Samsung updated its smartwatch lineup in 2022 with the Galaxy Watch 5 family. And one of its highlights is the new Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, a model that promises more premium features than the modest variant.
Is it worth investing in the Pro edition? Do its additional functions please in practical use? TudoCelular tested a unit of the smartwatch and tells you the details in this review.
design and build
Starting with the design, here we have a familiar look for those who enjoy Samsung watches. We are talking about the circular format of the box, which here is a single size of 45 millimeters, with two buttons on the side – the top one with health sensors and to return to the initial screen; and the one below to go back to the previous menu or to access training options – and a body that doesn’t skimp on dimensions, due to the bigger battery.
For the Watch 5 Pro, the Korean company decided to replace the rotating crown, present until the Watch 4 Classic, with a virtual one. The operation follows the same principle, but now depends on sliding the finger over it, and no longer rotating a physical structure.
In any case, you find in this model a construction made of titanium, with a glass display coated with sapphire crystal, for greater resistance than the previous generation. In practice, we saw a robust design, but without weighing it down on the wrist.
The bracelet brings as a novelty a kind of magnetic clasp. It’s basically a magnet that allows you to adjust the diameter on your arm and still gains practicality when you need to take it off.
The accessory has versions in black or silver, according to your preference. Particularly, I found the Samsung watch more beautiful than the Apple Watch Ultra. But it might not be an ideal use for work, as the size can be larger than desired and uncomfortable if you are wearing more social clothes.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro comes with an IP68 certification, which guarantees protection against dust and liquids. Thus, you can use it near a pool, without any fear of damaging the accessory. It even has 5 ATM certification, which allows you to use it even for swimming, as it supports water pressure.
I am a body
The Watch 5 Pro has a 1.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a similar size to the old Watch 4 Classic at 46 millimeters. The difference is that the sapphire crystal has made this display more reinforced now.
In practice, we have as good an experience as before. We are mainly talking about the brightness level, which can be adjusted manually or automatically, for the clock itself to change according to the brightness of the environment. Even in open and sunny places, you will get smooth using experience here.
Despite the small size, the definition of images pleases a lot. You’ll also find a panel with satisfying colors and contrast. That is, nothing to complain about in terms of quality.
The accessory provides a sound system with speaker and microphone. They are for you to listen to an alarm clock or a message directly through the clock, or if you prefer to answer a call or send a voice message, for example. Playback quality is unimpressive, but it’s there to do the job.
System, hardware and connectivity
The Watch 5 Pro comes out of the box with Wear OS in version 3.5, under the One UI Watch 4.5 UI. Google’s system ensures extensive application support, with access to the Play Store. It is worth noting that this model does not support LTE technology. In other words, you will always need to be connected to your cell phone to have access to all the features.
In the official store, it is possible to install from the Messages application, to follow the messages you receive on your cell phone, to the Samsung Wallet or Google Wallet, to make payments by approximation.
The software also allows you to take advantage of third-party applications, such as Spotify, to listen to your music with direct control from the watch, without having to pick up your cell phone. A good one at training time, but that subject is on the agenda for later.
In terms of internal components, this model is equipped with the same Exynos W920 as the previous generation. The chip is accompanied by 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. In general, we saw a very pleasant fluidity in navigation.
The menus turned out to be quite intuitive. When you slide down, you will have the options to activate or deactivate Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and even GPS in the top tab, if you need your location. But we already advance that this should compromise the battery by half.
There is also Sleep Mode here, which disables some features so as not to disturb you when you are resting. One of them is the Always-on Display, which uses a monochrome display to show you the time at any time, even without unlocking the screen.
You can drag the home screen to the left and see all your smartphone notifications right on the watch. Or swipe to the right and have a series of shortcuts to the other functions, in an order customized by the user.
These customizations of what appears in the menus and the various display alternatives are available in the Galaxy Wearable application, where the user can still install software updates on their smartwatch.
Health and physical activity
For this generation, we don’t have many changes in terms of resources for health and physical activity. The difference is that now the sensors are more accurate, to better meet the needs of the user.
On the health side, the main bioactivity sensor fulfills three main tasks. The one to monitor your heart rate, the one to track your blood pressure and the one to assess your body composition.
In the latter, the smartwatch evaluates indices of your body fat, skeletal muscle, fat mass, BMI and the percentage of water in your body. The pressure, however, depends on a routine calibration using another conventional meter as a parameter. You still have the possibility of doing an electrocardiogram – or ECG, for those who are intimate – and always stay on top of your heart health.
Samsung has gradually released the use of its temperature sensor, which can help monitor any fever. But he also acts for women, in monitoring the menstrual cycle. New for this line.
Moving on to physical activities, the Watch 5 Pro is still able to measure more than 90 types of exercises. The list ranges from a light walk or errands indoors, to cycling and swimming, for example. You can combine the GPS with some of the items and have a follow-up of the path done as well.
The activities still explore the measurement of heartbeats and other sensors, to determine your rhythm during the movements and the calories consumed. Not to mention sleep tracking, which lets you know how the quality of your rest period was. All data is accessible in the Samsung Health app and can be seen directly on the cell phone.
Battery
And how does the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro behave in terms of battery life? In our tests, it recorded an autonomy of two full days. This includes an hour of training and with headphones paired via Bluetooth, playing music downloaded from Spotify. We also leave the Always-on Display always on, which generates a natural increase in consumption.
The total time did not have a great advance for this generation, even without turning on the GPS, which could further reduce the autonomy. In any case, it’s already more than you can get with its predecessors.
When we go to charging, it manages to reach 50% in just half an hour. After an hour, the clock reaches 80%. The process is only completed after 1 hour and 35 minutes plugged in. A reasonable time, which would have room to evolve and be faster.
Final considerations
So, is it worth investing in a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro? If it depends on its premium design, it is a good choice. Construction delivers strength and durability, without falling behind in elegance. Perhaps for a more casual use, its large volume gets in the way. But the resources you will have can make up for it.
And speaking of them, there is nothing for the user to complain about with the amount of functions that the watch offers. You will see a system with a wide variety of applications and integrations with the cell phone, which allows you to answer calls, respond to messages, make payments and even listen to music on Spotify.
Not to mention the already known health options, which have gained new possibilities with the enabling of the temperature sensor, a novelty for this generation. In terms of physical activities, the precision doesn’t disappoint so you can know in detail how your exercises went.
The screen pleases in quality and brightness level. You can use it in any environment without suffering to view the content. And with automatic setup, you won’t even have to keep adjusting each time you move. The sound is also there, if you want to use it for calls and voice messages, although the quality is low, due to the size of the speaker.
We understand that there has been a good advance in battery life, but there would be room for evolution. Even more so because this is the most advanced smartwatch of the brand in the family. In any case, it’s already better than its predecessor.
Large dimensions for casual wearNor LTElow quality soundBattery could be better
Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro in Brazil for a suggested price of USD 4,000, but you can already find this model in the domestic market for practically half the initial price.
If you have an iPhone and don’t mind paying extra for tighter integration, the Apple Watch Ultra is an option. It has a larger case and LTE compatibility, with a similar range of features compared to its rival.
If you want to pay less without so much loss in functionality, the solution may be to invest in a Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. The last generation will need to go to the outlet sooner, but it delivers the rotating bezel and sensors for most of the possibilities found on the 5 Pro.
Do you think the extra features of this model are worth it? Or do you still prefer to invest in the most basic version or another brand? Please respond in the space below.
