Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional assessment: Prepared for journey

Samsung’s newest flagship watches convey adjustments huge and small. The most important change, nevertheless, is that the sequence now features a actually premium mannequin: the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional.

Constructing on the success of the Galaxy Watch 4, the bottom and Professional fashions exhibit incremental enhancements and loads of shared specs. Nevertheless, be it the stronger sapphire glass and titanium construct, a lot bigger battery, unique monitoring options, or the fancier buckle, the Professional mannequin packs lots additional to set itself aside from its predecessors and the common Galaxy Watch 5 — although it additionally ditches a fan favourite that may disappoint you. In brief, the brand new era — significantly the expensive Professional — gives quite a bit to chew on earlier than loading one into your buying cart. Discover out extra in our Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional assessment.

• Galaxy Watch 5 40mm (Bluetooth): $279 / £269 / €299 / Rs. 28,000
• Galaxy Watch 5 40mm (LTE): $329 / £319 / €349 / Rs. 33,000
• Galaxy Watch 5 44mm (Bluetooth): $279 / £269 / €299 / Rs. 31,000
• Galaxy Watch 5 44mm (LTE): $329 / £319 / €349 / Rs. 36,000
• Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 45mm (Bluetooth): $449 / £429 / €429 / Rs. 45,000
• Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 45mm (LTE): $499 / £479 / €519 / Rs. 50,000

The Galaxy Watch 5 sequence is the latest iteration of Samsung’s smartwatch household to hit cabinets and is available in two distinctive variations and 6 completely different configurations. The bottom mannequin Galaxy Watch 5 dons the same aesthetic to 2021’s sporty vanilla mannequin, and the all-new Professional, which replaces the Galaxy Watch 4 Basic, gives an upgraded and extra sturdy choice for taking out on the path. Each are suitable with most fashionable Android telephones, although the complete feature-set is saved solely for Galaxy smartphone customers.

Nonetheless working Samsung’s One UI over the Google/Samsung group venture that’s Put on OS 3, these watches might really feel acquainted when you’ve used, held, and even merely forged an eye fixed over the Galaxy Watch 4 sequence. Each Galaxy Watch 5 units characteristic built-in GPS and Bluetooth, with LTE fashions accessible in each dimension. In accordance with Samsung, all fashions additionally home a newly upgraded sensor package deal. Plus, along with an electrocardiogram (ECG), optical coronary heart price sensor, and physique composition sensor, Samsung added a physique temperature scanner for recording your stats at evening.

Whereas most of the professionals and cons of the Galaxy Watch 5 duo are relevant to each watches, we examined the bigger, sturdier, and extra feature-rich Professional variant. We’ll talk about each on this assessment, however for extra on the usual mannequin, make sure you dig into our Galaxy Watch 5 sequence purchaser’s information.

As for the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional, it has a titanium case and a stronger Sapphire glass over the show. It additionally sneaks in a considerably bigger battery, with Samsung promising as much as 20 hours of battery life in GPS mode, plus a brand new charging cable that may juice the watch up from zero to 45% in simply half-hour. It additionally comes with Samsung’s D-buckle band as normal. What consumers will discover proper off the bat is the absence of a bodily bezel. For higher or worse, the sequence drops this common characteristic.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is available in only one 45mm case dimension and two shade choices: Grey Titanium and Black Titanium. The brand new straps additionally solely are available in two colours: Black and Grey. The Galaxy Watch 5 sequence goes on common sale beginning August 26. For those who’re nonetheless within the pre-order window (which closes on August 25), you may snag a free Wi-fi Charger Duo. Likewise, when you commerce in older eligible Samsung wearables you may take as much as $125 off the price of your new watch.

The Bluetooth-only fashions are available for purchase direct from Samsung, in addition to main retailers like Amazon, Greatest Purchase, and extra. The pricier LTE-compatible watch variants are bought by main carriers within the US, akin to Verizon, T-Cell, and AT&T.

