Fitness Sense 2 and Galaxy Watch 5 are announced one after the other this August 2022 and many of their features (Health) compel them to lock horns in a battle of supremacy. However, there is a peculiar similarity between these watches that might get Android Users excited: their Google-centricity.
Earlier in 2022, Google took complete control of Fitbit and has been working on integrating the fitness brand’s software ecosystem with its own.
Whereas, the search engine giant has also been revamping its Wear OS (Aka Android Wear) smartwatch platform with the help of Samsung to enter a new era of rivalry with Apple (Watch OS). Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch 5 and the last year’s released Galaxy Watch 4 series are both powered by WearOS.
With these circumstances, it is expected that the Fitbit Sense 2 and Galaxy Watch 5 will share many features in common. So, let’s find out how they compare to each other in terms of design, display, health-tracking capabilities, smart features, and price.
Note: We want to make this clear that Galaxy Watch 5 and not Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is being compared with Fitbit Sense 2. Also, this comparison isn’t in-depth as these watches have just been released and we still have to catch up with their complete review. However, we promise to update this as soon as new information arrives.
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| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | August 10, 2022 | August 10, 2022 | August 25, 2022 |
| Predecessor | Galaxy Watch 4 | Galaxy Watch 4 Classic | Fitbit Sense |
| Company | Samsung | Samsung | Fitbit |
| Operating System | WearOS (One UI) | WearOS (One UI) | Fitbit OS |
| Compatible Smartphones | Android (Works best with Samsung) | Android (Works best with Samsung) | Android, iOS |
| Competition | Fitbit Sense, Ticwatch Pro 4G, Garmin Venu 2 | Garmin Fenix 7, Garmin Instinct 2, Polar Vantage 2 | Apple Watch 7, Garmin Venu 2, Ticwatch Pro 3 |
| Sensors | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor | Samsung BioActive Sensor (Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor | Multi-path optical heart rate sensor, cEDA, ECG, SpO2, Gyroscope, Altimeter, 3-axis accelerometer, Skin temperature sensor, Ambient light sensor, Vibration motor |
Table of Contents
Pricing:
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth/GPS | 40mm: $279 | 44mm: $299 | $449 | About $300 |
| LTE | 40mm: 329 | 44mm: $349 | $499 | No LTE Model |
Fitbit Sense 2 is priced at around $300, while there is an additional $80/year after the first 6 months of use for the advanced health tracking features to be available.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch 5 comes in two versions: LTE and Bluetooth. The former is priced at around $270 and the latter at $320. Keep in mind that this pricing is for the 44mm model. For a smaller size Galaxy Watch 5, you will get a $30 discount on both Bluetooth and LTE variants.
Fitbit here is an expensive option with its huge upfront price and a subscription-based model.
Winner: Galaxy Watch 5
Design & Display:
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 40mm: 39.3 x 40.4 x 9.8 mm |44mm: 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8 mm, 33.5g | 45.4 x 45.4 x 10.5 mm | 40.5×40.5x 12.35 mm |
| Buttons | 2 Buttons | 2 Buttons | 1 Button |
| Weight | 40mm: 28.7g | 44mm: 33.5g | 46.5g | 48 g |
| Colors | Graphite, Silver, Sapphire, Pink Gold | Black Titanium, Gray Titanium | Blue Mist/Soft Gold, Shadow Grey/Graphite, Lunar White/Platinum |
| Band Size | 20mm (M/L) | 20mm (M/L) | 24mm (M/L) |
| Casing Material | Aluminum | Titanium | Aluminum |
| Strap Material | Silicone | Silicone | Silicone |
| Screen Size | 40mm: 1.2 inches (396×396 Pixels) | 44mm: 1.4 inches, Super AMOLED (450×450 Pixels) | 1.4 inches | 1.58 inches |
| Screen Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED | AMOLED |
| Screen Resolution | 40mm: 396×396 Pixels; 44mm: 450×450 Pixels | 450×450 Pixels | 454 x 454 pixels |
| Screen Protection | Sapphire Crystal Glass | Sapphire Crystal Glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Always-on Display | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rotating Bezel | Touch | Touch | No |
| Waterproofing | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming | 5 ATM (up to 50m) | Suitable for Shower, Swimming |
Right from the start, Fitbit and Samsung have followed separate paths when it comes to the design of their smartwatches. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 like all its predecessors follows a more traditional circular watch face design, whereas Fitbit has always gone for a more rectangular/square approach.
Both watches have a touchscreen AMOLED display where most of the navigation is done. However, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 offers slightly better resolutions, and so vibrant colors and sharper text can be expected on its screen. And there are two buttons on the Galaxy Watch 5 as compared to just one on the Fitbit sense 2. The buttons can be customized to open any app or feature of your choice.
There are several choices of colors with these watches. As it goes with their predecessor, you can completely swap the straps with both the Galaxy Watch 5 and Fitbit Sense.
In addition to this, the water resistance on both these watches is the same. They can survive depths of up to 50 meters or in technical terms 5 ATM rated which we think has become an industry standard for flagship watches.
