Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review: Replica or Rival?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely is Samsung’s reply to the Apple Watch Extremely. A smartwatch constructed for the intense open air and for health followers who don’t think about nailing each day step totals because the type of accomplishment to shout about.

Like the brand new Galaxy Watch 7, the Extremely runs on Put on OS 5, the most recent model of Google’s smartwatch working system. It matches that new software program with options like the most recent GPS positioning expertise, new specialist sports activities modes and consists of security options to make the Extremely the perfect smartwatch to have on for giant hikes or tackling a triathlon.

The Galaxy Watch Extremely marks one more new route for Samsung’s smartwatch household, however was it the fitting one? Presumably.

Design & Construct

• Only one case dimension choice
• Fast button constructed into crown
• Samsung’s most sturdy smartwatch

There’s no getting away from the truth that the Galaxy Watch Extremely apes the look of the Apple Watch Extremely. Although it’s nearly totally different sufficient although that you just shouldn’t mistake one for the opposite.

You’re additionally not going to mistake it for the Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7, which opts for a spherical case design versus the bigger, squarer chassis you get right here on the Extremely.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

That sq. case with curved edges is wider and extra sq. than Apple’s Extremely and measures in at 47mm, giving it the identical case dimension as the biggest Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional.

This feels noticeably larger in comparison with the Traditional, although using Grade 4 titanium ensures that whilst you’re getting a premium look you’re nonetheless getting one thing that doesn’t weigh heavy in your wrist. In contrast to the Galaxy Watch 7, the Extremely solely is available in one case dimension and it’s nonetheless going to be a bit an excessive amount of smartwatch for some with slender wrists, however I discovered it effective to put on in most situations with its hulking body most noticeable when taking it to mattress.

The strap choices right here do additionally scream Apple Watch Extremely. You’ve obtained your decide of Marine, Path and PeakForm bands. I had one of many Marine ones to attempt, which is constructed for swims and has been an amazing match for train. There’s a button-style lug system to allow you to clip them away from the watch case, which I do discover one of many trickier button mechanisms to make use of, however it does imply you may swap issues up right here.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

On the fitting aspect of the case you’ll discover all three bodily buttons out there on the Extremely. There’s two flatter ones like those you’ll discover on a Galaxy Watch and a crown-style one, which is what Samsung calls its Fast Button. This may be set as much as offer you fast entry to the exercise monitoring display screen, lock the watch when going for a swim or activate the built-in torch mode.

You may also press this button for 5 seconds to launch a siren mode, which is able to emit an 86-decibel sound to assist elevate the alarm in case you get misplaced happening a solo expedition. Whereas it seems to be like a watch crown, it doesn’t act like one, which appears like an enormous missed alternative.

Particularly because the Extremely doesn’t embody Samsung’s signature rotating bezel to supply another approach to scroll by means of menu screens. It means you’re left with the touchscreen which isn’t perfect in varied conditions the Extremely is designed for.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

What Samsung does have here’s a fairly robust watch. It’s been navy customary examined for the power to function at excessive temperatures and to face up to shock and powerful vibrations.

There’s sapphire crystal glass to supply the type of safety in opposition to scratches you’d affiliate with premium watches and smartwatches. It’s obtained an IP68 mud resistance score and an extra 10ATM waterproof score of as much as 100 metres depth making it Samsung’s most waterproof smartwatch but. I’ve used the Extremely for open water swimming and I’m comfortable to say it has survived a superb dunking outdoors of carrying it in an inside pool and holding it on within the bathe.

Display screen & Audio 

• Massive, vibrant Tremendous AMOLED display screen
• Helps always-on mode
• Speaker and microphone for calls

Samsung hardly ever disappoints on the show entrance and it’s no totally different with the Extremely’s display screen.

You’ve obtained a 1.5-inch, 480 x 480 decision Tremendous AMOLED touchscreen, in order that’s the identical dimension and formed display screen discovered on the 44mm version of the Galaxy Watch 7.

It’s a show the place colors actually pop, it’s a really vibrant display screen (as much as 3000 nits, in keeping with Samsung) and it’s a slick one to work together with. You do even have the selection to maintain the display screen on always or use the elevate to wake, which has fortunately been properly conscious of that gesture.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Just like the Galaxy Watch 7, there’s a speaker and microphone array to utilize the onboard LTE connectivity to take calls – there is no such thing as a Bluetooth-only choice, just like the Apple Watch Extremely.

