Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review

Price When Reviewed

$279

Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Because the Apple Watch solely works with iPhones, we incessantly be expecting smartwatches designed for Android telephones to paintings with each and every Android phone.

It is arbitrary to be expecting Samsung, an Android phone producer, to make smartwatches that paintings seamlessly with each and every different logo of Android phone. But if any corporate can arrange it but even so Google, it’s Samsung – particularly because the Galaxy Watch line now runs Google’s Wear OS 3 instrument.

That’s why it’s a little bit disappointing that the Galaxy Watch 5 solely works to its complete extent with Samsung Galaxy telephones. It holds again key options – that unquestionably push the cost of the watch up – from running with different Android telephones, lessening its wider attraction.

But if in case you have a Samsung phone, that is the default smartwatch selection, with a slick design, nice notification and well being options, and artful integration with Samsung earbuds and good house tech. It sticks out, however in large part as it has no actual pageant. Other Wear OS gadgets are sluggish and out of date, devoted sports activities watches don’t have smartwatch smarts, or even the most efficient Fitbits aren’t as complex.

Starting at $279.99/£269/$299, the Watch 5 may be very competitively priced, has excellent instrument, and is full of tech.

Design & construct

The Galaxy Watch 5 is an overly handsome smartwatch, although this is a useless ringer for 2021’s Galaxy Watch 4. If you personal that watch, you most likely gained’t be browsing to improve for the glance issue, however I’m happy Samsung has rigidly caught to creating horny round watches.

I reviewed the smallest 40mm Watch 5 despite the fact that you’ll be able to additionally get it in 44mm. It was once the crimson gold model that you’ll be able to solely get in the event you pass small, and it’s a super dimension with the appear and feel of a quite chunky Swatch watch.

There’s additionally a graphite or silver choice in each sizes, and a sapphire (blue) model for the bigger.

The straps are nicely concept out and curve all the way down to hug the wrist the place they connect with the black frame of the watch, whose curved ends you’ll be able to see. The crimson gold brushed aluminium is going up each left and proper edges of the black internal show, browsing and feeling each and every bit as top rate as you’d hope.

A matt silicone strap is incorporated matching the color of your selection, and it’s at ease subsequent to the outside and grippy sufficient not to let the watch slip round when sweaty from workout. There is a conventional buckle fastening however with a tuck-in slot for the strap finish.

It’s at ease sufficient to put on all day despite the fact that I nonetheless discovered it – as I do maximum full-on smartwatches – too cumbersome to need to put on at night time for sleep monitoring. Then once more, it’s means slimmer than the chunky 45mm Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (see beneath picture).

Display & audio

The display screen at the 40mm is a 1.2in OLED (44mm has a 1.4in) that appears very good due to Samsung’s determination to base all the running machine on a black background. It way colors stand out towards the deep black that blends into the touch-sensitive ring across the outdoor of the show.

That’s there to behave as a virtual bezel, like at the Watch 4, relatively than the bodily rotating bezel as soon as discovered on older Galaxy Watches. I used to be an enormous fan of the latter once I purchased a Galaxy Gear S2 again in 2015, as Samsung’s wrist-based OS was once designed round circles. The bezel allow you to briefly twist to choose apps and transfer during the tiled data displays relatively than swiping with a finger at the show (which you might want to additionally do).

The similar common sense and OS design applies to the Watch 5 however the use of a touch-sensitive bezel to do those movements is much less intuitive. My finger lined the display screen part the time, so I used to be flicking via menus with out having the ability to see the place I used to be. At least the haptic comments is sweet.

I additionally discovered the bezel unresponsive, solely kicking in a 2nd once I had began swiping on it, that means the menus flicked too speedy and several other choices previous the place I sought after. It’s no longer an actual device, and I reverted to swiping at once at the display screen as an alternative and ended up frustrated the show wasn’t better on account of the clean contact ring round it.

All this apart, the display screen is excellent with very good brightness to briefly look on the time with its always-on atmosphere. During workout routines, a flick of the wrist displays your present metrics, and I discovered it simple to learn in direct daylight.

Given it is a smartwatch, audio takes a backseat, however there’s a speaker within the Watch 5 for taking calls, chatting with a voice assistant, and paying attention to spoken stats when the use of the exercise modes. I came upon the latter on my first run with the watch and I’m no longer a fan. I impulsively grew to become it off, who prefer to try stats at the display screen and within the Samsung Health app later.

Software & options

The Watch 4 was once the primary Galaxy Watch sequence to run on Google’s Wear OS 3 relatively than Samsung’s in the past used Tizen instrument, and the Watch 5 continues down that trail. It way the underlying instrument is Wear OS 3, the newest model this is solely to be had another way at the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic, and the area of interest $1,290/£1,105 Mont Blanc Summit 3 model smartwatch.

Everything at the Watch 5 continues to appear and feel very Samsung-y due to One UI 4.5, the corporate’s flavour of Wear OS 3. This is not any dangerous factor as Samsung has delicate the person interface very well. It’s very intuitive to have an eye fixed face as the house display screen with notifications sitting to the left by the use of a swipe to the precise, and tiles of apps to the precise with a left swipe. Basically, Wear OS is the Android smartwatch gold usual at this time.

