![]() ![]() The watch automatically starts recording anything it registers as a brisk walk or beyond, and it auto-pauses during exercise too (yes, I take a fair number of breaks while running). You can, for example, determine what stats you want to see on different screens during your runs, and you can set a target goal based on distance, pace, or caloric burn. Table stakes time! The Galaxy Watch Active has built-in GPS, and tracks outdoor running, treadmill running, walking, hiking, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, both pool and open-water swimming, circuit training, weight training, stretching, yoga, and a whole variety of singular exercises like planks or arm curls. But otherwise, you’ll mostly use the built-in stuff. The Galaxy Watch Active supports some key apps that you’d want on a fitness watch, like Spotify, Strava, and. Neither of those points are as valid anymore, because the UI on Samsung’s newer watches is intuitive, and third-party apps aren’t all that critical on smartwatches. Its early UI wasn’t great, and there was a chance your favorite app maker wouldn’t have bothered to make an app for a Tizen smartwatch. In the past, Tizen on a wearable meant limitations. The Galaxy Watch Active is running on Tizen, Samsung’s homegrown operating system. There are two physical buttons on the watch, one that acts as a back button, and another that takes you straight to the watch’s micro-apps. I kept the display at a brightness level of 5 or 6 out of 10 all week, and had no problem seeing it while running outdoors in the daytime. Its 1.1-inch, AMOLED touchscreen display doesn’t showcase any particularly new technology, but looks nice regardless. But since this was swapped out in exchange for a sleeker build, I’ll accept it. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Watch Active lacks the physical rotary bezel that I found so delightful on other Samsung smartwatches. It has a flat, smooth face, and a touch-sensitive bezel. And it has a 40mm case, so it’s not as large as some other smartwatches. Part of the reason why the Galaxy Watch Active feels so light-it's 20 percent thinner and 60 percent lighter than the flagship Galaxy Watch-is because its casing is made of aluminum, not stainless steel. And it’s different from the new Galaxy Fit, which is a wristband, and which used to be called the Gear Fit. It also effectively replaces the $280 Gear Sport watch, which Samsung will continue to sell as long as there’s inventory. It’s differentiated slightly from the $300 Galaxy Watch, which is Samsung’s flagship smartwatch. First: The Galaxy Watch Active is aimed at people who want to be more active. ![]() Understanding where the Galaxy Watch Active fits in Samsung’s lineup requires a quick lesson on all the Gears and Galaxies out there. It’s evidence not only of Samsung’s evolution in smartwatches, but of the whole market’s progression towards decent-looking smartwatches that are dedicated to tracking your health. I mean that the Galaxy Watch Active struck me as attractive as soon as I took it out of the box, and I actively sought to wear it again after taking it off for periods of time. This isn’t in the category of praise like, “I didn’t hate wearing it, so that’s good.” It also doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. It’s sleeker and more lightweight than any other Samsung smartwatch I’ve worn, and it records a whole bunch of activities too. That’s the case with its new, $200 Galaxy Watch Active smartwatch, which I’ve been wearing for the past week. Its earliest smartwatches were straight out of Inspector Gadget, especially the original Galaxy Gear, which had an inflexible strap with a built-in camera.īut Samsung’s design chops haven’t been honed by letting things languish, or by catering only to early-adopter nerds. Its first pair of wire-free earbuds were fine, if you could get past the inadequate battery life. Its earliest phablets were comically big. When it comes to new mobile products, Samsung doesn’t always get it right the first time. ![]()
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