I'm PCMag's expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I've written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.
The rugged Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro doubles the battery life of the standard model and adds exclusive outdoor adventure features, including turn-by-turn cycling and hiking directions, for $170 more.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the rugged model in Samsung's 2022 smartwatch lineup, as well as the main Apple Watch Ultra competitor. Starting at $449.99, it offers increased durability and longer battery life than its non-Pro counterpart, plus several exclusive outdoor-specific features including the ability to import cycling and hiking routes for turn-by-turn directions. The 5 Pro's three-day battery life is a breakthrough for feature-rich smartwatches, even better than the $799 Apple Watch Ultra. It's a bit bulky, but its design is a lot more wearable than Apple's adventure-focused rival. For its lower price and sleeker design, the standard Galaxy Watch 5 retains our Editors' Choice as the best Apple Watch alternative for most Android users, but the Pro model is a top option if battery life and durability are of primary concern.
Similar to how the Apple Watch works only with iPhones, the Galaxy Watch 5 series is exclusive to Android phones. Samsung's latest smartwatches run One UI Watch 4.5(Opens in a new window) (which is based on Google's Wear OS 3.5) and require a device running Android 8.0 (or newer) with more than 1.5GB RAM. You can pair the Watch 5 Pro with non-Samsung Android phones, but some features, including electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements, work only with Samsung handsets, according to a spokesperson for the company.
The rugged Watch 5 Pro features a 45mm titanium case in either black or gray and a matching D-Buckle Sport band with a folding, magnetic clasp. The Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model goes for $449.99 while the LTE version costs $499.99. For this review, Samsung loaned me the gray Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model and a Galaxy S21 FE smartphone.
Like the $799 Apple Watch Ultra, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro doesn't come in a smaller size, which is a shame for those with slim wrists.
The standard Galaxy Watch 5 offers more variety, featuring a 40mm or 44mm aluminum case in Graphite (black) or Silver. The 40mm Watch 5 is also available in Pink Gold, while the 44mm model also comes in Sapphire (blue). Pricing for the standard Watch 5 starts at $279.99 for the 40mm Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model, or $329.99 for LTE connectivity.
The Pro model features the same exceptionally bright and beautiful 1.4-inch, 450-by-450-pixel AMOLED display as the 44mm Watch 5. For added durability, the Pro's titanium case extends higher than the display. A 0.1-inch concave black bezel sits between the sapphire crystal glass and the case, so if the watch falls flat on its face, it will land on that titanium ridge and not the glass. The Pro's glass itself is more durable and less susceptible to scratching compared with last year's model and the standard Watch 5. Samsung says it's two times stronger than the outer display layer of the Watch 4 series.
Samsung claims that the Watch 5 Pro measures 1.8 by 1.8 by 0.4 inches (HWD), but the official depth (thickness) measurement is misleadingly truncated, and my calipers prove it. Samsung lists the Watch 5 Pro's thickness at 10.5mm (0.4 inches), but according to my calipers it's actually 14.39mm (0.6 inches). The same is true for the standard Watch 5, which is actually 13.01mm (0.5 inches) rather than the stated 9.8mm (almost 0.4 inches).
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a hair thinner than the Apple Watch Ultra, which measures 14.40mm (0.6 inches), according to my calipers. However, the Apple Watch Ultra feels a lot bulkier due to its 49mm rectangular case and massive 1.9-inch screen.
Returning fans of Samsung's smartwatches might be bummed that both the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro lack a physical rotating bezel for quick scrolling, a feature available on many older Samsung smartwatches, including last year's Watch 4 Classic. Both Watch 5 models feature a touch bezel that lets you scroll by simply running your finger along the outer edge of the display.
I didn't think I would miss the rotating bezel, but after handling the Pro, I do. Unfortunately, the touch bezel on my Pro unit doesn't scroll as smoothly as its counterpart on the standard Watch 5. Occasionally, I'll run my finger along the edge of the Pro's display and nothing happens. I'm not positive, but the problem might have something to do with the concave display border on the Pro. In comparison, the touch bezel on the standard Watch 5 always responds immediately.
I understand why Samsung opted against giving this outdoor-focused model a rotating bezel. Over time, the rotating bezel can collect dirt, making it stiff or hard to turn. Moreover, it's simply another point of potential failure should it be banged around. If you're used to the physical bezel on older models, switching to the Pro's touch bezel is a big adjustment. The Watch 4 Classic, which features a 42mm or 46mm stainless steel case, remains on sale for those who want the rotating bezel.
