Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review
The Watch Ultra brings a refreshing premium touch to the Wear OS ecosystem
Verdict
Despite the odd quirk, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra brings a refreshing premium touch to the Wear OS ecosystem.
It’s certainly true that the Ultra’s design appears heavily inspired by Apple’s homonymous alternative, but I don’t suspect Android users craving a supercharged smartwatch will care much. If you can handle the clunky navigation, mildly unpredictable battery life, and oversized footprint, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is an excellent upgrade to the typical mid-range smartwatch experience.
Pros
- Wear OS gets some design personality
- Strong GPS and HR accuracy
- Ultra-bright and clear display
- Comprehensive sleep tracking
Cons
- Navigation crying out for rotating bezel
- Inconsistent battery life
- Not a good fit for smaller wrists
- Exclusive features for Samsung phones
Key Features
- Rugged designThe 10ATM/IP68 water resistance and MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability make the Ultra a tough cookie – but there’s no diving certification here
- Big screenThe 1.5-inch AMOLED display punches out high brightness levels
- Advanced fitness featuresFTP, multi-discipline workouts and multiband GNSS make this a better workout watch
Introduction
The Galaxy Watch Ultra represents a clear shift in tact from Samsung. While once content to offer a slightly buffed version of the standard Galaxy Watch, the Ultra represents the Korean brand’s first true attempt at a ruggedized, high-end smartwatch.
With the Apple Watch Ultra finding success over the last couple of years, Samsung’s all-new $649/£599 flagship serves as the de facto alternative for those with an Android phone – not least because the version drawn up in Cupertino almost certainly proved to be the jumping off point here.
Samsung has taken cues with design points like the action button, band style, colouring, and a raft of matching base-level specs, as well as a few new software additions.
Yet, while it’s easy to mock Samsung for mimicking Apple’s design and features so overtly, it’s also hard to argue with the effectiveness of doing so. After all, it’s a ploy that has helped ensure the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a fun-looking smartwatch with excellent build quality.
Instead, the real story of the Galaxy Watch Ultra lies in the head-scratching misses from Samsung that hold it back from being the best smartwatch.
Design and Screen
- Obvious similarities to the competition
- The design is very functional
- Fantastic OLED screen
The design of the Ultra and its similarity to the Apple Watch Ultra has been the major talking point since Samsung unveiled it at Unpacked in July.
However, Samsung introduced a similar look with the Samsung Gear Sport back in 2017. Whether one sees the cushioned case design of the Gear Sport as having been reimagined here, or views this as a derivative of the Apple Watch Ultra, likely depends on one’s loyalty to either of these multinational tech entities.
What’s more important is whether it’s a design that’s actually functional. After all, drawing up a comparable look doesn’t automatically translate to a working design in the real world.
With a weight of 60g and a case size of 47mm, the Ultra is very clearly not designed for those with smaller wrists. What this oversized style does do, though, is add a much-needed sense of individuality to the Wear OS lineup.
The distinctive shape and exceptional build quality set it apart from almost every other smartwatch in the Android landscape. The titanium case is a great example of this. I have tested many lighter watches with stainless steel cases that are much less comfortable for workouts, continuous wear, and sleep tracking.
The 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display is one of the standout features here, too, offering the best screen quality on an Android watch. It remains clear even in bright sunlight with a peak brightness of 2000 nits – the same as the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The only issue here is that the brilliant display gets smudged easily due to the one major drawback of this design, the navigation.
While Samsung has included a customisable quick button, it also missed a huge opportunity by not incorporating a rotating bezel – a defining feature of many of its previous models. It would have made scrolling through the UI a joy here.
Instead, navigating through the interface can feel cumbersome and, while the quick button is useful, it doesn’t fully compensate for the absence of a more intuitive navigation method like a digital crown or functional bezel.
The design would also really benefit from repositioning one of the two side buttons on the opposite side for better ergonomics.
This aside, though, I have loved having the Ultra on my wrist. It’s still just about unique enough to not feel like a total Apple Watch Ultra clone, and the distinct style is a perfect fit for those who want something with a bit more in-your-face personality than the usual stock of muted Wear OS watches.
