Samsung launched its new smartwatch in August Galaxy Watch9 to Galaxy Watch Ultra2. You recently read a review of the first one, and now it's time to take a closer look at the second one. We can already tell you that these are the best watches from the Korean giant that you can buy right now, but the question is who they make the most sense for, because they are definitely not for everyone. You'll find out in today's review.
Design and construction: solid body and maximal resistance
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 At first glance, they look the same as their predecessors. These are robust watches with a so-called squircle design, where the case is square (if rounded edges) and the display is round. As you can tell from the review on Galaxy Watch9 or Watch8 Classic, I didn't like this design and in the case of Galaxy Watch Ultra2 It's even worse because it's a really massive watch, so it "stands out" even more on them. After more than a month of testing, I've simply been impressed by the look Galaxy Watch Ultra2 I'm not used to it, but that's a purely subjective opinion and I know people who don't care about the design of their smartwatch at all or attach little importance to it. So don't take it as a negative.
As you would expect, the watch, or rather its frame, is made of titanium, crown then made of ceramic. Both the bottom and the display are protected by highly durable sapphire glass. Galaxy Watch Ultra2 It is a very robust watch, but it is slightly thinner than its predecessor. (10,7 vs. 12,1 mm). On the other hand, they are slightly heavier year-on-year, weighing 61,5 g. (vs. 60,5 g). Either way, it's on your hand, unlike Galaxy Watch9 you will feel.
Gallery
It is important to mention that Galaxy Watch Ultra2 In terms of durability, they bring two improvements from year to year. The first is the IP68/IP69K protection level (vs. IP68), when the watch is fully resistant to dust and high-pressure hot water jets (so you can safely take them to an industrial site, for example operation), and the second is the EN13319 certification, which allows divingto be with them to a depth of up to 40 m. It is worth adding that the watch, like its predecessor, has the military standard of resistance MIL-STD-810H.
You might be interested in
The display is absolutely fantastic
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 boasts a large 1,52-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 498 x 498 pixels and maximal brightness of 5000 nits. Let me remind you that the first generation Ultra screen was 0,02 inches smaller, had a resolution of 480 x 480 px and maxMaximum brightness 3000 nits.
Gallery
If the display of the "first" was already great thanks to the aforementioned parameters, I must say that the successor is absolutely excelIts subtlety is almost addictive, and if I touch the screen Galaxy Watch9 praised for great readability in bright sunlight, in the case of its sibling, it literally shines in all circumstances. Vivid colors, absolute black and excellent viewing angles are a matter of course. On the other hand, the display is too large for my taste, a size of 1,5 inches or slightly less would be more than enough for me.
They are really fast
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 Like the Watch9, it is powered by Qualcomm's top-of-the-line 3nm Snapdragon SW6100 chipset, which is also paired with 2 GB of RAM, but with twice as much storage, i.e. 64 GB. Let me remind you that this chip is about 30 % faster than the Exynos W1000 used in last year's watch from the Korean giant, and about a fifth more powerful in the graphics area. I Galaxy Watch Ultra2 These are very fast watches where nothing is cut off. a launching applications is virtually instantaneous. In addition, it boasts a very powerful neural unit (NPU), which allows language models with a capacity of up to 2 billion parameters to run directly on the watch. This means that the artificial intelligence does not need the internet or a smartphone to process each query.
Gallery
Lasts the longest of all Galaxy Watch
Battery life is related to Galaxy Watch probably the most discussed topic. Samsung watches are traditionally technologically advanced, have many functions, but in terms of endurance they simply lose to their competitors. About Galaxy Watch Ultra2 However, I can boldly declare that they are Galaxy Watch with the longest battery life you can buy today. This is due not only to the energy-efficient chipset, but especially to the giant battery with a capacity of 800 mAh, which is an increase of 210 mAh year-on-year. And in practice, it is noticeable – during normal use, which in my case included sleep monitoring, basic heart rate measurement, handling several notifications a day and about an hour of exercise with GPS turned on (specifically running or walking, or both activities yourself), The watch lasted about three days. That's almost twice as long as the Galaxy Watch9. During more demanding use, when I had with continuous heart rate monitoring turned on and exercising with the watch for several hours at a time, the battery life decreased to about two days (u Galaxy Watch9 it was barely a day).
