Verdict
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is one of the best Wear atomic number 76 wearables presently available and a decent competitor to the Apple Watch 7 for any Android phone user . For the money you get a rugged smartwatch with a splash of advanced health and fittingness tracking services traditionally only seen on more premium machine like the Garmin Forerunner 955 . This makes the Galaxy Watch 5 one of the good all - rotund wearables on the market . However , a number of small issues , like the unfitness to design run routes on the watch itself and teethe pains with Wear OS 3 ’s app support stop it from bear on its initial hope of cater fully to serious athletes .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the top wiener in Samsung ’s current line up of article of clothing . What make it interesting is that rather than being pitched as an Apple Watch 7 rival , much like its sibling theGalaxy Watch 5 , the Pro is being market to the hardcore physical fitness market .
central add-on let in local itinerary trailing , ripe post - workout execution and training analytics , the biggest battery we ’ve hear on a Galaxy Watch and a young rugged titanium chassis designed for utmost workouts and play .
With economic consumption of Google ’s swishWear OS 3software , which Samsung debut on last year’sGalaxy Watch 4 , all of this gives the Pro the potential to be the first wearable I ’ve tested to put up full rich smartwatch functionality and robust , serious athlete level seaworthiness trailing .
After a week with the Watch 5 Pro I can confirm it is a very competent equipment and a majuscule option for any Android user looking for a smartwatch that can duplicate as a broken seaworthiness tracker to keep company them on outside dangerous undertaking .
But a number of niggling issues stop it from being a skilful smartwatch than the rulingApple Watch 7 , or a true rival to consecrate tracker like theGarmin 955 Solarthat I review earlier this year , and which stay one of 2022’sbest running watches .
Here ’s why .
Design and screen
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro contribution the same nub desoxyribonucleic acid as its base learn 5 sib , which is in itself almost identical looking to last twelvemonth ’s Galaxy Watch 4 . But taking it out of the box I immediately noticed a number of important differences that make its sports focusing immediately manifest . Unlike the Watch 5 , the Pro only comes in one 45 millimeter size and black and grey colour options .
What sets it apart from the base Watch 5 is the use of a atomic number 22 bezel with raised edges , a harder azure crystal to protect the circularOLEDdisplay and an atypical clasp chemical mechanism on the included strap . For those who really want to protect it , Samsung also sells a clip - on plastic case for the Pro , though this was n’t include with my review unit .
Despite the lack of a case I ’ve had zero issues with the Watch 5 Pro ’s build caliber during testing . Though it does n’t feel quite as moolah resistive as theGarmin Fenix 7that I was using before embark on this review , with the black metal grasp picking up a small mar on its conclusion when I accidentally junk it across a paries while playing squash . Other than that , it ’s survived every ordeal I ’ve put it through .
This include a day-to-day weight and exercise bike sitting , three 5 km runs ( two in heavy pelting ) plus general , everyday use . During this time the screen survived an encounter with a freeweight and the watch continued to operate optimally even when used in heavy rain .
The side - face physical controls also have a nice tactile feel to them . On a fitness focussed machine they are a peculiarly welcome addition that make it quick and easy to pause or hold on workouts without having to use the touching cover which , like all the wearables I examine , struggles to find stimulant from sweaty digits .
I ’m also impressed how good the watch seem in nastiness of its rugged intention and the wealth of computer hardware inside . Despite throw everything but the kitchen sump at the Pro , and design it to gather 5ATM , IP68and MIL - STD-810H durability standards – the watch is a lot smaller than I ask .
And for the most part that makes it very comfortable to wear but I did encounter a few annoyances testing the Watch 5 Pro . The first stems from the include D - Buckle sport dance orchestra and its irregular clasp mechanism . The mechanism is designed to make it easier to take the watch off by using a clasp rather than a traditional watch shoulder strap but it ends up being finicky in real earth use .
To aline the strap ’s length you need to pop a secondary grip and feed more or less of the band into it before close . This ca-ca it all but unsufferable to line up the duration mid - physical exertion . I find this a pain as , given how your body expand and contract bridge for a diverseness of factor , it think of the watch would occasionally feel too sluttish or too close mid - ladder .
The 2d annoyance relates to the Watch ’s bezel , specifically the lack of a rotating mathematical function . A physical turn out bezel was one of my favored thing about theGalaxy Watch 3 . It let you alternate between covert , correct slider controls and much more without needing to engage with the touch screen . For reasons unbeknownst to me Samsung semi - retired the occasion on the Galaxy Watch 4 by making it only useable for the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic , and now it has n’t revert it back for the Watch 5 series , period .
In its place is a digital scroll that go on when you encircle the display with your finger , providing haptic feedback in return to mimic the feel of that dear rotate bezel . It ’s functional but but imperfect , peculiarly when elbow grease is thrown into the mix .
The third and final annoyance I experience stem from the OLED panel ’s lack of avariable refresh rate . This is a applied science enjoyed on premium Apple Watches that place to boost battery sprightliness . It work on by lease a covert adapt how many images per second it displays based on the operation being run . So , for exercise , when it ’s just telling the time , it can turn down to only show one figure of speech per second , rather than 60 , which is most screen ’s default refresh rate .
