@@gudamzanaja The intro/exit song is No Cry/Fasion, from Epidemic: www.epidemicsound.com/track/I6ricSl713 - The song during the running timelapse is '9-5/Blaeker', also on Epidemic.
Best review that I've ever witnessed on RUclips. Nobody goes in this much details using maps and different gadgets. I can imagine the hard work putin in making such an elaborate video.Hats off to you. Keep up the good work. I am subscribing to your channel.
Hey Folks - Thanks for watching! Oh, in case you're wondering about ECG - it's not enabled yet (hence why I didn't test it). As soon as it is, I'll circle back with more! And don't forget you can check out the data set (raw files) up top in the description. Enjoy!
Seems like they're going to have a difficult time with EKG certification with such poor HR performance. Mine just came in the mail today, so I was looking forward to seeing some reviews. I'm a bit disappointed in the results, have to say. Hopefully I have better luck!
Really disappointed with the HR monitoring. Thought Samsung would have improved it enough to challenge others. Guess I'm on the Garmin Venu boat now. Looking forward to your review of that one
@@MC-eh2ot Agree. I got rid of my Galaxy Watch (and the Gear S3 for that matter) because of the poor tracking. This HAS to be software related. The hardware is there.
@@MC-eh2ot I've had almost as many as DC. The watch I got after that was a Garmin Fenix 5, and the activity tracking was amazing, but I missed the smartwatch features. Made the platform switch to Apple and the Apple Watch, and really loved it, my favorite single piece of tech, but don't like iOS. So I'm back to the Active 2 to give it a whirl.
I returned the Galaxy watch last year... Because it missed a lot of my steps... I just got this one today the active 2 and I'm noticing it's struggling with capturing all my steps also... Other than that I love the watch!!! You are probably the only review our I've seen on RUclips that has dinged it for the inaccuracy of the step count...
Your review was great. You gave everyone a actually review of the watch while in motion instead of talking about the specs like everyone else. This is important to me since I am coming from the Fitbit series. Once again, Thank You!
I'm impressed with the bloke cycling through the park with his umbrella over his head, It could catch on, added resistance when you have no hills locally :)
Around November there were a bunch of updates pushed including GPS fix, crash detection, and ekg. Since then there has been a huge improvement in the GPS. When I would ride with Garmin tracker, phone and active 2, the active 2 was always the worst, but since the update its almost dead on with my Garmin 810.
Pulled the trigger on this on Pre-order main draw for me is smart watch function (miss my Sony SW3 which I only gave up on as it didn't do HR etc and was only good for Smartwatch function) a Big pull for me is the ability to answer a phone call when stuck up a ladder at work without having to try to get my phone out of my pocket. Used the HR on 'exercise bike' mode when doing an indoor ride and (without using the analyser) found it tracked pretty much beat for beat with my Tickr X after a slow start, don't think they were ever more than 2 beats apart. It was a toss up between this and Garmin active 4 but smart won out over fitness for my needs.
Over the past few years, I've had several GPS watches - Apple, Garmin, Polar.. and HRM's (chest and arm). None are as accurate as advertised. Personally I think we expect too much of GPS in small devices - just think of all the various radio waves and stuff floating about today. My most accurate combo is my trusty, but old, Garmin XT735 paired with a OH1.
Really interesting, thanks! It's a bit niche (5% of your audience?), but it would be great if you can do running watch videos in which you do an automatic and/or manual structured workout with your favorite 3rd party app for each smartwatch and to take us through the UX- workout building, in-workout experience, and post workout review. It's the little things- ease of pressing buttons, getting the right data screens, constructing the workout, etc.- that make all the difference for those of us doing structured training. I think lots of "serious" runners would like to know if/when using a Apple, Android Wear or Tizen smartwatch will be good enough to replace the dedicated running watches.
It's being reported that Samsung just pushed out an update for the GWA2 this morning which lists improvements of Bug Fix for GPS and Improved GPS Performance. I wonder if that will help with some of the GPS issues you reported? The new build ends in BSI9
It didn’t unfortunately even now . I am planning to change to Apple Series 5 just because of The DAMN INACCURATE HR Sensor. While resting it showed I had 179 BPM While Watching this video. GPS Is good tho
When was this? Because i have the most current update and it is about 30 seconds off per mile during my runs, not to mention the heartrate sensor thinks my hr is always 105 at rest.
Excellent review and particularly well illustration on user interface, HR and GPS accuracy. Very good reference for anyone interested in the latest wearable from Samsung.
Me too.. But why don't we ask samsung to launch a product when it is ready instead of bugfixing on the fly? We can't expect to be reviewed after each major update...
