Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro VS. Apple Watch Ultra

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Apple’s Apple Watch Ultra are two of the latest smartwatches on the market. Both watches also target the exact same group of customers – outdoor adventure types who are active and need/want features that work with that. Both smartwatches offer a fair amount of these features to their respective customers. And of course, the two are naturally geared towards separate platforms.

That being said, each also potentially has the ability to attract customers from the opposite platform. Both the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra have strengths that make them tempting tech items. In this article, we will compare the two smartwatches. Although the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra are similar in many ways, they are also quite different. So let’s break down how each compares.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro VS. Apple Watch Ultra: design

There is no way around it. As for the design, honestly both watches look massive. Although the Apple Watch Ultra is significantly larger than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It is also noticeably thicker. But aside from the dimensions, the design of both watches is really quite stunning. A big part of that is undoubtedly the use of titanium for the watch body.

However, the two companies take a different approach to form. Samsung follows its familiar round design for the watch body while Apple continues to use a square body. Both companies use sapphire crystal for the glass that sits above the screen. Which helps to protect the screen from scratches and scuffs. Both also have a decent selection of watch straps to choose from.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra also have two buttons for interaction. But the Apple Watch Ultra also has the Digital Crown, while Samsung opts for the Digital Touch Bezel.

While the Apple Watch Ultra is undoubtedly larger, the two watches probably don’t feel too different on the wrist. So most people shouldn’t have to worry about one feeling much heavier than the other. All in all, both have good designs and even though slight improvements could be made, users will surely be happy with their choices.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro VS. Apple Watch Ultra: Display

Both watches have great displays and will be able to do the job for the intended purpose. Which is to make sure everything is visible when in use. That being said, Apple’s screen is larger and that may help with visibility a bit more than on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The Apple Watch Ultra also has a slightly higher pixel density and screen resolution.

Both watches also have an always-on display, but Apple’s Watch Ultra gets noticeably brighter. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a peak brightness of 1,000 nits while the Apple Watch Ultra has a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. Thus, the Ultra will be more easily visible even in direct sunlight. For those who constantly use the device on their outdoor adventures, and especially in sunnier climates, this will definitely count.

In addition to maximum brightness, size and shape can play a role in comfort and usability. Since the Apple Watch Ultra not only has a bigger screen but also a square shape, there’s more usable screen real estate. But the round design of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro certainly has a more comfortable flow when paired with the touch bezel. Something about the scrolling interaction of dragging your finger around the edge of the screen in a circular motion just feels more natural.

Even if that means you have to give up some screen real estate to get that navigation capability. Still, as mentioned, both watches have great displays. And which one is better probably comes down to a feeling of personal preference. Although the Watch Ultra’s display may look better on paper.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro VS. Apple Watch Ultra: Performance

Since we weren’t able to test the Apple Watch Ultra, we can’t really vouch for its performance. But it should perform better or at least equal to current and earlier Apple Watch Series 7 devices. And these perform pretty well compared to smartwatches running Wear OS. We expect nothing less than a speedy experience with Apple’s latest high-end smartwatch. The Watch Ultra uses a brand new S8 chip which should work just as well as the S7.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro uses Samsung’s new W920. This is the same chip used on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. But it still looks snappier on the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Although few and for the majority of users, it may not even be noticeable. When it comes to RAM, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro comes with 16GB. Which is honestly more than enough for any type of action you might perform on a smartwatch.

It can’t hurt to have more RAM though. And the Apple Watch Ultra definitely comes with more RAM. At twice the amount of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, at 32GB. It will definitely help you run different apps and perform tasks. And all that RAM might be needed with everything the Apple Watch Ultra can do.

Ultimately, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra will be able to handle anything you throw at them.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro VS. Apple Watch Ultra: battery

No matter how many cool features a smartwatch has and how well it performs, it all doesn’t matter if the watch doesn’t have the battery life to sustain your usage. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra both boast the longest battery life of any watch ever produced by either company.

However, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro wins slightly here. Each watch has decent battery life during standard use. With the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lasting nearly 40 hours (maybe a little more) on a single charge while using most of the features available. Apple Watch Ultra is designed to last approximately 36 hours on a single charge with normal use. Where things get really interesting is with the low power mode provided by each watch. This greatly extends battery life.

On the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, users can get up to 80 hours on a single charge thanks to its low power mode. The Apple Watch Ultra offers up to 60. Which is still good, but almost a whole day less. The other thing to consider is that Low Power Mode isn’t available on the Apple Watch Ultra right away. Apple says it’s coming soon, which means users will have to wait a bit before they can even extend battery life this way.

For those going on longer excursions, they’ll just have to be a bit more mindful if they want the watch to last. Apple doesn’t list the watch’s battery size, but with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, you get a 590mAh battery. Much bigger than anything Samsung offers. It is also important to remember that battery life will differ from person to person. So while the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro may provide better battery life for one person, the Apple Watch Ultra may last longer for others. It just depends on the use case.

That being said, if both watches are used in exactly the same way, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will last longer. And that just boils down to what is probably more battery capacity.