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Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro in the test: Wear OS smartwatch is thick

Nov 23, 2022

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro made of titanium is thick – over 4 mm thicker than Samsung claims. Smartwatch and Wear OS are still compelling, but the Pro model isn't always a better choice compared to the small and light Galaxy Watch 5.

Table of Contents

The Galaxy Watch 5 in detail
1. 4mm thicker than Samsung claims
2. Titanium case
3. 1.4-inch -Display with touch bezel
4. Technically identical to Watch 5
5. Battery life and wireless charging
6. 5 ATM, IP68 and MIL-STD-810H
7. Two buttons for Samsung Pay and Bixby
Recording vital signs with the Watch 5 Pro
1. Temperature sensor not yet working
2. Vital data during sport and sleep
3. Blood pressure and ECG only with Galaxy smartphone
4. Steps and blood oxygen at a glance
5. The Watch 5 Pro during training
Route workout and track back only offers the Watch 5 Pro
Wear OS meets One UI Watch
Conclusion

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the larger of Samsung's two new smartwatches this year. Unlike the Galaxy Watch 5 (test), which is available in 40 and 44 mm, the Watch 5 Pro always comes as a 44 mm model. It also relies on a bezel that protrudes well beyond the display and a larger battery.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro now only costs 399 euros RRP after it started at 469 euros (RRP). However, it is already available in stores for around 370 euros. The LTE variant only costs 479 euros (RRP) instead of 519 euros. The LTE version is commercially available for around 430 euros. The Galaxy Watch 5, on the other hand, is now available for just over 200 euros after Samsung reduced the RRP by 50 euros.

The test of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will focus in particular on the differences to the Galaxy Watch 5 and will investigate which model is the better one.

The Galaxy Watch 5 in detail

4mm thicker as claimed by Samsung

After testing the Galaxy Watch 5, ComputerBase was advised to take a closer look at the dimensions of the Watch 5 Pro, because Samsung's information here is anything but correct. Samsung specifies the dimensions of the Watch 5 Pro as 45.4 × 45.4 × 10.5 mm. However, when measured, it is 45.5 × 45.5 × 14.7 mm. So the Watch 5 Pro is over 4mm thicker than Samsung claims. One explanation could be that the company doesn't count the bezel, which protrudes significantly over the display. The 45.5 mm also only result if you don't take the buttons into account, even if they only protrude slightly outwards. At 14.7 mm, the Watch 5 Pro is anything but slim and the difference to the Watch 5 is also noticeable in everyday life. Since it was no longer available to the editors at the time of testing, its thickness could not be checked.

Titanium case

The weight of the Watch 5 Pro is also significantly higher at 46.5 g compared to the 40 mm model of the Watch 5, which weighs only 28.7 g. While the Watch 5 relies on an aluminum housing, the Watch Pro uses titanium. It should also represent the outdoor version of the two models, but can be worn in everyday life without any problems in the two color variants Black Titanium and Gray Titanium and does not exude an outdoor look like an Amazfit T-Rex 2 (test).

In everyday life, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is by no means as comfortable and pleasing to wear as the Watch 5. Compared to the small 40 mm example of the Watch 5, the Watch 5 Pro is a real bang on the wrist. You should consciously choose this model and like to wear large watches. The Watch 5 Pro is also far more annoying than the small Watch 5 at night.

1.4-inch -Display with touch bezel

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro uses a 1.4-inch OLED display with 450 × 450 pixels. The protruding bezel is designed to protect the screen in the event of a fall. With sapphire glass, however, it is very well protected, as with the Watch 5, although the sapphire glass of the Pro is said to be even harder than that of the Watch 5. In everyday life, the bezel protects above all against scratches, for example if you accidentally scratch the wall with the watch. With the Watch 5, on the other hand, the edge of the sapphire crystal is the highest point, so it always has to absorb all impacts.

When it comes to operation, the Watch 5 Pro's larger display weighs surprisingly little compared to the 40mm Watch 5 model – except for text input via the screen. The surface and the menu navigation are identical, more content is not shown on the display. The bezel also makes it look a little more cramped than the Watch 5.

By swiping your finger along the inside of the bezel, you can scroll through menus and views. However, just touching the bezel is not enough in the test, you also have to touch the outer edge of the display with your finger. As a result, you often cover the content you want to navigate through with your hand (as with the small Watch 5) with this type of operation. With the Watch 5 Pro, this gesture was ultimately used almost never in the test. However, the bezel effectively hides the wide black border around the display that the Watch 5 flaunts to the outside world.

As with the Watch 5, there is nothing to criticize about the OLED display itself. Contrast and colors are excellent and, of course, the Watch 5 Pro also offers an always-on function and the option of automatically adjusting the brightness of the screen depending on the ambient light. In always-on mode, the display dims the brightness and can be turned back on by twisting your wrist or tapping the screen (or both).

Battery life However, this does not double it. With the 40 mm Watch 5, around 1.5 days could be completed before it had to be charged, with the Watch 5 Pro it is a good 2 days with the always-on display activated – depending on use.

The Watch 5 Pro also charges wirelessly via a magnetic charging pad supplied by Samsung that needs to be connected to a USB-C power adapter, again not included.

