Featured in today’s comparison chart is Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Fitbit Versa 3, compare the differences between these two fine smartwatches to find out which is a better smartwatch for you. I’m really excited to write this post because I have been using Active 2 for over 3 months and Versa 3 for over 2 weeks. I’m just waking up from sleep, and this is the best time to do justice to the matter. Recall that Active 2 was released last year and preceded by Galaxy Watch Active, it still runs on the latest Tizen OS 5.5 just like Galaxy Watch 3. Versa 3 on the other hand succeeds Versa 2 and is now equipped with an inbuilt GPS, loudspeaker, and longer battery life. So, I’ll be telling you everything about these two smartwatches to help you make the ideal choice.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Fitbit Versa 3: Specifications Compared
| Product Info |  Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) Bluetooth Full Specifications and Features |
 Fitbit Versa 3 Full Specifications, Features and Price |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) | Fitbit Versa 3 |
| Device type | Fitness/Classic smartwatch | Fitness/Sport smartwatch |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2019 | September, 2020 |
| Predecessor | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active | Fitbit Versa 2 |
| Successor | — | — |
| Versions | Bluetooth only, LTE | — |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm | 40.4 x 40.4 x 12.4 mm |
| Weight | 30 grams (aluminum), 42 grams (stainless steel) | — |
| Shape | Circular | Square |
| Case material | Aluminum, Stainless steel | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Fluoroelastomer (Aluminum), Leather (stainless steel) | Polyester, Silicone |
| Bezel material | Aluminum, Bezeless | Aluminum |
| Strap size | 20 mm | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | MIL-STD-810G | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Aqua-black, Black, Cloud-silver, Gold, Pink-gold, Silver | Black/black, Midnight blue/gold, Pink/Gold |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.4 inches | 1.58 inches |
| Display type | Super AMOLED, Full color | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 360 x 360 pixel | 300 x 300 pixels |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Always on | Yes | Yes |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 2 Physical buttons, Digital rotating bezel, Touchscreen | 1 Haptic button, Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU | GLONASS, GPS |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 0.75GB | — |
| ROM | 4GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | 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 | Yes | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse oximeter | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | No | — |
| Other sensors | — | Vibration motor |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | Yes | No |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | Yes | No |
| Fitness Level | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Incidental fall detection | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | No | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-heart tracking | No | No |
| On-screen workout | No | Yes |
| Sport modes | 39 | 20+ |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | 340mAh | — |
| Battery life | Regular: 2 days, Standby :5 days+ | Regular: 6 Days+ |
| Charging type | WPC based wireless charging | USB charging |
| Charging time | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | Exynos 9110 | — |
| CPU | Dual core 1.15GHz | — |
| GPU | — | — |
| Operating system | Tizen OS 4.0 | Fitbit OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Samsung Gear app | Fitbit App |
| Compatibility | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ | Android, iOS |
| Payment system | Samsung Pay | Fitbit Pay |
| Interchangeable strap | Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | Yes, Bixby | Yes, Alexa, Yes, Google Assistant |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm), Straps | Charger, Fitbit Versa 3, Manual, Straps |
| Price |
Watch this indepth Fitbit Versa 3 vs Active 2 comparison.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Fitbit Versa 3 Features Comparison
- DESIGN – Active 2 Looks More Attractive
- MEDIA AND CONNECTIVITY
- FITNESS AND HEALTH TRACKING
- NOTIFICATIONS
- BATTERY LIFE
The design of both the Active 2 and Versa 3 look stylish and elegant. Although, I do think the Active 2 is a more polished smartwatch with a sophisticated aesthetics. I have the 44mm Active 2 which is very compact and a little bigger than Versa 3.
The display of both smartwatches is powered by AMOLED which is rich in colors. Although, Active 2 has a deeper color resolution than Versa 3. You can navigate any of these two via touchscreen. However, while Versa 3 has a haptic button that I don’t really fancy, Active 2 offers 2 physical buttons in addition to a digital rotating bezel which is very iconic and this makes navigation very easy.
