Withings Move vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Active: Which should you buy?

While both the Withings Move and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active are watches that keep track of your fitness, they're both quite different in terms of functionality and cost. Let's take a closer look...

Let's break it down

The Withings Move and Samsung Galaxy Watch Active are both good products, but in terms of iOS compatibility, the Withings is a better option, plus it's cheaper!

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Header Cell - Column 0 Withings MoveSamsung Galaxy Watch Active
Price$70$200
Battery lifeUp to 18 months2 days
BatterySingle coin batteryRechargeable with Qi wireless support
DisplayAnalogAMOLED
CasingPlasticAluminum
Fitness trackingYes, 24/7 and automaticYes, auto for 6 types, manual tracking for 39 more activities
Sleep trackingYesYes
Heart rate trackingNoYes
Different watch facesNoYes
NotificationsNoYes
Apple Health supportYes, through Withings Health Mate appYes, through Samsung Health app

Honestly, while both wearables are good, we think the Withings Move is the better option out of these two. The Withings Move is much more affordable. Pretty much anyone can buy this one on a whim, and it works flawlessly with Withings Health Mate app, which syncs back to Apple Health. The only drawback of the Withings Move being so cheap is that the casing is made of plastic, so you won't get that premium feel. Also, the Withings Move ECG is the same as the Move, but with a built-in ECG monitor, and it is launching later in 2019.

The Withings Move is great for seamlessly tracking your fitness activities, since it can automatically detect what you're doing from around 30 different workouts, 24/7. The Move is also lightweight and comfortable, so you won't have an issue sleeping with it to keep track of your naps and regular sleeping patterns. It also runs on a single coin battery, giving you a whopping 18-months of battery life. That's right—you won't have to charge or replace the battery for over a year.

While the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active is a good overall smartwatch that tracks your heart rate, exercise, and sleep while syncing with the Samsung Health app that feeds into Apple Health, we don't fully recommend using it with iOS. That's because you get limited smart watch functionality with iOS, as we covered previously. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active would work best with Samsung and other Android devices. For iOS users who want a complete smart watch experience, we highly recommend using an Apple Watch instead.

Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.