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A look at the Galaxy Watch Active from every angle

This sportier, cheaper take on Samsung's Galaxy Watch makes a great workout buddy and has all the same smartwatch features as its older sibling.

Vanessa Hand Orellana
As head of wearables at CNET, Vanessa reviews and writes about the latest smartwatches and fitness trackers. She joined the team seven years ago as an on-camera reporter for CNET's Spanish-language site and then moved on to the English side to host and produce some of CNET's videos and YouTube series. When she's not testing out smartwatches or dropping phones, you can catch her on a hike or trail run with her family.
Vanessa Hand Orellana
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1 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

New watch faces show fitness data at a glance

The Galaxy Watch Active has new watch faces that put fitness first, and a new heart-shaped dashboard that shows your daily activity progress. But the sportiest feature of the Galaxy Watch Active is its sleek and simple design. 

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2 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

Not as flashy as its older sibling, but just as functional

The Active is missing the rotating bezel that we loved so much in last year's Galaxy Watch and other Samsung smartwatches before it. But it keeps the same circular design and packs in just as many features in a smaller package. 

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3 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

Thinner profile than the Galaxy Watch

The Active is a lot slimmer and feels lighter than its predecessor, which makes it better for working out and tracking sleep. 

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4 of 9 Angela Lang / CNET

Four colors to choose from

The watch has 40mm watch face, thin aluminum frame, and comes in four different color options: Silver, black, rose gold and sea green.

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5 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

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The heart-shaped dashboard that appears when you first swipe right on the watch shows you how much of your activity and calorie goal you've completed that day. It's similar to the activity ring system on the Apple Watch. 

Leave your phone behind on a run
Leave your phone behind on a run
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6 of 9 Celso Bulgatti / CNET

Leave your phone behind on a run

The Galaxy Watch Active has 39 different activity options to choose from, automatic workout detection and built-in GPS to map your running routes even when it's not paired to your phone. 

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7 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

Other health features

Aside from workouts, the Galaxy Watch Active also uses the optical heart-rate sensor on the back to calculate calories burned, analyze sleep and keep track of stress levels. 

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Wireless charging powers

The Galaxy Watch Active can charge wirelessly off the back of the new Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e by activating the PowerShare feature.

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9 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

A price that's hard to beat

The Active offers many of the same great features as the original Galaxy Watch for about $130 less. It's half the price of an Apple Watch Series 4, though it has fewer health features. And it's the same price as the Fitbit Versa but boasts built-in GPS and more smartwatch capabilities when paired with an Android device. 

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