Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review: Handle Without Care

Here's a review of the Galaxy Watch Ultra's features, performance, and how it stacks up against the competition.

Samsung has raised the bar with the release of the Galaxy Watch Ultra, a premium offering that combines rugged durability with high-tech features. Competing head-to-head with the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is designed for those who demand functionality and style in a wearable device. Samsung smartly combined both round and square dial design, and it looks great. But that's not the only good thing about the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The name should give you some hint, but let us spell it out for you.

Here's a review of the Galaxy Watch Ultra's features, performance, and how it stacks up against the competition.

Design and Build: Rugged & Stylish

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra stands out with its robust design, complete with a titanium grade 4 frame and sapphire crystal glass. With this, the watch offers premium feel while ensuring the watch can withstand harsh conditions. The watch is built to handle temperatures ranging from -20°C to 55°C, making it suitable for extreme environments. It's water-resistant up to 10 ATM, which allows it to survive dives up to 100 meters deep.

Coming to the design and its comfort, the Ultra's weight is hard to ignore. Despite being heavier and thicker than most smartwatches, we got accustomed to it in just a day or two. That's some smart ergonomics.

The watch comes with two band options: the Marine band, which balances the Ultra's weight and aesthetic well, and the Trail band, which is ideal for workouts. We got the former and the breathable and soft texture makes it incredibly comfortable to wear for long hours, even during showers and to bed. The watch comes in three shades, Titanium Gray, Titanium Silver and Titanium White. The white truly stands out and the orange-hued band is identical to Apple Watch Ultra. But all of these combinations have been crafted remarkably well, to please both the user and admirers.

Coming to the dial, that cushion design is what sets it apart from the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It's both square and round, blended perfectly to create a sophisticated design language. The dial attaches to the band using a dynamic lug system, which is easy to attach and detach. The three buttons placed on the right side are positioned comfortably, thanks to the large dial size. The Quick Button is undeniably the most useful addition, and it being customisable to various actions is quite handy. The orange hue outlining the crown-shaped button is a nice touch, but I wish it had a working rotation function as a crown is supposed to, but Samsung makes up for it with the functional bezel. The usual Home (top) and Back (bottom) buttons get their usual functions.

Durability: Built to Last

Samsung has ensured that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is built to last, earning it the MIL-STD-810H military standard rating. This means the watch has undergone rigorous testing for high and low temperatures, humidity, dust, vibration, and drops. It's designed to survive elevations up to 29,527 feet, just slightly higher than Mount Everest, making it a suitable companion for adventurers and extreme sports enthusiasts. I wouldn't go hiking to those heights but it is good to know that the watch is good for regular treks.

But hold on. Don't use the watch for high-pressure water activities and extreme diving, which seems somewhat limiting given that "Ultra" title. The absence of specialized diving modes further suggests that while the Ultra is durable, it's designed more for everyday toughness than extreme aquatic adventures.

Display: A Bright and Beautiful Screen

One of the standout features of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is its display. It boasts a 1.5-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 480 x 480 pixels, packing about 320 pixels per inch. What really sets it apart is the peak brightness of 3,000 nits, which is 50% brighter than the Galaxy Watch 7, but same as the Apple Watch Ultra 2. This level of brightness makes it incredibly easy to read even in direct sunlight. It had no trouble viewing notifications, fitness metrics, and apps regardless of the surroundings.

The display is protected by sapphire glass, which offers excellent resistance against scratches. We did hit the sides of the table accidentally, and it was fine. The elevated bezel design helps prevent the screen from scratching when the watch is placed face-down, which is ideal when charging the watch.

The watch supports a variety of watch faces, including some exclusive Ultra-specific ones, which look great on the bright screen. The Night mode feature, although limited to the Ultra watch faces, provides a less glaring interface for low-light conditions. It's too good to be reserved for limited watch faces.

Performance: Power Under the Hood

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is powered by latest Exynos W1000, which provides smooth performance across various tasks. The interface is responsive, and apps load quickly without any noticeable lag.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ReviewIBT
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ReviewIBT

The inclusion of the Quick button, similar to the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra 2, adds an extra layer of convenience. This button is context-sensitive, allowing users to quickly start or stop workouts, activate the flashlight, or trigger a siren for emergencies with an 85db alarm when held down for a few seconds.

