The new Galaxy Watch Ultra goes head-to-head against the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Is it that much better, or not?
Intro
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is this year’s super-premium Samsung smartwatch offering, bringing new features and design to the Wear OS scene. With a new design, much faster chipset, and a big battery on board, it’s every bit as premium as it gets.
However, the Galaxy Watch Ultra surely has some big shoes to fill. The previous top Samsung smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, was every bit as premium and also had quite a more distinct timeless design, which relied on elegance and unique features, like the superior rotating bezel.
Which one’s the right fit for you?
Single 47mm size vs 43/47mm sizes
3nm Exynos W1000 chip vs 5nm Exynos W930 chip
Titanium case vs stainless steel case
No rotating bezel vs rotating bezel
32GB vs 16GB on-board storage
590mAh vs 424mAh battery
10 ATM up to 10 minutes vs IP68 (1.5m for 30 minutes) water resistance
Table of Contents:
Design and Sizes
Bands
Software
Battery and Charging
Models and Prices
Voice Calls and Haptics
Specs
Summary
Design & SizesThe hip new versus the classics
Samsung’s largest smartwatches to date (Image Credit-PhoneArena)
The Galaxy Watch Ultra scores a new design language. It boasts a squircle case with a round screen; the case is made of titanium, while sapphire glass protects the display. The Galaxy Watch Ultra comes with three buttons on deck: two standard ones and a customizable Quick Button between them.
Samsung’s new smartwatch is available in a single 47mm size only. It’s also shock-proof, IP68 dust- and water-resistant. Actually, it’s rated for up to 100 meters for as long as 10 minutes, so diving with the watch is totally something you could try.
What you might not try, however, is interacting with the interface with the help of the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s rotating bezel, on the account of it lacking one. Sadly, this useful and signature Samsung smartwatch feature is not available on this watch, likely because it’d compromise the exceptional water resistance.
Meanwhile, last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 Classic came with a classic round case made of stainless steel, with sapphire glass on top to protect against scratches. The watch came in two distinct size versions, 43mm and 47mm ones. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic came with full IP68 water resistance, but nothing more. The watch came with a hardware rotating bezel, though, which allows you to quickly navigate the interface and interact with the functions of the watch.
The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic feels more convenient to wear (Image Credit-PhoneArena)
Which smartwatch is more convenient to wear? Undoubtedly, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. It’s more compact and slightly lighter with the stock band, and although it’s just as big, it feels like a more convenient accessory to carry on your wrist. It also looks classier thanks to its timeless design that should pass the test of time.
Colors-wise, the Watch Ultra can be yours in Titanium Gray, Titanium Silver, and Titanium White, whereas the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic comes in Black and Silver.
Display-wise, both 47mm versions of both smartwatches have the same 1.5-inch AMOLED display with 480 by 480-pixel resolution. Aside from being sharp and vivid, those two can also get quite bright. However, the new Galaxy Watch Ultra has the upper hand here with peak brightness of 3,000 nits, while the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic maxes out at 2,000 nits.
BandsRugged versus classy
You can’t interchange those bands, sadly (Image Credit-PhoneArena)
“Dress for the job you want” is a saying that perfectly encapsulates these two watches. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic comes with a faux leather strap that would easily suit any dress watch given how classy and elegant it is.
