1. Design


Both the Scanwatch and Watch 5 have got an outstanding design that’s both classy and elegant. Although, the 10.7mm thick Watch 5 is slimmer than the 13.7mm thick Scanwatch. The Watch 5 also weighs a little less, this off course leaves the Watch 5 with a sleeker appearance. While OLED powers the display of the Watch 5 which is very bright and more colorful, the Scanwatch being a hybrid smartwatch features a smaller PMOLED monochrome display from which you can read notifications, fitness tracking stats and other complications.

Durable materials have been used for the body of these two, while the Watch 5 is available in stainless steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramics, the Scanwatch comes in a stainless steel case. Straps are available in leather and silicone.


2. Fitness Tracking


As I mentioned earlier, each of these two is fitness-focused and some of the best choices for monitoring your health. Each of these two will track your steps, complete sleep cycle, irregular heart rhythm via ECG tracking, heart rate, floors climbed, calories and fitness level.

However, the Scanwatch lacks the ability to track menstrual cycle, incidental fall detection and SOS international emergency calling all present in the Watch 5. Moreover, the Watch 5 features a compass that gives you clear data on your current orientation and is able to detect too loud sounds that can be harmful to your ears. The Scanwatch lacks these features.

Although, the Scanwatch is the first smartwatch with the ability to track sleep apnea – a health condition that occurs when there’s an insufficient inflow of air into the lungs and may cause a drop in blood oxygen level. The Scanwatch with SpO2 sensor is also able to track your blood oxygen level to give you better insight on your fitness level (VO2 Max.).

Watch 5 has an inbuilt GPS that comes in handy in tracking outdoor activities which is also possible with the Scanwatch, but only works when connected to your phone’s GPS.


3. Media

The Watch 5 being a more geeky device features a massive 32GB onboard storage capacity that allows you to stream or store your favorite tracks onboard. It’s also equipped with a microphone and loudspeaker which aren’t present on the Scanwatch. As a result, you can start a workout simply with your voice via Siri.

Watch 5 has a disappointing battery life of about 18 hrs compared to the Scanwatch with an impressive 30 days long battery life. It’s quite understandable for a hybrid smartwatch to have a long battery life, but then the Watch 5 actually has abysmal battery life. The only remedy is to charge it every day, unlike the Scanwatch that allows you to go long from a single charge.