When it comes to smartwatches, no one knows them like AC does. We try out every wearable we can get our hands on to help you decide which ones are worth your hard-earned dollars.
Our pick
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
Pros
- Beautiful AMOLED display
- Growing app/watch face selection
- Samsung Pay
- Built-in GPS
- Qi wireless charging
Cons
- Shorter battery life
- Tizen OS can be confusing
The Galaxy Watch Active offers a great combination of useful smart features and solid health-tracking in a package that's compact and affordable. Samsung's Tizen OS is mighty and does a lot, and features like built-in GPS and NFC for Samsung Pay sweeten the deal.
Fitness champ
Fitbit Versa
Pros
- Great, lightweight design
- Phenomenal health/fitness tracking
- 4+ days of battery life
- Music storage
Cons
- Fitbit Pay costs more
- No built-in GPS
Fitbit is the unequivocal leader in the health/fitness tracking space. With the Versa, you're getting a wearable that scales back on some smart features in favor of being the best fitness-oriented smartwatch on the market. It's also hard to beat getting four days of battery on a single charge.
Despite having "Active" in its name, the Fitbit Versa is the better choice if you want your next smartwatch to be the ultimate fitness companion. With that said, the Galaxy Watch Active is a great package thanks to useful health/fitness tools, solid notification management, and premium features that you won't find on the Versa. Deciding which watch is for you ultimately comes down to how much you value the pros and cons offered by each one.
Samsung has been crafting some of the best Android-compatible smartwatches for the last few years, picking up a lot of Google's slack with Wear OS. The Galaxy Watch Active isn't its most powerful or flashy wearable, but it does deliver one of the best values we've ever seen from the company.
The Galaxy Watch Active is a seriously great value
The Galaxy Watch Active is an attractive watch, featuring a timeless circular design with a lightweight body that feels like air on your wrist. It's also available in four colors, including Silver, Black, Green, and a striking Rose Gold one. It's quite a bit smaller compared to 2018's Galaxy Watch, but as someone with tiny wrists, I'm perfectly OK with that.
In regards to its feature set, this is where the Galaxy Watch Active shines.
In regards to its feature set, this is where the Galaxy Watch Active shines. Samsung's Tizen OS powers the device and offers an excellent, if sometimes confusing, experience. Notifications are handled well. You can respond to messages using your voice or an on-screen keyboard, the app selection is steadily growing, and everything feels buttery smooth. All of the various menus and pages can be a bit much if you're new to smartwatches, but it's nothing you can't get familiar with after enough practice.
Two other highlights are built-in GPS and NFC. GPS allows you to go running without your phone and having the Galaxy Watch Active still be able to map where you went. Plus, when you factor that in with the ability to download Spotify songs for offline use, the Galaxy Watch is the perfect running/jogging/walking companion.
The new software update enables the latest Galaxy Watch Active to detect and record a user's swimming activity automatically. A new Low Alert feature has also been added, which notifies users when their heart rate falls below a specific, user-set value for 10 minutes.
As for NFC, this enables Samsung Pay so you can use the Galaxy Watch Active to pay for things at stores that accept it. Not only is this a huge convenience, but you also get points each time you use this feature. These Samsung Rewards that can be redeemed for gift cards, giveaways, and more.
Battery life is good with an advertised two days of use per charge, but it's nothing compared to what you'll find on the Versa. Similarly, while Samsung Health (the fitness tracking platform used for the Galaxy Watch Active) has improved a lot over the years, it still doesn't hold a candle to what Fitbit offers.
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Active | Fitbit Versa | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Tizen | FitbitOS |
| Display | 1.1-inch 360 x 360 |
1.34-inch 300 x 300 |
| Built-in GPS | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Mobile Payments | ✔️ | Only on Special Edition |
| Music Storage | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Water Resistance | 5ATM | 5ATM |
| Swim Tracking | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Battery | Up to 2 days | Up to 4 days |
| Charging | Qi wireless | Proprietary charger |
Fitbit's Versa shines with fitness tracking
The Fitbit Versa costs precisely the same as the Galaxy Watch Active, but right off the bat, you'll notice it's missing some pretty big features. There's no microphone for responding to notifications with your voice, it doesn't have built-in GPS, and while you can get a model that has Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, you'll need to splurge for the $230 Fitbit Versa Special Edition. Connected GPS is always an option, but you'll have to have your phone with you during workouts.
FitbitOS is the operating system that powers the Versa, and for the most part, it's a gratifying experience. The app selection for FitbitOS is smaller, it's not as smooth as Tizen, and the way it handles notifications is a bit more limited. However, it does an excellent job of being very user-friendly. It is probably the better operating system for people that are new to wearables and want something easy to use.
Another big win for the Versa is its fitness/health tracking. Not only does it record your steps, calories, distance, etc., but there's also in-depth sleep tracking, on-screen workouts, swim tracking, and even a built-in system for female health tracking. All of your data syncs to the incredible Fitbit mobile app, one of the highlights being a Community tab where you can connect with other Fitbit users for motivation, tips, and more.
Oh yeah, and I suppose I should say something about the Versa's battery life. It easily lasts for up to 4+ days on a single charge, and while the included proprietary charger is a pain to use, only having to charge the Versa once every few days is pretty amazing.
Which one should you buy?
Both of these watches are great wearables worth buying, but each one caters better to a specific demographic.
If you want a do-it-all smartwatch with every feature you could ask for, the Galaxy Watch Active is tough to beat for $200. For that same price, however, the Fitbit Versa is the better choice if you're really into fitness tracking, value battery life, and/or are buying your first smartwatch.
Our pick
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
Packed with features that appeal to everyone.
When it comes to watches in the $200 price range, the Galaxy Watch Active offers a tremendous amount of value considering everything it brings to the table. Tizen OS is fast and extremely capable, built-in GPS is a nice touch for active runners, and having Samsung Pay included is a great convenience.
Fitness champ
Fitbit Versa
One of the best fitness-oriented smartwatches.
The Fitbit Versa isn't as good of an all-around smartwatch compared to the Galaxy Watch Active, but for people that value high-quality health/fitness tracking, the Versa is a natural choice. It tracks more data, has a better smartphone app for viewing all of your stats, and can go days and days without needing to be charged.
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