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Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro specs:
Starting price: $449
Colors: Black Titanium, Gray Titanium
Size : 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5 mm
Weight: 1.64 oz
Display: 1.4 in, 450 x 450
Processor: Exynos W920
Memory: 1.5GB RAM + 16GB
Battery life (rated): 80 hours
Durability: 5ATM + IP68
Connectivity: Bluetooth, LTE, NFC, GPS
Compatibility: Android 8.0 or higher
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is coming for Garmin watches — or, so it seems. As the first Galaxy Watch of its kind, the 5 Pro is hoping to become one of the best GPS watches with features tailored towards outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a more durable design, dedicated GPS tools and a longer battery life. It’s rated for 80 hours, which is nearly double that of the standard Galaxy Watch 5 and an impressive stamina upgrade compared to what we’ve seen from Samsung wearables in recent years.
Of course, we’ll need to test the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to see whether it lives up to its promises. But from our first impressions, it’s shaping up to be the best Samsung watch yet for hiking and other outdoor activities.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro costs $449 for Bluetooth and $499 for LTE. It comes in a singular 45mm size unlike the standard Galaxy Watch 5, which comes in 40 and 44mm sizes.
Speaking of, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 price starts at $279 for the 40mm Bluetooth model. The 40mm LTE model starts at $329. The price goes up to $299 and $349 for the 44mm configurations for Bluetooth and LTE, respectively. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic remains on sale as well.
Both new watches are available for pre-order now, with full availability on August 26.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro design
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is somewhat of a new design for Samsung. It doesn’t get the rotating bezel like the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic did last year (controversial, I know) but it does keep on with presenting a more premium alternative to the flagship Galaxy Watch.
Looking at the two watches side-by-side, the biggest visual differences are the size and the titanium chassis. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro comes in a formidable 45mm size, with a case that’s uniquely elevated around the display. I’m guessing this is to protect the sapphire crystal display from scratches. As for durability, the watch is water resistant up to 5ATM with a IP68 rating.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro comes in 2 colors: Black Titanium and Gray Titanium. This version of the watch also ships with what Samsung is calling the D-Buckle Sport Band. It’s a sophisticated-looking strap that I was able to adjust to fit my wrist perfectly. It’s compatible with interchangeable bands as well.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro health and fitness tracking
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has both Samsung’s 3-in-1 BioActive sensor (heart rate, SpO2 and body composition via BIA) and the new temperature analysis sensor. Looking at the rear of the watch, you can see the skin-temperature reader sits slightly off-center on the bottom of the Galaxy Watch’s case. Though it’s unclear whether it’ll be operational at launch.
If you read my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 workout test, you’d know I like to wear smartwatches for a variety of workouts as part of the review process. But I’ll probably deviate from my standard indoor activities, as the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is catered to outdoor sports. As I did with the Garmin Instinct 2, one of the best Garmin watches, I’ll take the Watch 5 Pro hiking and outdoor biking.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is outfitted with GPX, which basically lets you share geographic information with others and keep a reliable track of your routes. This could be huge for safety when you’re out on adventures. A dedicated return feature will also show you how to track back your journey, if you get lost along the way. Additionally, turn-by-turn directions for hikes and outdoor rides can help you get where you need to go.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with Wear OS
Like the Galaxy Watch 5, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro runs Wear OS powered by Samsung. Though it’s the same foundational Google’s smartwatch software that will come on the Google Pixel Watch, Samsung layers the experience with many of its in-house apps, watch faces and menus. The added skin should also let the smartwatch pair and sync effortlessly with other Samsung devices in the same user ecosystem.
The biggest benefit of Wear OS 3 smartwatches is how they get Google services, namely Gmail, Google Maps and, more recently for Galaxy Watch devices, Google Assistant. The best smartwatches for Android have been a bit disjointed over the years, but moving towards unifying the software the way it is for smartphones should make for a better collection of smartwatches on the market overall. And for now, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is positioned to be one of the only Wear OS watches specifically suited for outdoor experiences.
But will that be enough? Software-wise, it seems the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are pretty similar. I can’t help but wish there were more exclusive, non-GPS software features to justify the higher price.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro battery life
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro claims up to 80 hours of battery life with 590mAh battery capacity. That’s about 30 more hours than the standard Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and double the expectancy of the Galaxy Watch 4. In my experience, Galaxy Watch devices usually lasts closer to 24 or “all day” with always-on display (AOD) enabled and a few hours of fitness tracking, but that won’t cut it for the Watch 5 Pro. I’ll hope to see more stamina, of course with the understanding that GPS use will cut into Samsung’s estimates.
Samsung also says an 8-minute charge should get you 8 hours sleep tracking with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, and the smartwatch can recharge to 45% in just 30 minutes, so you’re ready for your next adventure quickly.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 outlook
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a curious smartwatch. Coming for Garmin’s sports watches is an unexpected choice for Samsung, a brand I wouldn’t previously connected to outdoor sports in any way. Perhaps rumors of a rugged Apple Watch Series 8 Pro steered what was just a premium version of this year’s Galaxy Watch into a more adventurous device, but that’s just speculation.
Either way, stay tuned for a full review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. In the meantime, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 hands on and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 hands on.
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