The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is more rugged, bulkier, and bolder than other Galaxy Watch devices — but is it worth the higher price?
Samsung is taking a page out of Apple’s playbook. Along with giving the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro a stem, just like the AirPods, Samsung is releasing a new tier of smartwatch, conveniently titled the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. The new device is bigger and bulkier than other Galaxy Watch models, has a design with orange highlights, and, of course, costs a whole lot more.
But to be clear, in these situations, it’s not a bad thing that Samsung is following Apple’s lead. The Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro are a whole lot more comfortable and easier to control than previous Galaxy Buds. And the new Galaxy Watch looks a whole lot cooler, while offering that more distinct and bulky design that many users love.
Apple justifies the higher price of the Apple Watch Ultra through the more premium build and stronger design, and it’s largely worked. Not only have I seen lots of people out and about wearing an Apple Watch Ultra, but I personally wear one in my day-to-day life, knowing that for me personally, the device doesn’t necessarily add much more in the way of functionality. Can Samsung get away with the same thing? I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra for a while now to find out.
A bold and inspired design
Samsung has certainly taken inspiration from other smartwatches for the design of the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The device retains the circular display of other Samsung Galaxy Watch devices, which is a move that makes sense, but around that display, it uses a squircle-shaped body, which arguably makes less sense. The result of this design is that the corners of the watch itself expand out from the display.
Thankfully, it still looks relatively natural, but I can’t help but wonder what this device would have looked like if the display filled the top of the watch. Overall shape aside, it’s a good-looking smartwatch. Just like the Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung has included orange highlights throughout the build, including on the crown and the bezel. On the right side of the device, there are two standard buttons and a crown, though, for all intents and purposes, the crown is another standard button, considering the fact that rotating it doesn’t actually control the software. That’s a bit unfortunate to see, and we would have liked the crown to be a little more useful.
That said, the extra button compared to the standard Galaxy Watch 7 is useful. The button is actually programmable, so you can set it up to control something of your choosing. I loved that on the Apple Watch Ultra, and I love it here too.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is built to be bulkier and thicker than the standard Galaxy Watch, and indeed it is. While the Galaxy Watch 7 is available in 40- or 44-millimeter cases, the Ultra is only available in a 47-millimeter titanium case. It’s thicker, too, at 12.1 millimeters, and if you have a smaller wrist, you’ll notice the thickness. But that added bulk does mean a larger battery, and the device is rated for 10ATM waterproofing, which is better than the 5ATM waterproofing offered by the Galaxy Watch 7.
That said, unfortunately, Samsung specifies that the Galaxy Watch Ultra isn’t suitable for water sports like scuba diving or jet skiing. These are things that the Apple Watch Ultra can handle just fine, and it’s a little disappointing that Samsung’s version can’t be used for those activities. The Galaxy Watch Ultra can be used for basic swim tracking; however, that’s something that the standard Galaxy Watch 7 can do too.
While not specific to the Watch Ultra itself, I generally like the band system offered by Galaxy Watches. Bands are easy to place and remove, which makes a difference for those who plan on using the device with multiple bands.
The band that the Watch Ultra ships with, of course, is even more Apple Watch-inspired.
