There is no denying that Samsung produces one of the best smart watches in the industry. Ever since they ditched Tizen for Google’s Wear OS, their watches have gotten significantly better more so software-wise. But how does the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 stack up against the competition? Pretty well as a matter of fact.
From the circular design; which I find more attractive when compared to Apple’s squared design, to the new and improved features such as the addition of the infrared sensor. In this article, we are going to discuss its design language, the new features, battery life, App support, some of the health benefits of owning such a watch and I will finally give you my final verdict.
Specs.
- Display – 1.4” Super AMOLED
- Build – Glass front (Sapphire crystal), Aluminum frame.
- IP rating – IP68 water and dust resistance
- Always on Display – Yes
- OS – Wear OS 3.5
- Skin – One UI Watch 4.5
- Chipset – Exynos W920 (5nm)
- RAM – 1.5GB
- Storage – 16GB
- Loud speaker – Yes
- Bluetooth – 5.2
- GPS – Yes
- NFC – Yes
- Sensors – ECG, Optical heart rate sensor, BIA, Blood oxygen sensor, Infrared Sensor
- Battery capacity – Li-Ion 410mAh
- Charging – Wireless Qi charging 10W
- Colors – Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold, Sapphire
- Starting price – $279
Design Language.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 build quality is exceptional. The frame is made of Armor Aluminum which Samsung claims it provides better drop protection and scratch resistance. This simply implies that you can use it comfortably out doors even in ‘mildly’ extreme conditions. The display is a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED display which is plenty bright and sharp as always. New for this year, is the Sapphire crystal display which takes durability and scratch resistance to a whole new level.
Sapphire crystal is a much better fit for smart watches as compared to Gorilla glass. This is because it offers a much higher scratch resistance which is essential for a device that is always on your wrist. This material is made when Aluminum Oxide and Sapphire crystal material are chemically reacted in a lab. From there, the product is left to cool in order to obtain the perfect structure. Once the block is formed, it is then shaped and separated into thin sheets which is then used in screens.
To demonstrate just how good sapphire crystal is, it ranks number 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. Diamond which is considered to be the hardest natural substance on earth ranks number 10. This just translates to a very high scratch resistance which cheaper smart watches suffer from. Even Apple uses Sapphire crystal in their titanium and steel watches. Since the process of obtaining, it is very expensive, Apple charges over $500 for their watch lineup with Sapphire crystal. It is very impressive e to see Samsung offering it in a $279 watch.
Samsung offers the Galaxy Watch 5 in two sizes; either a 40mm or a 44mm. It is also important to note that Samsung has done away with the physical rotating bezel. Neither the Galaxy Watch 5 nor the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro come with the rotating bezel. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic was indeed the last Samsung watch to have this feature unless they introduce a new model. The touch bezel is fairly responsive and works perfectly. No issues here.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 comes in 4 color choices; Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold and Sapphire. However, the Sapphire color is only Available in the bigger 44mm version while the Pink Gold is only available in the smaller 40mm version. Graphite and Silver are available in both sizes.
Health benefits.
Owning such a watch comes with tons of health benefits. You can consider it as a health investment as it contains different sensors which monitor various functions such as heart rate, blood oxygen level and so much more. Below is a list of various sensors in this watch that can aid in monitoring your health.
| Sensor | Function |
| Optical heart rate sensor. | It measures the rate at which your heart is pumping blood in beats per minute. The normal range for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. |
| Blood pressure and ECG | Measures your blood pressure. The normal range for adults is between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. The ECG sensor measures the heart’s electrical activity and rhythm which can aid it detecting abnormalities. |
| Bioelectric Impendance Analysis Sensor. | Measures and estimates the body’s composition more so the body fat, muscle mass and skeletal mass. |
| Blood Oxygen sensor. | It measures how much oxygen is in your blood. The normal blood oxygen levels range between 95% and 100%. Any figure below 90% is abnormally low. |
| Infrared sensor | Measures the body temperature. |
All these sensors are quite vital and have proven to be very effective in the recent past. The Infrared sensor is the latest addition to this wide array of sensors. Although some of the measurements should be taken with a grain of salt, they are more often than not correct.
Battery life and water resistance.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 comes with a 410mAh battery which can easily last you a full day. It is worth noting that you can get the most battery life out of this watch depending on your usage. For example, turning off Always on display can squeeze in a few more hours of battery life. Samsung claims 50 hours of battery life but it varies in real world usage. The watch charges wirelessly and you can get 45% charge in just 30 minutes which is impressive.
This watch is rated IP68 water and dust resistance. Since this rating confuses most people, let me take this opportunity to explain it. IP stands for Ingress Protection. The first digit which in this case is 6, usually represents the ability of the device to keep solid materials from penetrating the device. The second digit which is 8, usually represents the ability of the device to keep liquid substances from penetrating the device.
If the rating has an X, for example IPX7, it means there is no guarantee of solid materials from penetrating the device. IP68 is the best rating any device can have against water and dust. It is also worth noting that the higher the digits the better the protection. For example, IP68 is better than IP67.
Wear OS.
Last year’s Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series was the first Samsung watch to feature Wear OS. Previously, they used to run on Samsung’s own platform; Tizen. Tizen really limited these watches more so in terms of app support. This is the same case with Samsung smart TVs which run primarily on Tizen. Sure, they have popular apps such as Netflix and Spotify but what about when you need a third-party cast app from the Play Store? You get the whole idea.
Since their partnership with Google, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 series have had access to a wide library of apps from the Play Store. Apps such as Google Maps and YouTube music have taken the whole Samsung Watch experience to a whole new level. Instead of relying solely on Bixby, you now have the option of using Google assistant which is relatively better. Wear OS is indeed the best smart watch Operating system for non-Apple users.
Final thoughts.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 offers a lot of features especially at that price. $279 is not cheap by any means, but you get a lot of value for your money especially when compared to a similarly priced Apple Watch. If you are looking for both functionality and form, this watch has you covered. In addition to this, all the health monitoring sensors that this watch offers is just amazing. Since it is IP68 rated, you can swim with it or even work out with it without worrying about sweat or water damaging your device.
If you are a Samsung user, this is the best watch you can get to pair with your Galaxy watch. The best bit about this watch, is that you can use it with other devices unlike Apple with locks people in their ecosystem. For anyone considering to buy this watch, I’d say go for it.
