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MF Tests: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

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With improved battery life and top mapping capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also has an ace up its sleeve: a body composition sensor…

BEST WATCH FOR MEASURING BODY FAT

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro 

From £429 / samsung.com 

Design: 4/5
Battery life: 3.5/5
Smart features: 4.5/5
Fitness insights: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5

PROS:

  • Only watch with body composition sensor 
  • Great battery for a full-blown app-toting smartwatch 

CONS:

  • Design won’t be for all 
  • Some features only work with Samsung phones 

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Just like Apple Watches, the Samsung Galaxy Watch line has become known for powerful smarts and lackluster battery life, but the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro looks set to change the narrative. Lasting two to four days, it goes for longer than the standard Watch 5, and with military-grade toughness, it’s clearly the Apple Watch Ultra of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch line. 

Samsung’s smartwatches run on Google WearOS, the same wearable operating system as the Google Pixel Watch. This means they work with all Android phones, but not iPhones. It’s also worth noting that some features only work with Samsung Android phones – specifically, the ECG function. So, if you’re hoping to pair one with a Google, Sony or other Android phone, expect a couple of limitations. 

You can also think of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro as borrowing some of the Garmin Enduro 2’s highlights. It doubles down on mapping power, so you can easily trail your way back to where you began a run, even when you don’t have a cell signal, and you can also share courses and load up routes with training partners. 

Unique body composition sensor

The Watch 5 Pro features heart rate, ECG and SpO2 monitors, and is the only watch on test to support a body composition sensor, so it can tell you your body fat per cent without the need for calipers or a body composition scale. In our tests, the number generated wasn’t always in line with other body fat measuring tools, but the fluctuation from week to week was relatively reliable – impressive for a watch.  

What’s also fun about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is how it playfully tracks your sleep, assigns you a sleep animal so you can identify whether you’re naturally a night owl or not, and gives you tips based on how you’re doing. With its roughly three-day battery life, you won’t need to charge it every night, and if it does need a top-up, and you have a Samsung phone, it can power up by being placed on the back of your handset. 

So, while the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro might not get the kind of battery life you’d expect from a similarly priced Garmin Forerunner 955 or Huawei Watch GT 3 Pro, its app support is superior, it packs more sensors, and it lasts for a respectable amount of time on a single charge, so it could be the perfect pairing for a Samsung or indeed any other Android phone. 

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