Like the standard model, the Watch 5 Pro comes with 5ATM and IP68 ratings, meaning it's water resistant to a depth of 164 feet for 10 minutes, plus it can withstand dust, dirt, and sand. The Apple Watch Ultra boasts a superior WR100 rating, meaning it can withstand depths of up to 328 feet.
Like the Ultra, Samsung's latest Galaxy Watches also meet the MIL-STD-810H certification, the standard used for military equipment. This means they have been tested to survive high altitudes, extreme temperatures, freezing/thawing, blowing sand, and other environmental stressors such as vibration and shock.
Moving on to watch bands, I need to gripe about the D-Buckle Sport that comes with the Pro. To start, it's a bit difficult to adjust the fit of this band, but you should only have to do that once. Once you size it to your wrist, it's easy to get on and off—to a fault. On one occasion, when I was simply getting into my car with bags in my hands, I must have accidentally knocked the magnetic clasp because it came undone. I glanced down, and the Watch 5 Pro was hanging off my wrist. Had I failed to notice, the watch could have easily fallen off and I may not have realized until after driving away. Needless to say, I would caution against wearing the D-Buckle Sport band for any type of adventuring.
I find it a bit odd that Samsung pairs the rugged Pro model with this risky strap. The standard Watch 5 comes with a more secure Sport band featuring a pin buckle instead of a magnetic clasp. Apple, in comparison, has three specialized straps for the Ultra, including the Ocean Band suitable for high-speed water sports, the Trail Loop meant for runners and endurance athletes, and the Alpine Loop for general outdoor adventuring (only one ships with the watch).
The good news is that the Watch 5 Pro works with all standard 20mm Quick Release bands (including those you may have left over from the Watch 4 series). If you buy the watch on Samsung's website, you can select from several different strap options instead of the D-Buckle Sport at no additional cost, including the Sport band, the Ridge Sport band (included with last year's Watch 4 Classic), a vented Extreme Sport option, a Global Goals strap with colorful accents, and Hybrid Leather.
Featuring a massive 590mAh cell, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro gets the best battery life of any feature-rich smartwatch I have tried—besting even the Apple Watch Ultra—though it still falls short of many fitness trackers and some dedicated outdoor fitness watches. Battery life will vary depending on usage, of course, but Samsung officially claims the Watch 5 Pro will last 80 hours per charge, or 20 hours with GPS enabled.
In testing with normal/heavy use and the always-on display enabled during the day with the screen brightness set to max, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lasted 57 hours before dwindling to 9% battery life and urging me to charge it before bed to track my sleep. In comparison, the Apple Watch Ultra's battery fully drained after 55 to 57 hours under similar conditions.
With light use and the screen brightness set as low as possible, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lasted 79 hours, or more than three full days, in testing. That's a big battery life bump from the standard Galaxy Watch 5, which lasted 36 hours on a charge in testing.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also offers several features that can extend battery life, including Power Saving Mode and Watch Only Mode. When enabled, Power Saving Mode disables or limits battery-intensive features like the always-on display and Wi-Fi to give you some extra juice. You can toggle Power Saving Mode manually or set it to kick on automatically when the battery reaches 15%. With 15% battery remaining, my Galaxy Watch 5 Pro said it would last another 9 hours and 42 minutes, but enabling Power Saving Mode bumped that to almost 11.5 hours.
Watch Only Mode turns everything off except for the time on the watch face. Similar to Power Saving Mode, you can toggle Watch Only Mode manually or set it to switch over when the battery hits 5%. With a full charge, the Watch 5 Pro will last 20 days with Watch Only Mode enabled, says Samsung.
Though Apple and Samsung's outdoor-focused smartwatches offer longer battery life than their non-rugged siblings, they both fall short of most other adventure watches, which can sometimes last weeks on a charge.
The Polar Grit X, for instance, lasted 110 hours, or more than four full days, in testing before I got a low-battery warning. I haven't used it, but the Garmin Fenix 7 (starting at $699.99) is advertised to last up to 11 days on a charge with normal use, or 37 hours in GPS mode. The rugged Coros Vertix 2 ($699) promises an incredible 60 days of battery life with normal use, or 140 hours with GPS tracking. Needless to say, if battery life is your primary concern for an adventure watch, there are better options than the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.
The main benefits of the Watch 5 Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra compared with other adventure-focused watches are their excellent selection of lifestyle features and third-party apps.
As I noted in my review of the standard Galaxy Watch 5, Samsung's latest smartwatches feature popular Google-developed apps like Assistant, Maps, and the Play Store, alongside Samsung's Bixby, Buds Controller, Pay, and more.
