Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro takes everything we love about Samsung’s smartwatches and packs in even more with a bigger display, better battery, and a titanium body. It’s the pinnacle of Samsung’s smartwatch options, including exclusive outdoor exercise features that make it well worth the increased price.
Garmin Forerunner 745
The Forerunner 745 doesn’t do anything new, at least as far as Garmin smartwatches go, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most refined fitness watches out there. Built for runners, swimmers, and bikers, this fitness smartwatch puts more health stats at your fingertips than ever before and gives you ways to store music locally, so you always have a great jam while working out.
The Garmin Forerunner 745 and theSamsung Galaxy Watch 5 Prooffer a lot for their premium price tags, though the Watch 5 Pro leans more into its smartwatch roots than the Forerunner 745. Neither of these smartwatches made our list of thebest Android smartwatches, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for an assortment of exercise features.
The Watch 5 Pro received great marks in our review for its battery and features, but it falls behind compared to premium fitness trackers. On the other hand, the Forerunner 745 doesn’t offer as many smartwatch features, but it has amazing fitness tracking capabilities. So, how do these two devices stack up side by side? Well, let’s take a look.
Price, availability, and specs
When it comes to price and availability, these are some of the more premium picks available in the smartwatch world. With the Forerunner 745 retailing for $500 and the Watch 5 Pro starting at $450, both of these smartwatches will require a larger budget than some of the other Android smartwatches out there. However, both are readily available, despite the age difference.
Those who prefer less smartwatch functionality will find the Garmin Forerunner 745 available at Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers. you’re able to also purchase it directly from Garmin’s website. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is also widely available, with Best Buy and Amazon offering similar offerings for Samsung’s premium smartwatch pick. You can also order it from Samsung’s website if you prefer.
Deciding which smartwatch you should purchase, based on price alone, isn’t always that difficult — especially when one comes with a $50 savings. But when making a purchase like this, it’s important to look at all the factors involved and then judge your purchase options based oneverything it offerscompared towhat you needfrom the watch.
Durability and design
Garmin might not have made any huge changes to the Forerunner series with the introduction of the Forerunner 745 in 2020, but the watch is still a well-designed and well-oiled beast. It’s a smartwatch designed to brave the elements you’ll encounter while running, biking, and swimming. Its fiber-reinforced polymer bezel and Gorilla Glass DX provide a well-rounded bit of protection from the bumps and scuffs it might run into during any of those activities. Likewise, its 5 ATM water rating means you can swim safely without worrying about your smartwatch catching any water damage to its internal mechanisms.
On the other hand, Samsung used titanium to create the body of the Watch 5 Pro, providing a hard, durable design that will keep working without issue no matter how many times you might trip or fall during intense training sessions. It’s also rated with a 5 ATM water rating and military-grade durability. This means the Watch 5 Pro and the Forerunner 745 can take the dings and bumps without breaking stride.
However, the overall design differences between these two devices are very noticeable. While both are boisterous in their durability, the Forerunner 745 is much smaller than the Watch 5 Pro, which measures in even larger than the biggest model of the original Galaxy Watch 5. While the Watch 5 Pro’s larger size will be nice for many, those with smaller wrists will find the overall design of the Forerunner 745 much more enticing and comfortable.
This difference in size also means differences in the display resolutions, with the Watch 5 Pro offering a higher resolution of 450x450 while the Forerunner 745 only sports 240x240. Of course, if you plan to use the smartwatch for activity tracking and other health-based monitoring, the display size and resolution aren’t as important. However, using an AMOLED display in the Watch 5 Pro means it provides a more vivid image, though it could be difficult to see when outside and trying to interact with the device itself.
Regarding design and durability, the Watch 5 Pro and the Forerunner 745 are both great options for smartwatch users looking to pick up a watch that can withstand some of their most rigorous activities while still looking sleek. However, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro manages to pull ahead just a little, thanks to its bigger display and more refined appearance.
Battery life is another area that you’ll really want to consider when comparing these two smartwatches. While the Forerunner 745 boasts up to seven days on a single charge, this is only when using the watch in what Garmin calls “smartwatch mode.” These measurements are based on a ton of speculation about what you might use them for, but active users should expect to find their smartwatch lasting for much shorter periods when utilizing the more intensive features that the Forerunner 745 offers, like Pulse OX and heart rate monitoring. Additionally, using GPS and tracking workouts will take up more battery life. After each use, you’ll have to rely on Garmin’s proprietary charging plug to recharge the device.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro boasts claims of up to five days when using it. However, this, like Garmin’s claims of seven days with the Forerunner 745, all depends on what kind of things you’re doing with it. Real-world testing showed a more realistic charge of around two days between each charging session. But, of course, that number will fluctuate depending on the number of interactions you have with it each day and the number of features you take advantage of.
