Samsung Galaxy Active 2 Vs Fossil Gen 5: Which To Buy?

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This isn’t the first time the company has released a slew of wearable devices based on the Wear OS operating system. Despite the fact that many Wear OS watches are slow and don’t last more than a day on a single charge, Fossil’s latest Wear OS watch exceeded my expectations.

The new Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch stands out in the crowd. It is a standout Wear OS device thanks to improved specifications, custom battery modes, and new hardware. If you want to know why you should buy or avoid a Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch, read our full review here.

Although the Galaxy Active 2 did not resemble its predecessor, the first-generation Samsung Galaxy Watch Active required a firmware upgrade. Nothing about the design was flawed, but the software had numerous issues, particularly when it came to tracking fitness and activity. It took me by surprise to see the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 so soon after the original.

Samsung Active 2 Vs Fossil Gen 5: Comparison Table

Features	Samsung Active Wear 2	Fossil Gen 5
Launching Year	2019	2021
Brand	Samsung	Fossil
Model Name	Samsung Galaxy Active 2	Gen 5 LTE
Available Colors	Black	Black Silicone, Blush Silicone
Average Battery Life	3 days	2 days
Charging Time	2 hours	1 hour
Compatibility	All Smartphones	All Smartphones
Bluetooth	Version 5.0	Version 4.2 LE
Display	Super AMOLED	AMOLED
Online Price Ranges	Rs.14.499	Rs.18,495
Customer Ratings	4/5	3.8/5

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Samsung Galaxy Active 2 Vs Fossil Gen 5: Detailed Analysis

Some of our concerns have been addressed, but the first Samsung Watch Active leaves some fitness features unfinished. In our in-depth review, find out if the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Fossil Gen 5 is worth your money and if it isn’t.

Despite the fact that major fashion and technology companies are releasing Wear OS smartwatches by the dozens, Google doesn’t appear to be all that invested in the platform. If you don’t believe me, consider Google I/O 2019’s 0 mentions of Wear OS.

Even though Fossil and its various brands continue to support Wear OS, they remain committed to it. The Gen 5 Smartwatch has a built-in speaker, custom battery modes, and a lot of RAM to help with performance, in addition to the newer Snapdragon 3100 chipset. Samsung, on the other hand, should win if it can maintain strong hardware and software support. No way, no how. The original Galaxy Watch Active had a few major flaws for a fitness and health tracker—it wasn’t very accurate at tracking fitness or health. As a result, whether or not Samsung resolves these issues will determine whether or not we recommend this product.

Design and Display

If you’ve used a Fossil smartwatch before, there’s nothing new here. It has a similar overall design to previous Fossil watches, with a 1.28-inch AMOLED display, a pixel density of 328ppi, and three programmable pushers on the right side, including a rotatable crown in the middle. You can use the spinning crown instead of swiping your finger across the tiny screen. It lacks the rotating bezel found on the Samsung Galaxy Watch, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.

When it comes to Samsung products, the second-generation Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 appears to be essentially the same as its predecessors; however, a few significant upgrades have been made. The watch now comes in 40mm and 44mm case sizes, as well as stainless steel or aluminum construction (mine is 44mm). Despite the fact that the stainless steel model will undoubtedly feel more luxurious, I can’t say I’m unhappy with the aluminum model I currently own.

Performance

Except for the $1,000 Montblanc Summit 2, Suunto 7, and Skagen Falster 3, the Fossil Gen 5 is likely the most feature-rich Wear OS watch on the market. Although the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset is not new, it is superior to Mobvoi’s outdated one. Fortunately, the Fossil watch’s upgrade to the 3100 has paid off, as the performance is now excellent.

