Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review: Impressive design and performance

Consider this Rs 19,990 watch for its two-day on-battery time, dynamic fitness tracking, ability to customise face and widgets, third-party app support, built-in storage and heart rate monitor

After using a smart watch for some time, it is often difficult to move back to an analogue one. Besides showing time and date, these smart wearables provide additional information, such as weather forecast, reminders, calendar entries, the phone’s app notifications, etc. Moreover, some of them are also capable of keeping a track of your health and fitness, and provide relevant insights into improving the otherwise sedentary lifestyle. The recently launched Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is one fine example of such wearables.

The Galaxy Watch Active has a modern look that blends well in most environments, situations and circumstances. You can wear it to your gym and listen to music saved in its 4GB internal storage (Free: 2.8GB) as you work out, and track your fitness regime. You can also take it on a date with your beloved and notice how your heartbeat behaves in their company. The device’s heart rate monitor also tracks sleep patterns. And its water- and dust-resistant build and sturdy design make it a suitable wearable for most outdoor activities — running, trekking, swimming, etc.

Operating the watch is easy, too. Its 1.1-inch circular Super AMOLED touchscreen might not be big enough for fat fingers, but it is very responsive and intuitive. The watch display is highly customisable. It has swappable watch faces with customisable widgets (called complications). You can get into watch settings to customise it, or install the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app on the phone to download and install third-party watch faces and apps for extended customisation.

Connected with the phone, the watch also receives the phone’s apps notification and displays it on screen. For messages, including WhatsApp chats, the watch’s screen shows quick responses that come handy to reply immediately without taking the phone out of your pocket.

If you wonder what it is that makes the Galaxy Watch Active different from others, it is its ability to provide insights and advice on how to improve every day. The watch keeps a track of your daily activities and keeps you motivated to move, exercise, stay active and sit less. It also has dedicated motion sensors to automatically track seven types of activity, letting you focus on the fitness routine without worrying about manually setting the watch to track. My personal favourite about the watch is its ability to monitor stress level. It also has a built-in breath function that allows you to control your breath (deep breaths) to ease out the stress level.

At Rs 19,990, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active impresses with its design, features and performance. Consider this watch for its two-day on-battery time, dynamic fitness tracking feature, ability to customise face and widgets, third-party app support, built-in storage and continuous heart rate monitor.