Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review: Is This the Rugged Smartwatch to Beat?

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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: A Good Watch, But In Apple’s Shadow

On July 10th, Samsung announced the $649.99 Galaxy Watch Ultra, a wearable that immediately drew comparisons to its arch-rival, the Apple Watch Ultra. While there are subtle stylistic differences, the Galaxy Watch Ultra feels undeniably like a direct response to the Apple Watch Ultra, adopting many of its key features and design elements. It’s a strategy that, in many ways, has proven successful: the Galaxy Watch Ultra is undeniably a great Android smartwatch, perhaps even the best Android smartwatch. However, for many, the successful implementation of these features leaves a bittersweet taste.

The Apple of Android Wearables

While there’s a distinct sense of deja vu in its design and features, the Galaxy Watch Ultra does have its own unique distinctions. It sports a circular face (though encased in a squarish case), lacks a digital crown, and boasts FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection, a 3nm processor, and an upgraded 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor for EKGs, body composition analysis, and other heart rate data. It also runs One UI 6 Watch and Wear OS 5, giving it a distinct advantage over Apple’s watchOS.

However, the similarities with Apple’s Ultra are undeniable:

  • An orange shortcut button (Action Button versus Quick Button).
  • Three distinct band types catering to water sports, climbing, and running.
  • A loud emergency siren (Apple’s at 80db, Samsung’s at 85db).
  • A red-tinted watchface for nighttime visibility.
  • 3,000 nits of screen brightness.
  • Dual-frequency GPS.
  • 10ATM of water resistance.
  • A new multisport activity for triathletes.

These commonalities point to a larger trend in Samsung’s wearable strategy, shifting from its distinctive quirks to a more Apple-like approach. While effective in boosting the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s capability, it inevitably invites comparisons, leaving some to wonder if it lacks the distinct Samsung personality of older models.

Squaring the Circle: Design and Fit

The Galaxy Watch Ultra’s most notable design choice is its squarish case, a departure from the circular faces that have dominated previous Galaxy Watch models. Samsung claims that this design adds durability, though the Watch 5 Pro proved that circular cases were already quite sturdy. A more plausible explanation is that the squarish shape allows for a better strap swapping mechanism, mirroring the Apple Watch’s system.

Unfortunately, this design choice has proven divisive. While it might contribute to the watch’s overall strength, the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s shape doesn’t always sit comfortably on the wrist. It appears more bulky than a circular design of similar dimensions, leading to fit issues, especially for users with smaller wrists. The gap between the strap and the wrist can be significantly wide, and finding that perfect tight-but-not-too-tight fit can be a struggle.

Battery Life, Double Pinch, and Health Tracking

The Galaxy Watch Ultra boasts a 590mAh battery, the same as the Watch 5 Pro. However, software refinements and a new exercise power-saving mode significantly improve battery life. In testing, the watch consistently achieved around 70 hours on a single charge with heavy GPS usage and features like the always-on display enabled, reaching up to 76 hours with power-saving mode engaged. Though it falls short of Samsung’s 100-hour estimate, it’s a marked improvement over the Watch 5 Pro, offering a true multi-day battery life for most users.

The addition of double-pinch gestures, while not entirely new, is more prominent in the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Though limited in its contextuality, simplifying the gestures to dismissing alerts, accepting calls, and controlling the phone camera actually improves its usability. Combined with other gestures like knock knock, it opens up hands-free options for a wider range of tasks.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra takes a more comprehensive approach to health tracking, boasting an upgraded 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor and integrating Galaxy AI health features. These features include:

  • Energy Score: Broadly accurate in assessing energy levels, but AI-generated advice can be hit or miss.
  • Wellness Tips: Similar to Energy Score, providing practical but sometimes contradictory recommendations.
  • AGEs Index: A baffling metric that measures “advanced glycation end products,” supposedly indicating metabolic aging. While interesting, the practical use and value of this metric remain unclear, potentially falling into the realm of gimmicks for now.
  • Sleep Apnea Detection: This FDA-cleared feature, though potentially useful, is difficult to implement in practice due to the watch’s fit and requires a Galaxy phone.

Overall, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a capable tracker, but the new AI-driven health features are still a mixed bag, requiring further refinement.

The Price of Mimicry: Samsung’s Identity Shift

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a compelling option for Android users seeking a long-lasting smartwatch with advanced features. However, it’s difficult to ignore the shadow of its Apple counterpart. The Galaxy Watch Ultra feels more like an Apple Watch for Android than a genuinely distinct Samsung product, losing some of the quirky charm that defined its predecessors. The reliance on functionality over innovation, while driving success, risks blurring Samsung’s unique identity in a crowded wearable market.

This strategy is not limited to the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The entire Galaxy Watch lineup now mirrors Apple, with a budget Galaxy Watch FE mirroring the Apple Watch SE, a Galaxy Watch 7 directly competing with the Apple Watch Series 9, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra at the top, mirroring the Apple Watch Ultra. The signature rotating bezel, once a key differentiator, is now exclusively reserved for the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, which wasn’t even updated this year.

While the Galaxy Watch Ultra is undoubtedly a powerful and capable smartwatch, a successful product does not always translate to a satisfying one. Samsung’s shift towards imitating Apple, while boosting its competitiveness in the Android sphere, raises concerns about its long-term strategy. Will they eventually lose their unique voice in the pursuit of mirroring their biggest competitor?

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a testament to Samsung’s ability to adapt and create a compelling product, but it leaves Android users and Samsung fans alike longing for a return to a more distinctive Samsung spirit.

Article Reference

David Green
David Green
David Green is a cultural analyst and technology writer who explores the fusion of tech, science, art, and culture. With a background in anthropology and digital media, David brings a unique perspective to his writing, examining how technology shapes and is shaped by human creativity and society.