Samsung has made the Galaxy Watch5 tougher for the fitness realm

In the world of Android smartwatches, Samsung is king. The South Korean device maker has steadily improved its smartwatches over the years and the Galaxy Watch5 is the culmination of this. It should be your top pick if you're in the market for a fitness tracking device or a reliable companion to your Galaxy smartphone.  

On the inside, the Watch5 is strikingly similar to the Watch4, featuring a Samsung-developed Exxon’s W920 processor acting as its brains and comes with 16GB of internal storage for installing apps. This year’s device is more of an iterative update in terms of looks and features.  

Familiar design but tougher

Tatler Asia
Above The Watch5 keeps to Samsung's tried and tested design

You will not be able to tell the Watch5 and the Watch4 apart. It comes in the exact 40 and 44mm sizes as the last edition.

But Samsung has installed sapphire crystal glass on the Watch5’s face and the material is said to have excellent durability. After using it for several weeks, the face remained scratch-free despite getting tossed in my bag without any protection. In addition, it is rated 5 ATM water resistant, meaning it can be used to record your next swim. 

The Watch5 retains the slim and lightweight design fans have come to love. The includes a silicon strap that feels comfortable and is easily adjustable. This new version boasts a more curved back that offers better contact with the user’s skin, resulting in greater accuracy when measuring your vitals.  

 

Improved battery life

Tatler Asia
Above Battery life is marginally improved but should last you a full day

Smartwatches usually come with all sorts of nifty features that connect with your smartphone. But that comes at the cost of consuming more battery.  

Most are only able to last one full day before needing a recharge. Unfortunately, the Watch5’s battery, though it is rated to be 13 percent bigger than its predecessor, is average at best. Your mileage may vary depending on how you use your watch for workouts, which will drain the battery quicker.

But as casual user, the fully charged Watch5 was able to last me to the end of the work day with an average of 20 - 30 per cent of power left.

It is good that Samsung included a fast charger with the Watch5 as it recharges completely from 0 to 30-40 per cent in only 30 minutes. That should be enough to power through a night of sleep tracking. 

Lots of smart features

Tatler Asia
Above Pick and choose from dozens of new watch faces
Tatler Asia
Above From music to maps, there is so much you can do with the Watch5

The Watch5 does more than just tell the time. It offers a bevvy of smart features, such as the ability to call up Samsung’s Bixby or Google’s voice assistant.  

If you can’t whip out out smartphone to reply to a message or email, the Watch5 allows you to reply from your smartwatch. Though it was a pain in the past, I love how Samsung has added options like voice dictation and swipe-to-type. It’s still not ideal to type on the screen, especially the 40mm variant, but at least you have options. 

Other smart features include Samsung Pay, which enables you to link your credit card to the smartwatch. With the feature enabled, you don’t need to carry your wallet or even take out your smartphone, instead you can pay directly with your smartwatch.  

The Watch5 also boasts Samsung’s SmartThings integration that allows you to remotely control lights, air conditioning, television and other home devices. While I don't own any of these devices, I can imagine how convenient a feature like can be.

Samsung’s One UI Watch 4.5 interface even adds new accessibility features for individuals with poor eyesight, such as high-contrast fonts, colour filters, colour correction, and the ability to toggle animation or blue effects.  

Excellent health and sleep tracking

Tatler Asia
Above Sleep tracking is improved but you need to record seven days to gain any insights

The Watch5 works terrific as a health and fitness tracker. I liked the device’s detailed health monitoring features, which allowed me to measure my heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels. Much of the data is collected and stored in the Samsung Health mobile app. 

One of my favourite features is the ability to automatically detect walking and other activities. The Watch5 was able to track my walk around my neighbourhood and pauses when I stopped at traffic lights. It even tracks sweat loss and my heart rate recovery after a workout, which I found very useful. 

Another improvement is the Sleep Dashboard, which helps track your sleep habits and even your snoring. The feature assigns you a sleep score and gives you daily goals such as meditation and exercises to complete to improve your quality of sleep. Though I found the feature helpful, I didn’t like the fact that I needed to collect seven days of sleep data just to gain a single insight into the state of my sleep. 

In conclusion

Tatler Asia
Above Overall, the Watch5 is the best smartwatch for Android smartphones

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 has introduced minor but respectable upgrades. Its two most significant improvements are its health-tracking features and slightly better battery life. 

That being said, if you are a Watch4 owner, it may not be worthwhile upgrading to the Watch5. But if you have been holding out, it is worth getting if you want one of the best smartwatches on the market now.

Topics