It’s been a while since I reviewed a Samsung watch. In fact, the last Samsung watch I used was still on the older TizenOS. So, when the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro arrived for review, I was interested to see how this would perform and more importantly, I was keen to try out WearOS as well. This year, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is meant for those who want a more rugged smartwatch from Samsung, with better battery life, and durability. It also commands a more premium price of Rs 44,999 for the GPS-only version. The LTE + GPS variant I have for review is Rs 49,999. But is the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro worth the money? Here’s my review.
The watch only comes in a 45mm size with a Titanium body, but it has a crystal display. The Watch 5 has a 410 mAh battery, whereas the Watch 5 Pro has 590. The Watch 5 Pro will allow users to import GPX format files from their phone and get turn-by-turn directions during a hike. This feature is for people who spend a lot of time hiking or riding bikes.
The new D-Buckle sport band has a magnetic clasp. Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express is the image source.
There is a temperature sensor on theGalaxy Watch 5 Pro, but it seems it cannot be used at the moment. Perhaps the sensor will be activated later on, though there’s no fixed purpose for this. It also comes with a BioActive Sensor, which can measure heart rate, but it’s not yet available in India. It’s a mystery why this hasn’t been rolled out in India.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: What’s good?
Someone looking for a premium watch will be attracted to the Galaxy watch 5 pro. The D-Buckle Sport Band has a magnetic clasp system for better fit. It took me a while to figure this out, but most users who have a regular premium watch with such a system should have no problem. This band is more premium than what I have used in the past. I would like to see a band size option in the box itself. Thanks to the magnetic clasp, I have been able to use the watch without any issues.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has one of the best displays you could find on a watch. (Image source: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express,
The display on the watch is bright and AMOLED. I kept the brightness to a bare minimum when using it indoors. If you keep the display on, it will consume more battery.
The top button has a red accent and is dedicated to the watch. The home key and power key are on the top button, while the lower button allows you to go back. A long press causes the voice assistant to respond.
Most of the navigation on the watch can be handled by swiping left, right, up and down on the touchscreen. Swiping up from the bottom will open up all the apps. You can download apps like Spotify, Google Maps, etc and also access new Watch Faces, if needed, from the Play Store itself. From a smartwatch perspective, there’s a lot to offer here. I could easily use Spotify from the Watch itself but had to connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones. The Watch 5 Pro has a speaker and with LTE connectivity you can make calls directly from this.
Spotify on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. (Image source: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
I used the watch with the health and Wearable app. The data on fitness can be seen on the app. You can use the Wearable app to access more Watch Faces, change the Quick Panel, and adjust the tiles on the home screen.
The fitness features of the watch are quite good. The step count is very accurate, which is an improvement over the past. The watch was spot on when it came to the exact lap count, and I also used it for swim sessions. I used the watch for a few weeks and short runs, even though I could not hike with it. The data on the watch will appeal to people who are more into fitness.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is spot on when recording activities such as swimming. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
The GALAXY WATCH 5 PRO has more to offer than just accurate fitness. You can use the watch to find out if you snore. For this snoring data to be detected, you will need to keep the phone near where you sleep. It showed no snoring data, but I kept it near me for one night. My spouse insists that I am not a snorer, but I think so. This is not a comfortable watch to wear to sleep and the sleep data it records was accurate in my experience.
The body composition feature on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Your body composition will be measured with the help of theGalaxy Watch 5 Pro. The data is in line with what I have seen from other scales. To measure the body composition, you need to place the middle and ring finger on the two buttons and keep the armpits open. It took a few tries to get this right because it can be difficult to only touch the buttons and not the other parts of the watch.
When it showed 93 percent initially, the options for blood oxygen monitoring gave me a scare. I think it was a glitch from the next round of measurements.
The app interface on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: What’s not good?
If you push it with a lot of activities, you will not get a day’s worth of battery life. The watch was down to 10% by the end of the day after I went swimming in the morning and for a short walk in the evening. Since it is not connected to my primary device, there are no notifications on the watch. If you keep the phone on, the battery might drain faster. The watch takes forever to charge. I used a 20W power source with this, but will need at least 2 hours to get it to 100 per cent.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro supports several sports modes. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)
There were times when the Watch 5 Pro response time was slower than usual. The keyboard took a bit more time to appear when I wanted to search for apps on the Play Store. At times, the watch’s response to touch commands was slower than it should have been.
It’s disappointing that some of the more premium features are not yet available in India. It seems like a missed opportunity that the temperature sensor hasn’t done anything yet.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: Should you get it?
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro commands a premium price with the LTE version for nearly Rs 50,000. For those looking to get a premium Wear OS smartwatch, beyond the Apple universe, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains a solid option in the market.
You need to make sure that all of the features in this are what you need in a smartwatch. The price point ensures that the watch isn’t meant for every user. If you are in sports, hiking in a big way, and want all the smart features that a Garmin might not offer at times, then theGalaxy Watch 5 Pro is for you.