Apple Watch 5 vs Galaxy Watch Active 2: Which smartwatch wins?

Apple tree Watch 5 vs Galaxy Sentinel Active 2: Which smartwatch wins?

(Paradigm credit: Future)

The Apple Sentinel has become ubiquitous. New models launch every fall with avant-garde new features that no other company has been able to friction match, making it our top pick of the best smartwatches you can buy. Until now.

Samsung's new Galaxy Watch Active ii ($279) offers lengthier battery life, slumber-tracking, advanced fitness features, offline Spotify playback and an electrocardiogram sensor that volition i day exist able to detect atrial fibrillation — all for $120 less than the Apple Watch Series 5.

If you lot're wondering whether the new Samsung Milky way Lookout iii will be more your speed, cheque out our Samsung Galaxy Watch iii vs. Galaxy Picket Agile ii face-off for a rundown on the biggest upgrades we expect to meet.

But between the Apple Picket five vs Galaxy Watch Agile 2, which watch is worth buying? Read on to run across if Samsung has finally taken Apple's crown.

Apple Watch Serial 5 vs. Milky way Watch Active 2: Specs compared

	Milky way Picket Active 2	Apple Sentinel Series v
Starting Price	$279 (Bluetooth), $429 (LTE)	$399 (GPS), $499 (GPS + LTE)
Battery Life	24-lx hours, depending on workouts and display	Upward to 18 hours
Size	40mm, 44mm	40mm, 44mm
Brandish Size	360 x 360 (40mm), 360 x 360 (44mm)	324 by 394 pixels (40mm), 368 past 448 pixels (44mm)
Colors	Cloud Silver, Aqua Black, Pink Golden aluminum; stainless steel	Argent, gold, space gray aluminum; gold, infinite black, polished stainless steel; natural and space black titanium; white ceramic
Music Storage	4GB	32GB
Water Resistance	fifty meters	50 meters
GPS	Yes	Yes
LTE	Yes ($150 more)	Yes ($100 more)
Eye Rate Monitor	Optical heart rate sensor, electrocardiogram sensor (not functional yet)	Optical heart charge per unit sensor, electric eye rate sensor for electrocardiograms
Mobile Payments	Samsung Pay	Apple Pay
Special Features	ECG sensor (not active yet), sleep-tracking, running programs	Fall detection, depression heart charge per unit alerts, ECG, ever-on display, compass, emergency international calling

Apple Picket Serial 5 vs. Galaxy Watch Active 2: Price

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 starts at $279 for the 40-millimeter aluminum Bluetooth model and $299 for the larger 44mm version. A stainless steel pick starts at $379. If you want cellular connectivity, you'll take to pay a premium: $429, to be exact. (The LTE model merely comes in a stainless steel finish.)

Still, that's much less expensive than the Apple Watch Serial 5, which starts at $399 for the 40mm aluminum Bluetooth model and $429 for the 44-mm version. For cellular connectivity, add an actress $100 for both sizes.

Winner: Galaxy Lookout man Active 2

Apple Sentinel Series 5 vs. Galaxy Watch Active 2: Design and brandish

Both the Series five and Galaxy Watch Active ii come up in two sizes, 40-mm and 44-mm, which are well-sized for both small and larger wrists. The Apple tree Watch is a rounded-off foursquare — a miniature iPhone on your wrist — whereas the Galaxy Lookout sports a fully round case and screen, similar a traditional watch.

Both watches sport beautiful OLED displays that are easily viewable even in bright sun while running outdoors. The Apple Watch'south screen is a little higher-res (448 ten 368) than the Milky way Watch (360 10 360), but I don't discover the difference noticeable.

Overall I adopt the expect of the Milky way Watch Active 2, which tin can exist dressed up or downward depending on the occasion with an interchangeable band. The Apple Watch looks distinctively like an Apple Lookout man, which is a turn-off for some people. (Though it tin can also be dressed upwardly or down, with premium options like an Hèrmès leather band.)

Winner: Galaxy Watch Active 2

Apple Watch Series 5 vs. Galaxy Picket Active 2: Health and fitness

The Apple Watch has long been one of the best fitness-tracking smartwatches you can buy. With the Apple Watch Serial iv's FDA-cleared ECG sensor, which is capable of diagnosing atrial fibrillation, Apple raised the bar.