Though the Apple Watch 7 is n’t praise for its battery life , with it struggling to last more than one or two days off a single charge , it was a cardinal selling percentage point that at least helped to extend it . consider the Watch 5 Pro ’s sports focus and price , I ’d have liked to see the technical school make an appearance .
The Watch 5 Pro’sSuper AMOLEDscreen is otherwise excellent . The spherical presentation is one of the brightest I ’ve seen on a wearable . During testing I never had any issue reading it , even when using the Watch 5 Pro in verbatim sunlight . The inky staring black layer offer by AMOLED screens also made it look vivacious and generally pleasant to use . Text and icons are also declamatory enough to be easily clear though , like all lookout man , the screen ’s too small to comfortably take longer incoming messages .
Tracking and features
As ever , though a watch may count decent , it ’s the software program that dictates its seniority . At its heart the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has the same core feature set as the Galaxy Watch 5 . This means it runs on a customize edition of Google ’s wearable atomic number 8 3 that at first glance is all but selfsame to the interlingual rendition we tested on last year ’s Galaxy Watch 4 .
The UI is fairly visceral , and heavily reliant on tactual sensation input signal . Setting up the 5 Pro you ’ll be offer a variety of watch faces , each of which have their own unique style . They also make use of different complications , with information include your heart charge per unit , step count and the conditions forecast . From there the watch has a widget focussed UI that lets you swipe left to navigate through various tile .
One of the most utile is the Samsung Health tile . This work the same direction it did on the Galaxy Watch 4 and gives an instant overview of your daily action and how far you are from collide with your targets . It ’s a utilitarian feature article if you require a nimble update of how close you are to hitting your seaworthiness goals on the fly .
There ’s also support for local music playback thanks to Wear OS ’ app subroutine library which admit Spotify . The only downside is that some service , like Tidal , still do n’t have optimise apps . This is indicative of a across-the-board issue on the platform , with the Watch 5 Pro have a significantly minuscule selection of central apps than what I find on the Apple Watch . thing like the Met Office conditions app still were n’t on offer during my review flow , for example .
Despite this it still perform commendable as a smartwatch , pushing apprisal and letting me check my music faithfully throughout my clock time with it . My only minor quibble is that out of the corner the Watch uses Samsung ’s own Bixby digital assistant , which is n’t anywhere near as smart as Google ’s own .
Even though the Watch 5 Pro ’s speaker and mic worked when I did basic checks with Bixby , the assistant regularly had issues with perform simple tasks . A good example was in essay to moderate my chromaticity illumination . During my mental test I could n’t getBixbyto connect with them , whereas I could with Google Assistant .
What differentiates the Pro from most other smartwatches are its advanced fitness tracking services . By default option these are handled by Samsung Health , rather than Google . However , the use of Wear type O means you’re able to easy switch it to use third party services like Strava or Runkeeper simply by download the apps .
The core offering is identical to the base Galaxy Watch 5 , which means you get a 3 - in-1 BioActive detector and a new infrared temperature sensor .
Via the BioActive sensor , you’re able to get info on things like your consistence fat and skeletal muscle to get an overview of your health . It works by running a serial of tests when you set your indicant and tintinnabulation digit on the vigil ’s physical keys . It ’s a useful metric for people aiming to build muscle or lose fat that , with it being the eccentric of information you ’d only have if you invest in a wise scale like the Withings Body+ . The only downside I ’ve found is that the measurement cognitive operation is very fiddly , with the watch requiring you to stay very still while it assume your measurements .
The temperature detector is a Modern improver for both the Watch 5 and Pro , a feature that antecedently appeared on theFitbit Sensea couple of years ago and I was emotional to see how it worked here . Sadly , at the time of writing it did n’t seem to be used at all , with the Pro and Health app not indicate any datum from the detector . Hopefully this will be fixed in the near future . I ’ll update this revue when it does .
Sleep trailing also form the same as the Watch 5 , with it offering basic metrics , like how much cryptic sleep I got as well as more ripe coaching services . Specifically , the Watch 5 Pro will offer you advice on how to kip better using elaborated recommendations like the one pictured below . This will be a boon for people who are poor sleepers such as myself , with the scores offer unmortgaged advice on issues and how to doctor them .
What set the Pro apart from its nucleotide Watch 5 sib are the additions of play - by - twist itinerary navigation and a new “ track back ” lineament . These features are calculate at more serious athletes and traditionally only figure on hardcore fitness tracker , like the Forerunner 955 . In theory they permit you get local , turn by twist navigation on new rivulet and cycling itinerary from the watch , ensuring you do n’t get lost when exercise in a new area or while explore the countryside .
When I got the features sour , the route preparation was a delicacy . Using it to plot a cycle around Wiltshire , theGPSand mapping package gave decipherable advice , ensuring I was capable to do a quick 10 km without stopping or having to gibe for direction . The issue is when the route tracking does n’t want to play lump to set about with .
plough by turn navigation is usually powered by a GPX file that tells the picket the path you ’ve plot . The Watch 5 Pro does support these character of Indian file , but the problem is that the gimmick and the Samsung Health App do n’t actually have a GPX creation pecker built in . This meant that for try the feature article I had to go into a third party app on my laptop computer ( via pay Strava ) , create the file there and then remove it to the Samsung Watch .
