Galaxy Watch 5 Review: Is It Worth Buying?
One of the most common problems that people who want to buy smartwatches face is a lack of good reviews.
Several smartwatch models are available now in India, with prices ranging from a few hundred rupees to thousands of rupees.
Which one will you consider buying?
Anyway, let’s see if the recently released Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (view on Amazon) is a good fit for you.
Overview
When looking for a smartwatch, you shouldn’t go wrong with a model from one of the world’s most technologically advanced companies, Samsung.
Samsung is well-known for developing high-quality hardware and software. They are providing hardware excellence for their products.
However, they are still in the early stages of developing their software. The Gear Live, Samsung’s first Tizen-powered watch, was introduced in 2014. It was in the market till 2021.
When the Galaxy Watch 4 (still available on Amazon) was introduced last year, Samsung chose to use Google’s Wear OS.
Unlike other smartwatch firms, however, Samsung built its own ‘One User Interface,’ or One UI, on top of the Wear OS.
In addition, the brand intended to provide a distinct experience in comparison to other manufacturers’ smartwatches.
A similar method is employed by the recently released Galaxy Watch 5. Before we go any further, let’s look at the specifications of the latest Galaxy Watch.
There are two sizes available: 40mm and 44mm.
They each weigh 28.7 grams and 33.5 grams respectively. The RAM is 1.5GB. The memory capacity is 16GB. Both are available with either Wi-Fi alone or Wi-Fi/4G LTE connectivity.
The CPU is the Exynos W920 from Samsung. The crystal display is held in place by an aluminum frame.
It is water and dust-resistant to IP68 standards. In looks, the latest Samsung Samsung smartwatch Galaxy Watch 5 may resemble its predecessor.
Design
The Samsung Watch 5 design is extremely similar to the Galaxy Watch 4 model. As previously stated, the company decided to continue with the prior model style.
Of course, it’s an amazing design. You may use the watch for different occasions simply by changing the band, which is very useful if you are fashion-conscious.
However, we couldn’t find any distinguishing design features in the new model. Whether worn with a silicone or leather band, the watch will stand out.
The bottom of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has been smoothed out to make it more comfortable to wear.
This, however, improves the contact between the health sensors and your skin, resulting in more accurate readings than the Watch 4, while keeping the same size and weight. We observed that this is a good implementation when comparing the Galaxy Watch 4 vs. Watch 5.
The thickness of the Watch 4 and 5 variants looks to be the same at first glance. If you look closely, you can see that the Watch 5 is somewhat thicker.
This, however, will not be obvious at first glance. The home and back buttons are on the device’s right side. These are well-made and responsive.
The casing of the watch is made of aluminum. The sapphire display, on the other hand, differentiates the Watch 5. It is significantly more resistant than the Gorilla Glass used in previous Samsung models.
In theory, it cannot be scratched, it might be said. We won’t be able to make a final decision on this move for several months, but so far, so good. It doesn’t matter whether you tie it up when swimming because it’s water-resistant to IP68 standards.
Water repellency may cover distances of up to 50 meters. In conclusion, it is appropriate for daily use.
Battery Life
The battery capacity of the two variants is somewhat different: The 40mm model has a 284 mAh battery. The 44mm variant, on the other hand, contains 410mAh.
Battery life is one of the features that everyone looks for in smartwatches. People are likely to hate low-battery-life smartwatches even more than they dislike low-charged smartphones.
Because many people assume that charging them will be more difficult. At the same time, keep in mind that with the arrival of wireless charging, things have changed. It’s also encouraging to note that Samsung’s latest wearables now allow fast charging.
It was understandably happy when Samsung declared on stage a battery life of up to 50 hours. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and our assessment never came close to it.
When the battery on our Watch 5 failed while sleeping, we got about 24 hours of backup time. And there were some aches and pains since we expected a 15% charge to last all night, even with a sleep monitoring set.
Regrettably, it was never meant to be. To get the most out of the battery, you’ll also need to do some tweaking.
These events suggest that the Galaxy Watch 5 will need to be charged daily. Always-on screens will almost certainly require daily charging. It might take up to a day and a half otherwise.
If you engage in more tracking activities, the battery charge will deplete faster. At the same time, there is concern that if the battery is frequently used for fitness tracking and other uses, it will only last a day.