Samsung is nipping at the company's heels with an ECG sensor of its own, but the Galaxy Watch Active two's feature isn't yet functional. (Presumably because the company needs to submit information supporting its accuracy to the FDA.)

The Galaxy Watch does offer built-in sleep-tracking, which the Apple tree Watch doesn't. (You can, yet, install a third-political party tracker.) The Galaxy Sentinel'southward sleep logs aren't 100% authentic, simply at least that watch can last through the night on a charge.

More: Best Smartwatches of 2019

The Series 5 has a few health features that users might find more useful than slumber-tracking, including fall detection (which alerts your emergency contacts if yous hit the basis) and alerts when your center rate dips too low or spikes suddenly when not working out. These features have already saved lives.

When it comes to fettle, both watches offer automated workout-tracking when you forget to launch an practice, automatic run-pausing and water-resistance for swim-tracking. The Galaxy Watch also has built-in running programs for boosting endurance and speed, but a express selection of 3rd-political party workout apps. Apple has a plethora of big-name exercise apps in addition to its own advanced native Workout and Action apps.

Winner: Apple tree Watch Series v

Apple tree Spotter Series v vs. Milky way Watch Agile 2: Battery life

Samsung has always prioritized battery life in its smartwatches, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is no different. The watch can last 36 hours with its always-on display activated, and up to three days without it.

The Series 5 lasts only eighteen hours on a charge, due to its always-on display, and a lilliputian more than a mean solar day without it turned on. That'south in line with previous generations of Apple Watches, but ideally Apple would extend the spotter's battery life to make information technology more useful for, say, sleep-tracking.

Winner: Galaxy Watch Active 2

Apple tree Spotter Series five vs. Galaxy Lookout man Active 2: Apps

Samsung developed its own smartwatch operating arrangement to costless the company from Google'southward Wearable OS platform, which allows information technology to brand design decisions like the physical rotating bezel (now a digital i) and extend its watches' bombardment life. Simply that decision came with a merchandise-off — namely, that few major apps accept a Tizen Os version. There are a few big names, though, including Spotify, which allows y'all to shop playlists offline with a Premium subscription.

You lot can't shop Spotify playlists offline on the Apple Watch, but if y'all subscribe to Apple Music, you can stream and shop playlists there.

Apple Scout has Samsung trounce when information technology comes to app selection. From social networking and productivity apps — including a native Estimator that can intermission down tip percentages and split bills for groups — to streaming audiobooks and maps. And now all Apple Watches, including the Series 5, have an independent watch App Shop so y'all can download apps directly on your wrist.

Winner: Apple Watch Serial v

Apple tree Watch Series five vs. Galaxy Watch Active 2: Smartphone compatibility

Android owners have no selection but the Galaxy Watch Active 2 — Apple Watch merely doesn't work with Android phones. Samsung's watch is compatible with both platforms, though you go more features with Android devices (for instance, the ability to answer to text letters).

For iPhone owners, the question is: Practice you want to be locked to Apple's platform, or do you lot want to movement freely between iOS and Android? For most, the clear winner is the Apple Watch, but OS-agnostic folks will have to make up one's mind which makes sense for them.

Winner: Galaxy Watch Active 2

Winner: Apple Watch Serial 5

	Apple Watch Series 5	Samsung Galaxy Scout Active two
Price (x)	half dozen	9
Pattern and display (xx)	17	twenty
Health and fitness (25)	25	xviii
Battery life (20)	15	18
Apps (xx)	xx	12
Smartphone compatibility (5)	three	4
Total (100)	86	81

It's about time Apple had a worthy challenger, fifty-fifty though the Serial 5 is even so the smartwatch to beat. Other companies aren't trying to catch upwardly with, let alone rival, the Apple Watch'southward features. Samsung just proved that information technology's taking smartwatches seriously, which makes it a truthful contender.

Caitlin is a Senior editor for Gizmodo. She has also worked on Tom'southward Guide, Macworld, PCWorld and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. When she's not testing out the latest devices, you tin discover her running around the streets of Los Angeles, putting in morn miles or searching for the all-time tacos.