Samsung Galaxy Watch Active vs Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mmSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
The Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm is 0.4mm wider, 4.1mm longer, 0.9mm thicker and 17g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active. Both are circular.
Measured against the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active.
- Case width
- 39.5mmbaseGalaxy Watch Active39.9mm+0.4mmGear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
- Lug-to-lug
- 39.5mmbaseGalaxy Watch Active43.6mm+4.1mmGear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
- Thickness
- 10.5mmbaseGalaxy Watch Active11.4mm+0.9mmGear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
- Weight
- 25gbaseGalaxy Watch Active42g+17gGear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
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Samsung
Galaxy Watch Active
Samsung
Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 46mm, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 42mm, where the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm starts to hang over the edge. Above 46mm both sit cleanly, and the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm gives you more presence.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active and Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm share a near-identical 39.5mm case, so wrist presence comes down to thickness, lug-to-lug and weight.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is the slimmer of the two (10.5mm vs 11.4mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active feels lighter (25g vs 42g, case only).
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is middle-of-the-pack for thickness among the 418 40mm watches in the database.
Among the 528 40mm watches we hold thickness for, the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm is thicker than 70% — it will sit high even though the case width reads modest.
Specification Comparison
| Spec | SamsungGalaxy Watch Active | SamsungGear S2 Classic - 43.6mm |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 39.5mm | 39.9mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 39.5mm | 43.6mm |
| Thickness | 10.5mm | 11.4mm |
| Weight | 25g | 42g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | Water resistant |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | OLED/AMOLED | OLED/AMOLED |
| Screen size | 1.1 inches | 1.2 inches |
| Always-On Display | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life | 2 days | 3 days |
| Battery power | 230 mAh | 250 mAh |
| Has wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
| Has a rechargeable battery | Yes | Yes |
| Has a battery level indicator | Yes | Yes |
| Released | 2019 | 2015 |
Hover a row to highlight that measurement in the schematics below.
2D Dimension Schematics
Every case drawn to scale on a shared centre — from above, and in profile against the wrist. Built from the measurements, so it works for every watch whether or not it has a photo.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active39.5mm · 10.5mm thick
- Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm39.9mm × 43.6mm · 11.4mm thick
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active vs Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm on a wrist
Put Samsung Galaxy Watch Active and Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm on the same arm, sized to your own wrist, and turn it. Side by side or stacked on one spot, whichever answers the question faster.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active — 39.5mm case, standing 10.5mm off the wrist.
- Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm — 39.9mm case, 43.6mm lug-to-lug, standing 11.4mm off the wrist.
Whether that clears your wrist edges is the question worth answering, and it depends on your wrist rather than on the case diameter.
See them on a wrist in 3DCase shapes are generated from each watch's published measurements — case width, lug-to-lug and thickness — not from manufacturer 3D models, so the proportions are accurate while the dial is generic.
Battery life compared
Furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm lasts 1.5× as long as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active (3 days against 2 days).