Software
- Runs Wear OS 5 with One UI
- A smattering of AI additions
- Many features are restricted to Galaxy devices
Along with the Galaxy Watch 7, the Ultra is the first to benefit fully from the new Wear OS 5 update. This new software is presented with Samsung’s own overlaid design – the new One UI 6 Watch.
It’s definitely a positive, but, given the robust state of Google’s software platform over the past couple of years, the impact has been somewhat minimal. And the big software additions from Samsung’s end aren’t particularly integral, either.
The company hyped the introduction of Galaxy AI earlier in the year, but the smartwatch experience here doesn’t feel particularly driven by it – and that’s despite the presence of a powerful 3nm chip. The AI features, from what I can tell, are limited to personalised wellness tips for Samsung phones and the new Energy Score. Both of these are similar to features that have been available on other wearables for some time.
I should say, though, that another significant feature of One UI 6 Watch is the FDA-approved sleep apnea detection. Unfortunately, given it’s still pending approval in the UK, it wasn’t something I could test for this review.
So, what about the rest? Well, while Google’s services and smart features such as LTE and contactless payments make the watch a comprehensive smart device, I still don’t think it matches the slick nature of Apple’s watchOS. Insights are generally presented in a clearer context over on the other side of the fence, and minor frustrations present in Samsung’s platform just don’t really exist.
For example, one thing I routinely found with One UI 6 Watch on the Ultra is its dependency on a phone connection to access detailed data. During some tests, like outdoor rides, leaving the phone at home meant I couldn’t review any collected data until I returned and synced the watch.
Similarly, if the phone battery dies overnight, sleep data and scores aren’t immediately accessible. That kind of thing just isn’t the case on watchOS, or, admittedly, if you have a functioning LTE connection.
You might have also seen Samsung announce features like the ‘Double Pinch’ gesture control, which is an amusingly similar take on Apple’s Double Tap feature released last September.
However, while these additions are nice, they don’t add substantial value to One UI 6 Watch or significantly differentiate the Ultra. This kind of thing is compounded by the fact that the Samsung Health Monitor app – which includes access to ECG and blood pressure monitoring – is restricted to users of Samsung phones.
With the introduction of the Galaxy Ring, a device very clearly designed to complement Samsung’s watches, now might be the best time to own a Samsung phone. If you own the likes of a Pixel or OnePlus handset, though, it’s not especially welcoming.
Activity Tracking
- Functional Threshold Power (FTP) feature for cyclists
- Extremely accurate tracking
- 10ATM water resistance rating
While the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra may share the same rugged feel as the Apple Watch Ultra, there’s actually a pretty different focus here when it comes to tracking.
While Apple would have you using its premium smartwatch on challenging hikes and deep sea adventures, the Galaxy Watch instead leans into the traditional triathlon disciplines: swimming, running, and cycling.
For the most part, it’s similar to what you find with the standard Galaxy Watch 7 series, but it’s been buffed in certain areas. So, the Ultra comes with a 10ATM water resistance rating, making it suitable for open water swimming, which is a notable improvement over the regular smartwatch’s pool-only rating.
For cyclists, the Ultra also introduces a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) feature. Instead of heading out and performing a sustained, max-effort to discover your FTP, Samsung is promising to harness AI to transform this into a four-minute test.
Does it work? Yes and no.
The raw data is very comparable to the likes of Garmin, but it was an absolute slog for us to attain it. The power meter connection in the Samsung Health app (if you can locate the section to do so, given you’re unprompted on the watch) disconnected multiple times while attempting to record the initial FTP figure.
Plus, the watch doesn’t actually display the wattage and power zones data for you to work from, nor does it sync this information to fitness apps like Strava. Again, another no-brainer missed.
The advanced running metrics offered by the Ultra are more straightforward and reliable, at least. Post-run data includes insights such as asymmetry, contact time, flight time, regularity, and verticality, which align closely with data from a Garmin device, and you can actually view this immediately after a run using the UI’s traffic-light system.