Gallery
Svendure Galaxy Watch Ultra2 I am generally satisfied, although I wouldn't mind if it was a little longer. After all, competing brands such as Garmin, Huawei or Amazfit are somewhere else in this area, as their watches can easily last for several weeks on a single charge.
News One UI 9: Prevention and heart health play a key role
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 like a sibling, it runs software-wise on a superstructure One UI 9 Watch, built on the operating system Wear OS 7. This is an overview of the biggest news:
- Vitals (vital function overview): The feature serves as an early warning system. It tracks 5 key indicators during sleep (heart rate, varia(heart rate, breathing rate, skin temperature and blood oxygen level). The system compares these values with your long-term personal average and immediately alerts you if it detects a deviation caused by incipient illness, fatigue or stress.
- Daily cardio load: An indicator designed to prevent overtraining. It analyzes your heart's workload throughout the day and combines it with your recovery needs. Based on this, the watch will recommend whether you should increase your training or take a break that day.
- Heart Health Score: A simplified expression of cardiovascular fitness. Replaces older sub-indicators with a single, easy-to-understand score that takes into account sleep patterns, stress levels, physical activity, BMI, and vascular burden.
- Fitness Index: A comprehensive overall fitness score. Compares your cardiovascular endurance (VO2 max. max), exercise heart rate and body composition with reference values for your age group and gender, making it easy to see your long-term progress.
- Redesigned app UI Samsung Health: The app has undergone a complete visual makeover. The interface is now divided into clear tabs (Home, Activity, Sleep, Vital Signs, Mindfulness, and Nutrition), and interprets data much more clearly and does not rely only on "dry" numbers.
- Lift to talk gesture: A way to instantly activate your voice assistant. Just raise your wrist to your mouth and start speaking – no need to press any buttons or say the wake-up phrase “Hey Google.”
All of the above news, or at least most of them, should soon be available to older versions as an update. Galaxy Watch (except models Watch4 and Watch4 Classic).
Gallery
Health and sports functions same as Galaxy Watch9
When it comes to health and sports functions, both watches are on the same level. So, just to summarize: over 100 sports modes, sleep measurement, heart rate, blood oxygen level, body composition, ECG, blood pressure and AGE Index (estimates biological aging and oxidative stress levels based on skin autofluorescence using the BioActive sensor). I will add that how Galaxy Watch Ultra2, and Watch9 bring more advanced analysis of sleep phases or a more detailed view of regeneration. All measured data is clearly processed in the application Samsung Health.
Gallery
So who are they for? Galaxy Watch Ultra2 intended?
Now it's time to answer the question asked at the beginning of the review. Galaxy Watch Ultra2 they are not really intended for those who want a watch for everyday life and regular fitness activities. For those, there are Galaxy Watch9 (to which I would, from my breathless Galaxy Watch4 Classic I would have switched without hesitation if they didn't have a controversial design for me).
You might be interested in
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 like their predecessor, they are aimed at demanding users, outdoor enthusiasts and athletes who need maximal durability, extreme brightness, within Galaxy Watch long durability and safety features (like a siren) right on the wrist. And these users must not have deep pockets either – Samsung currently sells its most equipped watch for more than its last year's "budget flagship" Galaxy S25 FESo keep that in mind if you're considering purchasing them.
I have a watch 8 44mm and when I saw the thickness of the Ulter, I was happy with the 8. There's no point in switching to the 9 because you can't tell if it has a better processor. Just marketing gibberish as always. Then the worst straps with rubber that slips out of your hand. That was invented by a man of the highest caliber. So the 8 44mm was a good choice for the money I spent.