Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review

Samsung has finally entered the rugged premium smartwatch arena, and its first attempt is a bold statement aimed squarely at the adventurous and demanding user. The Galaxy Watch Ultra isn’t just a bigger, tougher version of its sibling; it’s a fundamental rethinking of what a top-tier Android smartwatch can be. This is Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch Ultra, and it brings a formidable combination of brawn, brains, and battery life to the table.

The design of the Galaxy Watch Ultra immediately signals its intent. Swapping the sleek, polished look of the standard Galaxy Watch for a robust, matte-finished titanium casing, it feels both lightweight for its size and incredibly durable. The new squared-off “squircle” housing protects a perfectly flat sapphire crystal display, minimizing the chances of damage from accidental impacts. A prominent, textured digital crown and a new customizable “Quick Button” add a tactile, functional element clearly inspired by its competitors, making it easier to operate with gloves or during intense activity. While its substantial size won’t be for everyone, the build quality is undeniable and feels every bit as premium as its price tag suggests.

Under the hood, the performance is exactly what you’d expect from a flagship device. The new chipset, combined with an ample amount of RAM, makes Wear OS with Samsung’s One UI Watch overlay fly. Animations are fluid, apps launch instantly, and there’s no hint of stutter, even when multitasking with workout tracking and music playback. The real star, however, is the battery. Samsung has packed a massive cell into the Ultra, and the results are transformative. Where most Wear OS watches struggle to last two days, the Ultra comfortably pushes through three to four days of mixed usage, including GPS workouts and an always-on display. For serious athletes or weekend adventurers, this extended endurance is a game-changer, eliminating the daily battery anxiety that plagues so many smartwatches.

Samsung has loaded the Ultra with features tailored for the outdoors. The new dual-frequency GPS locks on faster and provides significantly more accurate tracking in challenging environments like dense forests or urban canyons. The display is astonishingly bright, reaching a peak of 3000 nits, which makes it effortlessly readable even in the harshest midday sun. On the software front, Galaxy AI integration brings intelligent summaries of your workouts and health data, offering insights that feel genuinely useful. While it has new metrics for hiking, trail running, and even diving, it still doesn’t quite match the sheer depth of data provided by a high-end Garmin or Suunto. It’s a superb all-rounder, but hardcore endurance athletes may still find the specialized ecosystem of a dedicated sports watch more compelling.

Ultimately, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is an ambitious and largely successful first entry into the rugged flagship market. It’s a powerful, beautiful, and incredibly capable smartwatch that finally gives Android users a true high-end alternative to what Apple offers. While its price is steep, the combination of premium materials, class-leading performance, and multi-day battery life justifies the cost for the right person. This isn’t just the best Samsung watch; it’s one of the best smartwatches, period. It’s the ideal device for the Android power user who leads an active lifestyle and has been waiting for a wearable that can truly keep up without compromise.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon