel | Aluminum, Stainless steel |
| Strap material | Leather | Fluoroelastomer (Aluminum), Leather (stainless steel) |
| Bezel material | Stainless steel | Bezeless |
| Strap size | 22 mm | 20 mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | MIL-STD-810G | MIL-STD-810G |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Mystic bronze, Mystic silver | Aqua-black, Black, Cloud-silver, Gold, Pink-gold, Silver |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.4 inches | 1.4 inches |
| Display type | Super AMOLED, Full color | Super AMOLED, Full color |
| Display resolution | 360 x 360 pixel | 360 x 360 pixel |
| Pixel density | 364 ppi | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 2 Physical buttons, Physical rotating bezel, Touchscreen | 2 Physical buttons, Digital rotating bezel, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Galileo, Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU | Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 1GB | 1.5GB |
| ROM | 8GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| SIM type | e-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter (SpO2) | Yes | No |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Other sensors | — | — |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | - | - |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | Yes | No |
| Menstrual cycle | No | No |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | — | No |
| On-screen workout | Yes | No |
| Sport modes | 90 | 39 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | 340mAh | 340mAh |
| Battery life | Regular: 2 days | Regular: 2 days, Standby :5 days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock, WPC based wireless charging | WPC based wireless charging |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Exynos 9110 | Exynos 9110 |
| CPU | Dual core 1.15GHz | Dual core 1.15GHz |
| GPU | Mali™-T720 MP1 | — |
| Operating system | Tizen 5.5 | Tizen OS 4.0 |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Samsung Health App | Samsung Gear app |
| Compatibility | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ |
| Payment system | Samsung Pay | Samsung Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | 22 mm, Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Bixby | Yes, Bixby |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (LTE), Straps | Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm), Straps |
| Price | $319.99 | $99.95 |
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 vs Galaxy Watch Active 2 – What’s the Difference?
- Premium Designs
- More Storage on Galaxy Watch 3
- More Health Tracking Features on Galaxy Watch 3
Both smartwatches have got really attractive designs. Active 2 which has a rotating bezel looks a bit geeky, unlike the classic Galaxy Watch 3 that looks like a traditional watch. Active 2 is more compact and slimmer at 10.9mm than Galaxy Watch 3 which is 11.3 thick. It also weighs a little less, yet has the same display sizes as the Galaxy Watch 3. I can say Active 2 is a more comfortable smartwatch. One fine addition to Galaxy Watch 3 is that you can navigate the watch with only the rotating bezel without touching the display.
Galaxy Watch 3 has twice the storage capacity of Active 2 which of course allows you to take more tracks with you. As against 4GB that comes with Active 2, Galaxy Watch 3 comes with 8GB storage capacity. Galaxy Watch 3 also comes with a higher 1GB RAM compared to 0.75GB RAM of Active 2. This in addition to the new Tizen OS 5.5 brings improved performance and better UI features than Active 2.
Active 2 had come with ECG and blood pressure monitoring, but Galaxy Watch 3 also comes with these features and has more health tracking features such as VO2 Max., blood oxygen tracking, incidental fall detection, and menstrual cycle tracking. ECG tracking on Galaxy Watch 3 has already received clearance from the FDA and the first update to the watch has added VO2 Max., and blood oxygen tracking. These features may come to Active 2 in future updates. Besides, both smartwatches can track your sleep, heart rate, calories, stress, and feature preset workout modes to choose from.
Which is Better?
These two are some of the most sophisticated and outstanding smartwatches you can find on the market, both Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3 have got really nice features and attractive designs. Although Galaxy Watch 3 has more storage and gives you the ability to navigate the watch without touching the display and for now has more health tracking features including the 120 preset workout modes.
Active 2 on the hand is cheaper and more compact. It’s a decent choice, while Galaxy Watch 3 is a better smartwatch, no doubt.