It additionally means you may hear solutions to your queries when utilizing Google Assistant or Samsung’s Bixby assistant. The microphone responsiveness has been excellent generally and the audio system, whereas not exceptionally crisp do provide good quantity and adequate readability to make them appropriate for these voice-based duties.

Software program & Options 

• Runs on Put on OS 5.0
• AI-powered recommended replies 
• Double pinch gesture

With the Extremely, you’re getting the most recent that Samsung and Google has to supply proper now in software program.

You’ve additionally obtained Samsung’s new Exynos W1000 3nm processor set as much as maintain that software program operating easily. Efficiency hasn’t actually been a difficulty for Samsung’s smartwatches previously and it’s extra of the identical when it comes to interacting with the Extremely. It’s slick and responsive.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

The place issues will be barely extra blended is with the software program it’s powering. You’ve obtained Google’s Put on OS 5.0 with Samsung’s One UI 6 Watch overlaid on prime. The latter tells you you’re utilizing a Samsung smartwatch with Google’s presence primarily felt by means of the inclusion of apps like Google Play Retailer, Google Maps and Google Assistant.

When it comes to what Put on OS 5.0 is bringing to the software program celebration, it’s exhausting to say actually. When Google introduced the brand new model of Put on at Google I/O it felt very very similar to a Put on OS instalment that was extra about boosting effectivity primarily, which isn’t one thing that’s massively been a difficulty for Samsung’s smartwatches.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

With an added bodily button and lack of a rotating bezel, it has meant navigating the watch software program is a bit awkward. The 2 flatter bodily buttons have fairly restricted performance and as talked about, that crown button doesn’t rotate as I’d prefer it to have the ability to.

The addition of Samsung’s double pinch does at the very least add a helpful new dimension. Whereas it’s one other Apple ripoff, it’s helpful for doing issues like dismissing alarms or utilizing to take pictures with a Galaxy smartphone.

What you may’t massively fault is the expertise of utilizing the Extremely as a smartwatch. You’re getting a wealthy degree of notification help, together with the now AI-fuelled recommended replies for messaging. The addition of Google’s Play Retailer means a greater collection of apps at your disposal and also you’ve obtained 32GB of storage to pile on apps and music for offline play as effectively.

Health & Monitoring 

• Twin-frequency GPS
• Multisport monitoring mode
• Route and navigation options

I’ve all the time discovered Samsung’s strategy to health, sports activities and well being monitoring blended. It all the time felt like a greater health tracker and well being monitoring watch than the type of watch that’s going to compete with sports activities watches from Garmin, Polar and a resurgent Suunto.

Samsung is admittedly attempting to vary that by together with options that it hopes will give the Extremely actual attraction for critical athletes.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

That’s led by options like dual-frequency GPS, a function we’ve seen seem on sports activities watches and smartwatches to spice up outside monitoring accuracy when monitoring close to tall buildings or densely forested areas.

We’re now getting a mode to trace a number of sports activities in a single exercise session, which is basically bringing a devoted triathlon mode to Samsung’s smartwatch for the primary time.

Cyclists can generate personalised FTP (useful threshold energy), although it’s essential pair the Samsung Well being app to an influence meter to make that work. You do even have the power to add routes that can assist you navigate your manner on hikes, rides and runs.

I’d say the sports activities monitoring expertise with the Extremely isn’t too far off what I’ve skilled on earlier Samsung smartwatches. It’s simply not there with the very best and I’m primarily speaking about Apple and Garmin once I discuss the very best. From an Android perspective, you would say Huawei affords a extra polished sports activities monitoring expertise as effectively.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

That promised improved GPS efficiency didn’t fairly work out once I examined it on the Saucony London 10k. A race that takes place on the coronary heart of London the place there are many tall buildings to wreak havoc on GPS. I used it alongside the Apple Watch Extremely 2 and Apple’s was a lot nearer to the precise course distance than the Samsung watch, which was a good bit out.

I took the Galaxy Watch Extremely for an open water swim with the Garmin Forerunner 965 and the Extremely registered no distance information in any way. It wasn’t a superb present.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

The mapping and navigation options right here don’t embody the free offline maps you get on a Garmin, Polar and Suunto AMOLED sports activities watches or the Apple Watch Extremely. As a substitute, it’s extra about importing routes from the Samsung Well being app to the watch, which you could observe on the watch.

The expertise of viewing routes and navigating works effectively sufficient, however so far as matching the mapping and navigation help you get from rival watches, that merely isn’t the case proper now.

