Galaxy Watch 5 Review: A Refined Smartwatch with Solid Performance and Impressive Display
The release of the Galaxy Watch 5 might have been overshadowed by its more advanced sibling, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, boasting exclusive features and remarkable battery life. However, it's important to note that the Galaxy Watch 5, with its starting price of $279, is likely to be the model that will capture the bulk of customers' attention. But does it truly offer enough to lead the market at this price point?
Although the extent of changes might appear modest, they carry substantial significance. Samsung hasn't made changes for the sake of change itself; rather, it seems the intention was to build upon the strengths of the previous Galaxy Watch 4 and refine its features.
The result is a well-rounded smartwatch that holds many attractive attributes. Can the Galaxy Watch 5 truly encapsulate the essence of a Samsung smartwatch, or is there still room for enhancement? Let's delve into our comprehensive Galaxy Watch 5 review to find out.
**Design:**
The Galaxy Watch 5's design retains some familiarity with its predecessor while introducing certain alterations that lend it a sense of individuality. Samsung's choice to eliminate the physical rotating bezel stands out as a notable change.
This alteration results in a flat upper surface on the smartwatch with a digital bezel surrounding the screen. While it doesn't fully replicate the tactile experience of a physical bezel, it does get the job done efficiently.
Moreover, the watch features a brushed aluminum frame, and the base boasts a slightly curved display to ensure a snug fit against the skin, thus improving readings from the rear sensor disc. Available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, the watch accommodates both small and large wrists.
Durability is bolstered by Sapphire Crystal atop the display, along with IP68 water resistance and MIL-STD-810H certification. In sum, the Galaxy Watch 5 is impeccably built, displaying a harmonious blend of colors and a design that's both comfortable to wear and endearing.
**Performance: **
In terms of performance, Samsung has opted to stick with the Exynos W920 chipset, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage that were featured in the previous model.
While not groundbreaking, this configuration is robust enough to fulfill the smartwatch's promises.
The optimized performance shines through during navigation within the operating system, as the OS proves impressively responsive and smooth to touch interactions. Haptic feedback is also well-implemented, maintaining the standard set by its predecessor.
The introduction of One UI Watch 4.5 alongside the Galaxy Watch 5 brings new features and enhanced customization options. The smartwatch supports Android devices running version 8.0 or higher, though compatibility with iOS-powered devices is lacking.
**Display:**
The Galaxy Watch 5 boasts circular Super AMOLED displays, with sizes of 1.19 inches and 1.39 inches for the 40mm and 44mm versions, respectively. These displays, at 330ppi, offer even greater sharpness than the Apple Watch 7. As anticipated with Samsung's OLED panels, these circular displays deliver vibrant and bright visuals, ensuring optimal visibility even in outdoor settings.
Leveraging the capabilities of One UI Watch 4.5, the rich color elements enhance the viewing experience, making interactions with the smartwatch's display engaging and enjoyable.
**Interface:**
Despite transitioning to Android-based Wear OS with the previous Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung persists in providing its smartwatches with a version of One UI Watch.
This strategy ensures a consistent user interface across Galaxy products and optimizes the experience when using the Galaxy Watch 5 with a Galaxy smartphone.
However, it's essential to note that certain features, such as the Samsung Health Monitor, are exclusive to Galaxy smartphones. As such, pairing the Galaxy Watch 5 with a non-Galaxy phone might result in the loss of crucial health-related functionality.
The updated interface in One UI Watch 4.5 retains a familiar feel for those upgrading from the Galaxy Watch 4. Navigation gestures and menu behavior remain consistent, ensuring a relatively gentle learning curve for newcomers to Samsung smartwatches.
One UI Watch 4.5 also seeks to enhance the typing experience on the compact display, making quick text responses more convenient.
**Health and Fitness:**
The Galaxy Watch 5 maintains a sensor package similar to its predecessor, featuring heart rate monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, ECG, body composition analysis, stress tracking, blood oxygen level monitoring, and snore detection.
Notably, a new temperature sensor has been introduced, allowing third-party apps to utilize skin temperature measurements. This sensor offers an accurate assessment of the wearer's body temperature.
Sleep tracking has been improved, offering detailed insights into sleep stages and highlighting snoring episodes. The enhanced sleep tracking functionality provides valuable information to enhance sleep quality.
The smartwatch continues to excel in exercise tracking, automatically monitoring various workouts and offering accurate data, which is then synchronized with Samsung Health for further analysis.
**Battery Life:**
Battery life varies based on the selected watch size, with the 40mm and 44mm versions housing 284mAh and 410mAh batteries, respectively. Generally, users can anticipate 1-2 days of battery life. It's worth noting that the Galaxy Watch 5's battery capacity has increased by 13% compared to its predecessor, potentially leading to a slightly extended lifespan.
However, intensive usage, including frequent notifications, workout tracking, and enabling the Always On Display, can require daily charging. The smartwatch supports fast charging, with a full charge achievable in under 1 hour and 30 minutes, and an 85% charge in just an hour.
**Verdict:**
The Galaxy Watch 5 emerges as a refined successor to its predecessor, with a focus on refining key aspects. While those with the previous Galaxy Watch 4 might not find enough compelling reasons to upgrade, the Galaxy Watch 5 presents itself as an attractive option for newcomers to the smartwatch scene or those seeking an upgrade from older models.
With its solid design, impressive health and fitness features, commendable build quality, and reasonable pricing, the Galaxy Watch 5 offers a compelling package.
As users weigh their options, they can rest assured that the Galaxy Watch 5's array of features and capabilities make it a smartwatch well worth considering.
