Since last year when Active 2 and Vivoactive 4 were released these two have since then gone to become some of the most popular smartwatches, you can buy on the market. These two watches spot one thing in common and that’s fitness tracking. Although I haven’t used any of these, I’ve read a lot about these two. So, in this post, I want to compare the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Vivoactive 4 specs, features, and otherwise to perhaps help you decide which is a better smartwatch.
Meanwhile, let’s take a look at the specifications between these two fine smartwatches. Less I forget, these are some of the best rated smartwatches on the market for many good reasons among which are, stylish appearance, long battery life, comprehensive activity tracking, and productivity.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4: Specs Comparison
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) (bluetooth only) | Garmin Vivoactive 4 | |
|---|---|---|
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ABOUT DEVICE |
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| Device name | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) (Bluetooth only) | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
| Device type | Classic/Fitness smartwatch | Sport/Fitness smartwatch |
| Predecessor | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active | Garmin Vivoactive 3 |
| Successor | N/A | N/A |
| Date Released | September, 2019 | September, 2019 |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
WHERE TO BUY |
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DISPLAY |
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| Display size | 1.4 inches (44mm) | 1.3 inch |
| Display type | Super AMOLED Full color |
Transflective memory-in-display (MIP) |
| Display resolution | 360 x 360 pixels | 260 x 260 pixels |
| Pixel density | -- | -- |
| Display always-on | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | Touchscreen, 2 physical buttons Digital rotating bezel |
Touchscreen plus 2 physical button |
BODY |
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| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Casing material | Aluminum | Fiber-reinforced polymer with polymer rear cover |
| Strap material | Fluoroelastomer (Aluminum) |
Silicone |
| Bezel Material | Glass | Stainless steel |
| Weight | 30 grams (aluminum, without straps) |
50.5 grams |
| Color(s) | Cloud-silver Aqua-black Pink-gold (aluminum) |
Black/black |
| Dimension | 44 x 44 x 10.9mm (44mm) | 45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm |
| Strap size | 20mm | 22mm |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ | Corning Gorilla glass 3 |
| Durability test | MIL-STD-810G | |
| Waterproof rating | Yes, IP68, 5ATM MIL-STD-810G |
Yes, 5ATM |
CLOCK FEATURES |
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| Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
MEMORY |
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| RAM | 0.75GB non-LTE | -- |
| Internal storage | 4GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
MEDIA |
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| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Microphone | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | No |
| Camera | No | No |
| Music streaming | Yes | Yes |
CONNECTIVITY |
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| Bluetooth | Bluetooth smart v5.0 LE | Bluetooth smart, ANT+ |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | No |
NOTIFICATIONS |
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| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Reminder | Yes | Yes |
CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
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| Network Technology | No | No |
| SIM | No | No |
FITNESS TRACKING |
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| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max. | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | No | Yes |
| Blood pressure | Yes | No |
| ECG Tracking | Yes | No |
| Blood oxygen | No | Yes |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
PLATFORM |
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| Operating system | Tizen OS 4.0 | Proprietary OS |
| CPU | Dual core 1.15GHz | -- |
| GPU | -- | -- |
| Chipset | Exynos 9110 | -- |
SENSORS |
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| GPS | GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo | GPS/GLONASS/Galileo |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | No | Yes |
| Pulse Ox. | No | Yes |
| Altimeter | -- | -- |
| ECG | Yes | No |
| Thermometer | No | Yes |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS |
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| Interchangeable straps | Yes, 20mm | Yes, 22mm |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes | No |
| Compatibility | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+ iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ |
Android and iOS Check if your device is compatible |
| Payment system | Samsung pay | Garmin pay |
| Companion app | Samsung Gear app | Garmin connect IQ store |
BATTERY |
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| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | 340mAh | -- |
| Est. battery life | Standby :5 days+, Mixed usage: 2 days+ |
Smartwatch mode: Up to 8 days GPS mode with music: Up to 6 hours |
| Charging mode | WPC based wireless charging | USB charging cable |
| Charging duration | About 1-2 hours | About 1-2 hours |
BOX CONTENTS |
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| Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 | |
| Small and large straps | Straps | |
| Wireless charger | USB charging cable | |
| Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4: The Difference
Galaxy Active 2 |
Vivoactive 4 |
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Display |
1.4 inches (44mm) |
1.3 inches (45mm) |
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Bezel |
Digital rotating |
No |
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Dimension |
44 x 44 x 10.9mm |
45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm |
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Weight |
42g (stainless steel) |
50.5g |
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Glass |
Corning Gorilla Glass DX+ |
Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
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Microphone |
Yes |
No |
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Loudspeaker |
Yes |
No |
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Battery life |
2 days+ |
7 days |
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Blood pressure |
Yes |
No |
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ECG tracking |
Yes |
No |
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Animated workout |
No |
Yes |
Menstrual cycle |
No |
Yes |
Pulse Ox. |
No |
Yes |
Hydration tracking |
No |
Yes |
Preloaded sports |
39+ |
20+ |
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Editor's Rating |
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Clearly, as you can see and from many positive reviews, these are two remarkable smartwatches. The design looks cool, the features are awesome, activity tracking is almost accurate and battery life is encouraging.