< img src="/wp-content/uploads/18cb2f1ab1d264697e05783cd29dfee4.jpg" /> Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: power saving mode

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5 ATM, IP68 and MIL-STD-810H

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is 5 ATM, IP68 and MIL-STD-810H certified. So the watch is dustproof and can be fully submerged. The smartwatch can be worn without hesitation when bathing, showering or washing your hands. It can also swim in shallow water, but not high jumps into the water or deep diving. Because 5 ATM does not mean that it is waterproof to a depth of 50 m, but that it can withstand the pressure of a water column of 50 m. When swimming, however, the movements can create higher pressure, so that only watches for 10 ATM are fully suitable for this activity. According to Samsung itself: “Not suitable for activities such as jumping into a pool, scuba diving, water skiing or similar high-speed water activities and/or deep water activities.”

The The wristband of the Watch 5 Pro can be changed by the user himself at any time, and there are a large number of different wristbands to choose from when purchasing.

Two buttons for Samsung Pay and Bixby

When it comes to the buttons, the case of the Pro model does not differ from the normal Watch 5. It also has two buttons that can be used to navigate back to the watch face, launch Bixby and go back a step or activate Samsung Pay for contactless payments .

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Record of vital functions with the Watch 5 Pro

The Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro differ just as little in terms of sensors and the recording of vital data in everyday life, during sports or during sleep, which is why they will not be discussed in detail again. The Watch 5 Pro also features optical heart rate, electrical heart signal and bioelectrical impedance analysis sensors to record readings for heart rate, EEG, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and stress levels.

Temperature sensor still not working

And so the skin temperature sensor in the Watch 5 Pro, like in the Watch 5, is still not working. It is unclear exactly when and how it can be used, especially since Samsung still does not mention it in Germany.

Vital data during sport and sleep

In addition to tracking vital signs during sports, the Watch 5 Pro can also be used to measure body composition to determine muscle and fat mass. During rest periods, the watch provides recovery data including heart rate data after high-endurance workouts and customized hydration recommendations based on fluid loss. In addition, the sleeping behavior can be analyzed in order to understand the different sleep phases, the snoring behavior and the oxygen content in the blood. For the analysis of snoring, the smartphone must also be placed on the bed with the microphone facing the user. When falls occur, improved fall detection can alert emergency contacts.

< h3 class="text-width text-h3" id="section_blood pressure_und_ekg_only_with_galaxysmartphone">Blood pressure and ECG only with Galaxy smartphone

The software restrictions that have already been shown with the Watch 5 also apply to the Watch 5 Pro. Both the ECG function and blood pressure measurement require the Samsung Health Monitor app, which only works with a Galaxy smartphone and is only available in Samsung's Galaxy Store, which cannot be used or installed on other Android phones. The app can be installed on other Android smartphones via sideloading, but even this is not enough to be able to use the two functions, because Samsung linked the app to a query when it was started. If you don't use a Galaxy smartphone, the app closes immediately. There are customized apk files for Health Monitor available on the web that allow you to use the application on other smartphones. However, since you can never be sure which changes have been made to the app, you should refrain from installing it.

Officially, this restriction is justified by the certification of the two functions by the authorities. However, other manufacturers do not have such restrictions under Android.

Blood pressure measurement after calibration

In order to be able to measure blood pressure with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro when using a Galaxy smartphone, the sensor must first be calibrated. To do this, the user must have a blood pressure monitor in order to be able to take blood pressure measurements on both arms several times at the same time using the watch and the monitor. The measured values for the systolic and diastolic value are entered into the app and serve as a reference for the measurement via the watch. The blood pressure monitor should also deliver reliable values.

Identical sensor, identical values. Not surprisingly, the blood pressure measurements with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are also a good starting point, which largely correspond to the values measured by a blood pressure monitor.

Measurement of the Galaxy Watch 5 blood pressure monitor Galaxy Watch 5 Pro 1 109/79 109/80 110/80 2nd 111/72 113/74 112/74 3rd 107/74 107/76 107/75

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also reliably records the other vital signs like the smaller model. Heart rate measurements are also again in line with the blood pressure monitor, with the difference increasing at higher heart rates.

Heart rate measurements, in bpm Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro reference deviation 71 71 0, 00% 86 86 0.00% 172 179 4.10%

Steps and blood oxygen at a glance

When counting steps, the Watch 5 Pro delivers an average of 1,004 steps on the watch for 1,000 counted steps – a very good result. The SpO2 measurements during the test were between 91 (sleep) and 99%, so there were no unexpected values and the measurements give a good indication.

The Watch 5 Pro during training

Apart from the fact that the Watch 5 Pro is significantly larger and heavier than the small 40 mm variant of the Watch 5, which means that it cannot be worn as inconspicuously during sports and is more annoying, the Pro model also offers the same functions in this area.

When running, duration, distance and pace are shown on the display. The recording can be paused and stopped via the clock and the music playback can also be controlled directly via the training tile. With training recognition, the most popular sports are automatically recognized and recorded without having to start them. Position detection and recording via GPS works accurately and quickly.