I've had a number of the Samsung watches and my favorite part was the "smartwatch" but I have never been a huge fan of the fitness part. They just don't seem to get it right which is a shame. I've been trying to pick a new watch - tired of my Versa - and I would really like something fairly accurate on the treadmill; weights (or intervals); bootcamp and that I can pair a HR strap with if to choose to do do. That has been another pet peeve with Samsung. I don't know whether I'm better suited for the Suunto Fitness 3 or the Garmin Vivoactive 4? I used to run, am no longer able but I do teach fitness and still do workouts that aren't super high intensity cardio. I had also been interested in the Polar ignite but I haven't had the best luck with their watches. I appreciate your thorough reviews!!!
I am very interested in whether you enabled the "high accuracy" setting on the watch? It's supposedley designed to calculate your location more precisely.
I compared my running activities with 'high accuracy' switched ON and OFF, and the result with 'HA' enabled is more precise and nicely overlays the route on gmap
I'm sticking with my Active 2,,,and Active 1 watches. They may not be the latest and greatest on the market right now, but they're still giving me all the features and functions I want and need compared to the Apples watch. And its a really good upgrade from my fitbit Ionic.
Steps: 1. Look at competitors/ leaders to see what they execute well. 2. Find what the competition is missing. 3. Get feedback from sporty focus groups 4. Build, test, refine then launch. Why do Samsung miss on this? They dont need to reinvent the wheel. Use my 14 year old garmin forerunner 301 as a base - it was great! (Replaced now with a 235)
Great thoroughness and you're my go to for fitness reviews. However, "When I went to bed it still said 22 hours of battery life left. When I woke up some, you know, 4 hours later it was dead. So that's kind of a bit of a bummer." I'd say it that happens, it really invalidates the product.
You're a good guy. Going and doing a review in that weather. Thanks for this. The Active 2 was on my possible list but that HR monitor issue and all of the permissions. I think I will stick with my Garmin family!
I think it's "good enough" as a casual fitness tracker. Ignoring the "Active" in its name it's a companion device for your smartphone first and a fitness tracker second, at least that is what I'm experiencing with mine. And I think if you look at it like that it's a pretty nice watch. I'm a casual runner, I run my 5k in slightly over 30 minutes 2 or 3 times a week. I don't really care if it doesn't grab my heart rate perfectly. I don't care if it tracks my run as 0.1km longer or shorter than it really was. I just want a general indication about my health. And as a tech enthusiast I also wanted a good smartwatch. Before this one I had a Huawei Watch 2, I bought the Samsung Active 2 because Wear OS started to piss me off. From that standpoint alone I am very happy with my purchase. It is a good smartwatch that works way better than the one I used to have with more features that I can't wait to try. Battery life is pretty impressive as well. Mine is set to the most accurate GPS tracking and continuous HR tracking. I charged it this morning, left the house at 7 am, it is now 5 pm and I'm at 81%. That is pretty cool. So yeah, I like mine.
I'm looking at getting the 1st gen model but I'm tempted on the 2nd gen now, after reading your comments you sound similar to me from the active side of things which is good to read! How are you finding it so far and do you use Strava at all, that's what I use currently on my S20 Ultra and I'm hoping to continue using that.
@@JonSpittle Apparently the 1st gen model has issues with GPS tracking and the HR monitor, the 2nd generation improved that a lot. So far I'm loving it. It's way more responsive than my Wear OS watch and the display is way better (and larger). The digital bezel is also really handy and works well. I'm still impressed with battery life. It is still constantly tracking my heart rate and it looks like I can easily get three days out of it. I took it off the charger yesterday before I left the house at 7am again, now it's 5pm and I'm at 58%. I don't use Strava though, I use Samsung Health. I like using Samsung Health because the way I set it up it tracks everything for me, including my calories from my food tracker Lifesum and my weight from my Withings smart scale. It's all in one app which I find very handy.
@@MattisProbably Hey I am also looking into the galaxy active 2 or garmin venu although I do not run marathons I do my daily 3 miles every day. I really would like a decent heart rate tracker and run tracker. So far how has the galaxy active 2 done in those runs you do?
Great breakdown but as a Gear S3 Frontier owner, I think you may have not had the Active 2 in "high accuracy" mode. Once I switched the location to high accuracy mode, the tracking was WAY better. It does take a huge hit on the battery life but if you are a serious runner who values accuracy, it's worth it.
Hi DC Rainmaker. Awesome video. Good to see someone is testing the accuracy properly. I'm a swimmer, so interested to see how it performs in a pool. Can you please do a pool test for the active 2 showing accuracy of lap counting.
I will be using a Stryd for my pace and distance but having trouble deciding on a watch. Does the Active 2 play well with the Stryd? Are the buttons on the watch interval friendly? Thanks.
What would it be better the Garmin forerunner 245 music or this Samsung watch active 2. I love running outdoors and working out as well as biking. What I like most of the Samsung is being able to see the workouts but I believe the 245 gives you better running charts and analysis and a more accurate HR and GPS. What would you recommend?
@DC Rainmaker . I am new to your Channel, I was wondering if you had 2 things turn on when you did your run for the Samsung Active 2? 1. "High location accuracy" 2. "Measure continually" HR If this 2 are on would you see much of a difference? When you might be doing a second run? Thanks for your work. Last, part of a good fitness routine is sleep. Have you done a test in sleep tracking? If yes could you share the link? I "Liked" the video Thanks for the great video!