Design
There are many differences between these two, starting from the design, the Active 2 which is available in two sizes; 44mm and 40mm same as the Vivoactive 4; 45mm and 40mm. But then the Active is slightly compact, slimmer, and weighs a little less than the Vivoavtive 4 which I believe makes it a more comfortable wear. Make no mistake, the Vivoactive 4 is also lightweight when compared with the average weight of smartwatches which falls between 50g and 100g.
I really like the rotating bezel of the Active 2, I’ve seen it in action and it sure is awesome resulting in easy navigation of the tiny display. The Vivoactive 4 supports touchscreen in addition to two physical buttons which also makes it easy to navigate.
As per the display, AMOLED of Active 2 is richer and more colorful, but not so easy to read outdoors. You might need to increase the brightness to make it legible enough which unlike the transflective LCD display of the Vivoactive 4 is very bright and easy to read outdoors. Although not so colorful when compared to the AMOLED.
Media
Going further, looking at the inbuilt features, each of these has music storage with support for streaming. But the Active 2 is equipped with a microphone and loudspeaker that supports its voice assistant features and allows you to play music aloud. Not just that, you can also make calls with this watch by simply connecting it to your phone Bluetooth. Google translate is also available on Active 2 which comes handy on many occasions.
There is also the LTE version of the Active 2 which is a standalone smartwatch that allows you to make and receive calls directly from the watch. Samsung also introduced some fine apps like Twitter and Youtube to the Active 2 allowing you to socialize directly from your watch, features the Vivoactive 4 lacks.
Activity Tracking
A bit further, these two like mentioned earlier are fine activity trackers equipped with many sensors that enable lots of activity tracking features. Sleep tracking is awesome, so also is heart rate tracking, steps, calories, stress, fitness level, and many more features.
Active 2 recently was cleared in South Korea for ECG and blood pressure monitoring which the Vivoactive 4 obviously lacks. But then, the Vivoactive 4 features animated workouts that can substitute for live coaching, thus saving you money on subscriptions. It also features menstrual cycle tracking, a feature that’s expected on the Active 2 and the much expected Galaxy Watch 2. There’s also blood oxygen monitoring, hydration and respiration tracking, and incidental fall detection which the Active 2 lacks. Although, Active 2 allows you to call an emergency number which is also a safety feature.
Which is more accurate in terms of activity tracking between the Active 2 and Vivoactive 4? I can’t really tell, but as claimed by many owners these two are almost as accurate as you’d expect.
You can check out the videos below for accuracy comparison and more.
Battery Life
The battery life of these two is something to write home about as each of these will keep you going over a day. However, Vivoactive 4 has a far longer battery life of almost a week on light usage compared to Active 2 with about 2 days or more. So, as per battery life, the Vivoactive 4 floors the Active, perhaps due to the display and lesser features to power.
Which is Better Between Active 2 vs Vivoactive 4?
In simple words, if you are more concerned about taking your fitness goals to a new level, then I’ll recommend the Vivoactiuve 4 over Active 2. It has more activity tracking features than you can imagine and the battery life is also great.
However, if features like voice assistant, browsing directly from the watch, calling and of course, stylish design intrigues you, then go for Active 2. It has many features that can improve your productivity and is also a comprehensive fitness tracker with a quite impressive battery life to match.
I personally will buy the Active 2 very soon once the Covid-19 allows total movement in my country.