Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Update Brings Extra Tools for Athletes – CNET
Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Update Brings Extra Tools for Athletes - CNET
Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Update Brings Extra Tools for Athletes
Samsung’s rugged watch is staying in the lineup alongside the newer Galaxy Watch 6.
The Galaxy Watch 6 may be the newest Samsung wearable on the block, but the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is getting a software update to add some long-awaited features for hikers, runners and walkers. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains in Samsung’s watch lineup at $450 as the company’s rugged offering, targeted to outdoor adventurers and anyone who wants a Samsung watch with the longest-lasting battery.
Samsung already teased several updates coming to One UI 5 Watch earlier in the year, like sleep tracking improvements and personalized heart rate zones during workouts, but the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro gets some exclusive features.
Now, the watch can tell you the required time needed for a route, as well as the remaining distance left on a trail. It will also give you altitude alerts. Apple is also bringing elevation alerts to all compatible Apple Watches with an update to WatchOS 10 arriving in the fall.
The Watch 5 Pro is the only Samsung watch that’s compatible with GPX files to get route information and turn-by-turn navigation on the wrist. You’ll be able to access the Trailforks database to find maps and GPX files of new routes, or get recommendations on nearby trails sorted by rating or popularity. The route workout option now supports walking and running, alongside the existing cycling and hiking options.
Samsung has slowly been adding more features to the Galaxy Watch 5 series with software updates. The skin temperature sensor wasn’t active at launch, but in April this year the company turned it on to support menstrual cycle tracking. A new Thermo Check app uses this same sensor to measure the temperature of surroundings and WhatsApp recently launched for the watch.