The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a smartwatch that Samsung says is made for serious athletes, which is how a certain rival also talks about its smartwatch that just so happens to have Ultra in the name too. Apple’s first Watch Ultra launched just a month after Samsung made a tentative move to a more outdoor-friendly smartwatch with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro .
The Galaxy Watch Ultra now overtly screams outdoors, with its military-certified level of durability and ability to operate at extreme temperatures (as low as -20c). This isn’t the first time Wear OS has been packed into a tough case body, however. We’ve been here before with Casio, Suunto and Nixon.
So what will make the Galaxy Watch Ultra become Android and Samsung’s answer to Apple’s Watch Ultra? Here are five things smartwatch fans can look forward to.
The price
The Galaxy Watch Ultra will go on sale for £599/$649.99, so that’s £200/$150 cheaper than picking up an Apple Watch Ultra 2 .
It also offers Bluetooth and LTE connectivity for that more bank-balance-friendly price too. It also comes in cheaper than a host of dedicated outdoor watches that operate like smartwatches.
Garmin’s Epix Pro is an AMOLED-toting outdoor watch that starts from £739.99/$899.99, though you can pick up the first-generation version for less than £400/$800. The Polar Grit X Pro 2 also packs in a colour screen and is pricier at £649/$749.95 and will get you an inferior smartwatch if those are features you crave and care about.
If you want something cheaper (but less durable) then the Galaxy Watch 7 is also new.
It has a smaller case than the Apple Watch Ultra
While some likely have grown to love the hulking 49mm case on Apple’s smartwatch compared to the smaller Apple Watches, there will no doubt be some wishing they had something more fitting for slimmer wrists.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The Galaxy Watch Ultra drops in with a 47mm case, which is by no means a small smartwatch to strap on, but does give you something in similar case stature to the 47mm version of the Garmin Epix Pro, which I can confirm does sit smaller on my wrist compared to the Watch Ultra.
It’s still not going to be a dainty watch, but it might just convince some put off by the size of other outdoor smartwatches to give it a try.
Samsung’s got its own Action button
Sports watches and smartwatches are simply better to live with when they have more physical buttons. That’s why Apple’s decision to include that big Action one on its Ultra smartwatch proved a popular decision for lovers of the outdoors.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Samsung clearly thinks it’s a good idea too, and while it’s not giving its own Quick Button its own dedicated case space, it does allow you to assign features to it.
Having it tucked into a watch crown flanked by the two other physical buttons could be a smart move by Samsung, especially as Apple’s Action button can be an easy one to accidentally press if you don’t want to use it and don’t choose to disable it.
Hopefully, that won’t be the same story here.
You don’t have to own a Samsung smartphone to use it
While Apple’s Ultra is wed to you owning an iPhone, it’s not the same story for Samsung’s Ultra smartwatch.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
This one works on any Android smartphone with Android 11 or later, which means you won’t need to have an expensive Google-running smartphone in your pocket to put the Galaxy Watch Ultra to good use.
There will be some Samsung phone to Samsung smartwatch extras you miss out on, like support for the new double pinch gestures, but the core tracking and smartwatch experience should be the same as long as you’ve got a recent enough version of Android running on your phone – which you probably do.
It’s got more health tracking skills than the Apple Watch Ultra
Okay, so putting this on to check your blood pressure might not be your primary reason for grabbing the Galaxy Watch Ultra, but if you want a smartwatch that does go big on serious health tracking features, the Watch Ultra has more in its locker than Apple does.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Its BioActive Sensor unlocks optical heart rate monitoring, ECG heart rate measurements and can deliver blood pressure monitoring, once you’ve calibrated it with a dedicated one first.
It also gives you the same kind of body composition analysis you’d usually get from stepping on a set of smart scales. So if serious health monitoring is a factor for you, the Ultra offers plenty on that front.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is available to pre-order now and goes on sale 24 July .
Related reading
- Everything Samsung announced at Unpacked 2024
- The Galaxy Ring beats Oura in 4 ways but loses in 1
- Why there’s no Galaxy Watch 7 Classic or Pro
Author: Mike Sawh, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Mike has been testing and reviewing consumer technology for over 10 years, specialising in wearable and fitness technology. He’s a keen swimmer and runner and co-founder of YouTube channel, The Run Testers.
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