The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 series is the first to introduce a ‘Pro’ model. The moniker ‘Pro’ has to be justified with not only a premium price tag, but also Pro-level features and build quality. The Watch5 Pro comes with a built-in study, some exclusive features and a bigger battery. It wants to be the best wearable the Android ecosystem has to offer and it takes advantage of the lack of options that support Wear OS, but does it still deserve the premium tag? Also Read – Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022: This is everything Samsung announced today
Galaxy Watch5 Pro design
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The Galaxy Watch5 series is largely the same as last year’s Watch 5. However, with the Pro series, Samsung has taken a completely new approach. Right out of the box you will witness the extra weight of the watch. In addition, it feels more solidly built than the Watch4 and Watch5 non-pro models. Also Read – Xiaomi Mi Watch with 1.78-inch AMOLED display, WearOS platform launched in China
Samsung used a titanium case on the Pro model, one of the biggest distinguishing features of the standard Watch 5. This choice of material provides extra strength to the watch. For context, even the Apple Watch Ultra uses the same case material. Samsung has also changed the front glass and has now opted for Saphire glass to offer better protection against scratches, rather than more shatter protection.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, thickness and overall bulk of the Watch5 Pro. The standard Watch5 44mm weighs 33.5 grams, while the Watch5 Pro weighs 46.5 grams. This is a jump of about 40 percent in total weight. The thickness contributes to battery life, but most of it could convince buyers with smaller wrists to opt for the standard Watch5 instead.
The curvature of the back panel has also been increased to get more accurate health-related readings from various sensors. In my experience, the added one didn’t make much of a difference during the day while moving. However, wearing the watch while sleeping seemed uncomfortable due to the raised watch surface. Samsung’s Sleep Coaching function only works if you wear the smartwatch for a few days in a row. The sleep coach provides input based on your sleep pattern.
Galaxy Watch5 Pro battery
We’ve covered most of the drawbacks associated with the overall bulk of the smartwatch. But there is a big ‘Pro’ when it comes to battery life. Samsung has used a 590 mAh battery unit. To provide some context, the much slimmer and lighter Galaxy Watch5 comes with a 410 mAh battery. The Watch5 Pro easily provided a three-day backup consistently during our testing period. This is a huge improvement over last year’s Galaxy Watch4 battery life, which was one of the biggest pain points for the device. Constant heart rate and nighttime SPO2 tracking were enabled at all times. Samsung has managed to use the largest battery yet in all its Galaxy smartwatches.
For those comparing the battery to other non-wear OS smartwatches, this is the best battery life offered by any other Wear OS smartwatch in the Android ecosystem.
Galaxy Watch5 Pro screen
The Watch5 Pro display is the best you can get on any smartwatch right now. The 1.4-inch Super AMOLED display is as clear and bright as it gets. In bright sunlight you have no problems. The screen has a resolution of 450×450, giving it a pixel density of 300+ ppi, making for a bright font. The touch sensitivity and overall responsiveness are also more than decent.
Galaxy Watch5 Pro Features
Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro is packed with new features. The Watch5 Pro comes with Android Wear OS 3.5 which is layered with the new OneUI Watch 4.5. This update has introduced many features to the Wear OS Galaxy Watches.
The popular body composition feature has been adopted from the Galaxy Watch4 series. However, the increased curvature on the back panel is said to provide a more accurate overall reading. The watch can provide information ranging from your body fat percentage (BIA) to skeletal muscle weight and even body water and basal metabolic rate (BMR). You can measure your blood oxygen and stress levels on the watch. Samsung claimed that the watch also includes a temperature sensor, but it is inactive as of now. The EKG function is also not available in India as of now.
A feature exclusive to the Watch5 Pro is the all-new Route Workout feature. This feature allows you to import training routes in GPX format from your smartphone to your watch and synchronize your route list. This essentially allows you to save specific routes on your smartwatch without depending on the internet and your smartphone.
Sensors
In terms of sensors, the Galaxy Watch5 Pro gets the following:
-Accelerometer
-Barometer
-Bioelectric Impedance Analysis Sensor
-Electric heart sensor
-Gyro sensor
-Geomagnetic sensor
-Light sensor
-Optical heart rate sensor
During our testing phase, we used most of the features listed on the smartwatch and the measurements were mostly accurate. The pedometer tends to add a few steps to the actual value, but not enough to matter. The constant heart rate monitoring also worked well during workouts.
When you start working out, you have plenty of options to last a lifetime. The watch has a number of preset options, but you can delve into details and select your specific workout. Also in this case, the number of calories burned seemed somewhat exaggerated.
You can also access a host of apps in the Play Store to further enhance the watch’s features.
Galaxy Watch5 Pro Calling
Calling with the Galaxy Watch5 Pro seemed better than last year’s Watch4. The volume was higher and clearer. The function makes more sense with the better speakers on board. In my short conversations using the watch, I never had to repeat myself, thanks to the good quality microphones used in the Watch5 Pro.
Bixby
Throughout Bixby’s history, it has primarily been seen as an inevitable addition to all Samsung devices. Even in this case it is true. However, it finally has some meaningful features that make it quite usable on the Galaxy Watch5 Pro. You can access Bixby by long pressing the top button. It responds to all basic voice commands and to make it even better you can get ‘capsules’ to get more out of the voice assistant.
verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro is easily one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now. But that’s also because it faces almost no competition from other Wear OS smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch5 Pro solves one of the biggest concerns of the previous generation Samsung smartwatch, the battery. But it also trades the battery for more hefty proportions. The Watch5 Pro is almost a no-brainer for those steeped in the Samsung ecosystem. The Watch works best with Samsung devices and some features, such as access to the Capsules for Bixby, are limited to Samsung devices. Even for other Android users, the Watch is one of the Wear OS options. Google will soon change that with the Google Pixel Watch. But Samsung has refined its product enough to compete with a first-generation smartwatch, and Galaxy Watch5 Pro could continue to dominate the premium smartwatch space in the Android ecosystem.