Last month, Samsung announced a more affordable, entry-level Galaxy Watch FE. Today, they unveiled the updated $299.99 Galaxy Watch seven and the brand-new $649.99 Galaxy Watch Ultra. Samsung is taking inspiration from Apple’s smartwatch strategy, especially with the introduction the new Ultra.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s high-end smartwatch. It is a successor to the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and is designed for outdoor enthusiasts. Unlike its predecessor, the Ultra’s design and features are noticeably inspired by the Apple Watch Ultra.
That isn’t just a baseless claim; it’s evident in the name and design. Samsung has branded the Galaxy Watch Ultra, echoing Apple’s naming convention. It boasts impressive durability with 10ATM water resistance, an IP68 rating, a titanium case, and a sapphire crystal lens. The new orange Quick Button, along with distinct orange accents, provides quick access to shortcuts for the workout app, flashlight, water lock, and more. It also introduces a new lug system for attaching straps, similar to Apple’s.
New strap options are available for runners, hikers, and swimmers. The screen is brighter, reaching up to 3,000 nits. The Ultra includes dual-frequency GPS, diving capabilities, and a new multisport activity profile. There’s a Night Mode for the watch face, turning it red for easier readability at night. New power-saving modes extend battery life to 100 hours overall and up to 48 hours during exercise. Cyclists benefit from a new Functional Threshold Power metric, and runners can use the new Race feature to compare current and past performances. Additionally, the watch includes an 85dB emergency siren, which is quite loud.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra fills a gap in the Android market, which doesn’t have a direct competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra. While Garmin watches are excellent, they lack intelligent features and third-party app support. Samsung aims to address this niche, and the Ultra is priced at $150 less than its Apple counterpart, making it an appealing option.
However, calling this an Apple Watch Ultra knockoff is not entirely fair. Samsung brings its unique elements. The 47mm titanium case is square, and compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, it’s chunkier but distinct, fitting even smaller wrists. Despite the absence of a physical rotating bezel, Samsung’s digital touch bezel remains, adding a familiar touch. The Quick Button, which looks like a digital crown, doesn’t scroll, which might take some getting used to.
The Galaxy Watch 7’s design hasn’t changed much, aside from new strap colors. The sizes, battery capacities, and prices remain the same. However, it shares most internal hardware and software updates with the Ultra.
For instance, they upgrade to Wear OS 5 and One UI 6 Watch. Both support a new 3nm Exynos W1000 chip with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. They include LTE, fast charging, and dual-frequency GPS. The upgraded Samsung BioActive Sensor enhances heart rate, EKG, and body composition analysis. The new BioActive Sensor includes more LEDs and colors — blue, yellow, violet, and ultraviolet — introducing the experimental Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) Index metric, which assesses “diet and lifestyle” to reflect biological aging.
Both watches also incorporate Galaxy AI-powered features like Energy Score and Wellness Tips, offering insights based on health tracking data. Significantly, they now have FDA De Novo clearance for sleep apnea detection, which is an industry first. This feature uses sleep tracking data to monitor sleep disruptions indicative of moderate to severe sleep apnea, intended to prompt users to consult healthcare providers rather than serve as a diagnostic tool.
In summary, while neither the Galaxy Watch 7 nor the Ultra introduced groundbreaking changes, they fill essential niches in the market. The Galaxy Watch Ultra, in particular, provides a long-awaited Android equivalent to the Apple Watch Ultra. If it performs well in real-world testing, it will be a valuable addition to Samsung’s lineup.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra will be available on July 24th. The Watch 7 can be preordered starting today at Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung, while the Ultra is already available.
