Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Has One Annoying Design Flaw
Samsung unveiled its latest smartwatch recently, and one of the models could very well be among the top wearables this year regardless of platform. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which may be the company's preemptive strike against the rumored Apple Watch 8 Pro, seems to have some of the best specs and features on the Wear OS side of the fence. The model also marks the first time Samsung has drastically changed the design of its smartwatches in a long while, and just in the sense of having no physical rotating bezel. Unfortunately, while most of these changes lean toward the positive side, one particular detail might thwart users who want to take advantage of one of the smartwatch's features.
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro isn't just Samsung's biggest smartwatch at 45mm, it is also the most different so far. It shares almost all of the internals found on the rest of the Galaxy Watch 5 series but has a few distinct quirks that clearly sets it apart. The model was made for people who have more active lifestyles, though it's bound to appeal to even regular smartwatch users who can stomach its large size.
The watch's titanium body is great for protecting against accidental bumps and scratches, and the raised border around the screen makes sure the display won't touch the surface you place it on. There's a rather sizable bezel, though, which you can swipe to take the place of that distinctive rotating bezel, so you theoretically aren't missing anything. Unfortunately, one of the more subtle design changes indicates Samsung may have forgotten you're supposed to be able to charge its smartwatches on the back of the company's phones.
Wireless PowerShare conundrum
Samsung was one of the first to introduce the ability to charge accessories using the same wireless charging coil inside the back of Galaxy phones. Reverse wireless charging, which Samsung calls Wireless PowerShare, can be used to charge smartwatches and even wireless earbuds cases. The one hard requirement is that these two devices must touch each other, which is something that you can't do with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.
As SamMobile points out, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro's new strap design means that it will never be able to touch the back of a phone because it is permanently elevated. That's not an issue with the smartwatch's official charger, but that could also mean it won't be compatible with other third-party wireless chargers that require the wearable to lay flat. The Galaxy Watch 5, fortunately, doesn't have this problem since it still uses the same classic design that Samsung has been utilizing for years now.
It's arguable that few probably take advantage of the Wireless PowerShare feature, but it's still perplexing that Samsung would implement a design that blocks such a key capability that is bound to become more common. More importantly, it could also prove to be a big problem for those who have compatible wireless chargers that will no longer be usable with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. That said, it could still be a corner case, and most people will probably forgive that annoyance in exchange for the smartwatch's 80-hour battery life promise.