Compare Garmin Lily 2 Active vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025)

Automatic detection evidence is limited to nap tracking rather than workouts, so this is useful but not a full auto-activity strength.

Workout auto-detection is broadly useful, with reviewers citing automatic workout detection and reliable walk detection, though manual starts remain better for some activities.

The Garmin ecosystem is strong around Connect, third-party workout platforms, and Strava-style integrations rather than a broad smartwatch app store.

The app ecosystem is a strength: reviewers mention many available apps, Google Play access, and expanded usefulness from the extra storage.

Band quality is strong because the strap is comfortable, quick-release, and compatible with standard 14mm options.

Band feedback is mostly positive for comfort, stability, and easy removal, though one reviewer noted dirt collecting in the strap holes.

Battery life is consistently strong, often described as nine days or roughly a week-plus depending on GPS and settings.

Battery life is one of the clearest strengths, often described as the best in Samsung’s lineup, though heavy GPS or always-on use can reduce it.

Pulse Ox and SpO2 support is clearly present, with reviewers calling out overnight tracking, spot checks, and accurate-looking readings.

Blood oxygen tracking is present across the health sensor set, but one long-term reviewer found SpO2 readings routinely low.

Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity are strong, supporting phone pairing, sensor connections, and heart-rate broadcasting.

Bluetooth support is present, including Bluetooth 5.3 mentions, but external sensor connections were criticized or described as unavailable.

Brightness is mixed: several reviewers found the screen readable, but one noted very bright sunlight can make it hard to read.

Brightness earns strong praise, with reviewers citing high nits, bright AMOLED output, and easy readability.

Build quality is mostly positive thanks to Gorilla Glass and a solid compact case, though the materials are not premium across the board.

Build quality is consistently praised through the rugged titanium case, durable chassis, and robust construction.

Physical buttons are a major upgrade because they make workouts, laps, starting/stopping, and navigation easier than touch-only controls.

Button controls are mixed: reviewers like the Quick/action button and programmable shortcuts, but one long-term reviewer disliked accidental presses and limited workout button behavior.

Call handling is mostly limited to call notifications; reviewers did not describe full calling features from the watch.

Call handling is supported through Bluetooth calling, speaker/mic use, and smartwatch features for calls and texts.

Calorie data is present as estimates, alerts, and display fields, but reviewers treated it as a basic supporting metric rather than a major strength.

Calorie tracking is included as part of the activity metrics, but the evidence is limited to feature availability rather than deep accuracy testing.

Charging convenience improved with the standard Garmin cable/port and simple charging setup.

Charging is wireless and reasonably convenient, but one reviewer criticized the missing wall charging block.

Charging speed has limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer saying the watch charged fully in just over an hour.

Charging speed gets limited but positive evidence, with one review reporting a full charge in about 95 minutes.

Garmin Coach and structured training plans were praised for free, adaptable run/cycle guidance that works well for goal-based training.

Coaching features are a real addition, especially Running Coach, with reviewers describing personalized plans and guidance.

Comfort is a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly saying the watch is light, easy to sleep in, and barely noticeable.

Comfort depends on wrist and expectations: some reviewers found it comfortable, while others felt the weight or bulk.

Garmin Connect is a strength, giving setup, charts, long-term trends, workout details, sleep scores, and training tools.

The companion app setup is useful but split, with health and smartwatch settings divided between Samsung Health and Galaxy Wearable.

Garmin Pay is consistently mentioned and viewed as a useful standard feature for payments on the go.

Contactless payments are supported through Samsung Wallet or Samsung Pay shortcuts.

Cross-platform support exists for iOS and Android, but message replies are more limited on iPhone than Android.

Cross-platform compatibility is limited: reviews say it works with Android but not iPhone, with the best experience tied to Samsung phones.

Customization is useful for widgets, notifications, shortcuts, data pages, and some watch-face fields, but visual watch-face flexibility is limited.

Customization is strong across programmable buttons, widgets, tiles, colors, and watch-face data.

