Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review:
Touted to be the high-end smartwatch Android users were looking for a competitor to Apple’s Watch Ultra the new Galaxy Watch Ultra from Samsung deserves special mention. At a price of Rs 59,999 in India, the latest flagship offering from Samsung is trying to straddle the fine line between durability and feature-richness. With the Galaxy Watch Ultra in hand, I embark on a comprehensive review to find out if it lives up to its premium billing.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Specs at a Glance
Here’s a quick look at the key specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra:
| Specs | Galaxy Watch Ultra |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 47.4 x 47.1 x 12.1 mm |
| Dial Size | 47 mm |
| Weight | 60.5 grams |
| Display | 1.46-inch Super AMOLED, 480 x 480 pixels, Sapphire Glass protection, 3000 nits |
| Operating System | Wear OS 5 |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos W1000 |
| Sports Modes | 100+ |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Battery Life | Up to 100 hours |
| Strap Colors | Titanium Gray, Titanium Silver, Titanium White |
| Price | Rs 59,999 |
Design and Build: A Premium Feel
Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will be familiar for many – it comes with a circular magnetic charging station, the wristband of your choice, and some paperwork. A premium feel smacks right in the face with its noticeable heft, thanks to its aerospace-grade titanium construction. Weighing near 60 grams, this watch feels rather full but may prove a little bulkier on smaller wrists.
Noticeable design-wise is the orange-highlighted bezel and a display slightly raised for protection. Though thick, the Marine Band never felt uncomfortable to wear on my wrist throughout my activity-filled days, and it didn’t seem to retain much sweat.
Display: Bright But Not Revolutionary
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra features a 1.46-inch Super AMOLED display, peaking out at 3000 nits. Sure, the display looks very bright and clear both indoors and outdoors; however, these improvements do little for the price. Even then, at this most powerful of brightness levels, the screen is the same size as previous version ergo, not innovative.
Health and Fitness Tracking: Advanced and Accurate
It has improved further in health and activity tracking with its new BioActive sensor, packing an accelerometer, heart rate monitoring, barometer, gyroscope, pedometer, blood oxygen level monitoring, and temperature sensing. This full set of sensors provides accurate exercise, sleep, and general wellbeing tracking.
- Automatic Tracking: Workouts are indefatigably detected by the watch and precisely paused, tracking steps, heart rate, loss of sweat, and GPS routes.
- Sleep tracking: It provides all information about the sleep pattern, including the skin temperature and the optional snoring data capture.
- Energy Score: Get an estimate of your daily energy levels, based on your sleep and activity data with the all-new Energy Score feature available on OneUI 6.
Software and Companion Apps: Streamlined but Separate
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will run natively on Wear OS 5, with backing by Samsung’s Wearables and Health apps. While these are both fairly painless and rather well-laid-out apps, full functionality does require the installation of two different apps. Really, it would be nice if things could be a little more consolidated for the sake of simplicity.
Summary
While the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra actually represents a very capable premium smartwatch offering for Android users, combining rugged design with a very sharp display and advanced health tracking features, its rather steep price may be off-putting for some—with no real innovation in terms of display size. If you’re in the market for a premium Android smartwatch that has a lot to offer, then there’s certainly nothing to write off about the Galaxy Watch Ultra—but maybe, just maybe, there are slightly better options available.
Here’s a concise table of the pros and cons for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra:
Pros:
- Premium Build: Made of durable titanium with Sapphire Glass, making it tough and scratch-resistant.
- Bright Display: 1.46-inch Super AMOLED screen with 3000 nits brightness for excellent visibility.
- Advanced Tracking: Comprehensive health metrics with new BioActive sensor.
- Durability: IP68 rating and water resistance ensure robust performance.
Cons:
- High Price: Costly at Rs 59,999.
- Bulkiness: Large and heavy, may be uncomfortable for some.
- Display Size: No significant increase in screen size.
- Complicated Apps: Requires multiple apps for full functionality.