A few weeks ago, Samsung added yet another wristwatch model to its already extensive lineup of wearables. The Galaxy Watch Active is a sporty-looking wristwatch that was designed for people who lead active lives.
On the other hand, Apple’s Watch has been a runaway success since it was first released. The most recent edition comes with a more substantial display, a slew of new health and fitness functions, performance upgrades, and a variety of other enhancements.
Both of these watches, without a doubt, perform admirably well when it comes to the smart functionality and fitness tracking capabilities they offer. But how do they contrast, and which one is most suited to your needs? Continue reading to find out.
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Design Comparison: Apple Watch Series 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Active Watch
The Galaxy Watch’s successor, the Gear Sport’s successor, is a sportier version of the watch. Because of an innovative form of aluminum, the slick piece of technology is more compact than its forerunner and significantly lighter (25 grams). A spokesman for the company stated that it had the same weight as a single strawberry.
The watch is only available in a single size choice of 40 millimeters (39.5 x 39.5 x 10.5 mm), which is compatible with straps of 20 millimeters. It has a touchscreen display that is Super AMOLED and measures 1.1 inches in size. Because the recognizable bezel has been removed, users will need to manage the device using the touchscreen as well as the two physical buttons located on the right.
On the other hand, there are no visual similarities between Samsung’s watch and the Apple Watch Series 4 at all. The most obvious distinction is, of course, the rectangular shape it possesses.
The screen on the gizmo extends all the way to the device’s edges and utilizes a cutting-edge display technology called LTPO, which results in increased battery efficiency. The actual dimensions of the 40mm and 44mm variants are the same, but the screen real estate is increased by a factor of 30 percent in both of these versions.
The Series 4 is a little bit more lightweight than its predecessor, the Series 3, and comes in at about 30 grams, which is a little bit more than the Watch Active. That’s approximately equivalent to one and a half strawberries, wouldn’t you say? Both of these devices are clearly suited for individuals who have wrists that are not as large.
The display on the Apple Watch is turned off by default, and there is no way to turn it back on. The company based in Cupertino has been having issues with the longevity of its batteries, and turning the screen off while it is not being used is one approach to making the device last longer. On the other hand, support for an always-on display is included in Watch Active.
However, the Series 4 screen is a gorgeous piece of technology. The smaller Apple Watch features an OLED Retina display area that is 759 square millimeters and has a resolution of 324 by 394 pixels, while the larger Apple Watch has a screen that is 977 square millimeters (368 x 448 pixels).
It comes down to personal opinion, as is typical in discussions about aesthetically pleasing designs and layouts, but this is not always the case. Both of these Smartwatches Smartwatcheshave a very nice appearance. The Apple Watch Active, with its round form factor, appears more like a conventional wrist-worn device, but we are quickly becoming accustomed to the distinctive square design of the Apple Watch.
All of the smartwatches have the same internal components, including an optical heart rate sensor, a three-axis accelerometer, a gyroscope, an altimeter, a vibration motor, an ambient light sensor, and an internal GPS receiver. An extra LTE model is available for use with the Apple Watch’s built-in cellular connectivity. With Samsung, you do not have access to this option.
The Series 4 also has an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. It has the ability to tell you if the rhythm of your heart is normal or if there are any abnormalities in it. Additionally, the company based in Cupertino has improved its accelerometer and gyroscope, and as a result, they can now sample motion data eight times more quickly. The Galaxy Watch Active, on the other hand, includes the capability to measure blood pressure automatically. But I’ll talk more about this at a later time.
The S4 system on a chip is responsible for everything that the Series 4 has to offer. It has a 64-bit dual-core processor and an Apple W3 wireless chip, among other impressive features. The Exynos 9110, which has two cores operating at 1.15 GHz each, is the chipset that the Watch Active uses.
The Apple Watch features 512 megabytes of random access memory (RAM) and 16 gigabytes of storage space. The Galaxy Watch has a memory capacity of 768 MB and a storage capacity of 4 GB.
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The battery life and resistance to water on the Apple Watch Series 4 compared to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
As was previously noted, the battery life of the Series 4 is not going to blow your mind. This has been a topic of contention with Apple Watches for a very long time. According to the technical parameters provided by the manufacturer, the battery has the potential to last between one and two days on a single charge.
Having said that, the Galaxy Watch Active is not an especially significant improvement. Active’s lithium-ion battery, which has a capacity of 230 mAh, will let it function for approximately two days. The Galaxy Watch is the model to choose if you want a Samsung watch that has a longer run time on a single charge.
However, both of these devices have excellent resistance to water. Both the Series 4 and the Watch Active have an impressive water resistance rating of 5 ATM and can provide you with relevant statistics regarding your swim sessions.
Comparing the Apple Watch Series 4 and the Galaxy Watch Active in Terms of Their Features
Tracking one’s fitness level
It goes without saying that these watches are highly capable when it comes to monitoring one’s fitness. Either one of them will provide an ordinary user with pretty much everything they require to monitor activities around the clock. In addition, there are reminders to exercise, as well as some sophisticated performance metrics, such as VO2 Max, running statistics, and other metrics.
Then there is the internal GPS system. This, combined with the fact that it has built-in storage for music, makes it possible to exercise without needing to use a phone at all.
When it comes to applications, the Apple Watch already has the Activity and Workout apps installed on it. The first one tracks your typical daily activities, while the second one keeps tabs on your workouts. Everything is also synchronized with the Health app, which ensures that a record of your activities and health is kept in a single location for your convenience.
Additionally, Watch Active features an excellent fitness application. It is capable, much like the Apple Watch, of automatically identifying common forms of exercise. Because of its resilience to water, this activity also includes swimming.
The ability of the Watch Active to monitor sleep puts it ahead of the Apple Watch in terms of functionality. Even though it’s 2019, Apple’s wearable device requires you to use apps developed by other companies in order to track your sleep. The short lifespan of the battery is, of course, to blame for this issue. According to many rumors, the capability will supposedly become available on the Series 6 gadget in the year 2020. Therefore, you shouldn’t get your hopes up that Series 5 will be out later this year.
One additional advantage of using Watch Active for your training routine is that it can monitor your levels of stress. If the wearable detects an increase in your heart rate that cannot be explained by physical activity, it will send you a notification to tell you to take a break. Then, if you want to relax, you may use the Samsung breathing exercises instead, which are quite similar to the Breathe app on the Apple Watch.
Last but not least, Watch Active has a beta version of a blood pressure monitoring function. It was developed in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco, and is available to consumers as an optional research app that they can install on their devices. Click on this link for further reading on the subject.
To ensure that it does not fall behind, Series 4 also possesses a few aces up its sleeve. The first is its ECG sensor, which has received a lot of attention. Put your finger against the digital crown and rest it there to get a reading. By doing so, a closed circuit is created with the sensor located on the back. You will receive a comprehensive report along with information indicating whether or not there are abnormalities in your cardiac rhythm.
The trip and fall functions are yet another innovative addition to the health section. The Series 4 monitors both the trajectory of your wrist and the impact acceleration to determine whether or not you’ve been in an accident. This, in turn, activates a few options for phoning emergency services and notifying the people you care about of your current position.
In addition to this, the Apple Watch comes equipped with notifications for abnormal heart rates that have been cleared by the FDA. The device will not notify you if it detects stress; however, it will monitor your heart rate and send you notifications if it detects an abnormally high or low rate, or if it suspects that something is wrong with your ticker.
Apps and functionality exclusive to smartwatches
Both of these devices have some additional intelligence built into them. This incorporates storage for musical works and NFC technology for financial transactions (Apple Pay and Samsung Pay). Apple’s Series 4 also comes in an LTE model, which allows you to make and receive calls, send and receive messages, and access data while you are not near your smartphone.
The operating system is yet another significant point of differentiation. watchOS is what powers Apple’s smartwatch, whereas Samsung uses its own Tizen operating system for its wearables. Because of this, the Apple Watch will only be compatible with iPhones, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Watch will be able to communicate with virtually all smartphones. Having said that, watchOS comes preloaded with a significantly larger number of applications than Tizen does.
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Comparing the Apple Watch Series 4 vs. the Samsung Galaxy Active Watch: the Bottom Line
It is not a simple task to decide which watch is superior—the Apple Watch Series 4 or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Both of these devices are excellent for tracking one’s fitness level and come with a wide variety of useful intelligent features. GPS, Near Field Communication (NFC) for making payments on the fly, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are all included.
The somewhat longer battery life, sleep and stress tracking, as well as the experimental blood pressure measurements, all work to Samsung’s advantage. This is the superior choice to make if you want your wearable to resemble a conventional watch more so than other options. It is also important to keep in mind that the product offered by Samsung is sold at a lower price.
Additionally, there are a few things working in favor of the Apple Watch. This one contains a profusion of features linked to health, an improved user experience, and a bigger selection of apps. It is also available in an extra LTE form, which enables you to maintain cellular connectivity even when you are not using your smartphone.
The difference in pricing is likely to be significant to a large number of consumers, regardless of whether they are iOS or Android users. We have a hunch that Apple iPhone customers are more likely to go with the Apple Watch, whilst Android consumers on the hunt for a fitness wearable may be more interested in the Galaxy Watch Active.