So is the watch active heart rate sensor better than the previous Samsung watch such as gear s3 and gear fit 2 pro ? How about galaxy watch 3 heart rate accuracy comparing to watch active 2?
How do i add mountain biking to the workout shortcut. I can see it on my phone and it captures the details from my phone to the watch but I can't seem to find the mountain biking icon under the exercise list in the watch selection.
Hi I used to have a standalone widget for running or cycling only before the last update now all I see is the widget for multi workouts, any way to get the standalone back? Thanks!
Was this test done before Samsungs first big update? Apparently, that was supposed to correct the GPS issues. How do you find the Samsung Active 2 for its calorie burn accuracy? I just picked one up and have found it to be fairly off.
Thank you for the indepth review. I'm glad I bought my Garmin 245 and didn't wait for this. Samsung isn't quite there yet. Between you and DesFit, I'm well informed on products prior to purchase. Thank you again.
I am struggling getting the GPS is to work standalone. I got the music part to work but when I turn edmondo on to start it gives me error for not having GPS turned on. I have looked thru the setting and made sure it is on. What am I missing?
Not sure anyone can help me... but I love the watch. However, I dont know what programm to use best for the time I hit the gym. I dont want to select individuall after each exercise e.g. bench, squat etc... aind there a way to download an overall selection that just is called "gym workout"? Cheers
maybe you explained but, do you have to have your phone with you, while running with samsung active 2 , can it record data without being connected (such as distance ,hr,calories.. )
Thank you for another great fitness oriented review! Not many others out there really reviewing these watches for what people want to use them for. Also, you’ve got to wonder whether the latest Peanut is waiting until you get all your reviews out 🤔🤣
Nice to see you running in the rain with samsung watch. Samsung gave me a hard time to get the watch repaired for free that is only 5months old. Not like garmin who replaced it without any question.
Might be part of another review but can it record a half or full ironman? I'm comparing it to the 735xt which will record a 1/2 ironman and of course doesn't have the bright screen. Obviously there are lots of parameters and different models, but if you kept the screen off and weren't running music or other apps, would it last a while for the Sunday bike ride or any longer events?
Welcome to Holland during fall and winter. You should see the sun again in 6 months. :-)))
4 года назад
Hi. If I have a Samsung watch paired with the iPhone, can I view the route on the iPhone on the map after the run? For example in endomondo app? Which app is working with both samsung and iphone?
Galaxy active2.... Concerning to battery life during a bike trainings, let's say 3-4 hours... how long does the battery life take to drain?? In my experience, the watch gets in the end of the training on 15% of the battery life... it sucks.. please tell me your experience... tks, John
I have the venu, I like the venu, but it's overpriced-even at 300$ it's too much and not worth it. The question is what do you really need? How accurate does your data and GPS need to be? Do you just want to see where you ran or do you need that precise distance. 180bpm or 160-is that really important. If yes, then garmin, or maybe Polaris, if not, samsung. Also the venu, while it has an amazing screen, the os and apps are just not there. So what do you REALLY need?
The battery life is amazing though, easily it'll last a week (without GPS) but that's also because you cant do much with it but track workouts. No calorie counter, no real weightlifting app, not even a built in battery life monitor.
@@nugetta sorry, I actually returned the venu. I found what I really needed the Samsung galaxy provided. The venu was and is the perfect size, weight, and shape-with a great screen and battery life, but didn't fulfill my other needs. I don't remember how the weight training apps were but I find keeping a handwritten log works fine for me.
Thanks for great review. One of the only reasons that I would get this watch for running is the ability to look at a map on my wrist, and be able to navigate without having to pull my phone out. Has that been something you've seen of any of use?
Man youre awesome, great and very detailed review, doesnt have seen sth on yt 👍👍👍🙂 If you can get your hand on GWA2, maybe u could test the hr accuracy again, because Samsung brought an update with more freq hr measuring 😉
Venu for sure. for running alone,. the GWA2 is pretty far off in regards to distances, both with and without GPS (not acceptable IMO). I might actually give my GWA2 to my brother and buy the Venu.
Hi there! Great video and great channel! Could you do a video with ideas about what to do with all that data that we're collecting with our smart watches and how to use the data to improve our health, workouts, food intake, sleep and etc? Because we're generating a lot of data everyday, and if we don't take any advantage over them, they are useless.
Hi Dc, First of all, thank you so much for your effort and time, your videos are the guides for my purchase decision. Allow me to share one disagreed point with you related to the heart rate results. I tested the active watch two against the Polar H10 into two different exercises as the following : 1- Running for 6 KM: the result was very identical between both devices, I didn't notice any drop from the active watch 2. 2- Football match from 130 minutes: as you know in football match there are a lot of sprints and Physical friction, still the watch performed very well, I witnessed about 5 seconds of inaccurate data, as the watch was showing my heart rate at point of 200 while the polar H10 was giving me 194 , but for the rest of reading it was in the range of 1 - 2 beats up or done. I will try to compare it with the new apple watch once I purchase it. Again thank you so much for your effort, my intention is only to give my opinion and personal experience. Thank & Regards, Alaa
Have you tested out active 1 running accuracy? Do you think a future software update will fix the running issue on Active2? Sucks to find out about this inaccuracy also the HR! Ugh
Biggiest question. Have they fixed the problem with non samsung phones not being able to get the message app like on the first active watch. It was a bit annoying and had to find a work around.
Thanks for a great review. I am new to the smartwatch arena and was very excited about the Active 2 and was looking to purchase the LTE / cellular version since I would like to leave my phone (Samsung Note 8) at home or at the office during short trips and exercises outside...that was until I had learned that there is no Google Map nor Google Assistant integration. I heard that there are workarounds to these 2 issues but seems that you will need to have your phone with you for it to work. I would love you hear your thoughts on this since these are currently deal breakers for me. Thank you.
That intro tho! So good!
Thanks!!!
Will you be reviewing the Active2?
@@Dcrainmaker Songname pls
@@gudamzanaja The intro/exit song is No Cry/Fasion, from Epidemic: www.epidemicsound.com/track/I6ricSl713 - The song during the running timelapse is '9-5/Blaeker', also on Epidemic.
Best review that I've ever witnessed on RUclips. Nobody goes in this much details using maps and different gadgets. I can imagine the hard work putin in making such an elaborate video.Hats off to you. Keep up the good work. I am subscribing to your channel.
Thanks!!!
Hey Folks - Thanks for watching! Oh, in case you're wondering about ECG - it's not enabled yet (hence why I didn't test it). As soon as it is, I'll circle back with more! And don't forget you can check out the data set (raw files) up top in the description. Enjoy!
Seems like they're going to have a difficult time with EKG certification with such poor HR performance. Mine just came in the mail today, so I was looking forward to seeing some reviews. I'm a bit disappointed in the results, have to say. Hopefully I have better luck!
Really disappointed with the HR monitoring. Thought Samsung would have improved it enough to challenge others. Guess I'm on the Garmin Venu boat now. Looking forward to your review of that one
@@MC-eh2ot Agree. I got rid of my Galaxy Watch (and the Gear S3 for that matter) because of the poor tracking. This HAS to be software related. The hardware is there.
@@ZachGrabill what watch did you go with?
@@MC-eh2ot I've had almost as many as DC. The watch I got after that was a Garmin Fenix 5, and the activity tracking was amazing, but I missed the smartwatch features. Made the platform switch to Apple and the Apple Watch, and really loved it, my favorite single piece of tech, but don't like iOS. So I'm back to the Active 2 to give it a whirl.
I returned the Galaxy watch last year... Because it missed a lot of my steps... I just got this one today the active 2 and I'm noticing it's struggling with capturing all my steps also... Other than that I love the watch!!! You are probably the only review our I've seen on RUclips that has dinged it for the inaccuracy of the step count...
just FYI Active 2 did a gps rework and it should be much more accurate.
You and Dez Fit are the only Wearable reviews I trust. Thank you for work man.
Thanks, Des rocks!
and also TechyAgent
TechyAgent too
Nam Hoai he hasn’t been reviewing as much lately.
So do I
Your review was great. You gave everyone a actually review of the watch while in motion instead of talking about the specs like everyone else. This is important to me since I am coming from the Fitbit series. Once again, Thank You!
I'm impressed with the bloke cycling through the park with his umbrella over his head, It could catch on, added resistance when you have no hills locally :)
Around November there were a bunch of updates pushed including GPS fix, crash detection, and ekg. Since then there has been a huge improvement in the GPS. When I would ride with Garmin tracker, phone and active 2, the active 2 was always the worst, but since the update its almost dead on with my Garmin 810.
Pulled the trigger on this on Pre-order main draw for me is smart watch function (miss my Sony SW3 which I only gave up on as it didn't do HR etc and was only good for Smartwatch function) a Big pull for me is the ability to answer a phone call when stuck up a ladder at work without having to try to get my phone out of my pocket. Used the HR on 'exercise bike' mode when doing an indoor ride and (without using the analyser) found it tracked pretty much beat for beat with my Tickr X after a slow start, don't think they were ever more than 2 beats apart.
It was a toss up between this and Garmin active 4 but smart won out over fitness for my needs.
I wonder if there's a way he can do kind of an update. Since there have been updates and improvements to the battery and tracking as well as GPS
Over the past few years, I've had several GPS watches - Apple, Garmin, Polar.. and HRM's (chest and arm). None are as accurate as advertised.
Personally I think we expect too much of GPS in small devices - just think of all the various radio waves and stuff floating about today.
My most accurate combo is my trusty, but old, Garmin XT735 paired with a OH1.