The Galaxy Watch 5’s battery life is unimpressive. However, keep in mind that this is the case with the majority of smartwatches. It contains a USB-C charging port, so charging while on the go is straightforward.
Operating System
The watches given for evaluation are powered by Wear OS 3.5 and One UI 4.5. Google Assistant is currently working on it.
The hardware prowess of Samsung and the software prowess of Google meet spectacularly here. The software experience is excellent.
Everything can be done with a few swipes. Change the watch face, quick settings, widgets, programs, and notifications with ease. Apps may also be obtained via the Google Play Store.
You may even uninstall the Bixby and Samsung Pay shortcuts in favor of Google’s apps. It’s just nice to know that we can still access the Play Store and your favorite apps even with Samsung’s One UI Watch overlay on top.
The software experience was the main shortcoming of the Galaxy Watches before the switch to Wear OS. Many consumers did not want to rely solely on Samsung’s apps. Samsung apps, like Bixby, are still available. You can, however, ignore them if you don’t like them.
Google Assistant is now the default assistant. It should also be noted that Wear OS and One UI work incredibly well together.
Fitness
Many smartwatch customers may be curious about how they can track workouts and other activities. The Galaxy Watch 5 works excellently in this aspect as well, and it makes a terrific fitness companion.
Samsung’s Health app also outperforms Google Fit. It can monitor a range of fitness activities. It can also monitor your sleep and heart rate. ECG, steps, blood oxygen levels, body composition, and other data may all be monitored.
Because of its thicker construction, the Galaxy Watch 5 is supposed to feel closer to the skin. According to Samsung, this allows the sensors to provide more accurate data.
In addition, a new body temperature sensor was introduced, which is one of the Galaxy Watch 5’s newest and most distinguishing features but is currently unavailable for regular use. It should be available in a future update, and we’ll notify you as soon as it is.
You won’t be able to track your ECG or blood pressure on the Galaxy Watch 5 if you use any of the great Android phones that aren’t made by Samsung.
Last year, the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic experienced the same difficulties, but a patched Samsung Health APK offered a solution.
The aim is that the average person will not be able to trace this information. Such functionalities will be unavailable if they use a Pixel 6a, OnePlus 10T, or any other non-Samsung phone.
It just does not make sense, and there is no logical explanation for this. In any case, we must conclude that Watch 5 provides greater health care. Furthermore, Samsung is only one spot below Apple on the list of best watches.
Do You Buy Samsung Galaxy 5 Watch?
The Galaxy Watch 5 is without a doubt the best Android smartwatch on the market right now. With the launch of newer models, things should look a little different in the coming months.
This is the watch for you if you want the most recent and greatest Wear OS 3 smartwatch, want better durability thanks to the Sapphire Glass, own one of the most latest Samsung phones, or want improved sleep-tracking capabilities.
Then the Samsung Watch 5 price Of course, it is more than the Watch 4.
You don’t purchase this device if you own a non-Samsung smartphone, have just upgraded to the Galaxy Watch 4, are interested in the Pixel Watch or the upcoming TicWatch, or don’t want to charge your wristwatch every day.
The Samsung Watch 5 is said to be competitive with the Apple Watch. The company has developed the best smartwatch. If you want to buy an Android-compatible watch, you should consider the Galaxy Watch 5.
The Watch 5’s stunning design, sapphire display, solid feel, fitness capabilities, and access to Google apps make it a one-of-a-kind experience. Meanwhile, the battery life isn’t terrible, but it’s also nothing to feel good about.
Our two primary issues about the Galaxy Watch 5 are its battery life and gate-keeping capabilities, but there is one more “feature” that we don’t understand: the touch-sensitive bezel.
To be honest, it seems to be meaningless and something included by Samsung only to round out the specification list. In the traditional smartwatch market, there is little competition. Later this year, the aforementioned TicWatch and the Google Pixel Watch are slated to compete with Samsung’s next wearable.
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Final Verdict
Samsung opted to remain cautious with the Galaxy Watch 5 this year, instead focusing on the Watch 5 Pro.
Even with promises of improved health tracking and better battery life, the finest Android wristwatch fails to meet expectations.
Still, it’s an excellent all-around smartwatch, but there’s no place for competitors where there wasn’t previously.
If you are a first-time buyer on a limited budget, you may obtain the Samsung Galaxy 4 for a very low price on Amazon.
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