Update: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro could be super tough — and super pricey.
Two weeks ago, Samsung seemed set on simplifying its smartwatch line with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. There would be no Galaxy Watch 5 Classic, and we’d instead be treated to a regular and Pro model.
At the time, I wrote that this was likely to simply be a branding exercise and the rotating bezel — a fan favorite feature and Samsung USP — would likely be safe. But now it seems that Samsung may not have plans to simplify the line after all, as GalaxyClub has dug up a trio of code names and model numbers which suggests Samsung will be introducing three different wearables later this year.
First off, there’s Heart-S with the model number SM-R90X. It’s the smallest of the bunch, with sizes of 40mm and 42mm, likely making it the next-generation version of the basic Galaxy Watch 4. Then there’s the Heart-L — or SM-R91X — which is slightly bigger at 44mm and 46mm, and feels like the elusive Galaxy Watch 4 Classic’s successor.
Finally, there’s the Heart-Pro which packs the model number SM-R92X and will apparently only come in one size. Said size isn’t stated, but given we’ve previously heard that a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will come with a monster 572mAh battery, I’m thinking at least 48mm, and likely more.
Schrödinger's Galaxy Watch 5
If there really are three watches, as the model numbers and code names seem to indicate, it seems unlikely that Samsung would be ditching the Classic for the fifth generation of Galaxy Watches. So why did an earlier report suggest the company will be doing just that?
One way of squaring the circle of the two contradictory reports is to say that there are indeed three watches, but that the Galaxy Watch 5 Classic isn’t one of them — either because it’s called something else but is essentially the same, or because Samsung is doing something new and different.
Only that doesn’t actually work, because the original SamMobile report was explicit: “Samsung will launch two variants of its upcoming smartwatch: Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.” It’s not just that the Classic wasn’t listed — a third was specifically ruled out.
One of these reports, then, will be proved wrong later this year. If Samsung sticks to its past wearable release schedule, then we’ll know which in August, when the Galaxy Watch 5 will likely debut alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.
