Which Galaxy smartwatch should you buy this holiday season?

Samsung’s range of Galaxy smartwatches make for great holiday gifts, especially since the company usually offers attractive discounts this time of the year. 2020 is even better, seeing how there are three Galaxy smartwatch models to choose from now that the Galaxy Watch 3 is available. But should you go for the latest Galaxy Watch model this holiday season or should you pick another?

The fact of the matter is that the original Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Watch 3, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 have something unique to offer, which is probably why you can still find the original Galaxy Watch on sale today, even though it’s been succeeded by a newer model. In other words, as long as you know what to expect from these smartwatches, you can’t really go wrong with either of them. So let us take a quick look at what makes them unique and the reasons why you might want to pick one smartwatch model over the other this holiday shopping season.

Reasons to buy the Galaxy Watch this holiday season

Even though it was released more than two years ago, the original Galaxy Watch still offers a few advantages over the newer model:

• Best battery life. The original 46mm Galaxy Watch has a 472mAh battery. It’s larger than the unit powering the newer models and the watch will last longer on a single charge compared to both its younger siblings.
• Fit for physical activities out of the box. The original Galaxy Watch ships with a rubber wrist band fit for activities including swimming. The sequel comes with a leather band instead, meaning you may end up spending extra on accessories.
• It’s the most affordable model out of the three, having been released a couple of years ago.
• The top tier variant has more RAM than the Galaxy Watch 3
• It has a physical bezel, unlike the newer Galaxy Watch Active 2.

Galaxy Watch review

Reasons to buy the Galaxy Watch 3 this holiday season

The Galaxy Watch 3 is the newest Samsung smartwatch on the market. It was unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2020 along with the Galaxy Note 20 series and it’s the only other Galaxy smartwatch aside from the OG Watch to feature a physical rotating bezel. Here’s why you may want to buy the Galaxy Watch 3 this holiday season:

• A modernized design with a classy leather band.
• Access to the latest version of Tizen OS.
• Great range of sensors including an ECG monitor after firmware update.
• Largest on-board storage of the three models.
• Lighter than the original Galaxy Watch.
• Samsung is selling a Titanium version that’s lighter and more durable than the Stainless Steel variants.
• Bluetooth 5.0.

Galaxy Watch 3 review

Reasons to buy the Galaxy Watch Active 2 this holiday season

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the last but not least smartwatch on this list. It’s part of its own Active series and therefore it stands apart from the other two models. Nevertheless, it offers its own benefits and unique characteristics. Here’s why you may want to pick it over the other two non-Active models:

• The design of the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is unmistakably smartwatch. The lack of a physical bezel makes it virtually impossible for anyone to mistake this electronic timepiece with a regular wrist watch. Tech enthusiasts might view this as an advantage.
• It’s the lightest of all three models. The lack of a physical bezel means that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is the lightest solution, weighing only 42 grams at most.
• ECG sensor. This feature was not available at launch and early adopters had to wait for it to be activated. But now the Galaxy Watch Active 2 has ECG capabilities after some of the recent firmware updates in certain markets.
• More editions. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has the most editions by far. Aside from the two sizes and different colors it comes in by default, Samsung is also selling a Golf Edition and an Under Armour Edition.
• Bluetooth 5.0.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 review

Unique features aside, a smartwatch is inevitably a fashion item as much as it is a communication and fitness tracking tool, so if you’re planning on buying a smartwatch based on the design alone then you’ve probably already made up your mind on which one to get.

And if you’re more interested in the fine details of the internal hardware rather than the other features then you might be surprised to learn that all three smartwatch models share many hardware components, even though they were released over the span of two years. Check our device comparison widget below for a quick look at the specs and feel free to let us know in the comment section if you plan on buying a Galaxy smartwatch this holiday season.

Galaxy Watch (46mm)

VS.

Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm)

VS.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm)

Full comparison

General Information
Model name	Galaxy Watch (46mm)	Galaxy Watch 3 (45mm)	Galaxy Watch Active 2 (44mm)
Model number	SM-R805	SM-R840	SM-R825
Model type	Wearable	Wearable	Wearable
Color	Silver (Silver)	Silver (Silver) Black (Black) Titanium (Titanium)	Sliver (Sliver) Black (Black) Gold (Gold) Silver (Silver) Black (Black) Pink (Pink)
Announced	2018, August	2020, July	2019, August
Released	2018, August	2020, July	2019, August
Physical Specifications
Dimensions	Watch: 46 x 49 x 13 mm	Watch: 46.2 x 45.0 x 11.1 mm	Watch: 44 x 44 x 10.9 mm
Weights	63g	53.8g 43g	30g 42g
Operating System
Operating system	Tizen Based Wearable OS 4.0	Tizen Based Wearable OS 5.5	Tizen Based Wearable OS 5.5
One UI version
Network
Networks	3G 4G	4G	4G
Display
Kind	Main Display	Main Display	Main Display
Name
Technology	Circular Super AMOLED	Circular Super AMOLED	Circular Super AMOLED
Size	1.3 inch / 33.02 mm	1.4 inch / 35.56 mm	1.4 inch / 35.56 mm
Resolution	/ 360x360 pixels	/ 360x360 pixels	/ 360x360 pixels
Pixel density	278 PPI	PPI	364 PPI
Screen to body ratio	%	%	%
Memory
RAM/ROM sizes	768 MB RAM with 4 GB ROM 1.5 GB RAM with 4 GB ROM	1 GB RAM with 8 GB ROM	768 MB RAM with 4 GB ROM 1.5 GB RAM with 4 GB ROM
Battery
Standard battery capacity	472 mAh	340 mAh	340 mAh
View full comparison »