At Samsung Galaxy Unpacked August 2022, the tech giant finally revealed the $279.99 Galaxy Watch 5 and $449.99 Galaxy Watch 5 Pro after weeks of leaks and rumors. Let’s review their specs, price and release date.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked August 2022
There weren’t many surprises, but it appears the firm paid attention to complaints about the Galaxy Watch 4’s short battery life. Larger batteries, quicker charging, and improved durability is all features shared by the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro specs
With the Galaxy Watch 5 series, Samsung is once more revolutionizing its selection of smartwatches. The main Galaxy Watch and Watch Active lines from the Tizen era were renamed under the Galaxy Watch 4 series, but this year’s event debuts a completely new model: the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is intended to be a more expensive version targeted toward outdoor enthusiasts, whilst the standard Galaxy Watch 5 is the entry-level flagship. They both have the more subdued touch bezel, but neither features Samsung’s famous actual rotating bezel. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic will continue to be a midrange option between the Watch 5 and the Pro for people who prefer actual bezels.
The Galaxy Watch 5 is available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, however, the Pro is only available in 45mm. The identical 1.18GHz Exynos W920 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage power all watches. The 3-in-1 BioActive sensor, which was first included in the Watch 4 series and allows for ECGs, heart rate monitoring, and body composition analysis, is also upgraded for the Galaxy Watch 5 lineup. According to Samsung, the upgraded sensor gives the Watch 5 access to more sophisticated sleep tracking functions, such as customized sleep coaching. Additionally, you get Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, built-in GPS, contactless payments, and optional LTE. Additionally, both watches include 5ATM and IP68 water and dust resistance.
This time, a body temperature sensor is included. The temperature sensor will add another data point for tracking sleep, according to Doug Wegener, head of wearables and accessories at Samsung Electronics America, but that’s about it for now. Wegener claims that including the sensor was done so that designers would have more options when creating future health and wellness services.
This time around, battery life is where the significant hardware improvements lie. The Watch 5’s battery capacity has increased by 13 percent; the 40mm model has a 284mAh battery and the 44mm model has a 410mAh battery. About 40 hours should be possible on one charge. The Pro includes a 590mAh battery that is significantly bigger and has a rating of 80 hours, or 20 hours of nonstop GPS use.
Samsung increased battery size as well as charging efficiency. It states that you can charge your battery from 0% to 45% in just 30 minutes. According to the business, you can charge a sleep monitor for eight hours in just eight minutes.
How much longer these larger batteries last will need to be tested, especially with power-hungry features like the always-on display and Google Assistant turned on. After all, Samsung last year said that the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic would last for 40 hours. However, if Samsung can just get the battery life right, it will go a long way toward addressing our issues with the Galaxy Watch 4.
The Galaxy Watch 5 is a minor update in all other respects. The key design modifications include a sapphire crystal display with increased durability and a curved back to improve skin contact between the wrist and the 3-in-1 sensor. The more significant updates will be brought by software. One UI Watch 4.5, which includes a number of new accessibility features, an improved typing interface, and dual-SIM compatibility, will be pre-installed on the Watch 5 series devices. Along with voice navigation on Google Maps from the wrist, Wear OS 3 will also feature apps like SoundCloud and Deezer. Additionally, Samsung Galaxy Watch owners may now use Google Assistant on their watches after several months of waiting.
Given that the Pro is the new model and targeted at a completely different audience, the flashier updates are saved for it (aka, the Garmin and Polar crowd). With a titanium case and a 29GPa sapphire crystal display as opposed to the Watch 5’s 24GPa display, it is more durable. Additionally, it includes a chic new magnetic clasp.
But the mapping capabilities of the Pro will undoubtedly excite outdoor aficionados the most. Turn-by-turn navigational GPX itineraries for cycling and hiking are now available for download. In order to go back the way you came, it also contains a track-back capability. While this is a standard feature on multisport GPS watches, you rarely see it on a cutting-edge flagship smartwatch. However, the Pro’s ability to deliver on a multiday battery will ultimately determine whether Samsung can win over Garmin fans.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro price and release date
The Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro are available for preorder starting today and will ship starting August 26th. The Watch 5 starts at $279.99 while the Pro starts at $449.99. LTE versions cost an extra $50. Both watches will also have a Bluetooth-only Golf Edition that starts at $329.99.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked August 2022: What is new?
Samsung revealed its new products at Galaxy Unpacked August 2022:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