You can only store up to 5 watch faces at any given time on Versa 3 unlike Active 2 that allows you to install watch faces directly, and you can also store as many watch faces as the storage capacity can take. Let’s not forget that you can take a screenshot of the watch face on Active 2 which you can send to your phone. This comes in handy in sharing your watch faces which isn’t possible with Versa 3.
In terms of interface, Active 2 has a better interface that allows you to find information faster. You can add up to 15 widgets on Active 2 compared to 5 on Versa 3. There are 21 options to fill in the quick panel section of Active 2 compared to 6 on Versa 3.
Both the Active 2 and Versa 3 offer music storage, however, Versa 3 has limited storage options. This is a drawback from the Versa 2 that allows you to add your personal music. You can’t add your personal music to Versa 3, you can only control Spotify playlists, download Deezer playlists, and Pandora stations which are all premium services. Meanwhile, Active 2 allows you to add your personal music easily from the Galaxy Wearable app, and you also get access to third-party services through available apps on the Galaxy store.
There are a microphone and loudspeaker in both Active 2 and Versa 3. However, while you can make and receive calls directly from Active 2, you can’t do that with Versa 3. You can only answer calls on Versa 3 which you must continue on a connected phone. Again, while you can play music aloud and hear Bixby speak to you aloud, you can’t play music aloud nor hear Alexa speak to you on Versa 3.
Talking about voice Assistant, at some time in the nearest future Versa 3 will welcome Google Assistant which gives you more options to use your voice to do simple tasks.
Theres is a cellular model of Active 2 which is a standalone smartwatch that allows you to make and receive calls directly from the watch independent of your phone.
I like that both Versa 3 and Active 2 are fitness-oriented, any of these two tracks all the basics such as my heart rate, sleep, steps, calories, floors climbed and there’s an inbuilt stress app on both smartwatches that can help you manage stress. I must say that Active 2 tracks my sleep in groups identifying short or long breaks during the night unlike Versa 3 that combines all sleep records. It might not really mean anything to you, but I like to know when there was a break like I woke at night and handled my phone for a couple of seconds before going back to bed.
There’s inbuilt GPS on each of these two that allows you to track your routes, distance, pace, and related metrics without carrying your phone along. After working out, Active 2 will allow you to see routes unlike Versa 3 that require you to view routes in the Fitbit app.
There are preset workout modes in each of these two, however, while Active 2 has 39 preset sport modes, Versa 3 has only 20 workout modes. You can also log your food and water intake as well as track period cycle for women with any of these two.
Active 2 features ECG monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, and incidental fall detection all of which Versa 3 lacks. It requires a separate Samsung Health Monitor app to access your blood pressure and ECG tracked data.
Managing notifications is one of the basic functions of both Active 2 and Versa 3. You can set up the apps you want to receive notifications from on the respective companion apps of these two and you can reply to notifications with your voice, texts, and emojis. However, Active 2 offers you more ways to reply to notifications. While there is a maximum of 5 preset replies for Versa 3, it’s more than 15 on the Galaxy Wearable app, and you can add even more. Moreover, with Active 2 you can view chat history and images received which isn’t possible with Versa 3.
I tested the battery life on each of these two to be sure how much battery life you get from any of these two. I turned on notifications for the same number of apps for both Active 2 and Versa 3, turn off the always-on display mode and I worked out daily for 30 minutes with each of these two. I got about 2 days with Active 2, while Versa 3 lasted up to 4 days. It can be longer or shorter depending on your usage and settings.
Which is Better?
From the facts stated so far, you can observe clearly that each of these two is a fine smartwatch. Any of these two will make a decent choice for tracking your active life and can help you reach more fitness goals.
VERDICT: However, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a better smartwatch that Versa 3. It has more features and a rich OS than Versa 3. It offers advanced and better ways to navigate, more fitness tracking features and you can make and receive calls from the watch. Active 2 only lags behind Versa 3 with respect to battery life. Versa 3 has longer battery life.
WHICH SHOULD YOU BUY? The price difference between Versa 3 and Active is very close. So, if you want more features, Active 2 is a better investment. If you want longer battery life, go for Versa 3.
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