This sound like a little nuisance but it made the entire unconscious process feel tedious after a while . Garmin Connect has the functionality establish in and it ’s gratuitous , so the absence of the functionality in Samsung ’s service feel a little left over . On top of that , even with the single file made , Samsung ’s wearable only lets you utilise it to trail hikes and cycling activity – there ’s no run backup .
This is a pity as activity tracking is otherwise fair telling . Doing a class that I bed is close to 5.5 kilometre , the watch was never more than 0.1 - 0.2 km off . I also did n’t observe any serious anomalies in the bosom rate data it detected out of doors of HIIT session . Though being fair , every articulatio radiocarpea base sensor struggles to keep up with the rapid fluctuation in heart rate that pass off duringHIIT . Outside of this the data point collected on the Watch 5 Pro was in line with what I got on the HRM strap I used as a character reference point .
Though it ’s not quite as detailed as what you ’ll get on the Garmin Fenix 7 and Forerunner 955 , post physical exercise analytics are also solid and much better than what you ’ll find on the Apple Watch 7 . As well as center rate zones , which give an indication of what benefit you take from your workout , it ’ll offer key metric including aVO2 Maxestimate . Running for example will rank you on things like contact time and stiffness , which in twist helped me spot weaknesses in my form .
If I was to have one quibble with the Pro ’s tracking features , it ’d be that while the data is there , it ’s not confront in quite as clear a way as what I get using Garmin devices . Samsung gives you the data you need to tell if you ’re overtraining , but you require to love how to read it . I ’d personally have prefer a more unmediated method acting to show it , like Garmin ’s recovery time which tells you exactly how many hours or days you need to roost before your next workout . Small change like this would make the watch much more accessible for new or semi - serious runners .
Battery life
stamp battery life is a regular issue when we review smartwatches . We have yet to reexamine a Samsung Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch that can reliably last more than a few days of use . This is a far cry short of the multi - workweek battery aliveness you ’ll witness on fitness trackers from Garmin and Polar .
Samsung ’s endeavor to reverse this trend on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro , loading it with a giant 590mAhbattery that ’s close to twice the content of what you ’ll find on the base Watch 5 .
However , during testing I found that it still only offers around two sidereal day ’s regular use . This imply using the Watch to keep on top of incoming notifications , tracking my 30 second dayspring cardio sitting and one 5 km trial per day with the watch ’s always - on display pick switched off .
With heavier use of the GPS when doing an protracted hike I institute the Watch 5 Pro at times would discharge as much 8 - 10 % of its commission .
To be clear , these figures are decent for a smartwatch . The only downside is that they are well below what you ’ll get on a dedicated tracker like the Forerunner 955 which is a direct rival in the fitness market .
Charge speeds are also just but not best in class . Connecting the included cable to a degenerate charging plug , the stamp battery went from 0 - 38 % in 15 proceedings which is dear , but it then took a full 1 time of day 22 minutes to make its way up to 100 % .
If you want to use the always - on video display then be discourage that it ’ll cost you an additional 3 % of your battery per hour , based on my use .
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Should you buy it?
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro feature full avoirdupois smartwatch functionality and a selection of fitness features , like itinerary planning , traditionally only check on dedicated tracker . This makes it a with child selection for serious athlete that desire the best of both worlds .
Though the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has decent services and trailing shop mechanic for most mutation , its battery life and result with local route preparation make it a short choice for more serious jogger .
Final Thoughts
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is an interesting wearable that tries to pop the question full productive smartwatch functionality alongside a serial of fitness tracking features traditionally appropriate for top end fittingness trackers from the the likes of of Garmin , Polar and Suunto .
During my prison term with it I ’ve found that it generally manage to put up expert , but not best in class , carrying into action in both areas . As a smartwatch it is without a doubt the most developed Wear OS option on the market , offering decent smartwatch functionality , local music playback and a wondrously vindicated and bright OLED display . But Wear OS still does n’t have the modernise app library you ’ll find on Apple ’s watchOS , with key affair like a Tidal app neglect during my review period .
As a fitness tracker it ’s great for most users , with it sport all the sensor you need to get detailed post workout reports that really help you to improve your fitness . But the itinerary support is a little fiddly to set up , specially compared to Garmin ’s divine service , which had me pinning to go back to using the Fenix 7 when plotting new course of study .
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How we test
We thoroughly screen every smartwatch we brush up . We use industry standard examination to equate lineament properly and we use the sentry as our master gimmick over the review full stop . We ’ll always tell you what we discover and we never , ever , take money to review a merchandise .
FAQs
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro does not have an LTE option . It relies wholly on a smartphone association for its smartwatch mapping .
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a 5ATM rating , this means it can survive at profundity of up to 50 m .
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro runs on Google ’s WearOS 3 , which does have a Spotify app .
Full Specs
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