The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 was officially unveiled, and after numerous leaks in recent weeks, there was little surprise. The Pro version of the smartwatch was, of course, the main focus. You can read about what the new watch offers.
With the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the manufacturer broke completely new ground and landed a real bestseller. As a result, the unveiling of the new smartwatch piqued people’s interest.
Although nearly all of the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5‘s important specifications had already been leaked to the public, it was still exciting to see if the manufacturer could still surprise us.
As a result, the models listed below were presented.
- The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (small version) has a 40 mm diameter and is available in Bluetooth or LTE variants.
- The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (Standard) has a 44 mm diameter and is available in Bluetooth or LTE variants.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro- 45 mm in diameter-Bluetooth or LTE variant.
Before we get into the new smartwatch in depth, here’s a comparison of both models.
Specification
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $279 | $449 |
| Sizes | 40mm, 44mm | 45mm |
| Colors | Silver, Graphite, Pink Gold, Sapphire (44mm only) | Black Titanium, Gray Titanium |
| Dimensions | 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8 mm (44mm) 39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8 mm (40mm) | 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5 mm |
| Weight | 1.18 oz (44mm) / 1.01 oz (40mm) | 1.64 oz |
| Material | Armor Aluminum | Titanium |
| CPU | Exynos W920 | Exynos W920 |
| RAM | 1.5GB | 1.5GB |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB |
| Durability | 5ATM + IP68 | 5ATM + IP68 |
| Battery | 284mAh (40mm), 410 mAh (44mm) | 590mAh |
| Battery life | 50 hours | 80 hours |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, LTE, NFC, GPS | Bluetooth, LTE, NFC, GPS |
| Payments | Samsung Pay, Google Wallet | Samsung Pay, Google Wallet |
| Exercise modes | 90+ | 90+ |
| Compaibility | Android 8.0 or higher | Android 8.0 or higher |
These are, of course, only the most important changes. There are many small improvements, especially in terms of how well it works and how easy it is to use. Still, it’s clear that the Watch 5 is not a brand-new smartwatch. Instead, it’s a careful update of the Watch 4.
Galaxy Watch 5
Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Design
The Samsung Watch 5 doesn’t look much different from the Watch 4. The two standard models (40 mm and 44 mm) are exactly the same size as the Watch 4, and the Pro model, which was called big and clunky before it came out, is even a little bit smaller than the 46 mm Classic model of the previous watch.
The two smaller versions are mostly made of aluminum, but the Pro version is made of titanium, which gives it a very high-end and stylish look.
The strong Sapphire glass that protects the screen on all three models is a small but important change that needs to be mentioned here.
When it comes to the display, there have also been no changes. Of course, Samsung went with an AMOLED touch screen again, which, as usual, has a quick response time, rich colors, and a high resolution.
The 44 mm watch is a unisex model that looks good on both men’s and women’s wrists. This model is available in three different colours: graphite, sapphire, and silver.
The Pro version, with a nearly 46 mm diameter, is designed for larger wrists and is available in black titanium and grey titanium.
The back of the case has an infrared temperature sensor and a “Samsung BioActive Sensor,” which is a combination of several environmental sensors. It also has an electronic compass, an accelerometer, a gyro sensor, an ambient light sensor, and an ambient light sensor.
Display
The 40mm Watch 5 model has a 1.19 type (396 x 396 pixel) SuperAMOLED (organic EL) display, while the 44 mm Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro models have 1.38 type displays (450 x 450 pixels). Wear OS 3.5 comes pre-installed on the OS.
Smart features
All Galaxy Watches to date have impressed with a comprehensive set of smart features, and the Watch 5 is no exception, albeit without any difference.
Google’s Wear OS is used once more, as it did in the predecessor, with its easy usability and excellent performance. The usual notifications, messaging, and telephony, calendar and weather apps, a complete music player with internal storage, various Google services like YouTube or Maps, a voice assistant, and a large selection of watchfaces and third-party apps are among the smart features.
Galaxy Watch 5:
- Operating System: Wear OS Powered by Samsung (Wear OS 3.5)
- UI: One UI Watch 4.5
- Sensors: Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrocardiac Trace + Bioelectric Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Brightness Sensor;
- Connectivity: LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 + 5 GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo;
- Resistance: 5 ATM + IP68/MIL-STD-810H;
- Compatibility: Android 8.0 or above, with RAM above 1.5GB;
Galaxy Watch 5 Pro:
- Operating System: Wear OS Powered by Samsung (Wear OS 3.5)
- UI: One UI Watch 4.5
- Sensors: Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrocardiac Trace + Bioelectric Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Brightness Sensor;
- Connectivity: LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 + 5 GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo;
- Compatibility: Android 8.0 or above, with RAM above 1.5GB;
Battery life
The Watch 4’s short battery life was a major source of criticism. Although my experience was not particularly negative in this regard, many users were disappointed that the battery only lasted about one day.
