What's New in Samsung Galaxy Watch 5?
The Galaxy Watch 5 brings meaningful refinements over the Galaxy Watch 4, focusing on durability, battery life, and health tracking with the addition of a temperature sensor.
Sapphire Crystal Display
The most significant durability upgrade over the Watch 4.
- Material: Synthetic sapphire (hardness 9 on Mohs scale)
- Scratch resistance: Won't scratch from keys, coins, sand, or concrete
- Upgrade from: Gorilla Glass DX+ on Watch 4 (hardness 6-7)
- Impact: Long-term display clarity, premium feel
This is the first standard Galaxy Watch with sapphire crystal, a material typically found in luxury watches.
Skin Temperature Sensor
A completely new health capability not available on Watch 4.
- Technology: Infrared temperature sensor in the BioActive sensor array
- Function: Tracks wrist skin temperature during sleep
- Uses: Sleep quality analysis, recovery monitoring, cycle tracking correlation
- Limitation: Wellness feature only, not for fever detection
The temperature sensor provides more detailed sleep insights and helps identify patterns affecting rest quality.
13% Larger Battery
Both size variants received significant battery upgrades.
| Model | Watch 4 | Watch 5 | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40mm | 250mAh | 284mAh | +13% |
| 44mm | 361mAh | 410mAh | +13% |
Real-world impact: Approximately 4-6 additional hours of use, making 2-day battery life more reliable.
Bluetooth 5.2 Connectivity
Upgraded from Bluetooth 5.0 in the Watch 4.
- Range: Up to 40 meters (vs ~30m with 5.0)
- Stability: Fewer disconnections from phone
- Power efficiency: Better battery life
- Data transfer: Faster syncing
Improved BioActive Sensor
Refinements to the existing health monitoring hardware.
- Better accuracy across heart rate, ECG, and SpO2 readings
- Faster measurement times
- More reliable skin contact detection
- Integrated temperature sensor capability
Other Improvements
Additional refinements round out the upgrade.
- Faster charging: 0-100% in ~80 minutes (vs ~90 minutes on Watch 4)
- One UI Watch 4.5: Launched with newer software version
- Enhanced sleep coaching: Temperature-informed sleep insights
What Stayed the Same
These specifications are unchanged from Watch 4.
Exynos W920processor (5nm)- 1.5GB RAM, 16GB storage
- Display sizes and resolutions
- Water resistance (5ATM + IP68)
- GPS, Wi-Fi, NFC
- Case dimensions
What Was Removed
MST payments (magnetic stripe emulation) were removed in Watch 4 and remain absent. The Watch 5 supports NFC-only Samsung Pay.
Who Should Upgrade from Watch 4?
Worth upgrading if:
- Your Watch 4 display is scratched
- Battery life doesn't meet your needs
- You want temperature-based sleep insights
Not necessary if:
- Your Watch 4 is in good condition
- Current battery life is acceptable
- You don't use detailed sleep tracking
The Watch 5 is a refinement rather than a revolution—a polished evolution addressing Watch 4's weaknesses.
Buying Decision
If choosing between Watch 4 and Watch 5 new, the Watch 5 is worth the price difference for sapphire crystal durability alone. If upgrading from a working Watch 4, the improvements are incremental.
See Also: Galaxy Watch 5 vs Galaxy Watch 4|Does Galaxy Watch 5 Have Temperature Sensor