Variety is nice, but the preinstalled app selection sometimes feels like overkill. You don't really need two virtual assistants, but Bixby and Google Assistant are both available. Moreover, the icons for Samsung Messages and Google Messages are similar, so it can be difficult to distinguish the two.
To activate Google Assistant on the Watch 5 Pro, navigate to Settings > Google > Assistant > Get Started. Doing so will pull up Google Assistant on your phone to finish the setup process. After setting it up, you can summon Google's digital helper by saying "Hey Google." You can use Google Assistant voice commands to make calls, send messages, set timers, get the weather forecast, check your calendar, and more.
By default, the press-and-hold function of the home key (top button) is set to open Bixby, but you can change it to Google Assistant if you prefer. To customize the keys on the Watch 5 Pro, navigate to Settings > Advanced Features > Customize Keys. You can also customize the double-press function of the home key to open a specific app of your choice, and the short-press function of the back key (bottom button) to show your recent apps instead of taking you to the previous screen.
Other popular apps available for download on the Watch 5 Pro via the Play Store include Adidas Running, Amazon Alexa, Calm, Hand Wash, iHeart: Music, KakaoTalk, Lifesum, Line, Map My Fitness, Samsung SmartThings, Shazam, Ski Tracks, Spotify, Strava, Swim.com, Todoist, and YouTube Music. Rest assured, there are many watch face apps, just in case you don't like Samsung's default options.
Though it's catching up, Wear OS still trails Apple's watchOS in terms of third-party app support, and is missing notable titles including Amazon Music, Facebook Messenger, Pandora, and Telegram.
The Watch 5 Pro offers three outdoor-specific features not available on the standard model: Route Workout, Track Back, and Turn-by-Turn Directions.
The Route Workout feature makes it easy to import and follow hiking and cycling routes on the watch. You can add a route from one of your previously tracked hiking or cycling workouts, or a downloaded GPX file.
In testing, I had no problem importing GPX-format cycling routes created via the Komoot app to the Watch 5 Pro. It takes a few steps, but the process is easy. After creating a route in the Komoot app, tap the three-dot button in the top right corner, then select Export GPX file. Next, go to the My Files app on your phone, and open the GPX file with Samsung Health. From there, select the workout type (hiking or cycling) in the Samsung Health app, optionally rename the route, then press Save.
Routes you import to Samsung Health are automatically added to a new Route tile on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. You can also access saved routes after starting a Hiking or Cycling workout. When you see the countdown timer, press Settings, then toggle on Target, and select your route.
I will note that I had trouble with round trip routes (which start and end at the same point). As soon as I started a round trip route on the watch, it told me "end point reached." I did not have this problem with one-way routes.
Track Back reverses your route and directs you back to your starting point, a potentially helpful feature should you become lost. When tracking a hiking or cycling workout, swipe right to bring up the Settings panel, then tap Settings > Track Back.
When following imported routes or a Track Back path, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro offers turn-by-turn directions, guiding you with vibrations, voice alerts, and a color-coded map. These directions are easy to follow: The blue line indicates your planned route, the green arrow represents your location, the green line represents the path you have already covered, and the gray area at the bottom shows details of your next turn.
If you veer off course, the watch alerts you and keeps track of the distance you have backtracked. When you get back on course, it confirms you're going the right way. I really like these features, but it's a bit limiting that they're only available for hiking and cycling workouts.
The new Apple Watch Compass app, available as part of watchOS 9, offers a similar feature called Backtrack that uses GPS data to record your path, generating digital breadcrumbs to help you retrace your steps and find your way back to your starting point. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro's familiar Google Maps-style interface is easier to follow than Apple's Compass-based trail.
The Apple Watch Ultra doesn't let you import cycling and hiking routes, and doesn't offer turn-by-turn directions, but it offers some other great outdoor-focused features not available on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, including an emergency siren and a fantastic Depth app for free diving and other underwater activities.
Over the past few generations, automatic workout detection has been one of my favorite Galaxy Watch features. Many other fitness trackers can automatically detect and start tracking certain types of activities, but this feature works exceptionally well on the Samsung wearables I've tried, including the Watch 5 Pro.
The Watch 5 Pro can automatically detect(Opens in a new window) and begin tracking walking, running, elliptical, rowing, swimming, and dynamic high-movement activities. Ten minutes after you start one of these activities, the watch will alert you that it's tracking the workout. When you stop, the watch will automatically stop tracking, too.
Thanks to this feature, I never have to manually start tracking walks with my dog Bradley on the Watch 5 Pro; I always see them automatically logged in Samsung Health. To enable this feature, navigate to the Samsung Health app on the watch, tap Settings, then make sure Auto Detect Workouts is toggled on.
