Galaxy Watch Active 2 Update Serves Up New Fitness And Messaging Features

Samsung has announced a new inbound update for the Galaxy Watch Active 2 that will add a fairly broad array of features. There seems to be a little something for everyone here, whether their focus is on health and fitness or communication. The update begins rolling out today, starting with the Bluetooth versions of the watch that are out in the wild before moving onto LTE models.

Once the new update has been applied, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will be able to provide a running analysis that tracks a number of metrics including "asymmetry, regularity, stiffness, vertical oscillation," and "ground contact time." The idea is to help runners improve their workout and even potentially prevent injury while exercising.

Those who use the Galaxy Watch Active 2 as a fitness tracker will also be able to use the wearbale's V02 max measurement, which displays "the maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilize during intense exercise," and possibly provide a window into overall fitness. Rounding out the health additions is a new fall detection feature, which is pretty straightforward as it will show an option to send an SOS to four contacts when it detects falls, potentially saving people who can't otherwise call for help.

As far as the new communication features are concerned, Galaxy Watch Active 2 will now display chat history and photos on the watch face, and users will also be able to send AR emoji and Bitmoji stickers without having to first pull out their phones. We'll also see support for Smart Reply get added in this update. Finally, Samsung is adding a scroll capture feature to the Galaxy Watch Active 2, allowing you to take longer screenshots that can comprise an entire message thread or a complete workout recap.

So, this new update that's heading out to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 sounds useful in more ways that one, particularly if you use your watch a lot for fitness or messaging. Samsung doesn't give a complete timeline for the roll out of this update, saying only that it will begin landing on Bluetooth models beginning today, so owners should keep an eye out for its arrival.