Galaxy Watch 5 leak offers first look and details on the Apple Watch Series 8 competitor

Renders of alleged Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro designs
(Image credit: 91Mobiles)

Rumors on the Galaxy Watch 5 have been somewhat surprisingly light so far, while the Apple Watch Series 8 recently had a pair of splashy leaks regarding a potential rugged Apple Watch or a premium model with a larger display.

That ended today with the oft-reliable leaker Evan Blass revealing a number of renders on 91Mobiles that allegedly show off the design for both the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro — what happened to Classic?

That's right, the "Classic" branding is going the way of "New Coke" (kids, ask your parents) and will give way to the ever-popular "Pro" suffix for the premium Galaxy Watch 5 model. 

The design breaks from the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic in a few notable ways. The most significant is the elimination of the rotating bezel, a unique feature that many longtime Galaxy Watch owners praise. Samsung implemented a virtual version of this on the Galaxy Watch 4 last year that in my testing works well, but for those that like the tactile feel of the actual bezel this is sure to be disappointing. 

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro render also drops the raised section that separates the two buttons on the right side of the watch, this again matches the design of both the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 5 as shown in these renders and makes for a sleeker overall look to the watch.

The renders also show a new clasp system for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro which has a more modern look than the traditional bands included with last year's Classic. Blass claims the Pro will be available in either black or gray titanium with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-only and LTE models.

Galaxy Watch 5

The Galaxy Watch 5 is much closer to its predecessor with no obvious changes to the design based on these renders, even the clasp system looks identical. The renders show the Galaxy Watch 5 in black, silver and blue, but it's unclear if those are the only options that will be available. Like the Pro it will also be available in either Wi-Fi/Bluetooth only or LTE.

Both watches are expected to debut at Samsung's typical August event alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Sean Riley

Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more.  Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.