The Stryd is the way to go for accuracy
Galaxy watch 3
thank you for running in the rain for us!!!! do you think the heart rate issue can be fixed in an update or are we pretty much stuck with it?
Nice sound effect @ 2:34s :)
And then another one, though not so good, here @ 14:00s :)
And then finally, a muted one here @ 14:11s ;)
Enjoy :)
Thank you for running in the rain for us😃
The review I've been waiting for
Thanks!
Really interesting, thanks! It's a bit niche (5% of your audience?), but it would be great if you can do running watch videos in which you do an automatic and/or manual structured workout with your favorite 3rd party app for each smartwatch and to take us through the UX- workout building, in-workout experience, and post workout review. It's the little things- ease of pressing buttons, getting the right data screens, constructing the workout, etc.- that make all the difference for those of us doing structured training. I think lots of "serious" runners would like to know if/when using a Apple, Android Wear or Tizen smartwatch will be good enough to replace the dedicated running watches.
Good idea! And a good rainy day kinda video. Well, I mean, not this kind of rain though.
DC Rainmaker That would be fantastic! You’re the best!
+1
probably more than 5% :D
The best thing about the Active 2 is that it's NOT Apple!
Totally agree, although the worst thing is that is IS Samsung
but that's were the good things end
Apple is more accurate
tbh its better than apple
Wish it was more accurate.
It's being reported that Samsung just pushed out an update for the GWA2 this morning which lists improvements of Bug Fix for GPS and Improved GPS Performance. I wonder if that will help with some of the GPS issues you reported? The new build ends in BSI9
Would love to see an updated review and if he could explore the high accuracy setting too...
It didn’t unfortunately even now .
I am planning to change to Apple Series 5 just because of The DAMN INACCURATE HR Sensor. While resting it showed I had 179 BPM While Watching this video. GPS Is good tho
@@redmeg78 hi just corious, why is it so important to know your heart rate?
Best review I've seen so far, by far. Thanks!! Great work!
Just want to thank you. I miss Amsterdam, so good to see it! Great video 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks! Yeah, I'm trying to feature this amazing city more and more within my videos...though, yesterday's weather is making me think otherwise!
Samsung released update for watch active 2 to fix GPS issues.
They’ve been saying that for 3 years.
When was this? Because i have the most current update and it is about 30 seconds off per mile during my runs, not to mention the heartrate sensor thinks my hr is always 105 at rest.
Excellent review and particularly well illustration on user interface, HR and GPS accuracy. Very good reference for anyone interested in the latest wearable from Samsung.
Thanks!
i dont know why people watch stuff like The Verge... thanks for your reviews... so as Desfit's
Thanks - Des is awesome!
Thank you!!! This is exactly what I'm looking for, an athletic review on its workout capabilities.
Wind? Cold? Raining? Perfekt!
What's more ironic than Ironman ironing?
DCRainmaker "making" a video in the "rain". 😎
Rainmaker makes it rain :) Thank you, would like to see more Samsungs, as much as I dont like them, although using daily..
@dcrainmaker I would love to see an accuracy test of the active 2 now that it's been updated!
Me too.
me too!
Me too.. But why don't we ask samsung to launch a product when it is ready instead of bugfixing on the fly? We can't expect to be reviewed after each major update...
Can confirm. Not accurate 🙄
@@istvantiborborgos7546 they might be doing that this year because it's been almost a year and a half since the watch active 2
Can you please do another test after the GPS software update?
I've had a number of the Samsung watches and my favorite part was the "smartwatch" but I have never been a huge fan of the fitness part. They just don't seem to get it right which is a shame. I've been trying to pick a new watch - tired of my Versa - and I would really like something fairly accurate on the treadmill; weights (or intervals); bootcamp and that I can pair a HR strap with if to choose to do do. That has been another pet peeve with Samsung. I don't know whether I'm better suited for the Suunto Fitness 3 or the Garmin Vivoactive 4? I used to run, am no longer able but I do teach fitness and still do workouts that aren't super high intensity cardio. I had also been interested in the Polar ignite but I haven't had the best luck with their watches. I appreciate your thorough reviews!!!
the Hr belt does not work in glaxy active 2
I am very interested in whether you enabled the "high accuracy" setting on the watch? It's supposedley designed to calculate your location more precisely.
Hi DC Rainmaker, can you, please, give an answer to this question?
@@IvanMurat I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think he will. Meaning anyone watching this will have to take his data with a grain of salt.
Yeah I'm keen to know too. Turning on the high accuracy setting could make all the difference.
@@stevehollard9612 Someone did a video after the recent GPS update, and with high accuracy on. ruclips.net/video/CNwwwOkdlAM/видео.html
I compared my running activities with 'high accuracy' switched ON and OFF, and the result with 'HA' enabled is more precise and nicely overlays the route on gmap
I'm sticking with my Active 2,,,and Active 1 watches. They may not be the latest and greatest on the market right now, but they're still giving me all the features and functions I want and need compared to the Apples watch. And its a really good upgrade from my fitbit Ionic.