In terms of heart rate monitoring and dual-frequency GPS accuracy, the Ultra performed extremely well, matching the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) in all three core sports disciplines.
Heart rate readings were consistently within 1 BPM of my Garmin’s measurements, and I experienced only one major, out-of-sync spike in our hours of workout tracking.
The new dual-frequency GNSS also compares favourably to the gold standard, which, as we’ve seen in other Wear OS devices boasting the feature, isn’t always the case.
The Ultra tended to lag by about 50m (0.03 miles) over every 10km tracked, compared to the Garmin. The discrepancy is within an acceptable range, especially considering the price difference between the two devices.
Overall, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has great potential to be an excellent workout and sports watch alternative, provided Samsung can address some of the software issues. It may not be replacing any dive watches any time soon, but the insights and experience are still a definite jump from the average smartwatch and loosely comparable to a top sports watch.
Health and Sleep Tracking
- Energy Score is the big new feature
- ECG and blood pressure monitoring
- Body composition readings have (like last year) proved very inconsistent
With the refreshed design of the BioActive sensor and new insights front-and-center in the Samsung Health app, the Ultra looks to be a comprehensive health monitoring device at first glance.
The ‘Energy Score’ (initially announced in January as ‘My Vitality Score’ before being renamed before launch) and the AGEs Index are the big additions here, slotting in alongside existing features such as body composition analysis, blood oxygen levels, menstrual cycle tracking, and all-day stress monitoring. Plus, there are those exclusive features for Samsung phone users we mentioned earlier, ECG and blood pressure monitoring (if you have a BPM cuff to calibrate it).
It’s a comprehensive package to be sure, but I am not entirely convinced the accuracy is on par with the likes of Whoop, Oura, Garmin, or Apple.
For instance, body composition readings have (like last year) proved very inconsistent, with body fat percentages fluctuating significantly between readings – one test would show 22%, and one taken immediately after would show 17%. In testing, the Ultra’s results often didn’t align with those from more reliable sources like the Withings Body Scan and Fitbit Aria 2 smart scales, both of which have me pegged around 14.5-15%.
The Ultra’s blood oxygen monitoring during sleep also showed suspiciously low readings, with some measurements falling below 95% and occasionally even 90%. Even though this is almost certainly due to a poor fit during sleep, it was still unique among the four devices I tested.
Stress monitoring, too, just isn’t really a fleshed-out experience. At a time when wearables from the likes of Google, Oura, and Whoop place this at the core of the experience and provide intuitive feedback and insights, the fact you have to manually turn on all-day tracking on the Ultra speaks volumes.
Plus, the new stuff – AGE monitoring and the Energy Score – just don’t have a big enough impact to claw the middling performance back.
Tracking advanced glycation end products (AGEs) – influenced by diet and lifestyle and are often used as risk markers for conditions like diabetes and strokes – is particularly frustrating in its current form on the Ultra.
The tracking meter is very vague, providing little actionable feedback or clarity on the significance of the readings, leaving me to infer that higher values are worse and without any easy-to-follow guidance on how to improve this.
I think there’s something for Samsung to work with here, but it’s a feature that needs plenty of work.
The Energy Score is, at least, a bit more refined – even if it’s not nearly as novel.
This is effectively Samsung’s spin on the daily readiness scores seen from a raft of wearables makers over the last couple of years. Energy Score isn’t as attuned to personal readiness to train, as what you’ll find with Whoop or Garmin, but does still offer clear scoring markers, personalized feedback, and comprehensive breakdowns.
Samsung’s focus appears instead to be more on sleep metrics than training load, which is similar to Oura’s approach.
Over the last couple of weeks, my scores tended to be within a specific range of 75-80/100. I have had fairly consistent sleep and exercise in that time, which is a possible explanation for the lack of movement – though it is also possible it’s not the most sensitive scoring system, as well.
And though the health tracking could do with a bit more refinement, sleep tracking is a strong point for the Ultra.
