Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Watch5 series, which focuses on health, fitness and lifestyle. There are three models – a vanilla Watch5 in 40mm and 44mm and a Watch5 Pro (45mm). This is the first time that Samsung has used Sapphire Crystal display. It offers 60% more resistance against scratches and, surprisingly, it is available on all three models (instead of being limited to just the Pro). The watches are also certified for 5ATM water resistance (and IP68 too), plus MIL-STD-810H.
The 40mm Galaxy Watch5 actually measures
39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8mm, weighs 28.7g and has a 1.2” display (396x396px). For the
44mm watch those measurements are 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8mm and 33.5g. Finally, the
Watch5 Pro measures 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5mm and weighs 46.5g. The 44mm and the Pro
have 1.4” displays (450 x 450px). All three have Always On Display mode.
However, (if it wasn’t clear from the images) none of these have a hardware
rotating bezel. That’s a Classic thing and there is no Classic watch this
generation (not yet, anyway).
The Galaxy Watch5 Pro is Samsung’s most
durable and feature-packed watch yet. It has better durability than even its
non-Pro siblings thanks to enhanced Sapphire Crystal, a protruding bezel that
protects the display and a titanium chassis. The sport band features a new D
Buckle design with no holes and the ability to adjust the length seamlessly.
The Pro also has the biggest battery of any Galaxy Watch at 590mAh. The vanilla
watches also arrive with battery upgrades, 284mAh capacity for the 40mm one and
410mAh for the 44mm one. With fast charging you can get 8 hours of battery life
in just 8 minutes. If you have half an hour to spare, the battery will go up to
45%.
All three watches are powered by the
Exynos W920 chipset that was also used in the Watch4 series. The memory
configuration is the same too, 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB storage. The new models
arrive with the latest One UI Watch 4.5. While all Watch5 models, only the Pro
lets you supply a predetermined route (in the form of a GPX file). You can
record route data and share it with your friends who might want to go on the
same hike. There is turn-by-turn navigation with just vibration or even voice
guidance to keep you on the trail. At the end of the day the Track Back feature
will guide you to your starting point.
Soon, Google Maps will be able to work on
the watch even without being connected to your smartphone. The watches have
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou receivers on board. Also, a compass,
barometer, temperature sensor, accelerometer, gyro and light sensors. While LTE
connectivity is optional, all watches get Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi 5
a/b/g/n and NFC.
Speaking of apps, SoundCloud and Deezer
are now supported. If you use Spotify, you can just ask the Google Assistant to
change the track. For exercise and health tracking, there is an optical heart
rate tracker, plus ECG and a Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) sensor. BIA analysis
lets you set y our target for weight, body fat percentage and even skeletal
muscle and will guide you through a series of incremental goals. After a couple
of minutes of intensive cardio exercise, the watch will show you how to
maximize recovery and will recommend how much liquids to drink based on sweat
loss data.
Sleep tracking has a redesigned interface
that offers easy to understand the key data collected while you sleep, the
Sleep Habits Analysis displays your sleep patterns with symbols. The sleep
coaching program will create a personalized month-long program with missions,
checklists and sleep reports to create your perfect sleep environment. If you
have a SmartThings enabled home, the watch can turn off the lights and set the
air conditioning and TV to predetermined settings. Advanced sleep tracking with
a Sleep Habit Analysis featureAdvanced sleep tracking with a Sleep Habit
Analysis featureYour sleep symbol is a short and simple way to describe your
sleep patternsYour sleep symbol is a short and simple way to describe your
sleep patterns
The Watch Bespoke Studio you can pick the
model you like (including size), watch case and strap. Samsung is offering a
variety of straps you can use to customize the watch later on: two-tone sport
straps, NATO bands, a titanium link bracelet a Milanese strap and more.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 series is on
pre-order now and will be available from August 26. The 40mm model costs US$ 280/€ 300 for the Bluetooth version and US$ 330/€ 350 if you want LTE connectivity.
The watch comes in Graphite, Silver and Pink Gold. The 44mm model gets a
slightly different color palette: Graphite, Silver, Sapphire. The Watch5 Pro
starts at US$ 450/€ 470 for a Bluetooth model and goes up to US$ 500/€ 520 for an LTE
one. You can choose between Black Titanium and Gray Titanium.
Additionally, there is a Samsung Galaxy
Watch5 Golf Edition, which comes with a two-tone band, an unlimited membership
to the Smart Caddie app and exclusive watch faces. All three models have a Golf
Edition, the 40mm one starts at US$ 330 for a Bluetooth model.