Samsung’s BioActive sensor pulls collectively optical monitoring for coronary heart price, blood stress, blood oxygen ranges and there’s additionally ECG sensors and a physique composition evaluation mode to provide you good scale-style measurements. This sensor setup appears like a greater match for Samsung’s wealthy well being monitoring than sports activities monitoring.

In that 10k race check in opposition to a coronary heart price monitor, common coronary heart price readings have been 5bpm increased and most readings have been 8bpm increased. You don’t have the choice to pair an exterior coronary heart price monitor to treatment this as soon as once more. Samsung’s Power Scores, which works very similar to Oura’s Readiness scores, provided helpful steering on when to relaxation up and take it simple on days and is a step in the fitting route for Samsung.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

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General then, the Galaxy Watch Extremely is an okay sports activities watch, a helpful, motivating health tracker and just like the Galaxy Watch, affords an amazing place to trace your critical well being however has it limitations and disadvantages. 

Battery Life

• Lasts 2-3 days in smartwatch mode
• As much as 100 hours in energy saving mode
• As much as 48 hours in train energy saving mode

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely packs in a 590mAh capability battery, which is similar sized battery included within the Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Professional.

Like Samsung’s different smartwatches, Samsung is reticent to state how lengthy battery life generally ought to final on the Extremely, however is comfortable to state that it could possibly last as long as 100 hours with its onboard power-saving mode, which restricts using options corresponding to connectivity, so lowering notification help for apps that want a knowledge connection to push issues additional.

Samsung additionally refers to an train energy saving mode, which you’ll be able to activate within the pre-workout monitoring settings to decrease the sampling frequency price of coronary heart price and GPS in addition to turning off Bluetooth and community connections to provide you 48 hours battery life.

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

Mike Sawh

I used the Galaxy Watch Extremely with a mix of holding the display screen always-on, utilizing the elevate to wake and making use of the facility saving mode. I discovered that on common it lasted 2 days and maxed out to simply over 2 days. It’s no shock to seek out that utilizing the show in always-on mode does noticeably drain the battery faster and that’s when the Extremely needed to work tougher to get by means of a few days in between expenses.

The facility saving mode can push issues barely longer, although in case you’re utilizing the watch to trace a exercise throughout that point it’s essential use the train energy saving mode, which makes using the modes barely complicated. Forgetting to try this noticed the battery run out for a 30-minute run utilizing probably the most correct GPS mode.

When it comes to GPS battery life, I undoubtedly noticed some inconsistencies there with efficiency. On outside classes of an analogous period, I noticed totally different ranges of drain in battery life. For a 10k race, the battery drop was over 10%. In one other check, the battery drop was smaller.

In the end, it’s essential actually tinker to get the very best battery efficiency right here, however very similar to the Apple Watch Extremely, I want it was far more than a few days.

Worth & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely was formally unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked occasion in July 2024 alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Ring. In contrast to the Galaxy Watch 7, it’s solely out there in a single case dimension and that comes with each Bluetooth and 4G LTE connectivity. 

That mannequin prices £599/$649.99 making it costlier than the biggest dimension Galaxy Watch 7 and cheaper than the Apple Watch Extremely 2.

You should purchase it from Samsung in addition to the likes of Amazon, John Lewis, Currys and Argos.

Within the US, you should purchase it from Samsung in addition to Amazon and BestBuy.

It’s additionally costlier than different rugged Put on OS smartwatches just like the TicWatch Professional 5 Enduro. When it comes to different Android-friendly smartwatches that sit in the identical class because the Galaxy Watch Extremely, it’s cheaper than the AMOLED-packing Garmin Epix Gen 2 Professional.

Take a look at our greatest smartwatches chart for our prime picks.

Do you have to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely?

If you happen to’re hoping for the Android to reply to the Apple Watch Extremely, then I wouldn’t say that was my expertise. You’re completely getting an enormous, robust rugged watch with options that may make it a robust outside companion.

Nevertheless, so far as ticking all of the bins for what you’d count on from a contemporary outside smartwatch, like offline mapping, correct monitoring and lengthy battery life, you’re in all probability higher off selecting up one thing just like the Garmin Epix Gen 2, which could not possess the identical degree of smartwatch and well being monitoring options, however does offer you far more on the outside monitoring entrance for much less cash.

It is a good begin and is arguably the very best Put on OS outside smartwatch, however this isn’t on par with the Apple Watch Extremely.

Specs

• 47mm case
• 10 ATM water resistance score
• IP68 mud resistance score
• 590mAh capability battery
• 32GB storage
• Twin-frequency GPS
• Bluetooth and LTE connectivity 
• ECG sensor
• Optical blood stress and coronary heart price monitoring