Let’s get the apparent out of the best way: the rotating bezel is a characteristic many Galaxy Watch customers love, however you received’t discover one right here. Final seen whipping by Put on OS 3 options on the Galaxy Watch 4 Basic, Samsung’s fan-favorite bodily bezel is nowhere to be discovered throughout your complete Galaxy Watch 5 sequence, together with the Professional mannequin. As a substitute, we’re left with one other software-based touchscreen bezel from the South Korean big, which is, sadly, not nice. Nailing the sensitivity is hard in one of the best of circumstances and almost unimaginable when you introduce sweat or sunscreen.

Given the addition of so many new mountaineering options on the Professional mannequin, I took it on some fairly gnarly journeys within the blazing solar to totally check its limits. Consequently, SPF performed a starring position on this assessment interval. Sadly, the touchscreen didn’t play nicely with greasy palms. Contact navigation additionally isn’t supreme for figuring out after extreme sweat build-up. Total, it was laborious to not pine for a number of extra buttons, particularly when testing a tool that’s aiming to muscle into Garmin‘s stomping grounds (particularly, wherever with restricted pavement and extreme mosquitos). For those who’ve solely ever used Galaxy Watch fashions with contact bezels, you may be used to all these quirks already, however the lack of selection is an actual bummer.

Past the bezel, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is simple on the eyes. Each the bottom and Professional fashions now cowl their beautiful AMOLED shows with Sapphire Crystal glass lenses, which Samsung claims is 60% stronger than the Gorilla Glass on the earlier era. All fashions additionally provide IP68 and 5ATM scores for water and strain resistance, in addition to a MIL-STD-810G sturdiness score. I didn’t try and shatter my show throughout this assessment, however I did put on it on plenty of hikes and whereas cleansing out my wood-filled shed, and the watch made it by the week with no scratch. Whereas the bottom mannequin appears markedly much like 2021’s mannequin, the Professional glams it up with a titanium construct (the Watch 5 is Samsung’s “Armor Aluminum”), a bigger dial, and a raised metallic edge. The result’s a refined assertion piece. And I do imply assertion; the Professional solely is available in a 45mm case dimension that’s fairly cumbersome for small wrists.

Oddly, the watch doesn’t precisely match up with the scale on Samsung’s official spec sheets that had been despatched out at launch. As a substitute of 10.5mm of thickness, the Professional really measures in at barely over 15mm (0.59 inches). That’s as a result of Samsung’s itemizing solely consists of the system’s steel sidewall and never its protruding sensor package deal. The brand new sensor supposedly supplies higher contact to your wrist so the system can seize extra correct physique temperature and coronary heart price measurements. I couldn’t really feel a distinction whereas carrying it in comparison with the Galaxy Watch 4, so it’s an easy change to simply accept for probably improved accuracy.

Then again, the steel sidewall extends on every finish to type steel lugs the place you’ll discover a difficulty we encountered when testing the Galaxy Watch 4. The angle at which the watch band and lugs join leaves a noticeable hole. This makes the already outsized system appear much more colossal. Personally, I want a big system, even on my petite wrist, however the gaping band isn’t supreme.

This brings us to a different main change customers will discover immediately on the Professional mannequin, the brand new premium D-buckle band. In accordance with Samsung, this design tweak is to offer a safer match in addition to an elevated aesthetic. After carrying the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional for every week, I can attest to each. Nevertheless, I’ll situation a warning: the primary time you arrange the D-buckle is a cumbersome course of. I pinched my pores and skin a number of occasions earlier than getting it proper.

When you lock into your dimension, taking it on and off is admittedly easy and the look could be very elegant. No extra remembering precisely which gap you utilize for a comfortable match, simply line up the magnets and go. The D-buckle completely creates a extra refined expertise and echoes that of a high-end analog accent. Plus, my watch stayed put completely throughout exercises which may solely assist when it comes to accuracy. If, for some motive, you don’t like the brand new clasp, the watch is suitable with third-party 20mm bands as nicely. Then again, when you love the brand new clasp however aren’t bought on the remainder of the Professional’s options, you should buy one individually and swap it onto the bottom mannequin Galaxy Watch 5 and even your Galaxy Watch 4. It’s going to run you about $80, although.

