Samsung may have beaten Apple to the punch when it released the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro at its Unpacked event in August, but was this early attack enough to stop Apple’s September release of the Apple Watch Ultra? With the largest market share, Apple has pretty much ruled the wearables market (it currently holds about 25 percent of the wearable market, according to research firm IDC)
But Samsung is Apple’s biggest mobile competitor, so it makes sense for the two companies to compete in the rugged smartwatch market. During its Far Out event, Apple showed off the Ultra along with the rest of its Series 8 phones. With its bigger case and better diving features, the Ultra stood out right away.
The rest of the line is aimed more at people who care about their health, but the Ultra is clearly aimed at outdoor adventurers and divers. At its Unpacked event in August, Samsung showed off the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, its most rugged watch yet. The case of the watch is bigger, and the sapphire glass is an upgrade that will make it less likely to get scratched.
Apple Watch Ultra vs Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Comparison Table
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Apple Watch Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.4-inches | 1.92-inches |
| RAM | 1.5GB | n/a |
| Battery | 590 mAh | n/a |
| Storage | 16GB | 32GB |
| Dimensions | 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5 mm | 49 x 44 x 14.4 mm |
| Weight | 46.5 g | 61.3 g |
| Price | $449/$499 | $799 |
| OS | Wear OS 3.5, One UI Watch 4.5 | Watch OS 9 |
Design, display, and bands
Depending on how big your wrist is and what you like, you could say that both of these watches are too big and too heavy. If you look at the Apple Watch 8 vs. the Ultra or the Galaxy Watch 5 vs. the Pro, you can see that the larger watches are less sleek and have a more rugged look.
Both watches have a titanium case, sapphire glass, and a raised bezel that protects the display from drops. Both are IP6X dust-proof and have MIL-STD-810H protection, but only Apple has said that the watch has been tested for altitude, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze/thaw, shock, and vibration.
The only watch with an official IPX8 rating and 5ATM (50 metres) of water resistance is the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The Apple Watch Ultra, on the other hand, has a rating of 100 metres (WR100) and is approved for scuba diving down to 40 metres and “high-speed water sports.” It also has a rating of EN 13319, which means it is fully approved for divers.
Most water-resistant devices aren’t made to handle water hitting them at high speeds, so the Apple Watch Ultra is the better choice for swimmers, divers, and other water sports fans, even though the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro works fine for casual pool use.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro doesn’t have a physically rotating bezel like the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. This made it easy to scroll through menus and gave the watch a classic look. The Watch 5 Pro has a 1.4-inch display with a digital touch bezel around the edge. To move through options, you can slide your finger in a circle. You also have two side buttons that you can use to choose something or go back, as well as double-tap or long-press shortcuts for things like opening Google Assistant or Google Wallet.
The Apple Watch Ultra, like all Apple Watches, has a Digital Crown. However, it’s been redesigned to have a larger diameter and coarser grooves, which our iMore colleagues say makes it much easier to use than the small crown on other Apple Watches. In addition to the back button, it has a new, bright orange Action Button that can be set up to do anything you want, like start a workout or turn on the flashlight.
Apple Watch Ultra vs Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Features
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a 45mm case that holds a 1.4-inch, 450×450 Super AMOLED screen. On the other hand, there is no information about the size of the Apple Watch Ultra’s LTPO OLED display, but it is housed in a 49mm case. Always-on display can be used with both wearables. Apple also says that its screen is very bright, with a brightness level of 2000 nits. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a dual-core Exynos W920 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage space.
The S8 processor in the Apple Watch Ultra also has two cores and 32GB of storage. In terms of health features, there are some similarities between the Apple Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Both smartwatches have an ECG sensor, a temperature sensor, and a sensor that can measure your heart rate and blood oxygen level. Both of the watches can also keep track of your sleep and your menstrual cycle.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) sensors from Samsung can measure body composition (body fat, skeletal muscle, and BMI). The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro can also keep track of your blood pressure. And if something goes wrong, fall detection and emergency SOS will call an emergency contact that has already been set up. The Apple Watch Ultra also has a crash detection feature and a built-in 86-decibel siren that makes it easy to find the user in an emergency.
Apple Watch Ultra vs Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Performance
We don’t know how well the Apple Watch Ultra works because we haven’t been able to test it. But it should work better or at least as well as the Apple Watch Series 7 and older models. And these work pretty well compared to Wear OS smartwatches. We wouldn’t expect anything less from Apple’s latest high-end smartwatch than a quick experience. The S8 chip in the Watch Ultra is brand new, but it should work just as well as the S7.
Samsung’s new W920 is used in the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic both use this chip. But the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro still feels faster. Even though it’s not by much, and most users might not even notice. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has 16GB of random access memory (RAM). Which seems more than enough for any action you might want to do on a smartwatch.
Even so, it can’t hurt to have more RAM. And the Apple Watch Ultra has more RAM for sure. At 32GB, it has twice as much storage as the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. This will help you run different apps and get things done. And the Apple Watch Ultra may need all that RAM to do everything it can do.
Apple Watch Ultra vs Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Battery Life
Here, the Samsung Watch 5 Pro gets a point because its 590mAh battery makes it last longer. Samsung says the watch can be used for up to 80 hours if it is used normally. On the other hand, the Ultra’s battery only lasts 36 hours, or 60 hours if you use the low power settings.
If you like to get lost in the woods and not worry about having to charge your watch, the Samsung Watch 5 pro is the best choice for you. Apple says that the Watch Ultra has a 36-hour battery life, but when we tested it for a long time, we only used it for less than 24 hours.
Apple Watch Ultra Pros and Cons
Pros
- A big, flat screen
- Designed for the great outdoors
- There’s a new button
Cons
- Painfully expensive
- Too large or heavy for some wrists
- No offline maps
Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Pros and Cons
Pros
- 3-day battery life
- Google Assistant support
- Offline GPX maps
- Body composition data
- Lighter than the Ultra
Cons
- Limited, manual GPX process
- Skin temperature not yet enabled
- Blood pressure remains elusive in the US
- Temperature data unavailable at launch
Which one should you consider?
Both smartwatches work well, but the Apple Watch Ultra is twice as expensive as the Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro. Galaxy watch5 Pro can be used as your main watch. You can also link up with any Android phone. It has most of the things that modern smartwatches have, but it doesn’t cost as much.
Use the Apple Watch Ultra if you are a world-class athlete, like water sports, or like to go on adventures outside. The Ultra is certified by EN13319, which means that it is perfect for scuba diving to a depth of 40 metres.
You also get the most precise GPS tracking. You can use compass waypoints to mark where you are and go back if you get lost. The Fall Detection feature of the Apple Watch Ultra is helpful when you’re outside. It has a siren that can be heard from 600 feet away (180 meters.) But if you want the Apple Watch Ultra, you will have to pay more.
FAQs
Is Galaxy Watch 5 Pro better than Apple Watch Ultra?
The Apple Watch Ultra is said to last 12 hours with GPS or 10 hours with GPS and LTE. The only problem is that if you use dual-frequency GPS, the number will go down. With GPS on, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is said to last 20 hours, which shows that its battery is stronger.
Which is better Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch?
The battery in the Samsung Galaxy Watch Pro is bigger, so it can last even longer. It can be used for up to 80 hours on a single charge. The battery life of the Apple Watch Ultra is better than that of the regular Apple Watch 8, but it’s still not as good as that of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 or 5 Pro.
