1. Design

Both the Active 2 and Ionic look very stylish, sleek and elegant. No doubt some of the most comfortable smartwatches to buy on the market. However, Active 2 is slightly slimmer than the Ionic. It’s also available in stainless steel case material unlike the Ionic with only aircraft-grade aluminum which leaves it with only 30 grams weight.

The display size is quite the same even though the Ionic is a little bigger, thanks to its rectangular shape. However, the AMOLED display of the Active is richer and darker which makes it more interactive and lively than the Ionic.

The Active 2 comes with the digital rotating bezel in addition to touchscreen support which makes it a lot easier to navigate compared to the Ionic with only touch support and 3 physical buttons.


2. Media
3. 
   Active 2 is equipped with a microphone and loudspeaker which the Ionic lacks. This enables Bixby voice assistant that can increase your productive life. You can start workout simply with your voice, you can also control IoT devices.

   Moreover, you can make and receive calls directly from the Active 2 via Bluetooth connections to your phone and you can play your media files aloud.
   

   
   

4. Cellular Connectivity



There’s an LTE model of the Active 2 which is equipped with preloaded e-SIM that enables you to make and receive calls directly from this device independent of your phone. This makes it a standalone smartwatch that can keep you connected to all that matters to you without a phone.


5. Fitness Tracking


Fitness tracking is at the center of these two smartwatches, each is equipped with sensors that can track your daily activities and you can access tracked data via the respective apps. Each of these two will track your steps, sleep cycle and stages, continuous heart rate tracking and calories with inbuilt GPS in both devices that enable you to track outdoor activities such as your location, routes, and pace.

The Active 2 features over 39 preloaded sport modes and is able to auto-track 6 of those. It features the breathing app that can help return you back to calm by following a guided breathing session. There’s an ECG app, although not yet cleared by the FDA.

On the other hand, the Ionic features menstrual cycle logging, fitness level tracking (VO2 Max.), guided breathing sessions to help you reduce stress and personal onscreen coach that coach you through your favorite moves (subscription-based).


6. Battery Life

Both the Active 2 and Ionic will last just over 2 days with mixed usage. Although from our testing, the Ionic goes a bit longer than the Active 2.