The hidden monochrome LCD earns praise for subtle style and contrast, but reviewers note it lacks color, always-on convenience, and rich map visuals.

Display quality is a major strength, with repeated praise for the large, vibrant AMOLED display.

Durability is mixed: Gorilla Glass is praised for scratch resistance, but aluminum casing raised durability concerns.

Durability is a standout, backed by titanium construction, MIL-STD claims, scratch protection, and reviewer reports of little damage.

The watch does not include ECG, and reviewers explicitly contrasted this with higher-end Garmin sensors.

ECG functionality is widely listed as part of the health feature set, though one review notes Samsung-phone pairing requirements for ECG and blood pressure.

Fit is excellent for smaller wrists, with the compact case and slim strap repeatedly highlighted.

Fit is polarizing: it can fit some larger wrists well, but reviewers also note the single 47mm size and large wrist footprint.

Fitness tracking is a strength overall, especially for distance, pace, GPS-backed workouts, and Garmin-style activity summaries.

Fitness tracking accuracy is generally good for everyday and running use, though scientific testing places it below the top alternatives.

Built-in GPS is the standout upgrade, with reviewers repeatedly reporting fast locks, accurate distance/pace, and strong track agreement against other devices.

GPS accuracy is good in several reviewer tests and supports dual-frequency GPS, but scientific testing found some route deviation.

Reviewers consistently found the Lily 2 Active broad for daily health tracking, with heart rate, sleep, pulse ox, HRV, Body Battery, and activity data feeding useful insights.

Health tracking is feature-rich but mixed in accuracy, with strong sensor coverage offset by questionable antioxidant, HRV, and some sleep-stage findings.

Heart rate accuracy was generally strong, with reviewers noting solid workout results and only small lag or edge-case misses.

Heart-rate accuracy is strongest in running evidence, with one reviewer matching a Polar strap closely, while scientific testing calls it good rather than elite.

LTE is a consistent advantage because it is standard or broadly available, though one reviewer notes carrier setup can cost extra.

Mapping and navigation are limited: routes can appear after workouts, but there is no rich on-watch map, course following, hiking profile, or live elevation.

Navigation support is useful through offline maps, Google Maps routing, and GPS widgets, but one reviewer notes no built-in maps on-watch.

Materials quality is a concern in one review, which criticized cheaper materials and aluminum’s scratch tendency.

Materials quality is strong, centered on titanium, sapphire/robust design references, and corrosion-resistant claims.

Menu navigation benefits from the new physical buttons and simple swiping, though some reviewers needed time to adjust.

Menu navigation is mostly straightforward through swipes, app drawers, digital bezel haptics, and simple operation.

Phone music controls are available and useful, but they depend on having the phone nearby.

Music features are useful for downloaded Spotify, streaming, media tiles, and larger storage for music.

Onboard music storage is a clear weakness because multiple reviewers state the watch cannot store or play music itself.

Onboard storage is a clear 2025 upgrade, repeatedly described as 64GB and useful for music, apps, and offline maps.

The software experience is simple and mostly smooth, though it remains more limited than fuller smartwatch platforms.

The operating system experience benefits from One UI 8/Wear OS updates, Gemini, Now Bar, and refreshed interface features.

Outdoor visibility is generally good in direct sunlight for some reviewers, though not universally excellent.

Outdoor visibility is excellent, with multiple reviewers saying the bright display remains readable in sunlight.

Pairing evidence is positive for phone/device connections and external sensors, with reviewers saying sensors and devices paired or connected easily.

Pairing and setup reliability are positive where tested, with instant recognition and quick setup noted.

Recovery insights are useful but not as deep as higher-end training watches; reviewers cited Training Readiness, recovery timing, and Body Battery-style guidance.

Recovery-style insights are mixed: vascular load interests some reviewers, while HRV and related metrics draw skepticism.

Reliability evidence is positive for smooth syncing, comfort in daily use, and one reviewer reporting no GPS dropouts.

