Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, Watch 5 Pro Review: The new heroes

tech.hindustantimes.com:

In the Android side of things, it is Samsung that makes the best smartwatches of all. Samsung's Galaxy watches have always stood up against the dominant Apple Watch for years and since last year, even beaten it in some aspects. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic have great fan following, and with appealing low prices, you can't go wrong with them. But Samsung is done with them and makes us look at the Galaxy Watch 5 series. Not much has changed on paper and in sight, but the new watches up the smartwatch game by a notch.

The Galaxy Watch 5 is now more expensive, starting at Rs. 27,999 for the 40mm GPS version, while the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro now comes in only a 45mm variant, starting at Rs. 44,999 for the GPS version. We have been using both these watches since the last few weeks and one thing becomes instantly clear – the Galaxy Watch 5 is all about minor refinements rather than major upgrades.

With the regular Galaxy Watch 5, the design remains largely similar to the Galaxy Watch 4. It has the same flat display with flat sides hosting the two function buttons, and a beautifully fused strap holder. There are some new colours and I like the Sapphire variant I had, especially its purple silicon strap. The watch is thicker though and Samsung has enhanced the underside curve for better comfort. Personally, I found it a bit too much and wished for a flatter underbelly.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, on the other hand, ditches the rotating bezel from the Watch 4 Classic and settles for a raised bezel around the 45mm display. It tries to emulate the macho design of rugged sports watches but practicality takes a hit. Yes, you get Samsung's virtual rotating bezel for navigation but it doesn't work nearly as nicely as the physical one. No