As talked about, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is simply accessible in restricted colours. You’ll be able to seize the brand new D-buckle strap in both Grey or Black and pair it with both a Black Titanium or Grey Titanium case. The bottom mannequin is obtainable in a number of extra enjoyable choices however, as you may seemingly see from the photographs of our Grey Titanium unit, Professional mannequin customers should look to the show for pops of shade.

Aiding in that regard are new watch faces that includes bolder hues and much more customization. We had been already followers of the numerous Galaxy Watch faces accessible and extra are at all times welcome. Some previous favorites additionally acquired updates, like extra choices for issues and added background selections (i.e. the endangered animal watch faces now embody an lovable panda). When you faucet past the watch face, the software program expertise on the Galaxy Watch 5 ought to look acquainted, however we’ll get extra into that later on this assessment.

---

Arguably the largest improve Samsung brings to the desk with the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is a much bigger battery. The flagship mannequin encompasses a 590mAh cell which Samsung claims will translate to 80 hours of normal use or 20 hours with steady GPS utilization. As at all times, battery life varies based mostly on system use and enabled options and, unsurprisingly, I used to be not capable of hit these benchmarks, however Samsung has made some progress on battery endurance with the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional.

As a substitute, the watch lasted about two full days, together with two nights of sleep monitoring, two GPS exercises, two indoor exercises, and loads of putzing round menus and apps for this assessment. I began with the watch at 100% round 8 PM and needed to prime off two evenings later to trace my third sleep. I additionally saved the always-on show enabled. Disabling the always-on show is a simple solution to stretch the battery life additional if wanted.

One other main drain is GPS. I discovered that outside runs for just below an hour persistently drained about 10% of my battery. Longer walks and rides ate up much more. On days I took lengthy hikes to check out the navigation options, the bigger battery was a welcome enchancment, however it wouldn’t maintain up for a multi-day trek. The prolonged life is actually a commendable enchancment over final yr’s Watch 4 Basic.

Sadly, whereas the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional enjoys longer battery life from era to era, early reviews counsel the bottom Galaxy Watch 5 doesn’t fare so nicely, although that’s not sudden contemplating it has a a lot smaller 276mAh cell as normal (or a 397mAh battery for the 44mm model).

For an on a regular basis smartwatch, the added battery life on the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is a step in the best course, even when there’s clearly extra work to be performed with battery optimization inside Put on OS in comparison with units from Fitbit and Garmin (although the Professional mannequin is actually inside Apple Watch endurance territory). Fortunately, Samsung didn’t cease there, as your complete Galaxy Watch 5 sequence additionally now costs sooner — 10W wi-fi charging up from a most of 5W on the Galaxy Watch 4. In accordance with the corporate, it is going to cost from zero to 45% in half-hour. I examined this declare, throwing our Professional on the included proprietary USB-C charger when it was fully lifeless, and after half-hour, it fell simply brief at a nonetheless respectable 44%. A full cost took about 90 minutes — a full half an hour lower than the Galaxy Watch 4.

---

All of the well being and health options you anticipate make a return look on the Galaxy Watch 5 sequence because it appears to problem the easiest health trackers you should purchase.

Just like the Galaxy Watch 4 lineup, this era gives Samsung’s “BioActive” sensor trio for monitoring coronary heart price, electrical coronary heart sign, and physique composition, plus blood oxygen monitoring by way of an SpO2 sensor. In accordance with Samsung, that is an up to date package deal providing better accuracy and some new tips. The watch additionally measures stress, sleep, displays your actions, and gives feminine well being monitoring by the Samsung Well being app.

Earlier than we get into the weeds although, solely choose customers can entry the lineup’s full health-tracking toolkit. The electrocardiogram (ECG) stays a key instrument accessible solely when the watch is paired with a Samsung cellphone. Blood strain monitoring is restricted to Samsung cellphone customers as nicely, as each require the Samsung Galaxy-only Well being Monitor app. For those who dwell within the US, you received’t be capable of use blood strain monitoring even with a Samsung cellphone because the characteristic just isn’t accessible within the area.

