Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Ultimate Buyers Guide

Samsung has finally unveiled the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, one of its latest smartwatches, and what the company is calling its most powerful and most advanced Galaxy Watch smartwatch to date. That’s a big claim to make, but one that Samsung feels confident it can live up to, given the notable upgrades that the Galaxy Watch Ultra is going to offer to users.

This is a direct successor to the Galaxy Watch Ultra, though it’s not a direct successor to the watches from last year, since last year included the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, with the Galaxy Watch Ultra having been released in 2024. As one of the newest smartwatches on the market, it comes with new features, as well as new hardware upgrades like a bigger battery, a more powerful processor, and a much brighter display.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Specs

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the peak of Samsung’s engineering and feature research in the smartwatch department, and as such, Samsung has loaded it with a wide variety of improvements when it comes to hardware components. Not everything has changed, but Samsung has made meaningful upgrades where it thinks upgrades would have the most impact.

This starts with a bigger battery that is now 35% bigger than the battery inside of the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. At 800mAh, Samsung says it lasts longer, so those who demand a longer-lasting watch while engaging in extreme outdoor adventures have something they can rely on. It also charges up rapidly, reaching 100% of the battery charge in 90 minutes, or 40% in just 30 minutes if you’re a little shorter on time.

Another big upgrade in the specs department is the display brightness. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 sports a peak display brightness of up to 5,000 nits, which Samsung claims is enough to ensure that even the most intense sunlight won’t stop you from being able to read what’s on-screen. Speaking of the display, it’s ever so slightly larger at 1.52 inches, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra display is 1.5 inches, so the more meaningful change here is with the brightness to make for better visibility no matter where you are.

Samsung is also delivering an upgrade in the durability. The original Galaxy Watch Ultra was a durable watch, but Samsung has increased the durability with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 by bumping the IP rating from IP68 to IP69K. It’s also now got a rating of EN13319, making it suitable for professional diving.

In terms of overall size and weight, there are very slight changes. The size is about the same, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is slightly slimmer at 10.7mm. It is also a tiny bit heavier at 61.5g. This is compared to 60.5g on the older model.

How much does the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 cost?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will cost $699.99. This is a jump of $50 compared to Samsung’s older Ultra model. It will only come in one size, which is 47mm. It’s also only available in LTE, so there’s no option for a less expensive Bluetooth model.

Where can I buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2?

If you’ve purchased a Samsung Galaxy Watch smartwatch in the past, especially recently, then all the usual retailers will be carrying Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. This includes Amazon and Best Buy as retail partners, and likely others where Samsung wearables are sold. Of course, you can also buy the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 directly from Samsung.

Naturally, since this is an LTE-only smartwatch, it will also be available through the usual carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Pre-orders for the watch start on July 22, and the watch will be available for general retail starting on August 7.

Samsung – $699.99

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Amazon – $699.99

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AT&T – $699.99

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T-Mobile – $699.99

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Verizon – $699.99

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What carriers does it work on?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will work on the usual major carriers here in the US, which means it’ll work on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. It should also work on the MVNOs of each of those three major carriers, and may work on smaller MVNOs that aren’t owned by the carriers as well. You will want to double check with your carrier before purchasing the watch.

What colors does the watch come in?

Samsung will be offering two colors of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, just like it did with the original Galaxy Watch Ultra when it launched initially. For this new model, you’ll be able to pick it up in either Titanium Silver, or Titanium Gray. Both colors should be available at all retailers.

Where the real color differentiation comes into play is with the bands you choose to use with the watch. Samsung itself will be offering the Marine Band, Peakform Band, and Trail Band for the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in a variety of colors. However, accessory makers are likely to come up with an even larger selection down the road. This is where you can truly make the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 a little more unique from everyone else’s.

What new features does the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 have?

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 comes with a handful of new features, most of which are focused on providing users with more accurate health tracking metrics. One of those new features is the Hearing alerts. As Samsung describes it, the Hearing feature alerts users when they may be encountering unsafe noise levels. This is intended to help users prevent long-term hearing damage.

Another new features is the Heart Health Score. This preventative health metric gives you a simple daily score with personalized recommendations on how to improve your heart health. These recommendations are centered around lifestyle. So, you get a simple, actionable score with recommendations on how to improve that score if necessary.

Fitness Index is yet another new feature that aims to help you improve your health, only this time through a holistic lens, by giving you a holistic view of physical fitness. It also gives you personalized recommendations for improving everyday performance where possible. Samsung says that Fitness Index compares you to other users with a similar age, and displays your current fitness level in an easy-to-read spider chart. This will allow users to see where they stand personally, and when compared to other people engaging with the fitness features of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.

Vitals is a feature that users may find welcoming, as it monitors for deviations in your personal health baseline while you sleep. Once you wake up, you can check an alert that will give you more information on any deviations that it found during the monitoring period.

While not health-related, you can raise the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 closer to your face to use the raise to talk feature to check messages, as well as manage schedules and control music playback. Raise to talk is available on the Galaxy Watch 8 series, as well as Google’s Pixel Watch 4.

What bands are available for the watch?

Officially from Samsung, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will have three confirmed bands available for users to choose from at launch. This includes the Marine Band, the Peakform Band, and the Trail Band. Each band will cater to a specific type of activity. For instance, if you’re planning to take the watch swimming often and potentially do some diving, the Marine Band is the one you would want to go with. Or at least have it as an option.

The Trail Band, meanwhile, is designed to be a more comfortable band to wear during trail-based activities like hiking. As for color availability, Samsung is offering five colors for the Trail Band, five colors for the Peakform Band, and five colors for the Marine Band. The Trail Band comes in Black, Blue, Gray, Olive, and Orange, while the Marine Band comes in Black, Blue, Mocha, Olive, and Orange, and finally the Peakform Band comes in Black, Camel, Gray, Olive, and Taupe.

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Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 isn’t going to be the right choice for everyone. Not just because of its higher price, but because it probably isn’t worth paying that price if you aren’t going to use the watch to its fullest and get the most out of its features. That being said, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is Samsung’s most powerful and most advanced Galaxy Watch smartwatch to date.

If you’re specifically seeking out a smartwatch that you can take with you outdoor adventures, with loads of health features and long-lasting battery life, then the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is probably a good fit. It’s only gotten better since the original model, and has enough upgrades to make it worth upgrading if you have the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. Even if for nothing other than the bigger battery and much brighter display.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is pricey, yes, but it’s also a feature-packed smartwatch that promises to offer more accurate health tracking, better durability, longer use times between charge cycles, and a whole lot more. Not to mention the most recent version of Wear OS, which is now Wear OS 7. So, if you want something that’s more for everyday health tracking and all-day comfort, then the Galaxy Watch 9 might be a better option. However, if you want something that withstand your extreme adventures, then this is exactly what Samsung made the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for and you should buy it.

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