To check the accuracy of its fitness metrics, I tested the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro against the Apple Watch Ultra, using both wearables to track several workouts. For a 30-minute outdoor run, their heart rate readings only differed by a few bpm. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro said I had average and maximum heart rates of 174bpm and 188bpm, respectively, while the Ultra recorded those metrics at 177bpm and 186bpm. Both watches track advanced running metrics like vertical oscillation and ground contact time, but the Ultra adds running power data, which can help you gauge your effort in real time.
The Samsung Health app does an excellent job explaining these running metrics to help you understand how you can improve. For instance, for that 30-minute run, it said my asymmetry, flight time, and regularity were either good or great, but my ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and vertical stiffness showed room for improvement.
During outdoor runs, the Watch 5 Pro also tracks your estimated sweat loss and tells you how much water to drink to rehydrate. It tracks your VO2 Max, a common measure of heart and lung health and endurance, and tells you how your results compare with those of your peers.
When you wear it to bed, the Watch 5 Pro will track your sleep, and when paired with a compatible smartphone, it monitors your overnight snoring. For comfort reasons, I prefer the Oura ring ($299) or a non-wearable solution like the Nest Hub or Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover for tracking sleep. I also have high hopes for the upcoming Amazon Halo Rise contactless sleep tracker.
That said, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro offered accurate overnight metrics in testing. To assess its sleep-tracking abilities, I wore the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to bed for several nights alongside the Apple Watch Ultra on my other wrist, as well as the Oura on my finger. Wearing multiple devices to bed is small torture, but I did manage to fall asleep.
The first night I tracked my slumber, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Oura both said I got just shy of 7 hours, while Apple’s wearable recorded 7.5 hours—not a huge difference. On another night, the Watch 5 Pro and the Ultra agreed that I got around 9 hours, which seemed accurate, while the Oura tracked 7.5 hours.
Always remember that variations in health data from one product to the next are expected, so it's a good idea to stick with one device to track your data over time. Interestingly, all three wearables generally agree on the amount of time I spent in each sleep stage.
As for other health-focused features, the Watch 5 Pro lets you take on-demand electrocardiogram (ECG) and body composition measurements. It automatically monitors your stress level throughout the day, and offers guided breathing exercises to help you relax.
It also tracks your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). I don't always find these readings particularly accurate, so you should take them with a grain of salt. While other devices like the Oura and Apple Watch rarely report my SpO2 below 95%, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro says it dipped as low as 74% overnight, which seems off. I also received unusually low SpO2 readings from the standard Galaxy Watch 5. It could be a software or sensor issue.
Samsung's latest wearables have some other limitations on the health-tracking front. They do not track your heart rate variability (HRV) or respiration rate, two fairly common wearable device metrics.
And while Samsung makes a big deal about adding a temperature sensor to its 2022 Galaxy Watches, we're still waiting for software support. Many other wearable devices—including the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, Fitbit Charge 5, Oura Ring, and Whoop 4.0—already track skin temperature variations, a metric that indicates whether you're running hotter or colder compared with your baseline.
In comparison, there's still no way to see your temperate data from Galaxy Watch 5 series devices. Samsung hasn't offered any indication for when temperature data will be available, but says it's working with developers to create features that take advantage of the technology.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro competes directly with the $799 Apple Watch Ultra, which stands out for its superior water resistance, emergency siren, and Action button. Samsung's rugged model has a more comfortable and practical design, slightly better battery life, and costs $350 less. Fortunately, choosing between the two isn't hard because the Ultra is exclusive to iPhones while the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro only works with Android.
Though it's not ruggedized at all, the Google Pixel Watch (starting at $349) features an extensive array of Fitbit-derived health and fitness tools, but it doesn't track skin temperature or SpO2. It's a good smartwatch for Android users, but it isn't focused on outdoor adventure like the Apple Watch Ultra or the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.
Ultimately, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro offers all the features of the standard model with a significant battery life boost, a more rugged titanium case, and a more durable sapphire crystal glass display. Its exclusive outdoor features inspire hiking and cycling expeditions and guide you on the roads and trails. For $170 more than the standard model, it's a good choice for mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers, and those who work outdoors, as well as anyone who wants a fully featured Android-compatible smartwatch that will last more than a single day on a charge.
The rugged Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro doubles the battery life of the standard model and adds exclusive outdoor adventure features, including turn-by-turn cycling and hiking directions, for $170 more.
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I'm PCMag's expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I've written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.
Before becoming an analyst in 2020, I spent eight years as a reporter covering consumer tech news. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
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