For the fundamentals, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional delivers. Step depend is true on par with comparable wearables and the watch options over 90 sport modes for dipping right into a extra particular exercise. Customers also can allow auto-detection which, for strolling, is likely one of the finest within the recreation. I’ve by no means been so persistently notified I’ve taken a stroll, a behavior that, till this assessment, I didn’t understand that I incessantly miss out on with monitoring units. For those who are inclined to tempo when on the cellphone with kin, simply know you’ll be prompted to report that carpet burning as a stroll as nicely.

One headlining new characteristic for hikers is Monitor Again. In case you are on an out-and-back path or if you’re mid-hike however need to return the best way you got here, Monitor Again will lead you again to the beginning on the identical path you took to your present location. I examined this characteristic on an area hike and it labored as anticipated. Nevertheless, after I opted for a slight variation, the watch didn’t choose up that I used to be off the trail.

In my case, this wasn’t an issue, I may see the path from the place I used to be selecting to stroll. Nevertheless, this might be extra regarding when you unknowingly be part of a parallel path and might’t reconnect to your meant route. In an space like a state park with a number of routes, for instance, you could not need to depend on your Galaxy Watch 5 Professional solely, however it’s nonetheless a pleasant addition.

One other new characteristic is the flexibility to load a GPX file to navigate a route. The primary time you utilize this characteristic, you’ll see a Route tile in your watch. One bummer off the bat is that as of this writing, you may solely make the most of this characteristic for biking or mountaineering and never working, strolling, or every other sport mode. For those who occur to be an avid hiker or bicycle owner although, this can be a useful gizmo. You’ll be able to repeat saved routes or share routes with mates. When you add a GPX file to your cellphone you may import it to Samsung Well being, which is able to in flip sync the path to your watch.

Out of your watch, you may choose which route you need to begin, assessment the route particulars, and select whether or not to do it ahead or in reverse. I repeated the identical hike twice throughout this assessment to check out the characteristic and was impressed by each the turn-by-turn navigation (one other Galaxy Watch 5 Professional unique characteristic), together with the gap to my subsequent flip, and the general ease of use. The Galaxy Watch 5 Professional additionally let me know after I missed a flip, (deliberately… for analysis functions…), although with a substantial delay which may show irritating when you don’t know the mountaineering route all that nicely.

Each of the brand new mountaineering navigation options above are distinctive to the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional. Constructed-in GPS, however, is obtainable on all Galaxy Watch 5 fashions and it’s pretty correct. I incessantly dual-wristed my Galaxy Watch 5 Professional with an Apple Watch throughout testing to check coronary heart price information, but additionally to see how the units fared with positioning accuracy. Samsung’s watch did a superb job monitoring whole distances and largely recorded correct routes. Within the map above, you’ll discover it often recorded me working in the course of the street quite than on the sidewalk and generally on the mistaken aspect of the street for brief intervals. Nevertheless, in tree protection and on a cloudy afternoon, the Watch 5 Professional was capable of pinpoint my location shortly and recorded my coaching with cheap accuracy.

The improved coronary heart price sensor can be fairly good. By way of precise information, most health monitoring watches carry out nicely throughout exercises akin to indoor biking, which incorporates restricted motion and little pressure on the wrist. The Galaxy Watch 5 Professional did in order nicely. I examined the watch on a sequence of interval rides and the center price information correlated nicely with that of my Polar H10 chest strap.

I then took the watch on plenty of runs, once more carrying my chest strap in addition to an Apple Watch Collection 6. Right here once more, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional recorded information much like my chest strap and Apple’s wearable. As working consists of far more motion, I anticipated accuracy to drop barely, and it did. The graph above represents the worst the watch carried out out of three runs and it’s nonetheless fairly good information. As you may see, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional had a slight delay locking on at main pushes, such because the dash at round 13 minutes. Nevertheless, exterior of that drawback space, it by no means various various beats and saved up nicely general.

For many athletes, the center price information will probably be enough. It additionally represents an enchancment over the Galaxy Watch 4 which is nice to see from one era to the following. Whether or not that is due to an upgraded sensor or a greater match on the wrist is unsure, however very welcome regardless. For athletes on the lookout for extra precise information, a chest strap will at all times be one of the best route. There’s nonetheless no chest strap compatibility in Samsung’s native app however you may join to at least one by way of third-party apps.