Samsung Galaxy Watch ActiveSamsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
Smartwatch
2 days3 daysGPS
2 hours—
Full Specification Comparison
109 specs| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Watch Active | Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm |
|---|---|---|
| Design | ||
| width | 39.5 | 39.9 |
| height | 39.5 | 43.6 |
| volume | 16.38 cm³ | — |
| weight | 25 g | 42 g |
| thickness | 10.5 | 11.4 |
| ATM rating | 5 ATM | — |
| resolution | 360 x 360 px | 360 x 360 px |
| screen size | 1.1 inches | 1.2 inches |
| Display type | OLED/AMOLED | OLED/AMOLED |
| Has a display | Yes | Yes |
| pixel density | 463 ppi | 302 ppi |
| width of band | 20 mm | — |
| water resistance | Waterproof | Water resistant |
| Always-On Display | Yes | Yes |
| has a touch screen | Yes | Yes |
| Gorilla Glass version | Gorilla Glass 3 | — |
| waterproof depth rating | 50 m | — |
| Watch band is replaceable | Yes | Yes |
| Has sapphire glass display | No | — |
| Ingress Protection (IP) rating | IP68 | — |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | ||
| charge time | 2 hours | — |
| battery life | 2 days | 3 days |
| battery power | 230 mAh | 250 mAh |
| has wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
| has a removable battery | No | — |
| battery life with GPS on | 2 hours | — |
| Has a solar power battery | No | — |
| has a rechargeable battery | Yes | Yes |
| Sensors | ||
| has GPS | Yes | Yes |
| has a compass | Yes | Yes |
| Has a barometer | Yes | Yes |
| has a gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Has a cadence sensor | No | — |
| has an accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Monitors perspiration | No | — |
| Has a heart rate monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Has a temperature sensor | No | — |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | No | — |
| Features | ||
| RAM | 0.75GB | 0.51GB |
| CPU speed | 2 x 1.15 GHz | 2 x 1 GHz |
| release date | 2019-02-20 | 2015-09-03 |
| Has a stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Has smart alarm | No | — |
| warranty period | 1 years | — |
| Has call control | Yes | Yes |
| Has silent alarm | Yes | Yes |
| internal storage | 4GB | 4GB |
| Has notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Has ECG technology | No | — |
| Locates your phone | Yes | Yes |
| has a front camera | No | — |
| has fall detection | Yes | — |
| has voice commands | Yes | Yes |
| Acquires GPS faster | No | — |
| Has vibrating alerts | Yes | Yes |
| number of microphones | 1 | — |
| Can be used to answer calls | No | Yes |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | No | — |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | No | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi version | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) |
| supports ANT+ | No | — |
| supports Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| supports Galileo | Yes | — |
| Bluetooth version | 4.2 | 4.1 |
| has a cellular module | No | — |
| Is compatible with iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Is compatible with Android | Yes | Yes |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| has aptX | No | — |
| Has passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Has auto pause | Yes | Yes |
| Is compatible with Windows | No | — |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | No | — |
| has an external memory slot | No | — |
| Compatible with smart scales | Yes | Yes |
| has a battery level indicator | Yes | Yes |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | No | — |
| Compatible with external heart rate monitors | Yes | Yes |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | Yes | Yes |
| Free app | Yes | Yes |
| Tracks BMI | Yes | Yes |
| Has coaching | Yes | Yes |
| Supports routes | Yes | Yes |
| Has achievements | Yes | Yes |
| Has goal setting | Yes | Yes |
| Has exercise diary | Yes | Yes |
| Has weight tracking | No | Yes |
| Predicts start date | Yes | Yes |
| Tracks water intake | Yes | Yes |
| Has inactivity alerts | Yes | — |
| Has period notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Has temperature tracking | No | — |
| Provides activity reports | Yes | Yes |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | Yes | Yes |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | No | Yes |
| Tracks distance | Yes | Yes |
| Tracks elevation | Yes | Yes |
| Designed for golf | No | — |
| Tracks your sleep | Yes | Yes |
| Tracks steps taken | Yes | Yes |
| Designed for diving | No | — |
| Has a route tracker | No | Yes |
| Has exercise tagging | Yes | Yes |
| Has multi-sport mode | Yes | — |
| Tracks calorie intake | Yes | Yes |
| Provides sleep reports | Yes | Yes |
| Detects activities automatically | Yes | — |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | No | — |
Wrist Fit
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active
Sits best on wrists ~42–56mm wide (≈ 11.2–15.0cm circumference).
Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm
Sits best on wrists ~46–62mm wide (≈ 12.3–16.6cm circumference).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active bigger than the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm?
The Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm is bigger — 39.9mm vs 39.5mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active or the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm?
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active suits wrists around 42–56mm wide, and the Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm around 46–62mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active and Samsung Gear S2 Classic - 43.6mm side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.