Steps:
1. Look at competitors/ leaders to see what they execute well.
2. Find what the competition is missing.
3. Get feedback from sporty focus groups
4. Build, test, refine then launch.
Why do Samsung miss on this? They dont need to reinvent the wheel. Use my 14 year old garmin forerunner 301 as a base - it was great! (Replaced now with a 235)
Great thoroughness and you're my go to for fitness reviews. However, "When I went to bed it still said 22 hours of battery life left. When I woke up some, you know, 4 hours later it was dead. So that's kind of a bit of a bummer." I'd say it that happens, it really invalidates the product.
That cant be true. Unless hes got gps high accuracy, wifi and hes streaming spotify all night while hes asleep
You're a good guy. Going and doing a review in that weather. Thanks for this. The Active 2 was on my possible list but that HR monitor issue and all of the permissions. I think I will stick with my Garmin family!
I think it's "good enough" as a casual fitness tracker.
Ignoring the "Active" in its name it's a companion device for your smartphone first and a fitness tracker second, at least that is what I'm experiencing with mine. And I think if you look at it like that it's a pretty nice watch.
I'm a casual runner, I run my 5k in slightly over 30 minutes 2 or 3 times a week. I don't really care if it doesn't grab my heart rate perfectly. I don't care if it tracks my run as 0.1km longer or shorter than it really was. I just want a general indication about my health.
And as a tech enthusiast I also wanted a good smartwatch. Before this one I had a Huawei Watch 2, I bought the Samsung Active 2 because Wear OS started to piss me off.
From that standpoint alone I am very happy with my purchase. It is a good smartwatch that works way better than the one I used to have with more features that I can't wait to try.
Battery life is pretty impressive as well. Mine is set to the most accurate GPS tracking and continuous HR tracking. I charged it this morning, left the house at 7 am, it is now 5 pm and I'm at 81%. That is pretty cool.
So yeah, I like mine.
I'm looking at getting the 1st gen model but I'm tempted on the 2nd gen now, after reading your comments you sound similar to me from the active side of things which is good to read! How are you finding it so far and do you use Strava at all, that's what I use currently on my S20 Ultra and I'm hoping to continue using that.
@@JonSpittle Apparently the 1st gen model has issues with GPS tracking and the HR monitor, the 2nd generation improved that a lot.
So far I'm loving it. It's way more responsive than my Wear OS watch and the display is way better (and larger). The digital bezel is also really handy and works well.
I'm still impressed with battery life. It is still constantly tracking my heart rate and it looks like I can easily get three days out of it. I took it off the charger yesterday before I left the house at 7am again, now it's 5pm and I'm at 58%.
I don't use Strava though, I use Samsung Health. I like using Samsung Health because the way I set it up it tracks everything for me, including my calories from my food tracker Lifesum and my weight from my Withings smart scale. It's all in one app which I find very handy.
@@MattisProbably Hey I am also looking into the galaxy active 2 or garmin venu although I do not run marathons I do my daily 3 miles every day. I really would like a decent heart rate tracker and run tracker. So far how has the galaxy active 2 done in those runs you do?
Great breakdown but as a Gear S3 Frontier owner, I think you may have not had the Active 2 in "high accuracy" mode. Once I switched the location to high accuracy mode, the tracking was WAY better. It does take a huge hit on the battery life but if you are a serious runner who values accuracy, it's worth it.
Hi DC Rainmaker. Awesome video. Good to see someone is testing the accuracy properly. I'm a swimmer, so interested to see how it performs in a pool. Can you please do a pool test for the active 2 showing accuracy of lap counting.
Would like to know this too! Ive been researching fitness trackers trying to find the best one for swimming accuracy
Which is better the active 2 or fossil gen 5?
Does it have a mode of triathlon and duathlon?
Does it have programmable interval training program for runners, for example if you want to ladder intervals, yasso800s..?
what app does he use for the Samsung galaxy watch 2? I could not understand what he was saying
I will be using a Stryd for my pace and distance but having trouble deciding on a watch. Does the Active 2 play well with the Stryd? Are the buttons on the watch interval friendly? Thanks.
What would it be better the Garmin forerunner 245 music or this Samsung watch active 2. I love running outdoors and working out as well as biking. What I like most of the Samsung is being able to see the workouts but I believe the 245 gives you better running charts and analysis and a more accurate HR and GPS. What would you recommend?
@DC Rainmaker .
I am new to your Channel, I was wondering if you had 2 things turn on when you did your run for the Samsung Active 2?
1. "High location accuracy"
2. "Measure continually" HR
If this 2 are on would you see much of a difference?
When you might be doing a second run? Thanks for your work.
Last, part of a good fitness routine is sleep. Have you done a test in sleep tracking? If yes could you share the link?
I "Liked" the video
Thanks for the great video!
