Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch 5 in August 2022 as an upgrade over the Galaxy Watch 4 with a plethora of new features. So how do the two compare?
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 is here, but how does it compare to its immediate predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 4? Unveiled in August, the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro bring a slew of improvements over the Galaxy Watch 4-series. Like last year, the Galaxy Watch 5 series comprises two main models, but instead of the 'Classic' variant, Samsung this year launched a 'Pro' model that comes with a more durable build and a larger battery capacity, making it more suitable for outdoor use.
Smartwatches are increasingly becoming a must-have gadget for many users, but they're still not as widely used as smartphones. According to Statista, more than 1.4 billion smartphones were shipped globally in 2021, while only 173 million smartwatches are expected to be shipped this year. Still, smartwatches represent an important segment of the consumer electronics market, and Samsung's Galaxy Watch is one of the leading brands in the industry.
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The Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro both retain the circular design of their predecessors, but without the Watch 4 Classic's rotating bezel. The Watch 5 also comes in the same two sizes (40mm and 44mm) as that of the Galaxy Watch 4. The display sizes and resolutions are also identical, at 1.2-inches (396 x 396) and 1.4-inches (450 x 450), respectively. However, Samsung claims that the Watch 5's Sapphire crystal display is 60 percent stronger than the Gorilla Glass DX+ on the Watch 4. The new watches are also slightly heavier than their predecessors, weighing in at 28.7 and 33.5 grams, compared to the 25.9 and 30.3 grams of the two Galaxy Watch 4 variants.
In terms of features, both the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5 offer a Bio-Electrical Impedance sensor, ECG, PPG, SpO2, and blood pressure monitor. In addition, the Watch 5 also comes with a temperature sensor that can be used for period tracking. Both watches offer sleep tracking, but the Watch 5 also brings Sleep Coaching to help users improve their sleeping habits. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also offers a GPX functionality, which allows users to share their locations, trace back their steps, and see turn-by-turn directions, making the Galaxy Watch 5-series a better option for fitness enthusiasts, cyclists, runners, hikers, etc.
Another notable difference between the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Watch 5 is the battery capacity. Battery life was one of the main complaints about the Galaxy Watch 4, and Samsung has corrected that with larger batteries in both the 40mm and 44mm variants. Samsung promises a battery life of up to 50 hours with the Watch 5, as opposed to 40 hours with the Watch 4. The Watch 5 also gets faster charging, with Samsung claiming 0-45 percent in 30 minutes. Apart from that, both watches run WearOS 3, but the Watch 5 ships with One UI Watch 4.5. Both also offer the same IP68 rating and 5ATM water resistance.
Overall, the Watch 4 and Watch 5 are very similar in many aspects, offering the same processor, RAM and storage. However, the Watch 5 has better battery life and improved health tracking. It is not a revolutionary upgrade over its predecessor, but is the better choice nonetheless. It may not make sense to upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to the Watch 5, but folks looking to buy a new smartwatch will do well to opt for the latter.
Kishalaya has almost a decade's worth of experience in tech journalism, having written thousands of news, guides, features, and reviews for multiple American, Canadian, and Indian blogs. As a senior writer at ScreenRant, he covers everything from consumer electronics to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies to virtual reality, and electric vehicles to space. Entertainment to him means 90s sitcoms, such as Fresh Prince, Home Improvement, Seinfeld, Friends, That 70s Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. He loves dogs, sports, and pizza (in that order) and can listen to The Doors, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses all day long. He also loves watching cheesy 90s sci-fi/disaster movies like Independence Day, Armageddon, Twister, Volcano, Dante's Peak, etc.