Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro first look: Samsung goes outdoors before Apple

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is an all new smartwatch – replacing the old Watch Classic and supercharging our expectations of Wear OS smartwatches.

With rumors that an Apple Watch Pro made for outdoor lovers is on the horizon, it’s certainly a coincidence that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has emerged – and with the same type of user in mind.

It’s bigger than the Galaxy Watch 5, costs more at $449/£429 (or $499/£479 with LTE), promises larger battery life, far in excess of Wear OS smartwatches we’ve seen to date.

And it also debuts features unique to the Pro, which should make it more appealing to those who love the outdoors.

We got some time to try out the device and ask questions of Samsung – here’s what we found out.

And don’t forget to read out hands on review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.

One case size only

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro on wrist

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with protective housing

Unlike the Watch 5, you’re only going to get the Watch 5 Pro in one size. At 45mm, it’s bigger than both standard Watch 5 sizes, but smaller than the largest Galaxy Watch 4 Classic model (46mm), which it effectively replaces.

While the Classic had that more showy, big bezel (that did rotate), the Pro does just look like a bigger Watch 5.

And the iconic rotating bezel has also been axed.

There’s an enhanced sapphire crystal here, and the protruding bezel offers greater protection of the screen. But it doesn’t create a significantly different look.

The screen is a 1.4-inch, 450 x 450 resolution Super AMOLED one, which is actually the same size and resolution included on the larger 44mm Galaxy Watch 5. It looks sharp, bright, colorful, and it can be used in an always-on mode.

There are also two physical buttons, to offer an alternative way to interact with the Google Wear OS and Samsung One Watch UI mash-up.

While the Watch 5 gets a aluminium case, the Pro gets a titanium one, and it offers a high grade feel that doesn’t weigh heavy on your wrist.

Galaxy Watch 5 (left) and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (right)

Galaxy Watch 5 (left) and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (right)

One thing Samsung has thrown into the mix is an optional outer shell, which isn’t included in the box as we initially thought, and clips around the top of watch case, with cutouts for the buttons to offer some extra rugged protection.

It means you instantly hide away that slender design for one that’s a lot more plasticky in look. Samsung hasn’t mentioned however how much that optional shell is going to cost, but we imagine it won’t be cheap.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro first look: Samsung goes outdoors before Apple

We’d say we preferred the look of the Watch 4 more so than the Watch 4 Classic as it straddled that smart and sporty look in much nicer way and it feels like Samsung has sought to do the same with the Watch 5 Pro.

Samsung is pitching this as a smartwatch for outdoor lovers, though you put this up against a Garmin Fenix, Polar Grit X Pro or a Coros Vertix 2, and it doesn’t exactly scream rugged and tough. That’s not a bad thing, but some might be cautious about roughing it up or having to pay extra to clip that shell on it to up things on the durability front.

Let’s go outside

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro first look: Samsung goes outdoors before Apple

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with protective housing

The Watch 5 Pro runs on the latest version of Wear OS (Wear OS 3.5) and Samsung’s Watch UI on top and it doesn’t feel hugely different from what we saw on the Watch 4.

It’s still that same heavily gesture-based experience, where the app drawer or settings are just a swipe away from the main watch face screen.

There’s a host of new watch faces including some clearly outdoor-centric ones, with complications to show off information like compass bearings to make hopefully help make it a better adventure partner.

Features like notifications, music player support and general smartwatch experience it seems is going to feel familiar for Watch 4 users.

You do at least get the pick of two smart assistants now that Google Assistant is in the mix here, though, we can’t imagine a lot of people were actually using Samsung’s own Bixby assistant anyway.

All of the sensors included in the Watch 5 make the cut on the Pro. There’s the BioActive sensor that debuted on the Watch 4, bringing PPG, ECG and BIA sensors to track heart rate, blood pressure and body composition.

Like the Watch 5, Samsung has increased the surface area for that sensor setup to improve accuracy and has quietly added a temperature sensor, though hasn’t divulged how it’ll operate on its new watches.

There’s new sleep tracking features that have already been introduced on the Watch 4, and new interval and real-time recovery insights when you’re busting your lungs in a cardio workout.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro first look: Samsung goes outdoors before Apple

Samsung does want to talk up the outdoor tracking features on the Pro and it’s adding the ability to follow routes on the watch and import route files (in the GPX file format) to Samsung Health, which you can then sync over to the watch.

Then you can enjoy turn-by-turn navigation with voice alerts and vibrations guiding you in the right direction.

There’s also a track back feature to get you back home safely too, which you’ll find on watches from Garmin, Suunto, Polar, Huawei and Amazfit.

We asked a Samsung rep why this isn’t a functionality that could’ve been included on the Watch 5, and it seems it’s all down to case size and housing the bigger battery to make these tracking features worthwhile.

It’s not a level of mapping and navigation that betters what else it already out there, but you can find that kind of support now for less from other smartwatch brands. If you were hoping for groundbreaking outdoor tracking support, there doesn’t seem to be signs of that here.

Like we said with the Watch 5, the Watch 5 Pro’s software feels very familiar. We hoped we’d spy bigger changes, particularly on the Wear OS front, but our initial hands-on time tells us there’s not huge amounts to discover that’s new here right now. Hopefully that’ll change in the future.

Battery life gains

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro first look: Samsung goes outdoors before Apple

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with protective housing

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro features a massive battery that can offer multi-day battery life.

Samsung has boosted its outdoor credentials, so unlike the Watch 5, it’s talking more about GPS battery life.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro boasts a whopping 590mAh capacity battery that can manage 20 hours of GPS tracking time before you’re reaching for that charger.

As a smartwatch, we’re talking 80 hours of battery time – so in excess of 3 days.

That should technically get you an extra day over the standard Watch 5, so it’s still somewhat short of the week you get on a Fitbit smartwatch – but around the same you can get from something like the TicWatch Pro 3.

There’s quick charge support here too like there is on the Watch 5, which wasn’t available on the Watch 4 or Watch 4 Classic, so while we aren’t dealing with huge battery numbers, it can get back up to full capacity in a speedy fashion.

Initial verdict

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro first look: Samsung goes outdoors before Apple

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro with protective housing

The old Galaxy Watch 4 Classic was made for people who wanted a more watch-inspired design – but now Samsung has decided to take things in a different direction.

The great outdoors is a direction smartwatches have delved before, and it could end up making similar mistakes. Particularly by offering battery life that isn’t really on the level of what a dedicated outdoor watch can offer.

A Garmin Fenix or Polar Grit X Pro isn’t going to have you rushing for a charger after a couple of days use.

There is definitely room for a smartwatch that has the qualities to live in more or less rugged environments and opting for a design closer to the Watch 5 and the Watch 4 feels like a smart move. Outside of Apple, Samsung has offered one of the best smartwatch experiences, but there’s little sign of big changes on the 5 Pro.

It might be that people flock to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to take advantage of those battery life numbers. Three days will silence more of the critics that complain that smartwatch battery life is too short – and put pressure on Apple to up its game too.

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