Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro unveiled with sapphire crystals and bigger batteries

Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Watch5 series, which focuses on health, fitness and lifestyle. There are three models – a vanilla Watch5 in 40mm and 44mm and a Watch5 Pro (45mm).

This is the first time that Samsung has used Sapphire Crystal display. It offers 60% more resistance against scratches and, surprisingly, it is available on all three models (instead of being limited to just the Pro). The watches are also certified for 5ATM water resistance (and IP68 too), plus MIL-STD-810H.

Samsung Galaxy Watch5 40mm and 44mm, plus Watch5 Pro (45mm)

The 40mm Galaxy Watch5 actually measures 39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8mm, weighs 28.7g and has a 1.2” display (396x396px). For the 44mm watch those measurements are 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8mm and 33.5g. Finally, the Watch5 Pro measures 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5mm and weighs 46.5g. The 44mm and the Pro have 1.4” displays (450 x 450px).

All three have Always On Display mode. However, (if it wasn’t clear from the images) none of these have a hardware rotating bezel. That’s a Classic thing and there is no Classic watch this generation (not yet, anyway).

The hardware controls on the Watch5 series - no rotating bezel here

The Galaxy Watch5 Pro is Samsung’s most durable and feature-packed watch yet. It has better durability than even its non-Pro siblings thanks to enhanced Sapphire Crystal, a protruding bezel that protects the display and a titanium chassis. The sport band features a new D Buckle design with no holes and the ability to adjust the length seamlessly.

The new D Buckle strap design for the Watch5 Pro has no holes and offers seamless length adjustments

The Pro also has the biggest battery of any Galaxy Watch at 590mAh. The vanilla watches also arrive with battery upgrades, 284mAh capacity for the 40mm one and 410mAh for the 44mm one. With fast charging you can get 8 hours of battery life in just 8 minutes. If you have half an hour to spare, the battery will go up to 45%.

All three watches are powered by the Exynos W920 chipset that was also used in the Watch4 series. The memory configuration is the same too, 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB storage. The new models arrive with the latest One UI Watch 4.5.

A variety of new watch faces

While all Watch5 models, only the Pro lets you supply a predetermined route (in the form of a GPX file). You can record route data and share it with your friends who might want to go on the same hike. There is turn-by-turn navigation with just vibration or even voice guidance to keep you on the trail. At the end of the day the Track Back feature will guide you to your starting point.

Soon, Google Maps will be able to work on the watch even without being connected to your smartphone. The watches have GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou receivers on board. Also, a compass, barometer, temperature sensor, accelerometer, gyro and light sensors. While LTE connectivity is optional, all watches get Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi 5 a/b/g/n and NFC.

Speaking of apps, SoundCloud and Deezer are now supported. If you use Spotify, you can just ask the Google Assistant to change the track.

The Watch5 series can measure your body composition

For exercise and health tracking, there is an optical heart rate tracker, plus ECG and a Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) sensor. BIA analysis lets you set y our target for weight, body fat percentage and even skeletal muscle and will guide you through a series of incremental goals.

Optical heart rate sensor • ECG • 24/7 health tracking

After a couple of minutes of intensive cardio exercise, the watch will show you how to maximize recovery and will recommend how much liquids to drink based on sweat loss data.

Sleep tracking has a redesigned interface that offers easy to understand the key data collected while you sleep, the Sleep Habits Analysis displays your sleep patterns with symbols. The sleep coaching program will create a personalized month-long program with missions, checklists and sleep reports to create your perfect sleep environment. If you have a SmartThings enabled home, the watch can turn off the lights and set the air conditioning and TV to predetermined settings.

Advanced sleep tracking with a Sleep Habit Analysis featureYour sleep symbol is a short and simple way to describe your sleep patterns

The Watch Bespoke Studio you can pick the model you like (including size), watch case and strap. Samsung is offering a variety of straps you can use to customize the watch later on: two-tone sport straps, NATO bands, a titanium link bracelet a Milanese strap and more.

A variety of bands help with customization

The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 series is on pre-order now and will be available from August 26. The 40mm model costs $280/€300 for the Bluetooth version and $330/€350 if you want LTE connectivity. The watch comes in Graphite, Silver and Pink Gold. The 44mm model gets a slightly different color palette: Graphite, Silver, Sapphire.

The Watch5 Pro starts at $450/€470 for a Bluetooth model and goes up to $500/€520 for an LTE one. You can choose between Black Titanium and Gray Titanium.

The Galaxy Watch5 40mm, 44mm and Watch5 Pro have Golf Edition versions as well

Additionally, there is a Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Golf Edition, which comes with a two-tone band, an unlimited membership to the Smart Caddie app and exclusive watch faces. All three models have a Golf Edition, the 40mm one starts at $330 for a Bluetooth model.

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