Sleep monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 5 is extra superior than ever, although not as superior as it could be sooner or later. The brand new sensor slated to trace your pores and skin temperature in a single day just isn’t but useful. Within the meantime, Samsung gives fundamental sleep information together with sleep phases, snore detection, and blood oxygen monitoring. Within the morning you’ll discover a sleep rating and, after seven days of monitoring, sleep teaching.

In comparison with my Fitbit Versa 3, sleep monitoring accuracy on the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional fared simply superb. The watch appropriately recorded my whole sleep time by precisely monitoring after I fell asleep and after I woke every session. Sleep phases, that are laborious to confirm basically, had been barely off in comparison with the Fitbit and each tracker tells me I don’t snore so there wasn’t any information to research there. My sleep rating was persistently beneath 70, which strains up with how drained I felt throughout the assessment interval (learn: very). All and all, sleep monitoring is much like that of the Galaxy Watch 4 however with some promise on the horizon.

---

The Galaxy Watch 5 sequence joins its predecessor among the many choose few watches working Put on OS 3, and it’s nonetheless a strong platform. Apps load shortly, menus are aware of swipes and faucets, and the intensive Play Retailer’s app library is much forward of any competitors not made by Apple. With entry to every thing from Google Pockets to Spotify, I used to be capable of shortly add the instruments I take advantage of day by day, plus faucet into health platforms and different apps I depend upon for extra particular options than Samsung Well being gives. Usually talking, Google’s instruments and Samsung’s consumer expertise stay the formulation that makes this a strong smartwatch.

Nevertheless, all that was true of the Galaxy Watch 4 as nicely. Each units of watches even share the identical in-house Exynos W920 chipset, so efficiency is simply as strong too. Merely put, there isn’t a lot new to notice concerning the Put on OS platform expertise on Samsung’s new wearables.

The most important distinction is that Google Assistant is baked into the Galaxy Watch 5 sequence proper out of the field. You’ll be able to even set it as your staple assistant and basically shun Samsung’s oft-maligned Bixby assistant altogether. In the meantime, Google Maps voice navigation help is that this yr’s new “coming quickly” characteristic that will probably be delivered at an indeterminate date sooner or later.

Issues could also be acquainted on the Put on OS entrance, however Samsung’s One UI Watch 4.5 pores and skin does come by with extra accessibility options, together with high-contrast fonts, filters, shade correction, and the flexibility to customise different visuals — an ideal step ahead. For these within the Samsung ecosystem, SmartThings integration additionally lets customers management sensible units. Likewise, solely Samsung cellphone house owners can make the most of distant smartphone digital camera management and Samsung’s AR emoji watch faces. These are considerably minor nuances however every serves as a reminder that this can be a system designed for Samsung customers at first. For those who occur to neglect that reality, an extended press of the Again button will refresh your reminiscence. As of now, Samsung Pay is hardcoded as a shortcut with no reprogramming accessible for individuals who favor Google Pay. That is significantly odd contemplating you may customise the Residence button shortcuts.

Different smartwatch options can nonetheless be accessed when paired with any Android cellphone working Android 8.0 or later, although you’ll must obtain additional background apps just like the Samsung Accent Service to get every thing going. Non-Samsung telephones get full use of notifications, on-wrist cellphone name help, digital fee help (together with Samsung Pay), and onboard music storage. Calendar occasions and fundamental instruments like alarms are additionally nonetheless current and accounted for, and all of those options work as flawlessly as they’ve up to now. The watch additionally routinely installs apps you have got in your cellphone so that you don’t must seek for them by the Play Retailer. Just like the Galaxy Watch 4, the Watch 5 additionally mirrors cellphone settings akin to don’t disturb.

Lastly, the Galaxy Watch 5 sequence options loads of methods to enter textual content. You’ll be able to select between voice enter, handwriting, or a keyboard. Since I don’t sometimes need to broadcast what I’m texting my associate by utilizing voice enter, I largely utilized the keyboard. At this show dimension, any of those choices are manageable.

---

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 sequence nonetheless depends closely on the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app for every thing from pairing your system to organizing your apps. Happily, the app could be very easy. The format, choices, and common expertise are all the identical because the one discovered when the Galaxy Watch 4 launched, however with a more in-depth look, you’ll see a wide range of new watch faces and new accessibility choices within the settings menu.