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Battery

The type of battery you purchase will also influence its life expectancy. Samsung claims that the 247mAh battery in the 40mm watch will last about 1.5 days on a single charge, but I was unable to put this to the test. The 340mAh battery in this watch lasted about two days of heavy use, which is exactly what Samsung claims for the watch. Two days of battery life on a smartwatch isn’t bad, but it’s not up to Fitbit or Garmin standards when compared to some Wear OS offerings. You should be fine for the second day without charging the watch. After I set up the Galaxy Watch Active 2, I ran 45 minutes with the heart rate sensor and GPS turned on, did a 20-minute yoga session, and tracked my sleep. Fossil Gen 5 Extended battery mode, on the other hand, is a step back from daily mode. In this mode, you can set a timer for your phone’s Bluetooth so that your watch disconnects from it at night so that you don’t waste battery. All other functions are disabled except for button-to-wake and notifications.

Custom mode is my personal favorite because you can enable or disable anything you want. Except for NFC and the always-on display, everything is turned on. With this configuration, the Fossil watch could last for more than a day, but not much longer.

The watch has a time-only mode that displays only the time and date on a black screen as an option (not always-on). Depending on how much battery you start with, a single charge can power the watch for several days or even weeks.

Features

The addition of a speaker is my favorite feature of Fossil. This feature should be available on all Wear OS watches. When you speak to your watch, Google Assistant allows you to hear what it is saying back to you. It’s incredible, I tell you.

However, I don’t know anyone who would listen to music through the watch’s speaker (probably the same people who like to look at photos on their watch).

One of our major complaints about the original Samsung Galaxy Watch Active was that it couldn’t accurately track our activities. We discovered that the resting and active heart rate readings were inconsistent, as was the GPS location, and that the number of floors climbed was incorrect using the original device. The heart rate sensor in the Watch Active 2 has been improved by Samsung. The resting heart rate readings have improved, but the workout data still has room for improvement. Metrics for floor-climbing, on the other hand, are still wildly inconsistent.

For some reason, the altimeter on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 isn’t reporting accurate values. Despite going up and down my 15-step stairwell five times, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 only recorded one floor. Kris obtained comparable results with the original Watch Active.

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Samsung Galaxy Active 2 Vs Fossil Gen 5: Quick Result

Particulars	Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2	Fossil Gen 5	Which one is the best?
Battery Life	Good	Not Bad	Samsung
Display	Best	Good	Samsung
Performance	Good	Better	Fossil

Customer Reviews And Feedback

Samsung Active 2

The most attractive smartwatch available, with all the functionality you require
LTE is only compatible with Samsung devices. After my OnePlus failed to connect, SS customer service informed
This watch does come equipped with ECG hardware, but it is not functional currently; according to the manufacturer, this functionality will be introduced to the watch in late 2020 via a software update.
Charge specifics are not sure, but they start the watch with a 50% battery and at the conclusion of full setup and application installation, it was down to 24% with everything set to maximum.
The screen size is more than adequate. In full afternoon sunshine, We can comfortably examine the contents on my screen.
On your wrist, the watch looks great. Very well constructed. Additionally, it appears to be premium.

Fossil Gen 5

Superb purchase, well worth the money, good value for money, lags slightly while switching between programs, but no heat or battery issues.
The only downside is that the speaker does not function with an iPhone.
Wearing this watch and going out, it always receives numerous compliments. It has an excellent design and a respectable battery life. It connects to devices quickly and has a slew of useful features.
Very attractive design with all modern features not found on any other smartwatch on the market. If someone stares at your watch, they will continue to look and will not be able to take their gaze away.
This is the ideal present for your loved ones.
However, it is costly, as there are several solutions accessible in the market at that price.

Samsung Galaxy Active 2 Vs Fossil Gen 5: Final Verdict

In early 2021, it was still the best Wear OS watch on the market. It has excellent performance, aesthetics, and customizability. I’d prefer if the battery life could be extended without constantly turning sensors on and off, but that’s a Wear OS issue rather than a Fossil one.

Before you buy it, make sure you’re getting it for the right reasons. There are more accurate fitness watches available; however, this is not one of them. It’s a long time away. Furthermore, when it comes to blood pressure monitoring, Samsung’s app ecosystem falls short of the competition.

These minor inconveniences are merely annoyances for many people when we talk about Samsung Active Wear 2. There are a number of Wear OS alternatives available, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. Despite what you may have heard, you should not buy it for the “active” features.

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