Reliability is mostly acceptable but not flawless, with one review noting brief display interruptions and another calling performance not horrible rather than perfect.

Safety features are a meaningful plus, with incident detection, assistance, LiveTrack, and emergency contact alerts mentioned.

Safety features include fall detection, emergency siren references, sleep apnea alerts, and related health/safety setup options.

Size options are limited by the single large 47mm format, though the band can fit a range of wrists and the screen size appeals to some users.

Sleep tracking received positive remarks for wake/sleep timing, stage visibility, and overall sleep-score usefulness, though some stage precision concerns appeared.

Sleep tracking is useful and improving, but reviewers disagree on sleep stages and awake-time accuracy.

Smartphone notifications are well covered, with support for texts, calls, app alerts, and notification mirroring.

Smartphone notifications are well supported, with reviewers noting detailed notification views and suggested replies.

Smartwatch features are useful but not expansive; reviewers cited notifications, Garmin Pay, music controls, weather, alarms, and basic widgets while noting simpler functionality.

Smartwatch features are broad, including LTE, calls, texts, Gemini, Now Bar, storage, and Samsung’s full watch software stack.

One reviewer specifically described navigation as smooth with no lag, supporting a positive but lightly evidenced score.

Software smoothness is generally good, with smooth app launches and more functional One UI behavior, despite occasional reliability caveats.

Step counting looked close in one reviewer’s check, but they noted it can miss steps when the arm is not moving.

Step counting is positive in basic walking tests, but one reviewer notes accuracy drops when arms are not swinging.

Stress tracking is part of the health suite and was discussed alongside Body Battery, HRV, meditation, and general wellness monitoring.

Stress tracking is included in Samsung’s health sensor set, though the reviews provide feature evidence more than accuracy testing.

Style is one of the strongest attributes, with reviewers praising the chic, subtle, jewelry-like design that does not look like a typical sports watch.

Style is divisive: some reviewers like the rugged, colorful, stylish look, while others find it bulky or not pretty.

Third-party support is strong for fitness sharing and sensors, including Strava, TrainingPeaks, heart-rate broadcasting, and external sensor pairing.

Third-party app support is solid through Google Play, fitness apps such as Strava and Map My Run, and a growing Wear OS app selection.

Touchscreen responsiveness is the clearest interface complaint, with one reviewer calling the touch controls finicky and inaccurate.

Touchscreen responsiveness and gesture operation are described as intentional and straightforward in the long-term review evidence.

The interface is generally easy and simple, with customizable widgets and metrics, but it is not as rich as larger Garmin watches.

The user interface is improved and functional, though some reviewers dislike parts of the visual layout.

Value is mostly positive because reviewers saw the added GPS, buttons, battery, and training tools as worth the price, though one reviewer disagreed.

Value for money is the main weak point because reviewers repeatedly question the high price and minimal 2025 hardware changes.

Voice assistant quality is a strength with Gemini, which reviewers describe as convenient, useful, and directly available on the wrist.

Watch face quality is mixed: there are some good styles, but reviewers noted a small default set and limited editing.

Watch faces are a strength, with reviewers praising quantity, customization, and Samsung’s polished face designs.

Water resistance is good for pool/rain use at 5 ATM, but open-water GPS swimming is not supported.

Water resistance is a strong feature, with reviews citing 5ATM/10ATM ratings, IP68 claims, and pool/rain/snow use.

Wellness insights are one of the watch’s better areas, especially Body Battery, sleep scores, stress, HRV, women’s health, hydration, and daily health summaries.

Wellness insights are useful but uneven: sleep coaching and vascular load get interest, while energy score and antioxidant index receive skepticism.

Wi-Fi support is present across connectivity mentions, including LTE/Wi-Fi model references.

Workout variety is broad for the size, covering common sports plus expanded profiles like golf, indoor cycling, dance, pool swimming, racket sports, and more.

Workout variety is strong, with reviewers citing many tracked activities, multisport/triathlon capability, and broad exercise lists.