Faucet into the Wearables app to customise your settings and tiles or to reorder your app display screen or fast panel. That is additionally the place you may entry Discover My Watch, examine for software program updates, or peruse the Google Play Retailer. For those who’re new to Samsung wearables, assessment consumer suggestions and discover out what’s new on the newest mannequin. For anybody with a couple of Galaxy Watch, the app additionally options Auto Swap to routinely sync with whichever band you’re at the moment carrying.

To dive into particular well being and health stats you’ll want the Samsung Well being app. Once more, not a lot has modified on this companion app both, and that’s a superb factor. Samsung Well being gives at-a-glance progress stats and a full image of your general wellness. You should utilize it to set objectives, analyze tendencies over time, entry exercise movies, and even create and compete in health challenges with family and friends. Its best profit is that it gives extra actual property to assessment your tracked info.

Navigation within the well being app stays easy with 4 most important tabs: Residence, Collectively, Health, and My Web page. The Residence tab is the center of the well being app and the place you’ll discover all of your measurables listed out for assessment. From this listing, you may faucet into particular subjects, akin to sleep or physique composition, for extra info. Additionally, you will see Samsung’s exercise icon, a dynamic tri-color coronary heart representing your Steps, Lively time, and Lively energy burned.

Samsung’s Well being app received’t provide as in-depth information evaluation as different health platforms, however fortunately, the Galaxy Watch 5 is suitable with loads of third-party apps for deeper evaluation, together with common choices like Strava. Nevertheless, it additionally received’t overwhelm customers who’re simply on the lookout for the fundamentals. It’s a pleasant stability for a shopper smartwatch companion app. It doesn’t formally sync with Google Match however the third-party app Well being Sync supplies a easy workaround. It’s also possible to obtain Google Match trackers straight onto your watch from the Google Play Retailer. These embody a Match Exercise, Match Coronary heart Charge, Match Breath, and Match Objectives app.

---

	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional
Show	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 44mm: 1.4-inch Tremendous AMOLED 450 x 450 decision Sapphire Crystal 40mm: 1.2-inch Tremendous AMOLED 396 x 396 decision Sapphire Crystal	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 45mm: 1.4-inch Tremendous AMOLED 450 x 450 decision Sapphire Crystal
Dimensions and weight	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 44mm: 44.4 x 43.3 x 9.8mm 33.5g 40mm: 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8mm 28.7 g	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 45mm: 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5mm 46.5g
Colours and supplies	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Armor Aluminum case Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold (40mm solely), Sapphire (44mm solely)	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional Titanium case Black, Grey
Battery	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 44mm: 410mAh 40mm: 284mAh WPC-based wi-fi charging	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 45mm: 590mAh WPC-based wi-fi charging
Processor	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 5nm Samsung Exynos W920 Twin-core 1.18GHz	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 5nm Samsung Exynos W920 Twin-core 1.18GHz
RAM	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 1.5GB	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 1.5GB
Storage	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 16GB	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 16GB
Connectivity	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 LTE (accessible in choose fashions) Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz NFC GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional LTE (accessible in choose fashions) Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz NFC GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo
Sensors	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Accelerometer Barometer Gyroscope Geomagnetic sensor Mild sensor Samsung BioActive sensor: optical coronary heart price (PPG), electrocardiogram (ECG), bioelectrical impedance evaluation sensor (BIA)	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional Accelerometer Barometer Gyroscope Geomagnetic sensor Mild sensor Samsung BioActive sensor: optical coronary heart price (PPG), electrocardiogram (ECG), bioelectrical impedance evaluation sensor (BIA)
Sturdiness	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 5ATM + IP68 MIL-STD-810G	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional 5ATM + IP68 MIL-STD-810G
Software program	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Put on OS Samsung One UI Watch	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional Put on OS Samsung One UI Watch
Compatibility	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Android	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional Android

Proper now, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is one of the best premium Put on OS watch you should purchase. Contemplating how, on the time of this writing, just one non-Samsung watch runs Put on OS 3 (and it prices over $1,000!), this isn’t a hotly contested accodale, at the very least for now.

