Galaxy Watch Ultra Hands-on: Samsung’s Rival to Apple’s Rugged Smartwatch

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Key Takeaways

  • Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 7.
  • The Ultra is a rugged model with a larger display, a larger battery, and a more durable case.
  • Both the Ultra and Watch 7 have faster chips, better GPS tracking, and more storage.

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra as its answer to the Apple Watch Ultra — and it might be the Wear OS smartwatch of choice for athletes and hikers. There’s also a Galaxy Watch 7 for more casual use.

True to the rumors, the Ultra has a squarish 47mm titanium case that backs a large 1.47-inch circular, always-on display. It’s as if Bell & Ross made a smartwatch, and that’s arguably a great look whether or not you’re the adventurous type. And unlike Apple, you have your choice of colors for an Ultra watch. The white model is the most interesting, but the silver and gray versions are appealing as well.

Galaxy Watch Ultra apps
Photo by Jon Fingas for Techopedia

There’s no question that the design is on the large and thick side, and might not work if you either have thin wrists or like to tuck your watch under your shirt cuff. It looked like a good fit on my moderately-sized male wrists, however.

There’s only one strap for the Galaxy Watch Ultra as of this writing, a not-so-subtle riff on Apple’s diving-oriented Ocean Band with tubes to help it stretch over wetsuits. Not that I minded the similarity. It was easy to put on, comfortable, and fairly suitable outside of sporty settings. Samsung is using a new (and Apple-like) strap system for this timepiece, so don’t expect your old Galaxy Watch bands to work.

The Apple parallels extend to the control scheme. Samsung has added a Quick Button (the orange-ringed “crown”) that can perform relevant tasks when you’d rather not touch the screen, such as pausing or resuming a workout. And yes, you can blare a very loud siren if you’re injured or otherwise need help. There’s no physical rotating bezel as there was on the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, just a digital one along the screen’s edge. That strikes me as a slight misstep when users might not want to touch the display with muddy or sweaty fingers.

Galaxy Watch Ultra buttons
Photo by Jon Fingas for Techopedia

As you’d guess, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is toughened for the outdoors. It’s IP68 dust- and water-resistant and can handle temperatures between 131F (55C) and -4F (-20C). It’s also dive-ready with a 10ATM rating that should help it survive underwater pressure equivalent to a depth of 328ft (100m). You can safely wear the Ultra during recreational scuba dives, but you wouldn’t want to use this while on a professional expedition where extreme conditions are more commonplace and dive computers are virtually necessary.

There are major changes on the inside, too. The Ultra has a more accurate dual-GPS sensor that should improve run and cycle tracking. A faster, more efficient Exynos W1000 chip (the first Exynos built on a 3-nanometer process) should give Wear OS more power.

Galaxy Watch Ultra silver
Photo by Jon Fingas for Techopedia

The larger case makes room for a big 590mAh battery, although Samsung didn’t provide runtime estimates. It’s safe to say this is the model to get if you want a Galaxy Watch for your next marathon or extended use on LTE cellular networks. The 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage should help with demanding apps and on-device media.

There’s not much to write about the software. The Ultra is running Wear OS 5 with Samsung’s custom OneUI 6 Watch layered on top. You won’t find many AI features like you do on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, but there is more sophisticated health tracking that includes a mixed-data Energy Score and more accurate data for sleep, cycling, and general workouts.

Galaxy Watch 7

Galaxy Watch 7
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The Galaxy Watch 7 is a considerably more modest upgrade that’s externally near-identical to its predecessor. You’ll find familiar 40mm and 44mm cases with respective 300mAh and 425mAh batteries. The body is still IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, with 5ATM diving (waterproof down to 164ft or 50m depth pressure) and no mentioned extreme temperature capabilities.

Accordingly, it wears much like the Galaxy Watch 4, 5, and 6. That is, it’s comfortable and modern but won’t floor anyone with its looks. I’d add that there’s no Watch 7 Classic, so you’ll have to make do with a digital bezel instead of the rotating ring from last year.

There are some meaningful upgrades that might make the 7 worth the outlay. It’s using the same Exynos W1000 chip and dual-GPS tracking as the Ultra, so you don’t have to pay a premium just to get better positioning for your morning run. You’ll find the same 2GB of RAM and 32GB of space as well.

Prices and Availability

Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra
Photo by Jon Fingas for Techopedia

Both smartwatch models will be available on July 24th, starting at a price of $650 for the Galaxy Watch Ultra and $300 for the Watch 7. Pre-orders are open today.

The Ultra is unsurprisingly expensive, but it might well be worth the price if you want an Android-friendly smartwatch that can accompany you on an hours-long hike. Like the Apple Watch Ultra, though, you might want to consider dedicated fitness watches like those from Garmin or Polar if you’re a competitive athlete or expend to spend days in the wilderness. They generally provide more activity data and last longer, even if their smart functions are more limited.

The Galaxy Watch 7 makes the most sense if you’re upgrading from an older smartwatch (particularly the Watch 4 or earlier) or are new to Android wearables. It should also stack up well against the Pixel Watch 3 unofficially expected to debut at Google’s August 13th event, particularly if you have a Samsung phone and can benefit from the tighter integration.