Battery Life: Ah, well!

Samsung has made bold claims about the Galaxy Watch Ultra's battery life, stating that it can last up to 60 hours on a single charge with regular use. In real-world testing, the watch managed to achieve 30 hours without always-on display enabled, no LTE, but with a mix of indoor and outdoor workouts along with sleep tracking and HR, stress, and BP tracking. The watch still had 25% battery left after using it continuously for 30 hours. It's not that great, but the Watch Ultra is one of the longer-lasting premium smartwatches on the market, given the features it packs, the display and the activities it tracks.

The Watch Ultra also features a power-saving mode, which Samsung claims can extend battery life up to 100 hours. This mode reduces GPS and heart rate monitoring frequency during workouts, effectively conserving power. This surely comes in handy to extend the battery, considering the max this watch can last is two days on a single charge. As for charging the watch, it takes a little over two hours to fully charge it once the battery is drained. In one hour, the battery went from 0% to 48%. Fast charging would have been a great addition.

Health and Fitness Features: Inspiring to get fit

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra comes equipped with a wide range of health and fitness tracking features that will attract both casual users and serious athletes. The advanced BioActive Sensor can monitor heart rate, ECG, and blood pressure, and even detect sleep apnea. However, it's worth noting that some of these features, like irregular heart rhythm notifications and ECG, are only available when paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone. We had it paired with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, so we weren't put down with any limitations.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ReviewIBT
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ReviewIBT

The stress monitoring worked well. Having tested with different subjects, the Watch Ultra got positive feedback regarding its accuracy. The same goes for heart rate, ECG and BP. Setting up BP monitoring will require a BP monitor so it can be calibrated, but once it is done, it can be tracked easily. Though the watch can detect sleep apnea, no instances were recorded in my use case (something good)!

A unique feature of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the Energy Score, which provides a holistic view of the user's well-being by combining data from various sensors, including sleep, activity levels, and heart rate. This score, presented on a scale from 0 to 100, offers a straightforward way to gauge overall health and make adjustments as needed. For me, there's a lot of room for improvement, as I scored a meagre 41. As I continue to use the watch to bring in some lifestyle changes, I will share if the score changes.

To this extent, Samsung's Galaxy AI offers personalized wellness tips based on the Energy Score. I need to catch up on some sleep. Eight hours is being ambitious, but I must get there if Samsung Galaxy AI's tips are to be taken seriously to improve the score.

Sleep tracking on the Galaxy Watch Ultra is detailed, providing insights into sleep cycles, physical recovery, and even snoring detection. The daily Energy Score, along with other health metrics like stress levels and resting heart rate, align well with real-world experiences, giving users a reliable snapshot of their health. All in all, the Watch Ultra is not just for athletes, it is for anyone who wants a better understanding of their health with a watch that's almost indestructible.

Software and Smart Features: AI and Beyond

The Galaxy Watch Ultra offers a seamless experience for those already in the Samsung ecosystem. The watch supports various AI-based features. The watch supports advanced gesture controls, such as the new "knock knock" gesture to activate apps. In my case, I set it to turn on the torch, but this gesture can be less responsive than expected.

The Ultra supports other intuitive features, like the double pinch gesture to manage calls and notifications, which enhances its usability. This works much better than "knock knock" and I found it to be used more often. Users can also configure the watch to send suggested replies, making communication easier on the go.

Missed out on a few

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is great, but it lacks a few things, such as the reverse wireless charging feature previously available on Samsung smartwatches. It would've worked perfectly with the Fold 6. Another thing that's left me bothered is the exclusion of a rotating bezel, which has been a staple in Samsung's Galaxy Watch lineup. The tactile control on the Watch Ultra would've been perfect.

Final Verdict

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a high-end smartwatch that delivers on multiple fronts. Its rugged design, bright display, and vast health tracking features make it a compelling choice for those looking for a reliable and stylish wearable. With reliable battery life, AI health insights, and robust build quality, the Galaxy Watch Ultra won't be lost in the crowded smartwatch market.

If you're looking for a durable, feature-rich smartwatch with a focus on health and fitness, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is certainly worth considering. But it's hard not to mention the lighter, more affordable Galaxy Watch 7, which packs most of the features for a fraction of the cost. But it won't stand out like the Watch Ultra.

Price: Rs 59,999.

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