Users planning to use the Watch 5 Pro and Forerunner 745’s most intensive tracking features, such as GPS, heart rate monitoring, and O2 tracking, will find shorter spans between each major recharge. But since neither device is designed to be worn at all times, finding appropriate times to charge them shouldn’t be too difficult.
Overall, both watches handle their battery drain very well, so figuring out which features and software functionalities make the most sense for you is important. It’s also important to consider how you plan to charge your smartwatch, as the Forerunner 745 requires that proprietary charger mentioned earlier in this section. The Watch 5 Pro, on the other hand, can work with any compatible wireless charging pad.
Software and features
If you plan to buy a smartwatch with multiple features to access apps and other controls from your smartphone, you’ll see some big differences between the Forerunner 745 and the Watch 5 Pro. Despite calling itself a smartwatch, the Forerunner 745 doesn’t have many features you’d expect from a $500 smartwatch.
For starters, Garmin’s offering doesn’t allow you to take calls with your watch, something that many smartwatch users have become spoiled by. While you can see the notifications coming through, there isn’t any way to interact directly with them like you can with the Watch 5 Pro. Samsung continues to sport a ton of smartwatch features you might look for in a device hanging from your wrist, such as phone conversations and being able to respond to text messages.
One bright part about the Watch 5 Pro is its use of Google’s most recent iteration of Wear OS. This operating system is constantly updating, and with Samsung’s own added additions, it provides a very smooth and easy-to-operate system that you can easily navigate using the watch’s touchscreen display. In comparison, the Forerunner 745 relies more on the buttons around the device’s outer bezel; its operating system is more akin to regular sports watches with the benefit of smart features.
you may still use other smartwatch features on the Forerunner 745, like transferring music to the watch to control what you’re listening to straight from your wrist. However, it’s the health-based and exercise-tracking features that really make Garmin’s Forerunner 745 stand out above the Galaxy Watch 5.
Health and fitness
Garmin’s smartwatches offer some of the most reliable and accurate GPS tracking ever delivered from a smartwatch, and that same reliability is present in the Forerunner 745 from the moment you turn it on. Also, its options to use continuous Pulse OX monitoring and a second-by-second heart rate monitor make it an excellent addition to any active user’s device setup. And, because all the data from the Forerunner 745 is synced directly to the smartphone app, you can generate some of the most detailed stats available on any smartwatch like this.
The Watch 5 Pro offers similar functions for keeping up with your heart rate, O2 readings, and other standard health functions — though it doesn’t provide an in-depth look at everything that the Forerunner 745 also brings to the table. If you just want basic information, the Watch 5 Pro will work fine, yet the Watch 5 Pro’s exercise functions are merely surface-level.
In contrast, the Forerunner 745 dives deeper and offers information on your stride, cadence, and other vital data that hardcore exercise lovers will want to keep up with. It’s also designed to work with more activities, making it stand out above the Watch 5 Pro in almost every way, even down to the health sensors, which offer more accuracy and information on the Forerunner 745 than Samsung’s Watch 5 Pro.
Which is right for you?
Choosing a clear winner between the Forerunner 745 and the Watch 5 Pro is difficult, as it depends on what you are looking for in your smartwatch. Those who want to hone their exercise routines and keep track of their vital stats in great detail will no doubt want to take advantage of everything that Garmin offers in the Forerunner 745. It’s a fantastic fitness tracker that sports a few important smartwatch features without requiring you to learn about many unimportant features you’ll never use.
If you want to take advantage of everything a smartwatch offers while also getting some of the benefits of a fitness and activity tracker, then Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a ton to offer. In addition, its refined design and AMOLED display mean everything you do on it will look great; however, it doesn’t provide the extremely in-depth reports that Garmin has become so well known for. Still, for most users looking to take advantage of fitness tracking and smartwatch features, the Watch 5 Pro is a winning choice.
The Forerunner 745’s ability to last for days — and provide accurate and reliable GPS tracking and exceptionally detailed reports — make it one of the better fitness smartwatches. Its lack of a touch screen also means you can navigate the watch system without having to combat fingerprints, a problem that Watch 5 Pro users will run into quite a bit.
The Forerunner 745 doesn’t do anything new, at least as far as Garmin smartwatches go, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most refined fitness watches out there. Built for runners, swimmers, and bikers, this fitness smartwatch puts more health stats at your fingertips than ever before and gives you ways to store music locally so you always have a great jam while working out.
