Galaxy Watch 5 long-term review: is the upgrade from the Watch 4 worth it?

The Galaxy Watch 5 looks like the Galaxy Watch 4 but brings a few innovations that you don’t notice at first glance. I’ll reveal at the end whether the battery is one of them. I have worn the watch continuously since the market launch.

Model, size, and display

In 2022 Samsung brought out two models: the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The Pro at 45 mm is quite a chunk. It is out of the question for my slim wrist, and it only comes in black. That is why I have the Galaxy Watch 5 in 40 mm with Bluetooth, so without LTE.

• Size and weight: The size is ideal for me, and at 28.7 g the watch doesn’t stand out on the wrist.
• Design: I like the angular aluminum frame a lot.
• Display: It is 0.1 inches larger than on the Watch 4 and is now made of sapphire glass. The display of the Watch 4 was made of Corning Gorilla Glass and, after a year of use, no longer looks good on mine. I hope the Watch 5 is more robust.

Sensors and operating system

An improved BioActive sensor is built in. As in the predecessor, it measures heart rate, blood pressure, and body fat percentage, and additionally temperature. That is interesting for sleep and cycle tracking or for detecting fever. The sensor is there, but the related functions are not yet. I suspect they will be added later in the year.

The watch runs Google’s Wear OS. That brings Google Assistant, whereas before there was only Bixby, and that was semi-good. Wear OS runs fast and smoothly. The display responds faster and better to touch input than on the predecessor. Google Pay (now Wallet) can be installed, so you can pay with the watch. It doesn’t work for me because my bank doesn’t offer mobile payment.

My everyday life with the Watch 5

• Sports: I track steps and workouts. There are lots of sport activities to choose from.
• Sleep: I try to optimize the length of my deep sleep, and the watch helps me with that.
• Body composition: Now and then I measure muscle, water, and fat.
• Samsung Health: All the data comes together there, and you can track nutrition too. For everyone who counts calories and macros, it is an informative and well-made overall package.
• Calls and messages: When I am too lazy to open my Z Flip 4, I make calls with the watch. That works well. For replies I recommend the Google keyboard, which lets you type with swipe gestures too. That works surprisingly well on the small display.

The battery

The Galaxy Watch 5 has become my best everyday companion, only with the battery do I go crazy. It has 284 mAh, almost 40 mAh more than the predecessor. I get about 1.75 days, whereas with the Galaxy Watch 4 it was only one day. That is a clear improvement, but irrelevant in everyday life: I have to charge the watch every day anyway so it doesn’t run out on me on the second day. With irregular charging habits, it dies during the day every few days, and that is annoying.

There are watches that cost less than half, are just as slim and light, and last ten days. I wish Samsung would take a leaf out of other manufacturers’ books here.

Verdict

If you already have the Galaxy Watch 4, the upgrade isn’t worth it in my opinion, unless you want the temperature feature once it is available at some point. If you are looking for a new smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 5 is an excellent choice, as long as you don’t mind charging it every day.