You can customize which apps you need sitting there with as many or as few as you need. A swipe up from the house display screen sends you right into a tiny wee app drawer with icons for Samsung’s apps and any to be had third-party ones.

Third-party apps for the Watch are skinny at the floor however I used to be excited to make use of Spotify’s Galaxy app that promised offline downloads of playlists to the watch so I may pay attention by the use of Bluetooth earbuds on a run and depart my phone at house. This flat-out didn’t paintings, with the watch refusing to obtain anything else. This is Spotify’s fault, but it surely issues to the loss of polish at the few third-party apps to be had.

You’re most commonly dwelling in Samsung’s apps right here, but it surely’s nice to peer Google muscling in and permitting me to obtain and use Google Assistant and Google Wallet relatively than Bixby or Samsung Pay. Rejoice!

Otherwise, I predominantly used Samsung Health. By default, the Watch 5 is about as much as be a health device, with the primary tiles at the proper menu a abstract of day-to-day process, after which shortcuts to exercise recording modes. This all works nice if in case you have Samsung Health put in in your Android phone, however take note the Watch 5 doesn’t paintings in any respect with iPhones.

I paired the Watch 5 to my Google Pixel 6a, anticipating an eye fixed working Google’s WearOS to run no downside. Largely it does, due to Samsung’s adoption of Google Messages, so SMS got here via advantageous, as did notifications from all apps together with third-party ones akin to WhatsApp, despite the fact that it has no on-watch app itself.

Disappointingly, flagship Watch 5 options together with blood force and electrocardiogram (ECG) are limited to just paintings on Samsung Galaxy telephones as a result of they require you to put in Samsung Health Monitor – an app solely to be had at the Galaxy Store, an app retailer you can’t run on different manufacturers of Android phone.

This is hectic, and no longer one thing Samsung overtly advertises. These options push up the cost of the watch as they require complex sensors, however are utterly unusable to Google, Oppo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Sony, and different Android telephones.

Also take note that the ECG and blood force capability solely works, although you have got a Samsung phone, in international locations the place it’s been authorized through the native well being authority.

Setting up on a Pixel additionally precipitated me to put in somewhat a couple of Android plug-ins to get it running. It’s a some distance from easy setup that might stump the fewer techy available in the market.

But in case you are reading this, in case you have a Samsung phone. When paired with a Galaxy S21 Ultra the setup was once higher and all apps had been to be had. One factor price noting is the Samsung Health app can’t be arrange except your phone has a SIM card in it.

There also are cast don’t disturb and bedtime modes you’ll be able to tailor to reflect your phone’s settings, in addition to a theatre mode to silence tones and switch off the display screen, and a battery saver mode for when juice runs low. Notably, Samsung additionally comprises accessibility options like a color correction mode to lend a hand the ones with restricted eyesight higher learn the small show.

Fitness & monitoring

The Watch 5 excels at elementary health monitoring with its integrated GPS taking into consideration tracked runs, walks, and cycles, and different modes akin to swimming, treadmill working, and a working trainer mode.

Tapping pass on a run initiates a transparent display screen with period, distance, and tempo, with pause and finish choices to the left and an audio keep watch over display screen to the precise. It’s slightly fiddly to switch tracks from the watch when on a run, but it surely’s conceivable. I discovered the display screen much less responsive when my fingers had been sweaty all through workout.

GPS locks onto a sign impressively speedy and the most efficient factor concerning the Watch 5 is it assists in keeping from your means (while you’ve grew to become off the in-run audio updates). Viewing exercise information in Samsung Health is obvious and engaging, however the Watch doesn’t trainer you into an workout regimen like sports activities watches from Polar or Garmin do. This is a more effective information assortment deal, despite the fact that put on it to be for every week and also you get easy sleep training pointers.

If you’ll be able to endure to put on the watch at night time, Samsung’s sleep monitoring is first rate, appropriately recording sleep patterns and wake-ups. You will even have it faucet into your phone’s microphone to report your noisily snoring, which you’ll be able to pinpoint to the minute or even pay attention again to.

The watch can measure your frame composition and you’ll be able to additionally bask in respiring workout routines and log your tension at the watch, however to be fair, I used to be maximum enamoured with the Watch 5 when it stayed out of my means and recorded my process. The climate, calendar, and notification purposes all paintings really well, and the health monitoring is on name for when you wish to have it. I actually just like the auto-workout detection, which matches flawlessly.

Specs & efficiency

The Galaxy Watch 5 is available in both Bluetooth or Bluetooth and 4G variations and has the very same Exynos W920 processor because the Watch 4. This isn’t a foul factor because it plays nicely, but it surely additional highlights how little has modified yr on yr.

One new factor is an infrared temperature sensor at the backside together with the guts fee sensor, however Samsung is cagey on what it if truth be told does. The corporate claims it is helping with sleep monitoring, however another way there are not any rapid advantages.

