Here’s the thing though, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will still offer less features than many of the watches Garmin sells. And I think it’s important to make the distinction that if Samsung is targeting some of the Garmin customers with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which customers are those? Garmin has a wide range of offerings, and it’s fair to say that Samsung isn’t going to successfully be able to target every customer group. Take the Garmin Fenix 7 series for instance. Even the most basic version of this watch has tons of features that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro does not. Then you have the sapphire solar models. These come with the sapphire crystal glass like the Galaxy Watch 5 series. But one notable thing they offer that Samsung’s new watches do not, is the solar charging. With all of that said, Samsung is likely going after a different Garmin consumer. If it is at all.
Is the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro going after the Garmin Forerunner 955 series?
When you think about it, this particular watch makes the most sense. If Samsung is targeting the consumer that would go for a Garmin watch, the Forerunner 955 is probably more similar than any other option. It sits at around the same cost ($499) and does offer a fair amount of the same features. It even supports up to 80 hours of battery life in Ultratrac mode. Both are designed to be able to withstand your outdoor excursions. Promoting a more adventurous lifestyle without worrying you’ll break the watch. Even if Samsung is targeting Garmin consumers though, it remains to be seen if Samsung can do this successfully. Some Garmin sports watches are LOADED with features you won’t find in most smartwatches. Built-in, downloadable full color maps. Multi-band support. Body battery and more. Arguably Samsung could add some of the missing features through software. But will it? I think it’s a safe assumption that Samsung is at least marginally trying to capture some of the outdoor crowd who would use Garmin watches with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. And this more targeted approach may actually prove to be useful. Samsung is making a clear point here with the Pro watch. Saying that this is an outdoor watch. If you like to run marathons, hike mountain trails, and the like, Samsung has a dedicated offering for you. If you spend a lot of your time outside with these kinds of activities, Garmin would typically be one of the first names you might think of. But Samsung seems to be trying to change that a little bit.
Can Samsung succeed in stealing away some of Garmin’s customers?
That depends. If those customers are looking for a similar product from Garmin, there’s probably a good chance that Samsung can convince them to consider the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Especially considering that an LTE model of it caps at a price of $499.99. As a comparable example, the LTE model of the Garmin Forerunner 955 is $649.99, $150 more. When there are plenty of similar functions between the two watches. Samsung’s biggest hurdle is likely going to be convincing people that the Pro model of its newest watch is meant for the outdoors. This is an area that Garmin has been occupying for a long time. Samsung is a newcomer for the most part. If the company can convince those consumers though, then all it has to do is make sure the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro lives up to those expectations.
