Latest Galaxy Watch 5 leak confirms sapphire glass for non-Pro models [Gallery]

Ben Schoon | Aug 9 2022 - 7:51 am PT

Samsung is set to unveil its latest batch of smartwatches tomorrow in the Galaxy Watch 5 series, but it seems there’s a relatively big upgrade in store. According to the latest leak of the Galaxy Watch 5, the entire lineup is set to adopt sapphire crystal glass for the display.

Roland Quandt of WinFuture posted a batch of official-looking promo images that show off the Galaxy Watch 5 from all angles. These images show the standard base models, not the “Pro” model which has a thicker, slightly different design.

From previous leaks, the Galaxy Watch 5 in its base model was expected to be largely the same as its predecessor from a hardware standpoint, with the same processor, sizes, and only a slight increase to battery capacity. But with this latest leak, it’s clear that Samsung is bringing sapphire glass to the Galaxy Watch 5 – “Sapphire Crystal” is printed on the bottom of the watch in these images.

Previously, it was thought that only the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro would adopt sapphire.

What is sapphire glass? It’s not actually glass, but rather a kind of ceramic that is transparent just like traditional glass. The difference, though, is that sapphire is far more resistant to scratches and other damage.

The Apple Watch has been using sapphire for its stainless steel and titanium models, but still using “IonX” glass, which is similar to Gorilla Glass, on its more affordable models. Samsung is certainly offering a great value in that regard if it does turn out that the base Galaxy Watch 5, which is rumored to only be slightly more expensive than last year’s models, is actually using sapphire.

Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy Watch 5 series tomorrow alongside its new foldables and earbuds. The company is offering reservations on its website now that offer up to $200 in additional credits when picking up these new devices.