So is the watch active heart rate sensor better than the previous Samsung watch such as gear s3 and gear fit 2 pro ? How about galaxy watch 3 heart rate accuracy comparing to watch active 2?
Does endomondo app give audio feedback in this smartwatch like it does in the phone ? Can this watch be connected to bluetooth sports earphones ?
Great review. Never the less, keep in mind the updates to the watch!
How do i add mountain biking to the workout shortcut. I can see it on my phone and it captures the details from my phone to the watch but I can't seem to find the mountain biking icon under the exercise list in the watch selection.
Hi I used to have a standalone widget for running or cycling only before the last update now all I see is the widget for multi workouts, any way to get the standalone back? Thanks!
Great information, really appreciate all your reviews. Really saves from making a poor purchase.
Much appreciated!
Was this test done before Samsungs first big update? Apparently, that was supposed to correct the GPS issues. How do you find the Samsung Active 2 for its calorie burn accuracy? I just picked one up and have found it to be fairly off.
Do you know a way to share my Samsung watch activity information with my friends who have Apple watch??
Thank you for the indepth review. I'm glad I bought my Garmin 245 and didn't wait for this. Samsung isn't quite there yet. Between you and DesFit, I'm well informed on products prior to purchase. Thank you again.
You started right in front of my house, that's cool. Thanks for the video!
See ya around the neighborhood!
I am struggling getting the GPS is to work standalone. I got the music part to work but when I turn edmondo on to start it gives me error for not having GPS turned on. I have looked thru the setting and made sure it is on. What am I missing?
Not sure anyone can help me... but I love the watch. However, I dont know what programm to use best for the time I hit the gym. I dont want to select individuall after each exercise e.g. bench, squat etc... aind there a way to download an overall selection that just is called "gym workout"?
Cheers
maybe you explained but, do you have to have your phone with you, while running with samsung active 2 , can it record data without being connected (such as distance ,hr,calories.. )
Thank you for another great fitness oriented review! Not many others out there really reviewing these watches for what people want to use them for. Also, you’ve got to wonder whether the latest Peanut is waiting until you get all your reviews out 🤔🤣
Apparently P3 has decided the outside world is sketchy. She's staying put I guess!
What do you recommend? The galaxy active 2 or a garmin venu? I would want to use for running and also on the daily needs?
Nice to see you running in the rain with samsung watch. Samsung gave me a hard time to get the watch repaired for free that is only 5months old. Not like garmin who replaced it without any question.
Might be part of another review but can it record a half or full ironman? I'm comparing it to the 735xt which will record a 1/2 ironman and of course doesn't have the bright screen. Obviously there are lots of parameters and different models, but if you kept the screen off and weren't running music or other apps, would it last a while for the Sunday bike ride or any longer events?
How is the screen's sensitivity when you're using it with wet/sweaty hands? thanks for this review
Welcome to Holland during fall and winter. You should see the sun again in 6 months. :-)))
Hi. If I have a Samsung watch paired with the iPhone, can I view the route on the iPhone on the map after the run? For example in endomondo app? Which app is working with both samsung and iphone?
For Gym based activities which one would you recommend.
Active 2 , Polar ignite,or.....
Garmin
Polar Ignite will be good for that, using it for one month and happy i bought it. 👍
@@MaartensStory which Garmin?
@@eyesusmekonnen4046 forerunner or the fenix
@@MaartensStory how about Venu? Fenix 6 and forerunner are much expensive than Venu and GWA2
Great video! I have a question. Do I need my phone with me when running with Endomondo on the Active 2?
Have you been able to use the Samsung watch 2 to track open water swim to use for triathlon training?
Hi, thanks for the video, which app on my android should I use to view my workout/run/walk on a map ? strava ? or there is something else?
Can you see the heart rate in percentage of the max heart rate in fitness?
Finally👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Love You DcRainmaker💜
Another awesome review. Different than anything on RUclips. 👍
Galaxy active2.... Concerning to battery life during a bike trainings, let's say 3-4 hours... how long does the battery life take to drain?? In my experience, the watch gets in the end of the training on 15% of the battery life... it sucks.. please tell me your experience... tks, John
Got one yesterday and it's not detecting captian work outs like jumping jack or lunges. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
“Dumpster Fire Status” ... ouch ...
Not wrong though. I have the galaxy watch and the heart rate monitor is shit house.
Is there any different between the heart rate accuracy with watch active 2 and galaxy watch 3?
Just saved me some money buying the wrong watch mate. Keep it up. Cheers
Dutch? Liked&Subscribed instantly, goed bezig in dit heerlijke weer ;-)
Hello. I was wondering if it shows the pace accurately when compared with a Garmin / Apple Watch. Thanks !
very nice review, i have a simple question : would you prefer Garmin Venu or that samsung galaxy active 2 ?
