The Samsung-built Galaxy Watch Active 2 has already been the subject of a few leaks despite its successor only having just launched a few short months ago and now a plethora of new information has purportedly broken through yet again. Taken in combination with the previous leaks, if accurate, the new details may provide an in-depth look at effectively every aspect of the wearable if Samsung ultimately releases this device instead of changing up just about everything before it launches.
According to an unnamed source, Both configurations of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is designed to handle MIL-STD-810G standards and to feature a relatively pixel-dense 360 x 360 resolution Super AMOLED display. That panel will be comprised of Gorilla Glass DX+ while the back of each will also feature glass. In terms of hardware, where those two configurations will differ is in weight and size, with one falling in at 36g and 1.4-inches while the other weighs 31g and stretches 1.2-inches.
The biggest hardware change included in this most recent leak is an apparent confirmation that Samsung won’t be approaching its new watches with a rotating bezel in mind. Instead, the sources say, it will be packing a touch-enabled bezel around the display for interactions.
For specifications, the leak confirms that Samsung plans to utilize the same internal components found in the Galaxy Watch and, more surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Namely, that’s the in-house Exynos 9110 SoC backed by 4GB storage. The primary difference between the Bluetooth and LTE-specific models is that the former will have just 769MB of RAM while the latter will come with 1.5GB of RAM to account for the mobile connectivity.
Where the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 will differ from its predecessor is in the inclusion of both ECG and Fall Detection as well as a new eight-point Photoplethysmography sensor — rather than the four-point sensor found in previous devices. It’s more power efficient too but, much more importantly, it’s going to bump the Bluetooth module up to a Bluetooth 5.0 unit, increasing the range substantially. Without obstructions, that’s 800-feet of range compared to the approximately 200-feet on offer from Bluetooth 4.2.
What did we already know?
Prior leaks have already revealed that Samsung will likely be launching two variants of its Galaxy Watch Active 2 including a 44mm and 40mm configuration. It will also ship in both Wi-Fi only and LTE-enhanced variants with slightly different batteries to accommodate that — similar to the situation with RAM. The leaks suggest that will land with a 237mAh battery for the Wi-Fi model and a 340mAh battery for LTE.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 will also reportedly ship in Black, Gold, and Silver color configurations and presumably with a silicon strap to match. Leather straps were shown in some of the previously leaked media though, so that might be at least one aftermarket option for buyers.
According to the most recent information, the color options will be split by model type. Both of the watch sizes will be available in Stainless Steel or Aluminum — and in black or silver. A rose gold-like color called “Pink Gold” will be made available in Aluminum for both sizes too while a standard Gold will be available in Stainless Steel. The LTE variant reportedly has the disadvantage here since it will only be up for purchase in Stainless Steel.
Nothing set in stone and probably not coming anytime soon
Now, with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active only just launching in April, it’s not entirely certain there won’t be a substantial amount of time before Samsung is ready to launch its follow-up wearable but that can’t really be ruled out either. It seems more likely that the watch won’t be appearing until either sometime next year.
Since the changes are relatively minor, conversely, there’s also some speculation that it will launch as a kind of mid-run upgrade alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. That’s currently expected to see an announcement on August 7.