While the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro succeeds the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, the Galaxy Watch 5 succeeds the Galaxy Watch 4, and these two come with some interesting features. The Galaxy Watch 5 series have a more durable sapphire glass, a longer battery life, and features a new temperature sensor that will enable temperature measurement. Meanwhile, Samsung has ditched the physical rotating bezel replacing it with a digital rotating bezel on both watches. Beyond these, the Galaxy Watch 5 has the same appearance and features as its predecessor. Moreover, just like the Galaxy Watch 4, the Galaxy Watch 5 also comes in two sizes; 40mm and 44mm and each of these is available in Bluetooth and LTE models. In this post, we’re comparing the difference between the Galaxy Watch 5 Bluetooth vs LTE model so that you know the differences and decide on which is right for you.
The LTE and Bluetooth models of the Galaxy Watch 5 are the same in every aspect, although the difference is that the LTE model is equipped with an eSIM that enables cellular connectivity. As a result, the LTE model is a standalone smartwatch that can make and receive calls, and receive and reply to messages independent of a smartphone. Meanwhile, the Bluetooth model can also make and receive calls, but it requires your phone to be nearby to do that.
Galaxy Watch 5 – What’s New?
Just like the Galaxy Watch 4, the Galaxy Watch 5 has a case made of armor aluminum paired with silicone straps. The display is powered by the very colorful super AMOLED while navigation is via touchscreen and 2 physical buttons. The dimensions of both watches are also very similar with slight differences in weights.
Moreover, like its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 5 is powered by a 5nm Exynos W920 chip and it runs on Wear OS 3.5 out of the box with One UI 4.5 gracing the interface. In terms of activity tracking, like its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 5 will track steps, floors, calories, sleep, heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, stress, blood pressure, and features 90 preloaded workout modes.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Watch 5 comes with 16GB storage out of which about 8GB is available for use. And like the Galaxy Watch 4, it has a microphone and speaker as well as an NFC chip that powers Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
Clearly, the Galaxy Watch 5 has a lot in common with its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 4. However, it comes with a few interesting features which are listed below.
- Galaxy Watch 5 series are more durable
- Galaxy Watch 5 series welcomes temperature sensor
- Galaxy Watch 5 series have longer battery life
- Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lacks a physical rotating bezel
- Bottom curvature has been redesigned
Unlike the Galaxy Watch 4 which has a Corning Gorilla Glass DX screen, the Galaxy Watch 5 has a sapphire glass screen which is stronger and harder to scratch. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also has a sapphire glass screen but it has a more durable titanium case unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic which has a stainless steel case. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 have armor aluminum cases.
The Galaxy Watch 5 features a new temperature sensor that will allow it to measure your skin temperature (to be added in the future).
The Galaxy Watch 5 also has a longer battery life than its predecessor, it has a bigger battery capacity. Samsung claims the Watch 5 can last up to 50hrs, that’s 10hrs more than the Galaxy Watch 4. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has a bigger battery capacity than the Galaxy Watch 5 which result in up to 80hrs of battery life.
Note that while the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic has a physical rotating bezel, its successor, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lacks a physical rotating bezel but has a digital rotating bezel. Both the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro have a digital rotating bezel that can be turned on and turned off. The touch-sensitive bezel can be enabled by going to the settings app>>General.
To enable better contact with the skin, the bottom of the Galaxy Watch series have been redesigned to enable better accuracy tracking.
Galaxy Watch 5 Bluetooth vs LTE Specifications Comparison
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Galaxy Watch 5 Bluetooth vs LTE – The Differences
Like I have mentioned earlier, the LTE and Bluetooth models are the same in every aspect except that the LTE model has a cellular functionality that makes it a standalone smartwatch. In other words, both models have the same design and features. The difference between the two is that the LTE model is equipped with an eSIM that enables cellular functionality which allows it to make and receive calls without connecting to your phone, thus it’s a standalone smartwatch. The Bluetooth model can also make and receive calls, but it needs to connect to your phone.
As a result of the extra functionality of the LTE model, it’s priced a little higher than the Bluetooth model.
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Bluetooth | LTE |
|---|---|---|
| Make & Receive Calls | Yes (needs phone) | Yes (doesn’t need phone) |
| Make & Receive Messages | Yes (needs phone) | Yes (doesn’t need phone) |
Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Bluetooth vs LTE – The Differences
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also comes in two models, LTE and Bluetooth. And just like in the case of the Galaxy Watch 5, the difference between these two is that the LTE model is a standalone smartwatch that can make and receive calls without connecting to your phone. The Bluetooth model needs your phone for calls and messages.
| Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Bluetooth | LTE |
|---|---|---|
| Make & Receive Calls | Yes (needs phone) | Yes (doesn’t need phone) |
| Make & Receive Messages | Yes (needs phone) | Yes (doesn’t need phone) |
How to Activate LTE on Galaxy Watch 5
With the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active 2, and Galaxy Watch 3, you can setup LTE on the watch without a phone. However, that has changed with the Galaxy Watch 4 and even the Galaxy Watch 5. The Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 are not compatible with iPhones, these two need phones running Android 6.0+ with 1.5GB RAM and above.
To activate LTE on the Galaxy Watch 5, you need a compatible smartphone and must be the same carrier as your phone.
Before you decide to get the LTE model, you should confirm with your current phone carrier if they have any cellular plan for the LTE model. In the US, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile offer cellular plans for the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.
Also, note that you can only activate LTE on Galaxy Watch 5 for a model meant to be used in the US. If you reside in the UK, then you can only activate LTE on a model meant to be sold and used in the UK.
After you have setup the watch with a compatible smartphone, follow the steps below to activate LTE on the Galaxy Watch 5 or Galaxy Watch 5 LTE
- Open the Galaxy Wearable app and tap on watch settings.
- Scroll to mobile plans and select it, the system will scan for available networks.
- Follow the prompts to complete LTE activation on the watch.
With LTE activated on the Galaxy Watch 5, you will be able to make and receive calls directly from the watch without your phone. The watch will have its own number, but you can call using the same number as your phone number.
Even better now is that with One UI 4.5 and Wear OS 3.5, that powers both the older Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 5 series the LTE model of these watches will be able to sync your phone number to the watch so that you can be able to choose between the watch number or phone number when you want to start a call.
Bluetooth or LTE – Which is Right For You?
The LTE model is obviously a better smartwatch. It gives you some level of freedom from your phone. However, it will cost you $50 more, and you will need to spend about $10 monthly on a cellular plan subscription. If you’re okay with the extra cost, the LTE model is clearly a great choice.
Otherwise, get the Bluetooth model, it’s an outstanding smartwatch without LTE. It has an inbuilt GPS which means you can track your outdoor routes and locations without your phone. You can also load music from YouTube Music, or Spotify, or add personal music that you can listen to offline. I have used the Bluetooth model of every Galaxy watch and I have never regretted it, though, the LTE offers more.