Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: There’s a transparent winner

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra is the corporate’s reply to the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s the brand new rugged smartwatch providing from Samsung, designed for many who need just a little bit extra from their on a regular basis smartwatch.

But this isn’t the primary time that Samsung has launched a rugged watch. Before the Galaxy Watch Ultra, there was the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which launched in 2022. While it was a superb smartwatch, it was by no means actually seen as a real competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra.

Although the Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s newest and best rugged smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains to be obtainable. So, in case you’re looking for a sturdy Samsung smartwatch, which do you have to purchase? Let’s break it down.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: specs

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Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: design and show

The Galaxy Watch Ultra has an attention-grabbing and controversial design. It positively is “inspired” by its greatest competitor, the Apple Watch Ultra. Despite initially seeming like an Apple Watch Ultra competitor although, Digital Trends’ Mobile editor Joe Maring was capable of shake off that impression after only one week of utilizing the Galaxy Watch Ultra, main him to the conclusion that its the “most original and unique Android smartwatches you can buy in 2024.”

With the Galaxy Watch Ultra, you’ve gotten a principally sq. case that envelops a spherical show. It’s fairly chunky with a 47mm case dimension, which is the one dimension it is available in, and it’s 12.1mm thick. On the suitable aspect of the case is the watch’s Quick Button, flanked by the again and residential buttons. Oh, and don’t neglect the brilliant orange accents like the opposite Ultra watch in the marketplace.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is made with aerospace-grade titanium and is available in three colours: Titanium White, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gray. It has a proprietary “cushion design” that may defend the show in sure excessive situations and is marketed because the “toughest Galaxy Watch yet.” The lug system has additionally modified and works equally to the Apple Watch band system.

The 1.5-inch Super AMOLED always-on show is protected with sapphire crystal glass. It has a decision of 480 x 480 pixels and might attain a most brightness of three,000 nits. The Galaxy Watch Ultra can also be waterproof as much as 100m and has an IP68 ranking, which suggests it’s fully dust-tight and is supposed to be submerged in water for prolonged intervals of time.

However, Samsung warns in opposition to utilizing the Galaxy Watch Ultra throughout “high-pressure water activities and diving,” suggesting it’s best to restrict your utilization to shallow water actions reminiscent of swimming in a pool.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a totally spherical case, which is analogous to conventional timepieces, and it is available in two colours: Black Titanium or Gray Titanium. It can also be made with titanium and has sapphire crystal glass on the show, so it’s additionally fairly sturdy. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro additionally is available in one dimension, 45mm, and is barely much less thick at 10.5mm. There are two buttons on the suitable aspect, however no Quick Button. Samsung makes use of normal 22mm-width straps for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

The always-on Super AMOLED show on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is 1.4 inches, and it has a 450 x 450 pixel decision and an IP68 ranking. However, whereas the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a 5ATM water submersion ranking, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has a 10ATM ranking (50 meters of submersion versus 100 meters, respectively).

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: well being monitoring options

When it involves well being monitoring options, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a little more complete than the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro have the identical general set of sensors: coronary heart price, ECG, bioelectrical impedance evaluation (BIA), SpO2, temperature, accelerometer, gyroscope, alti-barometer, ambient gentle, and compass. The Galaxy Watch Ultra’s greatest {hardware} improve is its improved BioActive Sensor, which permits sleep apnea detection and AGEs index monitoring (a metric that may assist gauge your physique’s organic getting older course of). Unfortunately, whereas the sleep apnea detection seems to be on level, we didn’t discover the AGEs metric to be convincingly accurate.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra additionally introduces particular AI-powered options like Energy Score and Wellness Tips. Energy Score provides you a 1 to 100 rating to price your power for a given day based mostly on completely different facets of your sleep, whereas Wellness Tips appears at your well being knowledge to offer advisable ideas.

With the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, you’ve gotten coronary heart monitoring, superior sleep teaching (however no sleep apnea detection), automated exercise detection, physique composition, and cycle monitoring — all of which you additionally get on the Watch Ultra. Samsung shall be including Energy Score and Wellness Tips to older Galaxy Watches, together with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, so long as you’ve gotten an Android telephone that runs Android 10 or greater.

Even after software program updates, although, the Galaxy 5 Pro will nonetheless lack sleep apnea detection and the AGEs index function. That’s as a result of it doesn’t have the brand new BioActive Sensor that’s discovered on the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: efficiency and charging

The Galaxy Watch Ultra comes with Samsung’s strongest chip but, the Exynos W1000, which can also be discovered within the Galaxy Watch 7. This is the primary 3nm processor from Samsung. In layman’s phrases, this implies a clean and environment friendly consumer expertise.

