Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Hands-on
In a move that seems directly positioned against the Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung has revealed the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The 47mm Ultra features a new “squircle” design with a reinforced titanium chassis—just as the rumors foretold—plus a giant battery and an extra button that can be programmed to your liking.
Samsung’s flagship smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 7, also received a refreshed look and health and wellness tracking capabilities, some of which rival the Apple Watch. The Galaxy Watch 7 is the first to help detect sleep apnea and has a new double-pinch gesture ability. Otherwise, the watch’s look feels like Deja Vu for the fourth time.
Galaxy Watch 7: More of the same
Samsung did not change the core design of the Galaxy Watch 7, but it did add a bundle of new features and abilities to entice you away from whatever smartwatch you’re wearing now. The Galaxy Watch 7 is the first of Samsung’s wearables to feature its new Exynos W1000 3nm processor with 2GB of RAM.
It offers FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, made possible by the new BioActive Sensor, which has increased accuracy and three times the sensors to determine what’s happening inside your body. Naturally, Samsung also added Galaxy AI to the smartwatch to help tell you if you’re ready to exercise with the Energy Score, which works similarly to the Readiness Score on the Pixel Watch’s Fitbit.
The Galaxy Watch 7 boasts a new tapping gesture, similar to the Apple Watch. It’s called a double pinch gesture, and it allows you to control the watch or your Galaxy smartphone when your hands are full.
Despite the new capabilities and the fact that the Galaxy Watch 7 can now detect sleep apnea, the watch feels redundant. At least the chassis has been thinned out a bit, and there are new sport and athleisure bands to accompany the device that feels much more comfortable than what was offered with the previous Galaxy watches. But otherwise, this is still a decidedly Samsung way of designing a smartwatch.
The Galaxy Watch 7 will be on sale today, though it won’t start shipping until July 24. The 40mm device starts at $300.
Galaxy Watch Ultra: The ultimate Android smartwatch
The Galaxy Watch Ultra looks like the “ultra” version of the Galaxy Watch flagship, but with slightly rounded corners that break away from the traditional circle shape Samsung’s watches have had for so long. Samsung calls this its “cushion design,” which features a big, bright screen that is well-protected against the great outdoors. The Watch Ultra’s titanium chassis can withstand up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit and -4 degrees Celsius. It works in deep water up to 500 meters below sea level and 9,000 meters up the mountain. If you get in trouble, you can program the Quick Button, nestled between the two standard regular watch buttons, to sound an alarm about 85 decibels loud. It can also call for help from emergency services in your area.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a 590mAh battery, slightly bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The company says this is the longest battery life ever for a Galaxy Watch, so if you’re going off the grid and want Samsung, this is it. The watch’s power-saving mode promises up to 100 hours, while the exercise power-saving mode lasts 48 hours while tracking your stats.
Like the Apple Watch Ultra, the Galaxy Watch Ulta has a night mode for readability in the dark without blasting blue light in your face. Its peak brightness is 3,000 nits in direct sunlight. I wore the device while snapping photos, and it felt more comfortable than I imagined.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra will be available in 47mm in titanium gray, white, and silver for $650 starting today, though it ships beginning July 24.
