This is a look at the new Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro after the first 2 weeks of ownership, what I see as the biggest Pro’s and Cons over the last generation Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
I really love the fact that this watch now has a much larger battery, getting even just 1 extra day of usage before needing to recharge is a huge relief. This means I can fully charge on a Friday and camp out or be active for the weekend and not be stuck with a dead watch before Monday rolls around.
On top of the larger battery comes WAY faster charging as well. the 590mAh fully charged from 0% in just a few minutes over 2 hours! this is a great improvement over the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic that took an additional 15 minutes to only charge the 361mAh Battery it has.
The new Sapphire glass screen will be great to resist scratches and scuffs just like premium mechanical watches of old use, and speaking of tough, the case of the Galaxy Watch5 Pro is made of titanium which is suspect contributes to weight savings compared to aluminum or steel, but not the prices savings.
The new Magnetic clasp D strap is awesome, works really well to get the watch on and off and have that PERFECT fit that you might not be able to achieve with a slotted D strap. Although the strap is one of the watches major flaws, as the strap does not allow the watch back to sit flush with a surface therefor limiting your wireless charging options as the strap stops the watch back getting close enough to a surface to initiate wireless charging and it is a pain to unpin the strap from the watch case just for charging.
Lastly, Samsung BRING BACK THE BEZEL!
The Bezel on the previous generations of watches was one of my favorite features as it allowed you to interact with the watch and notifications while the screen was locked in water mode.
With a bezel and the screen locked you can snooze or dismiss alarms or answer or reject calls or check your tile panes while swimming.
This must come back or there must be a solution to this.
Maybe while in water mode making the side buttons interactive would work, but currently they do not.
Improvements over previous generation:
- Better battery efficiency
- Better battery Capacity (590mAh vs 361mAh)
- Improved front screen (Sapphire)
- Fast Charging Capable
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Magnetic clasp strap design
Cons from previous generation:
- No Bezel Options
- More expensive $$
- Not compatible with larger flat wireless chargers due to strap design
- Thicker watch case