Regardless, this can be a nice flagship watch from Samsung. It gives a well-rounded smartwatch expertise with ample third-party app help and a plethora of well being and health monitoring instruments. In comparison with the considerably cheaper base mannequin, the Professional additionally packs a number of key navigation updates that widen the hole between this era and the final, particularly for hikers. If these don’t really feel like dealbreakers, it can save you about $170 by choosing the usual Galaxy Watch 5 ($279) as a substitute. Furthermore, the Professional mannequin is priced a lot increased than each choices from final yr’s sequence. If the Galaxy Watch 5 sequence upgrades really feel nominal, it can save you much more by grabbing a Galaxy Watch 4 ($249) or Basic ($349), each of which may now usually be discovered at large reductions.

Nevertheless, Samsung faces loads of competitors exterior the tiny Put on OS bubble, particularly at this excessive a value level. For Apple customers, the Apple Watch Collection 7 ($399) remains to be an absolute no-brainer. Its iPhone integration is seamless and its app help is unmatched. For devoted athletes, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus ($449) faucets into Garmin’s ecosystem and superior health monitoring suite. It received’t provide as hearty a smartwatch expertise however it does help music streaming, voice assistants, and on-wrist cellphone calls. If the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional’s mountaineering options caught your eye, the Garmin’s Intuition 2 ($349) or Fenix 7 sequence ($699) may additionally be price a glance. Every is filled with options for outside lovers and each knock battery life out of the park.

Furthermore, these units are only a sampling of what’s accessible proper now. Many thrilling new wearables are on the docket for a fall launch, together with new choices from Fitbit, Apple, and, maybe most intriguingly, Google, as we’re lastly going to get to see what Put on OS’ maker can do with its personal {hardware} with the long-awaited Pixel Watch. For those who can hold on to no matter you might be at the moment sporting somewhat longer, you could be dealing with extra thrilling watches quickly. If, nevertheless, you’re a Galaxy Watch diehard, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional is a strong system with notable enhancements, and in case you have a Samsung cellphone, it’s a fair stronger competitor on account of its interoperability with different Galaxy units.

---

We persistently ranked the Galaxy Watch 4 sequence among the many finest smartwatches accessible because it launched. In truth, we sometimes contemplate it the best choice for anybody not already locked into the Apple ecosystem. The Galaxy Watch 5 sequence doesn’t ship drastic upgrades however it additionally doesn’t break the wheel — until you really liked the bodily bezel, during which case, Samsung kinda took the wheel off. However in addition to the deleted bezel, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional — the corporate’s refreshed, top-of-the-line Galaxy wearable — retains every thing we already preferred and improves on sturdiness, accessibility, and battery life (to an extent).

As well as, the Professional mannequin throws in a number of useful options for hikers and cyclists, and within the bigger scheme of issues, it hints at a looming pattern. With a give attention to sturdiness and navigation, Samsung is encouraging customers to embrace the good open air, and the corporate isn’t alone on this endeavor. Search for extra rugged builds and superior health options on wearables hitting cabinets within the close to future.

But the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional can be only a nice premium look ahead to any Android consumer on the lookout for a dependable all-rounder. Certain, not having every thing to mess around with at launch is at all times a bit tiresome. Particularly, the temperature sensor is a serious {hardware} addition that’s meant to set the Galaxy Watch 5 sequence aside from its predecessors. With out it accessible but, it’s laborious to know the way a lot worth it provides to the lineup. Nevertheless, I’m joyful sufficient with what the watch needed to provide throughout my testing to provide it a agency suggestion.

In 2021, Samsung launched two new flagship units dressed to impress in a model new Put on OS. Whereas the units themselves had been spectacular watches, many of the speak revolved across the model new Google-Samsung collaboration. In 2022, Samsung has confirmed it could carry on delivering on each fronts. And whereas the common Galaxy Watch 5 could also be a greater purchase for anybody on the lookout for a extra informal smartwatch expertise, in order for you the sturdiest, most feature-packed Samsung wearable, irrespective of the fee, the Galaxy Watch 5 Professional will simply go the gap.

---