The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro are excellent wearable devices that have been on tech fans’ radars since rumors of their existence started making the internet rounds earlier this year. They both boast impressive specs and are solid smartwatches to choose if you’re looking to buy into wearable tech.
While learning about the Watch 5’s features is all well and good, knowing what its durability is like is equally important for those who are planning on making a purchase. More specifically, knowing about the Galaxy Watch 5’s waterproofing is something you should consider before spending your hard-earned dollars.
The Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro both share an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP68. Essentially, this rating tests to see how resistant a device is to both solid and liquid objects. The six in the Watch 5’s rating means that the devices are completely protected against solid particles like dust, dirt, and sand. The IP scale for solid particles maxes out at six, so the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro are top of the line in that regard.
The eight in the Galaxy Watch 5’s rating is in reference to the device’s resistance to liquids. An eight means that the smartwatches are able to be completely submerged in water deeper than three feet for extended periods of time. The scale is out of nine (with the highest rating reserved for devices that can resist being dipped in high-temperature liquids), so an eight is just about as good as it gets. For reference, other devices rated IP68 are things like the iPhone 13, Galaxy S22, and many of the other best phones available in 2022.
In addition to the IP rating, the Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro received ratings of 5ATM in terms of water pressure resistance. This rating gives more specific information on what situations the devices are protected against.
5ATM means that the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro are resistant to the water pressure equivalent of more than 160 feet of depth for 10 minutes. Essentially, you’re good to bring your smartwatch into the pool with you, but it’s not a watch that should stay on when getting in the hot tub or when doing deep sea diving.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are rated MIL-STD-810H in terms of their durability. This is a standard durability test done to test resistance to a large number of environmental factors, including things such as electric shocks, humidity, dropping, and more. While not every device manufacturer goes out of its way to get a rating, the MIL-STD-810H rating means that the Watch 5 duo should be able to take a drop without being damaged beyond repair.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.