Galaxy Watch 6 vs Galaxy Watch 5: Is it a big upgrade?

Samsung unveiled two new smartwatches—Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic—during the Galaxy Unpacked event today. These new smartwatches feature brighter screens, a faster processor, a sleeker design, a newer version of Wear OS (and One UI Watch), and more memory. But how significant are these improvements over the Galaxy Watch 5 from last year?

In this article, we will explain what has improved in the Galaxy Watch 6 compared to the Galaxy Watch 5 and what has changed.

Galaxy Watch 6 vs Galaxy Watch 5: Display

Samsung's newest smartwatch has a sleeker design, featuring a 20% bigger Super AMOLED screen and a 30% slimmer bezel. The Galaxy Watch 6 has a 1.3-inch display in the 40mm version and a 1.5-inch display in the 44mm version. In comparison, the Galaxy Watch 5 has a 1.2-inch screen in the 40mm version and a 1.4-inch screen in the 44mm version. More importantly, the Galaxy Watch 6 has a 2,000-nits peak brightness with automatic brightness for AoD mode.

This brighter screen is helpful in outdoor conditions. You can see things on the screen clearly, even under bright sunlight. A Sapphire Crystal panel protects the screens on both smartwatches.

The Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 6 have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. They also have an MIL-STD-810H-compliant design for drop and shock resistance.

Galaxy Watch 6 has a faster processor and internal hardware

The Galaxy Watch 6 uses the newer and faster Exynos W930 processor. It is basically the Exynos W920 dual-core chip used in the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 5 but with a higher clock speed (1.4GHz). The newer watch also has 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. In comparison, the Galaxy Watch 5 has the Exynos W920 chip clocked at 1.18GHz, paired with 1.5GB RAM and 16GB storage.

Samsung has equipped both Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 6 with an accelerometer, barometer, compass, ECG, GPS, gyro, heart rate sensor, and temperature sensor.

The Galaxy Watch 6 runs Wear OS 4-based One UI 5 Watch software out of the box. The Galaxy Watch 5 will also get the same software with an upcoming update, which means they will both run the same software. They will also have the new Samsung apps, including Samsung Wallet and Thermo Check. They will both get newer versions of Auto Switch, Camera Controller, Find My Phone, and the ability to display your workout metrics and vitals on a Galaxy Tab or a Samsung smart TV. Gestures will also be available on both smartwatches.

Galaxy Watch 6 offers better sleep tracking and AFib notifications

The Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 6 can track your day-to-day activities, sleep, and workouts. They also offer detailed sleep tracking and suggestions to improve sleep quality. However, the Galaxy Watch 6 offers slightly better sleep tracking and irregular heart rhythm notification (Atrial Fibrillation or AFib) even during sleep. Note that the AFib feature is available only in those countries where the Samsung Health Monitor app is officially available.

Both smartwatches can also measure your body's composition, including basal metabolic rate, body fat percentage, body water, skeletal mass, and more.

Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 5 offer similar battery life

Galaxy Watch 6 has a 300mAh battery in the 40mm version and a 425mAh battery in the 44mm version. In comparison, the Galaxy Watch 5 has a 284mAh battery in the 40mm version and a 410mAh battery in the 44mm version.

Despite the slightly higher battery capacity on the Galaxy Watch 6, Samsung is quoting the exact battery life figures: 30 hours (with AoD on) and 40 hours (with AoD off). Both smartwatches charge wirelessly at 10W using the bundled charger.

Galaxy Watch 6 vs Galaxy Watch 5: Which should you buy?

The Galaxy Watch 5 is good enough for most people as it has most of the essential features that the Galaxy Watch 6 has. The newer chip isn't significantly faster than the Galaxy Watch 4's Exynos W920, so you likely won't see a massive jump in performance. They both last similarly long on a single charge and get charged at the same speed. So, if you're considering buying a new smartwatch, you can save money and get the Galaxy Watch 5 at discounted prices.

If you absolutely want a brighter screen (2,000 nits) and irregular heart rhythm notifications, you should choose the Galaxy Watch 6. This brighter screen could be helpful to those who spend a lot of time outdoors under sunny conditions, such as hiking or during a marathon.

Samsung
Galaxy Watch 6 40mm

Select model SM-R930 Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy Watch 5

Select model SM-R900 Buy Full specs