It’s called the pandemic effect. Now more than ever, consumers are taking a more holistic approach to health and wellness — from diet and exercise to proper sleep. There’s a growing interest in fitness trackers and smartwatches among those who want to understand their physical and mental wellness better. In response, Samsung has amplified wellness capabilities in its latest wearables — Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 Pro. The latter is bigger, made of tougher materials, and has longer battery life. A major highlight is the presence of a BioActive sensor that helps deliver extensive readings of heart rate, blood oxygen and stress level. While we got both the devices for trial purpose, let us focus on the Galaxy Watch5 Pro that we evaluated.
Prices start at Rs 44,999 and the Watch5 Pro is available in Black Titanium and Gray Titanium (our trial unit) colours, and in 45mm size. It features a new rugged titanium chassis designed for extreme workouts and sports. The wrist-wear has a sleek and clean fit and is comfortable to wear for long hours. The super AMOLED screen is bright and attractive; reading the data from it in direct sunlight is relatively easy too. The user interface is easy to navigate.
This reviewer has been using the Galaxy Watch4 for some time now, therefore, it was relatively easy to pinpoint some of the key additions in the new lineup, notably GPS route tracking, advanced post-workout performance and training analytics, among others. Also, Galaxy Watch5 Pro has a strong battery that lasts 2-3 days of moderate use. When you’re in need of a quick charge, you can gain up to 45% of additional battery life with just 30 minutes of charging.
At the core of the watch is Samsung’s BioActive Sensor; basically, it uses a single unique chip that combines three powerful health sensors — optical heart rate, electrical heart signal and bioelectrical impedance analysis — to deliver extensive readings including heart rate, blood oxygen level, and even stress level.
With the watch’s Body Composition feature, you can receive a more holistic picture of your body with key measurements that go beyond your weight, including skeletal muscle and basal metabolic rate. By setting incremental goals, you can stay on track through a guided approach. The watch offers heart rate data 2-3 minutes after cardio-intensive training and even recommends the right intake of fluids based on the amount of sweat lost during a workout.
The BioActive Sensor measures your blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, heart rhythm and electrical activity, receiving deeper insights into your heart health anytime, anywhere. This Samsung wearable also understands sleep patterns through Sleep Scores and monitors stages of sleep, along with snore detection and blood oxygen levels and helps improve sleep habits with advanced and personalised Sleep Coaching.
After a fortnight with the Galaxy Watch5 Pro, I must say it is a competent device for any Android user looking for a smartwatch with advanced health and fitness tracking features.
SPECIFICATIONSDial size & display: 45mm, 1.4 inch Circular Super AMOLED
Colours: Black Titanium, Gray Titanium
Processor: Exynos W920, Dual-core 1.18 GHz Cortex-A55
Operating system: Android Wear OS 3.5
Bluetooth version: v5.2
Battery life: 2 days of moderate use
Estimated street price: Rs 44,999 (Bluetooth), Rs 49,999 (LTE)
You may also be interested in: Apple Watch Series 8, Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS, Garmin Forerunner 255