I found the smartwatch can reliably track sleep and wake times, closely matching the data from other devices, and providing detailed feedback on skin temperature, breathing rates, snoring (if the phone is nearby), and sleep stages.
There is also a sleep coaching feature for users looking to improve their sleep quality, and, unlike some other platforms, Samsung doesn’t charge extra for access to this comprehensive data.
Again, there’s groundbreaking sleep apnea detection on offer here depending on your region, too, so it’s a wide-ranging package.
Battery Life
- A watch you’ll charge every other day
- The battery life can be very inconsistent
- Slow charging speeds
Boasting the same 590mAh unit packed inside the Galaxy Watch Pro 5, combined with what’s proved to be a very power-efficient operating system in other watches, I was hopeful the Ultra would be able to really deliver on battery life.
Yet, the largest on-paper battery in the Wear OS world doesn’t translate to class-leading performance. Samsung claims up to 100 hours can be gained from the Ultra’s Power Saving mode, but, naturally, this isn’t too helpful when users will generally want to crank out regular use with the always-on display enabled.
In my experience, you have to charge the Ultra every other day – and there’s a chance it’ll struggle to make it through the second night of sleep tracking if you’ve had a reasonably heavy charge cycle.
Though this isn’t exactly a great performance, two-day battery life in itself isn’t the end of the world for a supercharged smartwatch like the Ultra.
The bigger problem is that it’s an inconsistent battery and that makes it incredibly hard to know what you can get away with away from the charger. For example, some of our outdoor rides sapped next to no battery – less than 5% – while equivalent distances would sap more than double under the same tracking conditions.
Sleep tracking, too, where you would expect roughly identical drain, ranged between 15% and 25%.
It doesn’t change too much in the overall routine of wearing the Ultra as you’re going to have to think about charging every other day pretty much regardless of context – but it’s not great for a watch of this price.
Plus, it’s compounded by very slow charging speeds. It’ll take well over an hour to run from around 10% to a full charge, while 10-15 minutes on the proprietary puck will only grant you an extra 10%. Not enough extra juice to track your sleep or an outdoor workout without fear of losing power.
The stability of battery drain might be addressed through future software updates, and we’ll continue to monitor this in the coming months – especially given that Samsung is already aware of working on a fix for battery problems with the Ultra’s sister device, the Galaxy Watch 7.
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Should you buy it?
If you want a supercharged smartwatch for Android
Pairing a bold design with accurate and in-depth sleep monitoring and workout tracking, this is an excellent choice for those who want a bit extra from their smartwatch.
If you want a long-lasting experience
Those extra features come at the cost of the battery, and we recommend looking at a dedicated sports watch like the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) if you prioritize extended runtime.
Final Thoughts
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is both a unique and excellent smartwatch but also a missed opportunity for Samsung to push the premium smartwatch space forward.
The design is derivative, but it’s still hugely functional in daily wear and provides a rugged style that’s just simply not available from any other Wear OS vendor – and something not likely to see matched by Google’s upcoming third-generation smartwatch.
While I would typically recommend a sports watch from Garmin’s Fenix 7 or Epix (Gen 2) range for those looking for top tracking performance, the performance of the Ultra is surprisingly very comparable, which means the key reason for Android users to look beyond the Ultra would be improved battery life.
That is, of course, unless you really value off-screen navigation tools like a rotating bezel, in which case you’ll likely be better off with the last-gen Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Or, you really require top-tier accuracy in health tracking – an area where the Google Pixel Watch 2 excels.
If Samsung could have shored those areas up, while also producing a more consistent battery, we think it could have stolen Apple’s crown for the top ‘Ultra’ smartwatch. But this is still a solid riposte worth considering.
How we test
We thoroughly test every smartwatch we review. We use industry-standard testing to compare features properly and we use the watch as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Tested for a week
Thorough health and fitness tracking testing
Worn as our main tracker during the testing period
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FAQs
The Watch Ultra works with any phone with Android 11 or newer and 1.5GB RAM or more. However, plenty of features require a Samsung phone. There’s no support for IOS.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