The watch feels responsive, however I discovered it gradual to answer the contact bezel. I had no problems the use of the show to navigate round and recording workout or viewing notifications was once immediate. It turns out like 1.5GB RAM continues to be sufficient for a smartwatch. There’s 7.5GB of to be had reminiscence for apps and song downloads, which nobody must fill in a rush.

The complete repertoire of sensors is an accelerometer, barometer, bioelectrical impedance research sensor, electric middle sensor, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, mild sensor, and optical middle fee sensor. This is an overly cast variety for the asking worth, however once more, you wish to have to be the use of the watch with a Samsung phone to get complete get admission to to they all.

Battery & charging

Battery lifestyles at the Watch 5 may and must be higher. The 40mm has a 284mAh mobile and the 44mm has 410mAh (each better than the Watch 4’s) and Samsung claims each can get 40 hours of utilization on a unmarried price.

This is deceptive, as you’d need to have mainly each and every helpful function grew to become off at the Watch 5 and no longer use it for monitoring to get anyplace close to that determine. I needed to price each and every night time or the next morning with out fail.

One day once I took it off the charger at 7.30am and went on a 30 minutes run with GPS, the watch was once nonetheless on 80% at 3pm. This was once excellent, however I hardly noticed equivalent longevity.

I’d most commonly finish the day on about 15% to twenty% price, with the battery ebbing away sooner the longer my GPS run and if I had the always-on show grew to become on. Using apps like Spotify, even with out downloads to the watch, and Google Assistant, drain the battery significantly.

One day the Watch 5 died on me when out and about, the worst factor a smartwatch can do. I will hack having to price the object after a difficult day trip, but when it may well’t remaining one standard day then it’s tougher to counsel. If you need higher battery, you must get the 44mm.

It takes about part an hour to price 30% to 40% with the fast-charging capacity, however Samsung doesn’t come with a charger within the field, solely the charging puck USB-C cable. It’s a handy guide a rough strategy to best up if you wish to use it for sleep monitoring, however a complete recharge will take just about an hour and a part, so in the event you do use it for that, it’s possible you’ll no longer have time to totally price within the morning.

Price & availability

The 40mm Galaxy Watch 5 reviewed here’s the Bluetooth-only model and prices $279/£269/€299, with a Bluetooth and 4G type promoting for $329/£319/€349.

A 44mm Bluetooth model prices $309/£289/€329 or $359/£339/€419 for a 4G type.

You can purchase it in the United Kingdom from Samsung and Amazon, from Samsung and Best Buy in the United States, and from Samsung in France, Spain, and different European international locations.

Check out the place else you’ll be able to purchase it in our the place to shop for article in particular for the Watch 5.

This places the most cost effective Galaxy Watch 5 in pricing touching distance of the Apple Watch SE, which prices $279/£249/€299, however it’s possible you’ll no longer need to base what phone you have got on what smartwatch you purchase.

If you need a smartwatch that works with any Android phone and does no longer sacrifice any options consistent with logo, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a great shout at $229/£199/€199.95. Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra runs an older model of WearOS and prices greater than the Watch 5.

If it’s a natural health monitoring watch you’re after, you might want to spend much less at the $199.95/£169.50/€199.90 Polar Pacer, however you lose almost all smartwatch options.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is a smart Android smartwatch working the newest WearOS 3 and is your best choice if in case you have a Samsung phone. It’s additionally a cast choice if in case you have some other trendy Android phone, however no longer in case you are set on recording your blood force or ECG, as those sensors solely paintings with Galaxy telephones.

The virtual bezel is sluggish to the purpose of in need of not to use it, and battery lifestyles is disappointing at the 40mm type. But the instrument is fluid and it’s filled with options, making the Watch 5 the highest Android smartwatch selection – however solely through default as there’s nonetheless so little pageant.

Specs

• 1.2in 396×396 (40mm) or 1.4in 450×450 (44mm) round AMOLED always-on show
• Gorilla Glass DX+
• 1.18GHz dual-core Exynos W920 5nm processor
• 1.5GB RAM
• 16GB ROM
• Wear OS Powered through Samsung
• One UI Watch
• Bluetooth 5.2
• NFC
• GPS
• Wi-Fi
• 4G LTE (non-compulsory)
• Microphone
• Speaker
• Knox safety
• Optical middle fee sensor (PPG)
• Electrical middle sensor (ECG)
• Bioelectrical impedance research sensor (BIA)
• Blood oxygen monitoring
• AFib abnormal heartbeat detection
• Sleep monitoring
• Snore detection
• Body composition research
• Guided workout routines
• Bixby Voice
• Gesture controls
• Stainless metal casing
• 5ATM swim-proof
• IP68-certified mud/water resistance
• MIL-STD-810G examined
• Wireless charging
• 247mAh (40mm) or 361mAh battery (44mm)
• 39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8mm (40mm) or 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8mm (44mm)
• 27.8g (40mm) or 33.5g (44mm)
• Colours: Graphite, silver, crimson gold, sapphire
• Compatible with Android 6.0 or upper (gadgets require greater than 1.5GB RAM)