Samsung takes the lead in the durability department with its sapphire crystal glass protection and military-grade durability (MIL-STD-810G). So if you keep banging your watch against the obstacles or are just accident-prone, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a better choice.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Smart Features:
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | WearOS | WearOS | FitbitOS |
| Connectivity Options | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi(802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz), GPS, LTE | Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz), GPS, LTE | Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi |
| Processor | Exynos W920 | Exynos W920 | Not Specified |
| RAM | 1.5GB RAM | 1.5GB RAM | Not Specified |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 7 days of detailed motion data |
| Speaker & Mic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Companion App | Galaxy Wearable | Galaxy Wearable | Fitbit |
| Contactless Payment (NFC) | Samsung+Google Pay | Samsung+Google Pay | Google Pay, Fitbit Pay |
| Standalone Calling and Texting | Yes (LTE model) | Yes (LTE model) | No |
| Voice Assistant | Bixby, Google Assistant | Bixby, Google Assistant | Alexa, Google Assistant |
| Timer & Alarms | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Popular Apps | Strava, Spotify, Google Maps, Youtube Music, Google Keep, Google Pay, Nike Run Club | Strava, Spotify, Google Maps, Youtube Music, Google Keep, Google Pay, Nike Run Club | Strava, Spotify, Google Maps, Nike Run Club, Google Wallet |
Despite being owned by Google, Fitbit Sense 2 has kept the legacy of its predecessor by not cutting off the iPhone compatibility. Samsung’s Tizen-based Galaxy Watch 3 and Active 2, now at the brink of extinction, also offered compatibility with both platforms. However, that changed with the arrival of the android-only GW4 and its successor the Galaxy Watch 5.
In plain English, Sense 2 is compatible with both iOS and Android, whereas Galaxy Watch 5 is an Android-only watch. However, Apple tends to cut off the support for certain features when it comes to non-Apple Wearables. For instance, you cannot make Bluetooth calls or reply to texts when your Fitbit is paired with an iPhone.
Google Suite of wearable apps is the common thing here as both have access to Google Wallet, Google Assistant, and Google Maps. Android users are the key benefactors of this as this will allow better integration and cross-functionality.
Apart from this, both devices offer you what we call flexibility of choice when it comes to NFC payments or Voice assistant. Fitbit offers Alexa, whereas Samsung offers Bixby as an alternative to Google Assistant. The same goes for Google pay where we have Fitbit Pay and Samsung Pay as alternatives.
Both watches can store music for offline listening and can also stream from various Music services like Spotify and Deezer over Wi-Fi. However, you need to have a premium subscription to the service to be able to download tracks on your watch.
The similarities almost end here, and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 takes the lead with its impressive standalone calling and texting capabilities (of course we are talking about the LTE model here).
Also, you can access the Google Play Store to install your favorite third-party apps (Strava, Komoot, Accuweather). The overall experience of the watch is much smoother and snappier as compared to Fitbit OS, thanks to the Exynos W920 chip and 1.5 GB memory.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Health and Fitness Monitoring:
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep Monitoring | Yes (Advanced) | Yes (Advanced) | Yes (Advanced) |
| Stress Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Body Composition | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure Tracking | Yes | Yes | No |
| Workouts | 30+ | 30+ | 25+ |
| Automatic Workout Tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Tracking | Yes +Glonass/Beidou/Galileo | Yes +Glonass/Beidou/Galileo | Yes + Glonass |
Interestingly both these watches have a strong claim to being the best smartwatch for health and monitoring. Well, we can’t just brush this aside given that they have got FDA approval for most of their advanced health tracking functionalities.
For instance, take the ECG app, it is available on both the Galaxy Watch 5 as well as Fitbit sense 2. This feature can continuously monitor ECG in the background and can be used to detect any irregular heart rhythm (aFib) and also notify you of the same.
Other common features include Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2), heart rate, sleep, stress, and menstrual cycle tracking. There is no other watch that can track sleep and stress better than Sense, and we believe that Fitbit Sense 2 will manage this lead in 2022.
Where Galaxy Watch offers the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis sensor for things like body fat percentage and skeletal muscle weight, Fitbit Sense 2 has EDA and cEDA sensors to track your stress levels by the conductivity of your skin. The usefulness of these features is still questionable, but they are there if you want to use them.
Despite having a built-in GPS, sports tracking isn’t a strong suit of both these wearables. Their heart rate and position tracking pale in comparison to Garmin, Polar, and even watch.
However, if we have to pick the winner based on the sheer number of workouts, Galaxy Watch wins as it offers 90+ workout modes. The standards like running, cycling, and swimming modes are all present on both these watches. However, the metrics covered in these modes are neither as deep nor as many as Garmin offers.
Winner: Tied
Battery Performance:
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | Fitbit Sense 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Size | 40mm: 284mAh | 44mm: 410mAh | 590mAh | 266 mAh |
| Expected Battery Performance | Almost 50 hours | Almost 80 hours | Almost 6+ days |
| Fast Charging Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
This department has always been a strong suit of Fitbit, and the company has managed to keep that going with Sense 2. The Fitbit Sense 2 comes with a 6+ day battery life, whereas the Galaxy Watch 5 offers only 2-3 days on a single charge. These figures are based on basic usage and may differ from person to person.
Fitbit was early to add fast charging support that made its debut with the original sense. The company has carried that forward to Sense 2 as well. You can get a day’s worth of charge in just 12 minutes. Interestingly, Galaxy Watch 5 also comes with fast charging support that takes it from 0 to 45% in under 30 minutes.
Winner: Fitbit Sense 2
Galaxy Watch 5 Vs Fitbit Sense 2 Comparison: What should you pick?
There is no doubt that Galaxy Watch 5 offers a comprehensive smartwatch experience checking all boxes from fitness tracking to standalone calling and texting. It is also one of the most stylish smartwatches you can buy right now.
On the other hand, Fitbit sense 2 offers a slightly better health monitoring experience with its advanced sensors and FDA-approved health tracking features. Not to forget, it also has a longer battery life as compared to Galaxy Watch 5.
