Though both these smartwatches look the same at first glance and the most confusing thing is that they are priced the same. Well, almost. So, does that mean both the watches have the same features? Do they have the same feature-set? That’s what we shall attempt to answer in our comparison today when we compare the Huawei Watch GT 2 with the Samsung Galaxy Active 2. As it’s going to be a long one, let’s get started.
Design, Display, and Fit
For starters, both the watches look premium for the price. Both are slim and have a sleek form factor. In terms of looks, the Watch GT 2 leans more towards the looks of conventional watches, complete with crowns and buttons on the sides. And hey, it has a neat bezel etched with the hours of the day. Other than that, the AMOLED screen has a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels and has a decent brightness. Plus, the display is sharp and the colors reproduce as rich and vibrant. Apart from that, there are two buttons. While one lets you select the built-in apps, the other takes you to the workout screen. And needless to say, the button at the bottom can be customized to an action of your choice. What I loved about the Watch GT2 is the band. It’s flexible and is comfortable to wear for longer durations. What’s more, the ample perforations on the band ensures that there’s no sweat accumulating between the band and skin. Plus, I also liked the traditional watch-like locking mechanism. Not only is it super secure, but it’s also easy to take on/off. Buy
Huawei Watch GT 2
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 sports a new-age digital rotating bezel. And boy, is it amazing! You simply need to swipe over the edge to cycle through the menus. It’s this bezel that has helped cut down on the form factor of the smartwatch by several folds. If you remember, the Galaxy Watch had a physical bezel which ended up giving it a rugged (and thick) look. On top of that, you get to play with a rich AMOLED display. While both watches have an AMOLED display, I found the blacks of the Galaxy Active 2 to be darker. Plus, the colors are also much richer. This difference is visible in all the watch faces with tons of different elements. On the downside, the silicon band on the Galaxy Active 2 is comfortable. But at times, my skin itches due to sweat accumulation, especially during the summer months. Luckily you can always swap it out for stylish and trendy bands. More importantly, the build quality of both watches is solid, and to date, there have been no scratches and dings, even though I have almost been using them daily for the last couple of months.
2. Battery Backup
When it comes to battery life, the difference is massive. Yes, you read that right. With all the features like Wi-Fi, Always On Display (AOD), heart rate monitoring enabled, the battery barely lasts more than 1.5 days. I turned half of the features off like AOD, continuous heart rate monitoring, and Wi-Fi, and right now, I can get just 2.5 days. That again drops further if I turn on the exercise tracking. While shutting down a few of the services does help, but that’s just limiting the ability of the smartwatch. Plus, the charging time of 2.5 hours doesn’t help the case. As opposed to it, the Huawei Watch GT 2 has impressive battery life. With all the features enabled (it doesn’t have Wi-Fi), I was able to get two weeks on good days. And with AOD turned on, it could easily last around ten days before needing a recharge. Now, that’s impressive. The only issue I found with this smartwatch is that the ‘Lift to wake the screen’ doesn’t work when AOD is on.
3. Tracking and Smart Features
Coming to the most important feature of a smartwatch — tracking and smart features. In terms of tracking both the Huawei Watch GT2 and the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 is almost at par. Both can track steps, heart rates, sleep, and stress levels without any issues. One of the primary differences between the two is that the Galaxy Active 2 comes with automatic exercise detection, while in the case of the Watch GT 2 you’ll have to select manually. So far, so good. However, when it comes to the smart features, there’s an ocean of difference between the two. Here the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 races in front of the Watch GT 2. The Galaxy Active 2, backed up Tizen OS, has a ton of smart features. For one, you can reply to notifications, emails, and messages. Secondly, there are several third-party apps to amp up Galaxy Active 2 experience. Lastly, there are a plethora of widgets that you can customize as per your choice on your smartwatch. From counting your caffeine & water intake to seeing your sleeping patterns on your smartwatch, you can do a lot. Furthermore, you can record your monitor your heartbeat, stream songs, upload offline songs, and more. And when the need arises, you can connect your wireless Bluetooth earphones to your watch for a phone-free experience. While the Watch GT2 lets you do the basic things like heartbeat monitoring, step counting, and playing songs, it doesn’t have support for third-party apps. Neither are their many widgets that you can customize. And the final nail in the coffin is that you can’t reply to messages or emails. You can just see the incoming notifications and that’s about it. Plus, the performance isn’t silky smooth, especially when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Active 2. On the upside, Watch GT 2 has an amazing range. While my Galaxy Active 2 disconnects from my phone within 10-15 feet, the Watch GT 2 stays connected even as far as 80 feet. Now, that’s incredible, right?
Verdict: Samsung Galaxy Active 2
Well, if we are strictly talking from the view of smart features, the Samsung Galaxy Active 2 is the ultimate winner. Whether it’s counting the floors or displaying your email message, it has its share of smarts. Plus, there are lots of fancy watch faces that you can use as per your preference. For example, if you need it to track your daily activity, you can opt for workout-related faces. And the best part is that there are hundreds of third-party watch faces. More importantly, you do not have to open the companion app much as the smartwatch is capable enough to show you all the info. Buy
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
Though the Huawei Watch GT 2 is priced almost equal to this, the absence of a few important features stands out starkly. So, which one should you choose? Well, if you want an all-rounder smartwatch, you should pick up the Galaxy Active 2. However, if you are a little strapped for cash and can do without the smart features, the Huawei Watch GT 2 makes for a good buy. And the premium look is the cherry on top. Buy
Huawei Watch GT 2
Buy
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
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