Samsung was also aware of the issue and equipped the new Watch 5 with larger batteries. It should be noted that the capacity of the energy cell was only increased by 10% and 13% in the two standard models, respectively.
Nonetheless, the manufacturer promises a battery life of approximately 50 hours for the two standard models and approximately 80 hours for the Pro model. Because the batteries are only slightly larger, there is some industry speculation about whether processors that require less energy will be used.
Essentially, it can be assumed that the battery life of the new smartwatches has improved. However, only practical tests can determine how far this is true.
The new quick-charge function, which allows the watch to be charged to around 45% in 30 minutes, is definitely interesting and useful in this context. Even if the battery life hasn’t improved as much as the manufacturer claims, you can charge the watch for about an hour and have a nearly full battery.
Despite these advancements, Samsung continues to face criticism. It is quite remarkable, in my opinion, that the electronics behemoth is unable to produce smartwatches with an adequate battery life of several days. Other manufacturers, such as Garmin or Huawei, clearly do not have a problem with this.
ECG and Blood pressure
There is nothing new to say about this. Again, both of these features are only available to people who own a Samsung smartphone. This is a big shame because both features are very popular, and the company could sell a lot more watches if they let everyone use the ECG and blood pressure features.
This process is hard to understand, and there isn’t a good reason for it right now because Samsung also stays out of the spotlight. There must be important official, legal, or technical reasons why the manufacturer can’t give all users access to both functions.
Health monitoring
As for the rest of the functions, such as monitoring your health, keeping track of your activities, and recording your workouts, there is no news.
Except for one thing: the improvement of monitoring sleep. Sleep times can now be set, sleep phases and snoring can be better detected (apparently taken from Fitbit), and different types of sleep are now grouped together.
Another new feature is the ability to import planned routes in.gpx file format and the planning for those routes. This feature is only on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, but it will be very useful for people who like to hike or go on bike tours.
There are also a lot of familiar features, like bio-impedance analysis and SpO2 measurement, as well as a wide range of sports modes.
Differences: Galaxy Watch 5 vs. 5 Pro
The hardware inside the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is very similar, but there are a lot of small differences in their looks, materials, sizes, and extra features.
For one thing, the basic Galaxy Watch 5 comes in two sizes: 40 mm and 44 mm. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, on the other hand, only comes in a 45 mm size. As you can see from the list of technical features above, the sizes and weights are also different, with the Pro model being bigger than the others.
For the 40 mm Galaxy Watch 5, the display is a 1.2″ panel with 396 x 396 pixels. For the 44 mm Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, however, the display is the same: it is a 1″ panel with 450 x 450 pixels.
The only difference in hardware is the battery, which is different for each model: the 40mm Galaxy Watch 5 has a 284mAh battery, the 44mm Galaxy Watch 5 has a 410mAh battery, and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a 590mAh battery.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the most durable because its screen is made of strengthened sapphire crystal and its case is made of titanium. It also has a D-Buckle Sport Band strap from a new generation. Only on the Pro can you use the GPX service, which is great for hiking in nature because it can track your route, give you turn-by-turn directions so you don’t get lost, and let you track back home safely.
Galaxy Watch 5 Golf Edition
There is a special version of the Galaxy Watch 5 for people who like to play golf. We’re talking about the very special Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Golf Edition, which comes in two sizes (40 mm and 44 mm) and a Pro version (45 mm).
This special edition is different because of its colors. The case is black, the strap is white with black edges, and the buttons have small green accents. There are also references to golf on the screen, like the green flag you can see in the pictures below.
Galaxy Watch 5 Golf Edition
Conclusion!
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is not a revolutionary new smartwatch, but an upgrade. Battery life is a priority. We still need to test this, but I assume it’s a significant improvement.
It’s unclear if the Watch 4 Pro will be as popular as the Classic. The watch has an elegant design, a large battery, and route guidance. Whether users are willing to pay the high price is debatable.
Samsung could have omitted route planning and navigation because they target a small group that prefers sports watches to smartwatches.
Many users would have benefited from a correct determination of their maximum heart rate and VO2max. Many users would like to attach a chest strap to the Samsung Watch. Or a training analysis with training tips.
Overall, Samsung’s Watch 5 is the best Android smartwatch and will likely remain so for a while.