The Exynos W1000 is 3x sooner than the previous-generation Exynos W930 chip within the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The Galaxy Watch Ultra additionally has 2GB RAM and 32GB of inner storage.

On the opposite hand, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has the Exynos W920 processor, 1.5GB RAM, and 16GB storage. This would imply that it’s considerably slower than the W1000 chip, particularly with much less RAM and storage. We did discover some slowdown with fundamental duties like seeing notification info on the display or it taking a number of makes an attempt to pick a menu merchandise earlier than it registers. The slowdown could also be extra obvious (with out being detrimental to utilization) in case you are utilizing third-party watch faces on a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

With this in thoughts, when you can nonetheless decide up a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro for reasonable lately, you positively do need to make some compromises when it comes to efficiency.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro each have a 590mAh battery inside. That means you’ll get across the similar battery life from both watch. The extra environment friendly processor on the Galaxy Watch Ultra ought to compensate for its brighter — and, thus, comparatively extra energy hungry show.

During our overview, we discovered the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s battery to final round one-and-a-half to 2 days with ample bodily exercise. Samsung states it ought to final a minimum of 48 hours in train power-saving mode, and as much as 100 hours in normal power-saving mode.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra helps sooner charging at up 15W utilizing the wi-fi charging puck included with it. Despite the quick advertized velocity, nonetheless, we witnessed the Galaxy Watch Ultra take roughly 90 minutes per cycle, which may be irritating in sure eventualities.

Our overview of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro confirmed that it may be used for round three full days — so long as you solely do a 30-minute exercise every day — earlier than it’s worthwhile to recharge. But typical use must be a minimum of two full days. It includes a slower 10W charger, which will increase the charging time, making it slower than the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: software program and updates

Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro run Wear OS with Samsung’s customized One UI Watch interface layered on high. Of course, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro got here out earlier and is now about midway by means of its life cycle.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro got here geared up with Wear OS 4 with Samsung’s One UI Watch 5 software program on high. Samsung has promised 4 years of software program updates for the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, each of which launched in 2022, which suggests that it’s going to final by means of 2026.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is among the many first Android smartwatches to run Wear OS 5, which is alleged to have much-improved efficiency and energy effectivity in comparison with the earlier model. Samsung additionally included its One UI 6 interface on high for an optimized Samsung expertise. Although the brand new interface feed is visually an identical to that of the earlier era, we did discover extra fluidity and faster supply of notifications. Samsung additionally added help for a “Double Pinch” gesture whereby you possibly can faucet your thumb and index finger to carry out particular actions, reminiscent of answering calls, altering music, dismissing alarms, and taking photos with a paired Samsung telephone.

Like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, the Galaxy Watch Ultra may even have 4 years of supported updates, which suggests it can final by means of to 2028 a minimum of.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: value and availability

Since the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a real Apple Watch Ultra competitor, it isn’t low-cost. It prices $650, is available in three colours — silver, white, or grey — and you’ll select between three band sorts. It may be discovered instantly from Samsung’s web site or at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains to be obtainable on the market from Samsung’s web site, in addition to retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. It is available in two colours, black or grey, and you will discover it at a comparatively cheap value lately — as little as $154 for an authorized refurbished one or round $250 for a brand new one.

But contemplating that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has solely about two extra years of help left, it could be a greater thought to only go together with the Galaxy Watch Ultra, so long as you possibly can afford it.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: verdict

After placing the Galaxy Watch Ultra by means of its paces throughout our overview, we actually preferred it way more than our positive initial impressions, regardless of its imperfections.

It’s greater than Samsung’s adaptation of the Apple Watch Ultra and options reminiscent of sleep apnea detection, and the distinct squircle design helps to set it other than different Wear OS watches. The rugged design is made to face up to powerful and harsh environments, and it’s packed to the brim with helpful well being sensors. Galaxy AI options like Energy Score and Wellness Tips provide the greatest and most complete have a look at your well being and well-being, and it is available in a number of colours.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is 2 years outdated at this level, round midway by means of its supported lifespan, and was already sluggish on launch. The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a a lot sooner processor, extra RAM, and double the storage. Wear OS 5 can also be a pleasant enchancment, and we should always anticipate round two full days of damage, relying on use.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is usually a tempting purchase in 2024, particularly because of frequent gross sales and reductions that are actually obtainable. However, when you have the money to spend and need the very best rugged Samsung watch you should purchase, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is what it’s best to most likely purchase.

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