Fossil Gen 5 is one of the best rated and most sophisticated Wear OS smartwatch that’s powered by the Snapdragon 3100 chip, while the Galaxy Watch Active 2 runs on Samsung’s proprietary Tizen 4.0 platform and also one of the best smartwatches you can find on the market. Each of these two has a remarkable design as well as designed to track your active life. The Active 2 is available in two sizes; 44mm and 40mm, and each of these sizes come in LTE or Bluetooth model. However, this comparison post compares the Fossil Gen 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) to help you decide which of these two is a better bargain for you.
Fossil Gen 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: Specs Comparison
| Product Info |  Fossil Gen 5 Calyle Specifications, Features and Price |
 Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) Full Specifications, Features and Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Fossil Gen 5 Calyle | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm) |
| Device type | Fitness/Classic smartwatch | Fitness/Classic smartwatch |
| Gender | Men | Unisex |
| Predecessor | Fossil Gen 4 Explorist | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active |
| Successor | — | — |
| Models | — | Bluetooth only, LTE |
| Date released | August, 2019 | September, 2019 |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.28 inch | 1.4 inches |
| Display type | AMOLED, Full color | Super AMOLED, Full color |
| Resolution | 416 x 416 px | 360 x 360 pixel |
| Pixel density | — | — |
| Customizable watchface | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | 3 Physical buttons, Touchscreen | 2 Physical buttons, Digital rotating bezel, Touchscreen |
| Always-On | Yes | Yes |
| BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Case material | Stainless steel | Aluminum |
| Strap material | Stainless steel | Fluoroelastomer (Aluminum) |
| Bezel material | Stainless steel | Corning Gorilla Glass DX+ |
| Strap size | 22 mm | 20 mm |
| Color | Black, Brown, Smoke | Aqua-black, Cloud-silver, Pink-gold |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla glass DX+ |
| Dimension | 44 x 44 x 12 mm | 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm |
| Weight | — | 30 grams (aluminum) |
| Waterproof rating | 3ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Swim-proof | Yes | Yes, recommended |
| Durability test | — | MIL-STD-810G |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth calling | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 LE | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | 1GB | 0.75GB |
| ROM | 8GB | 4GB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
| CELLULAR | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Network technology | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | mp3/mp4 | mp3/mp4 |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth music | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| GPS | Yes | Yes, GPS/GLONASS/BEIDOU |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| HRM | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox. | No | No |
| Altimeter | Yes | No |
| Barometer | No | Yes |
| Compass | No | — |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Thermometer | No | No |
| Ambient light | Yes | Yes |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | Yes | Yes |
| Blood oxygen | No | No |
| Blood Pressure | No | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | No | Yes |
| Fall detection | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle | No | No |
| VO2 Max | — | Yes |
| Onscreen workout | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | 39 |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | Non-removable Li-ion battery | Non-removable Li-ion battery |
| Battery capacity | 310mAh | 340mAh |
| Battery life | Regular: 24hrs+ | Regular usage: 3 days+, Standby :5 days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | WPC based wireless charging |
| Charging duration | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar power | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Operating system | Wear OS | Tizen OS 4.0 |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 3100 | Exynos 9110 |
| CPU | — | Dual core 1.15GHz |
| GPU | — | — |
| MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Fossil Q App | Samsung Gear app |
| Compatibility | Android 6.0+, iOS 10.0+ | Android 5.0+ & RAM 1.5GB+, iPhone 5+ and iOS 9.0+ |
| Payment system | Google Pay | Samsung Pay |
| Customizable strap | 22 mm, Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes, Google Assistant | Yes, Bixby |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Fossil Gen 5 Calyle, Manual, Straps | Charger, Manual, Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm), Straps |
| Price |
Fossil Gen 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2: The Differences
Fossil Gen 5 | Active 2 (40/44mm) | |
Display Size | 1.28 inches | 1.2 inches (40mm) |
Dimension | 44 x 44 x 12 mm | 40 x 40 x 10.9 mm |
Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass DX+ |
Input | No | Digital rotating bezel |
Voice Assistant | Google Assistant | Bixby |
Storage | 8GB | 4GB |
Cellular | No | Yes, e-SIM |
Waterproof Rating | 3ATM | 5ATM |
Blood Pressure | No | Yes |
Sleep Tracking | Third-party app | Yes |
ECG tracking | No | Yes |
Battery Life with Always-on | 1 day+ | 1 day+ (40mm) |
Editor's Rating |
Which is Better? My Verdict
- The Active 2 and Gen 5 have very remarkable designs befitting of a modern smartwatch. I think Active 2 which weighs a little less has a more sophisticated design, it’s digital rotating bezel is very innovative.
- Moreover, Tizen OS is still a better operating system than Wear OS as far as I’m concerned. The Active 2 gives you more access to control notifications and find important information compared to Gen 5 where Wear OS offers limited options.
- While each of these two allows you to make and receive calls via Bluetooth connection to your phone, the LTE version of Active 2 is a standalone smartwatch that allows you to make and receive calls independent of your phone (will cost you more).
- While the Active 2 comes with 4GB storage capacity out of which about 2GB is available for use, you get 8GB storage capacity with the Gen 5 which will allow you to store more of your files.
- Google Fit is your fitness companion on the Gen 5, while Samsung Health app is to the Active 2. I personally think the Samsung Health app is a more intuitive app that allows you to manage your fitness goals effortlessly. Moreover, the Active 2 features more preloaded sport modes and more fitness tracking features like ECG and blood pressure tracking that the Gen 5 lacks. It also tracks your sleep more comprehensively, unlike the Gen 5 where you’ve to rely on third-party apps.
- Samsung’s Bixby is your voice assistant on Active 2, while Google Assistant is to Gen 5. I think the Google Assistant is a better and more intelligent voice assistant program than Bixby.
- One advantage of Wear OS over Tizen OS is that you get access to more apps than you can find on Tizen. As per which is a better OS, like I pointed out earlier, I go with Tizen OS.
- Thanks to Snapdragon 3100 chip, the Gen 5 features battery saver feature that allows you to manage battery life and this sees the Gen 5 go for over a day, and with battery saver, it’s over 2 days. However, Active 2 will still keep you going for about 2 days or more with mixed usage and always-on active. In other words, you get to go longer with Active 2.
MY VERDICT: I think the Active 2 is a better smartwatch than Gen 5, yet the Gen 5 is still a great choice. It all depends on your preferences.
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