I tested the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for a week, and it’s a powerful device that steals the show

Samsung’s powerful new smartwatch hasn’t changed much on the outside, but the biggest upgrades to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are all hidden inside.

It has a larger battery, a more powerful processor, and new adventure features that take you from the office to the trails without the need for additional gear. Priced at $700 ($50 more than the original). Galaxy Watch Ultra), it’s the most expensive watch in Samsung’s lineup, but it’s also the most durable and most interesting.

I’ve spent the last week testing the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and while the verdict’s still out on its long-term features, like health tracking and battery life, it’s clear that it can do double duty as an adventure-ready companion and a luxury companion. Smart watch.

Whether its $700 price is justified depends on what you’re looking for. If you want the most powerful Samsung watch with the biggest battery, brightest screen, and most external features, it may be worth the premium. But if package is less important than basic smartwatch features, you might be better off getting the standard Galaxy Watch 9 (or even older models) for about half the price.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: First impressions

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 looks identical The original. It has the same premium titanium case, sapphire crystal display, distinctive circular design and three programmable physical buttons. But look closely and you’ll notice some subtle upgrades.

The screen is slightly larger (1.52 inches compared to 1.5 inches on the original), though the overall watch is smaller and lighter. Samsung has also redesigned the bands, making them thinner and more breathable so the watch lies flat on your wrist, which the company says improves sensor connectivity. The new clasp mechanism makes it easier to swap out than with traditional watch straps, though it also restricts you to Samsung’s proprietary system.

The fact that I slept a few nights without tearing it up in the middle of the night says a lot for a watch this size. I still wouldn’t choose to sleep with it in the long run, but it’s noticeably more comfortable than I expected.

Samsung watches already have the best displays in the business, and the Ultra 2 ups the ante with a brighter 5,000 nits display (versus the original’s 3,000 nits) that looks flawless even in the harsh mid-morning summer sun.

New running and diving features in Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

The Ultra 2 edges closer to sports monitoring territory with a dedicated running mode that displays real-time climb and elevation data, and has access to an offline trail map and hydration reminders. I live near a provincial park with hundreds of trail options, and I’ve been frustrated by traditional smartwatches that don’t take into account uneven terrain or give me enough credit for extreme elevation changes.

After a five-mile drive through the hills of Northern California, two things impressed me: turn-by-turn voice navigation and real-time elevation tracking. I don’t like wearing headphones when I’m running because I prefer to stay aware of my surroundings, so hearing directions through the watch’s speaker is the perfect solution. It should be noted that getting a track on the watch of these trends was tedious. Samsung says you’ll eventually be able to search for nearby trails directly from Google Maps, but that feature wasn’t ready during testing, so I had to load the route route from a .gpx file on my phone.

With real-time elevation tracking, the watch automatically broke down my route into individual climbs and showed my progress. Having a live progress bar as I approach the hill gives me a tangible goal, making it easier to push through the steeper sections.

I was less enthusiastic about the hydration reminders. I traded my water bottle for a tripod that day, so the three reminders I received during my hour-long walk mostly fell on deaf ears. Given the heat, I probably should have listened. But since the reminders rely on AI estimates of water loss rather than a dedicated sensor that directly measures sweat loss, I found myself trusting them less.

The Ultra 2 also launches a recreational diving feature developed in partnership with the Italian diving company Mares. Since it does not track gas or oxygen consumption, it is not intended to replace a dedicated dive computer. Instead, it appears to be aimed at casual recreational divers who want basic diving information on the device they’re already wearing. The app won’t be available at launch, so I’ll reserve judgment until I can test it for myself later this year.

Gemini watch that supports the raise-to-talk feature in the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

But my favorite feature has nothing to do with extreme adventure sports. He’s a Gemini. I already did He praised how useful Google Assistant’s AI is On your wrist in smart watches such as Google Pixel 4And the new raise-to-talk feature makes it even better.

No need to press any buttons or say words, just raise your wrist and start speaking. This extra layer of comfort made me more likely to use it and helped me get things done completely hands-free. Although I may sound like a business wife, I use it a lot in the kitchen. I had meat in the fridge that was about to spoil, so I asked for a simple carnitas recipe in a slow cooker, and it delivered. I didn’t even have to smear the screen with meat juice so I could read the step-by-step instructions out loud. It’s also been useful for settling discussions with my curious 9-year-old before he loses patience and I have to dig my phone out of my pocket.

Better battery life in theory, but in practice it’s still up in the air

The Ultra 2 has an 800 mAh battery, compared to the original’s 590 mAh, paired with The new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor from Qualcommwhich should be more energy efficient. On-device AI improves battery life as it learns your habits. Samsung rates it for up to 60 hours with the always-on clock display enabled.

It’s still too early to tell if this 60 hour claim is realistic as my initial results weren’t great. This five-mile route consumed roughly 30% of the battery, and I still haven’t reached the promised 60-hour mark. I got close to 48 hours before I needed to recharge.

Either way, don’t expect sports-watching-level endurance. A Garmin Fenix ​​8 Profor example, can last for more than a week for a fee. The Ultra 2 powers a brighter display, Wear OS, and always-ready Gemini, all of which require significantly more power than a dedicated sports watch.

Additional health and recovery tools

Both watches also get a new set of health features, which feed into the redesigned Samsung Health app on your phone.

Tracking vitals can identify potential signs of disease by monitoring metrics such as heart rate variability, resting heart rate, breathing rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature. There’s also a new heart health score, daily cardio load to help guide recovery, and a Fitness Index rating that uses AI to build a personalized training plan for you.

Many of these features require at least seven nights of sleep before they’ll unlock (which I haven’t registered yet), so I’m deferring judgment for now.

I appreciate that Samsung doesn’t put these health ideas behind the subscription the way companies like Whoop and Oura do. Some guided workouts and iFit content still require separate subscriptions, but basic health features are built into the watch.

Samsung also hasn’t confirmed whether these software features will be coming to older Galaxy Watches. So, for now, it’s another point in favor of the upgrade.

Should you upgrade to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2?

After a week of testing, the Ultra 2 feels like more of an upgrade than its familiar design suggests. If you’re coming from an older Galaxy Watch and want the latest hardware with the peace of mind that it will stand up to the elements, this is the device I’d look at.

But I still have a lot to test. Many of the health features haven’t been unlocked yet, and I need to spend more time with the battery before making a final judgement. Battery life, in particular, will make or break my recommendation – both on the Galaxy Watch 9 and for anyone considering upgrading from the original Ultra.