Garmin is better for sports
I have the venu, I like the venu, but it's overpriced-even at 300$ it's too much and not worth it. The question is what do you really need? How accurate does your data and GPS need to be? Do you just want to see where you ran or do you need that precise distance. 180bpm or 160-is that really important. If yes, then garmin, or maybe Polaris, if not, samsung. Also the venu, while it has an amazing screen, the os and apps are just not there. So what do you REALLY need?
The battery life is amazing though, easily it'll last a week (without GPS) but that's also because you cant do much with it but track workouts. No calorie counter, no real weightlifting app, not even a built in battery life monitor.
@@nugetta sorry, I actually returned the venu. I found what I really needed the Samsung galaxy provided. The venu was and is the perfect size, weight, and shape-with a great screen and battery life, but didn't fulfill my other needs. I don't remember how the weight training apps were but I find keeping a handwritten log works fine for me.
Great video! Thank you. Might there be a chance to get a video about the desktop applications from the most relevant sports watches? All the best!
Thanks for great review. One of the only reasons that I would get this watch for running is the ability to look at a map on my wrist, and be able to navigate without having to pull my phone out. Has that been something you've seen of any of use?
Only if you use HERE (we go) maps. There are Google Maps workarounds, but frankly, they all suck.
Man youre awesome, great and very detailed review, doesnt have seen sth on yt 👍👍👍🙂
If you can get your hand on GWA2, maybe u could test the hr accuracy again, because Samsung brought an update with more freq hr measuring 😉
If I do a swimming workout, how do i get the water out. Does it tell me to shake it or does it play a sound?
What's better for running garmin forerunner 45 or samsung active 2
Did you have any problems playing Spotify offline on the watch. I can't get mint to work, get a message that says its not the active playback device??
Thank you for the complete review. I just saw after I bought active2. Shame on me! Keep up the good work.
AH! Een Nederlander! Groetjes uit België!
Ik heb nog geen problemen gehad met de Active 2, behalve dat de hartslagmeter soms verkeerd meet.
Which smartwatch should I buy to activities like running, gym, swimming etc.?
Garmin Venu or Active 2?
Venu for sure. for running alone,. the GWA2 is pretty far off in regards to distances, both with and without GPS (not acceptable IMO). I might actually give my GWA2 to my brother and buy the Venu.
@@DylanTK Do u think watch gt2 by huawei can beat Avtive 2 or it's similar gps? Im also thinking about Fossil 5gen
How can you activate gps tracking on active 2 for workouts. On my watch is not activated.
Hi there! Great video and great channel!
Could you do a video with ideas about what to do with all that data that we're collecting with our smart watches and how to use the data to improve our health, workouts, food intake, sleep and etc?
Because we're generating a lot of data everyday, and if we don't take any advantage over them, they are useless.
Hi Dc,
First of all, thank you so much for your effort and time, your videos are the guides for my purchase decision.
Allow me to share one disagreed point with you related to the heart rate results.
I tested the active watch two against the Polar H10 into two different exercises as the following :
1- Running for 6 KM: the result was very identical between both devices, I didn't notice any drop from the active watch 2.
2- Football match from 130 minutes: as you know in football match there are a lot of sprints and Physical friction, still the watch performed very well, I witnessed about 5 seconds of inaccurate data, as the watch was showing my heart rate at point of 200 while the polar H10 was giving me 194 , but for the rest of reading it was in the range of 1 - 2 beats up or done.
I will try to compare it with the new apple watch once I purchase it.
Again thank you so much for your effort, my intention is only to give my opinion and personal experience.
Thank & Regards,
Alaa
Hi! Do you know if you got these results before or after the software update Samsung released yesterday?
@@bjrnaresterlie4049 Hi , that was before 3 days , and for the time being I didn't receive any update for the active 2 ...
@@Alaa-ff7zi Ok, would appreciate if you can update me upon further testing. Especially if you get the update.. 👍🙂
@@bjrnaresterlie4049 sure thing , will have a football match next Monday, hopefully I will receive the update ...
Have you tested out active 1 running accuracy? Do you think a future software update will fix the running issue on Active2? Sucks to find out about this inaccuracy also the HR! Ugh
Yup, here's my full review of it here: www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/samsung-galaxy-active-gps-fitness-sport-review.html
Great review! For working out, do you prefer Strava or Samsung Health?
Can I load Strava onto active2 and use standalone gps tracking for runs and rides? Open water swim?
Biggiest question.
Have they fixed the problem with non samsung phones not being able to get the message app like on the first active watch. It was a bit annoying and had to find a work around.
Can you compare the active 2 vs fitbit sense?
Has the active 2 got better through updates though?
Thanks for a great review. I am new to the smartwatch arena and was very excited about the Active 2 and was looking to purchase the LTE / cellular version since I would like to leave my phone (Samsung Note 8) at home or at the office during short trips and exercises outside...that was until I had learned that there is no Google Map nor Google Assistant integration. I heard that there are workarounds to these 2 issues but seems that you will need to have your phone with you for it to work. I would love you hear your thoughts on this since these are currently deal breakers for me. Thank you.