Samsung - Galaxy Watch 5

I have the watch 5. I don't recommend it. I mean, the HR rate monitoring is ok, but the battery life is poor. You have to charge every 20ish hours.

I have swum with Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 5. It can be hit or miss counting laps. But it's a great ego boost since my pool is only 15m, but the watch software doesn't let you set lap length any smaller than 20m.

i've used the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and now the Watch 7. Both have been pretty accurate. i don't like Samsung Health's display of swim stats (it's just long list of 25's with no indication of when i rested), so i use [swim.com](http://swim.com) instead of the native app. [Swim.com](http://Swim.com) does not track kickboard laps at all and drilling and/or sculling, for reasons that should be self-evident, is hit or miss. You can, however, go into "Drill mode" in the middle of a swim and manually tell it how many kicking/drilling laps you will do.

i've used the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and now the Watch 7 and been happy with both. i don't like how the Samsung Health app reports a swim as a series of 25s with no indication of when i rested, so i use the swim.com app. i have read that Samsung will not stand behind the warranty for water damage, but i, and many others, take that risk and i've had no problems thus far.

i use a Samsung Galaxy watch. Had the 5, just upgraded to the 7. Samsung Health will track swimming, and even now tracks kickboard/drill laps, but i don't really like how it presents the stats as just a long string of 25s (altho, i had to use it the other day because of the upgrade and i forgot i had to set up/log in to [swim.com](http://swim.com) on my new watch, and i see that they do now show were i've rested, but it's still just a long list of 25s). It also dropped/missed 10 lengths last time i used it. So i use the app swim.com. i find it very reliable and also, when it does miss a lap, or mistake strokes, it is editable afterward.

Since you've already got an S21, a Galaxy Watch 5 can be bought from Back Market for $75. Strava has a Wear OS app so you can just run Strava on your watch to have HR record.

You’re absolutely right to look past the glossy marketing and ask for real-life feedback, because fall detection is one of those features you really want to know is going to work when it matters. I’ve set up a few different smartwatches with fall detection for older family members, and also wear one myself when hiking solo, so I can definitely give some boots-on-the-ground perspective. The Apple Watch (Series 4 and up) still sets the gold standard when it comes to fall detection. I’ve seen it trigger a few times, once for my mom when she tripped on her porch, and another time when I slipped on icy steps. In both cases, it gave a haptic alert, started the countdown, and if no action was taken, it followed through and sent the emergency call as expected. It also pinged the emergency contacts with location info. That peace of mind is hard to beat. The main catch: you need an iPhone to pair it, and the cost isn’t cheap, especially if you’re getting the cellular model so it can operate independently. For Android users, Samsung Galaxy Watch (especially the Watch 5 and 6) is one of the stronger alternatives. It does have fall detection and can send alerts to emergency contacts, but the setup isn’t quite as intuitive, and the sensitivity seems to vary more than with Apple. My uncle had one and it worked okay, but we had to fine-tune the settings so it didn’t false alarm when he dropped to tie his shoes too fast. That said, the newer Galaxy models have improved that a lot and are generally pretty sleek and comfortable for daily wear. Garmin makes some models with incident detection too, especially for active users. If your concern is fall detection during exercise like cycling, running, or hiking, it’s great. But it’s less ideal for general daily wear or older adults, since the interface isn’t the most senior-friendly and the detection is more tied to activity than general falls. If you're looking for something lightweight, reliable, and not wildly expensive, Samsung is a solid middle ground. But if your priority is emergency handling that just works, Apple Watch still leads the pack. Just make sure the person wearing it understands how the alerts work and how to cancel them if they go off by mistake. That small bit of prep can make a huge difference.

Same! Galaxy has a peloton app on it, activated automatically. Highly recommend.

NRC does not require Apple products. Works just fine with my Samsung Galaxy Watch.

People have been claiming that Google was going to end fitbut over 2 years ago. It's still fine. I tried a galaxy watch, but you have to charge it every day, just like the apple watch. My fitbit goes for days. I just charge it every other day while I shower. I've never run out of battery.

I have a Galaxy watch now, but it's crap as a fitness tracker. When I want accurate data, I wear my old Garmin. I think it's a Forerunner 235? That may not be in production anymore, but any of the entry-level Garmins would work.

I trashed one Galaxy Watch by wearing it in a dry sauna for 20 minutes and then immediately swimming laps in a cold pool. Since then, I don't chance it with my new watch. It's sits safely in a locker with my phone and ear buds, while I'm in the sauna.

I used my Samsung Galaxy watch with it all the time and it's fine.

I have a Garmin vivoactive 5 and mostly love it. I use to have a Samsung Galaxy watch. Pros: Long battery life. 7+ days without GPS turned on. The outdoor rowing app is super nice and I love being able to see the output of my row after I get off the water. I'm not going to lie - this is the whole reason behind this new watch purchase. Lighter than the Samsung. Cons: Can't actually create individual text responses. HR monitor isn't as accurate as a chest monitor (I compared it once) but still better than my Samsung. I'm not an iPhone user so I can't offer a comparison. But I have no regrets with my Garmin watch purchase. Edited - added another Pro.

My galaxy watch got really bad during the end of its life. Couldn't rely on any of its data and battery only lasted 2 days max. My charge6 is less than a year old, so I'm planning on letting this one ride for a couple to a few years and see how the chips fall