Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, Galaxy Watch LTE launched in India 

Samsung has launched the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in India, which is its mid-tier fitness tracking-focused smartwatch in India at a starting price of Rs 26,990. The second-generation Galaxy Watch Active, or Galaxy Watch Active 2, may not look all that different from the original but Samsung’s promise of its “new, intuitive, and refined features” surely look promising – at least on paper. Samsung is also refreshing its flagship Galaxy Watch with 4G LTE support - this one will start at Rs 28,490. 

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is clearly the stand-out smartwatch – even though it’s not Samsung’s premiere offering. The biggest takeaway – the Galaxy Watch Active 2 brings back Samsung’s signature rotating bezel. But there’s a twist. Instead of opting for a physical rotating dial (like it is in the Galaxy Watch), Samsung is using a new ‘digital’ bezel in the Galaxy Watch Active 2 which makes the border around the screen sensitive to touch. A digital rotating bezel may not be as satisfying as the real thing (like it is in the Galaxy Watch) but at least you get the option now – it was missing out in the original Galaxy Watch Active. The Galaxy Watch Active 2’s touch-sensitive bezel also gets haptic feedback to ensure interactions feel more natural.  

Samsung is also offering more options with the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Unlike the original Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 comes with two different build materials (aluminum, stainless steel) - there’s just one size though which is 44mm. 

The original Galaxy Watch is still a very capable fitness-focused smartwatch – which is also why Samsung isn’t discontinuing it just yet – but as is the norm with any next-generation product of its class, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 also brings some very useful upgrades – and some gimmicks.  

Samsung says it has updated the heart rate monitor and accelerometer in the Galaxy Watch Active 2 for better results – the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is also said to be faster. And there’s ECG – much like the Apple Watch Series 4 and 5. The feature isn’t available at launch though. There’s Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC, as well as GPS so you can use the smartwatch for fitness tracking even without your phone.   

Now the gimmicks. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a feature called ‘My Style’ that lets you custom design your watch faces basis on the outfit that you’re wearing. Samsung has also re-worked on third-party apps like YouTube so you can now watch YouTube on the Galaxy Watch Active 2’s tiny screen through its own dedicated app.   

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 Steel will be available in silver, black and gold finish for Rs 31,990 while the Aluminum version will come in black, rose gold and cloud silver finish for Rs 26,990. The Galaxy Watch 4G will be available in 46mm and 42mm variants for Rs 30,990 and Rs 28,490 respectively. The Galaxy Watch 4G will support eSIMs from Airtel and Reliance Jio. 

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