Samsung on Wednesday unveiled two new smartwatches: the Galaxy Watch 5 and the more rugged, outdoor-friendly Watch 5 Pro.
Fans of Samsung's smartwatches may be bummed to hear that both of these new models lack a physical rotating bezel, a feature available on last year's Watch 4 Classic that allows for quick scrolling. Feature-wise, the most notable addition headed to this generation of Samsung wearables is support for skin temperature tracking via a new infrared temperature sensor.
"Skin temperature analysis opens up new opportunities for developers to expand their health and wellness offerings," a Samsung spokesperson said during a briefing with reporters.
Several other wearable devices—including the Fitbit Charge 5, Oura Ring Generation 3, and Whoop 4.0—already track skin temperature variations, a metric that indicates whether you're running hotter or colder compared to your baseline. Rumor has it that the next Apple Watch expected this coming fall will feature a body temperature sensor.
Samsung also reshaped the curvature of the back glass on the Watch 5 series, increasing the surface area that the BioActive Sensor comes in contact with on your wrist. This change enables more accurate body composition, blood oxygen saturation, and electrocardiogram measurements, the company says.
Circling back to design, the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro both feature two physical buttons on the right side and a functional digital bezel instead of a physical one, like the Watch 4. The digital bezel doesn't physically turn, but still lets you navigate the interface by simply running your finger along the side of the screen.
Some Galaxy Watch wearers prefer the physical rotating bezel available on the Watch 4 Classic and older generations because it provides a sort of buffer for the glass, helping to prevent scratches on the display. That should be less of an issue on the Watch 5, the first Samsung smartwatch to feature a sapphire crystal glass display, which the company says makes it 60% stronger against scratching versus the Watch 4.
Both new models still boast 5ATM and IP68 ratings, meaning they are waterproof to a depth of 164 feet for 10 minutes, and can withstand dust, dirt, and sand.
In terms of battery life, the Watch 5 promises up to 50 hours of power on a charge, or 10 hours more than the Watch 4. Plopping it on the charger for just 8 minutes before bed should give it enough battery life to track your sleep for 8 hours, the company says. A 30-minute charge will bump the battery level up 45%.
The Watch 5 Pro is specifically designed for mountain bikers, runners, hikers, and those who work outdoors. It offers all the features of the standard model with a larger display, a more rugged titanium case, and an "even more durable sapphire crystal glass display" for increased scratch resistance, Samsung says. The Watch 5 Pro features a larger, 590mAh battery that promises up to 80 hours of power on a charge, or 20 hours with the GPS enabled.
The Pro version also supports new route-specific workouts to help you find your way during outdoor adventures. Samsung says you'll be able to easily import trail running and cycling routes into the watch for turn-by-turn directions. It also includes a new route-tracking feature that will take you back the way you came when biking or traveling by foot.
On the software side, Samsung is introducing eight "entirely new" watch faces and revamping 10 existing ones. Apple, meanwhile, also plans to introduce new watch faces for its wearables this year as part of watchOS 9 this fall.
The Galaxy Watch 5 comes in 40mm (small) and 44mm (large) watch face sizes, starting at $279.99 for the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi model, or $329.99 for the LTE version. Both sizes come in graphite (black) and silver color options; the larger is also available in sapphire (blue), and the smaller also comes in pink-gold.
The Watch 5 Pro features a 45mm watch face, and comes in black or gray titanium, starting at $449.99 for Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, or $499.99 for LTE. Using the Bespoke Studio tool on Samsung's website, buyers can customize their watch band color and style.
Samsung says the Watch 4 Classic will remain on sale for those who want a rotating bezel. Samsung's 2021 smartwatches earned high marks in our reviews, but the standard, rotating bezel-less Watch 4 earned our Editors' Choice as the more value-rich option.
Samsung also today announced the Galaxy Flip 4 and Fold 4 phones (check out our hands-on video below), and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds. Stay tuned for PCMag's full reviews of the Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro, and Samsung's other new devices.