Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (and Watch7) review: The superlatives champion

You’ve read our launch news and hands-on preview, and like everyone else, we had the same initial reaction to the Galaxy Watch Ultra. However, I would like to posit a different angle of thought. It should not mater if the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a clone of the Apple Watch Ultra because Apple and Android users do not intersect in a Venn diagram. In fact, this was one of the reasons we decided to remove the Apple Watch from our Tech Awards Best Smartwatch category to focus on direct competition within the Android ecosystem. What I found out after a few weeks of using the Galaxy Watch Ultra is that the Apple-copying saga is just a smokescreen that detracts you from the bigger issue at hand, and that’s the fact that Samsung has designed themselves into a corner.

Best of the best, Sir!

Before we go further, I will say this: the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the superlative king. It is the best smartwatch Samsung has made, and the best Android ecosystem smartwatch to date. It has the most features, the highest battery capacity (590mAh), the most advanced chipset (3nm Exynos W1000), the brightest screen (3,000 nits), the latest software (Wear OS 5, One UI 6), bleeding-edge BioActive sensor (AGEs detection), extreme ruggedness (10ATM water resistance), loudest (85db siren), most comprehensive health app (Sleep Coaching, Energy Score, custom workout routines), and most buttons (for good measure). 

Here's an interesting nugget. The Galaxy Watch Ultra looks huge in pictures with a substantial 47mm case and 60g weight. However, the square case throws you off, because the Watch Ultra is actually similar in size and weight to last year's Galaxy Watch6 Classic which also had a 47mm case and weighed 59g. The actual display (1.5-inch 480 x 480 SuperAMOLED) is the same size as the Watch6 and Watch7 too. It is the thickest at 12.1mm though, due to both a larger battery and new sensor that protrudes more. Once I got the Watch Ultra on my wrist, it didn’t really look or feel as chunky as the pictures make it out to be. In fact, I’m loving the ‘squarcle’ design. Of the three colourways, I do feel Titanium Silver to be the smartest looking version rather than the hero Titanium Gray with the orange band.

However, I do think Samsung dropped the ball by not including any form of physical controls on the Watch Ultra. Instead, we got an Quick Button that activates an emergency siren. Granted, the design is for rugged environments where you're likely to have gloves on, so an extra programmable button is helpful. Samsung keeps flip-flopping with the bezel control every year, and it’s quite frustrating that they can’t make up their mind on this unique design aspect. While I did say I preferred the Galaxy Watch6 over the Watch6 Classic, adding a dial to the Quick Button would have made it so much more meaningful.

All the features, but what's actually useful?

In terms of features, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the spiritual successor to the Watch5 Pro, and it feels like Samsung’s just thrown in all the popular updates that's come to smartwatches since then. The only problem is that nothing really stands out on the Ultra. Yes, it has a 3,000 nits display that’s super bright, sharp and vivid, but 2,000 nits on the standard Watch7 is no slouch even under direct sunlight. Yes, it’s got 10ATM water resistance, but it's not really useful because the Watch Ultra does not have a native dive computer app nor did Samsung launch with any third-party developers building one for them. So it's just a spec on paper.

What does that leave us with? An updated 3nm chipset, updated BioActive sensor, and boasting rights to be the first devices to run Wear OS 5, before Google’s own Pixel Watch 3 even. But guess what, the standard Galaxy Watch7 also has all these updates too. Plus, the Galaxy Watch7 also has sapphire crystal, 5ATM water resistance and MIL-STD-810H standard, so it isn't any less rugged than the Watch Ultra for general use.

The new BioActive sensor enables detection of what’s known as Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). It’s a fancy new metric to show the status of your metabolic health. It’s actually quite deep scientific reading, which makes Samsung’s implementation a little underwhelming. You get a simple bar in the Health app that puts your AGEs index on a colour gradient scale and that’s it. What benefit would this extra piece of vague data do for me that will make the Watch Ultra/Watch7 a must-have upgrade? I have yet to come up with an answer myself. It's great that consumer sensors are getting more advanced and accurate, but brands need to be held accountable on what they market as 'features'. There's a reason I don't have a whole hospital wing built into my home for random medical and health screenings every day, because I don't need them.

When it comes to software, both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch7 are almost identical too. These features aren't specifically tied to the watch's capabilities, but the latest versions of Wear OS, One UI, and Samsung Health. The trickle down effect means that even the Galaxy Watch 4 would be getting them once Samsung updates One UI down the line.

Energy Score is very similar to Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score, Amazfit/Zepp’s Readiness, or RingConn’s Wellness Balance. It basically takes all the individual readings from sleep monitoring, heart rate variability, and activity each day to generate your personalised wellness score for the day. Galaxy AI is supposedly used to churn out personal recommendations on areas to improve, but mine perpetually just says "Sleep more".

Then there's Sleep Apnea detection, but this function is grouped in the same way as ECG and Blood Pressure in the Samsung Health Monitor app. This means it is only available to Samsung device owners. Also, as Samsung has only gotten US FDA approval, so it may take years before we see this feature enabled for use in Singapore.

Lastly, there’s a new Multi-Sport mode to track sports like triathlons. This feature is exclusive to the Watch Ultra. However, the Samsung Health app now allows you to build your own exercise routine, and you can easily create a custom triathlon with preset targets to mimic Multi-Sport mode. Better yet, you can create any combination of exercises with targets and rest stages that you want. I absolutely love this feature, as it finally allows me to log my gym workouts with the actual exercises rather than a generic "Other workout" entry. I first encountered this feature on the Garmin Venu 2 almost three years ago, and have been wondering why nobody else made it happen. These custom workouts can even be accessed by previous generation Galaxy Watches; my custom gym routine showed up on my Galaxy Watch5 Pro. Thank you Samsung.

Performance

Considering that the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch7 essentially have the same specs, it's no surprise they perform identically. UI navigation and app responsiveness is very smooth. On my Galaxy Watch5 Pro, there is a slight lag/jitter when I wake the watch up and start swiping between widgets or opening an app. This does not happen on the Watch Ultra and Watch7.

Battery life on the other hand tracks with previous generations. The Galaxy Watch7 has the same battery capacity (425mAh/300mAh for the 44mm/40mm models) and on average equal battery life as the Galaxy Watch6, while the Watch Ultra tracks with the Watch5 Pro at 590mAh. With Always-On display enabled, prepared to charge every other day. Without Always-On display, the Watch Ultra can last me two full nights comfortably and far enough into the third day without causing charging anxiety. It has lasted me a third night on occasions without a workout or activating the GPS, but not something I recommend trying to stretch.

Speaking of GPS, the dual-band GPS feature seems to help the Watch Ultra lock on faster, which makes outdoor exercise modes that start automatically more reliable. However, once GPS signal has locked, I’ve noticed that the older Galaxy Watch5 Pro is able to keep lockstep with the Watch Ultra in urban Singapore. This goes for standard gym workouts too. Heart rate zones and calorie counting is very similar between the two devices. 

Conclusion

Now here’s what I meant when I said Samsung has designed themselves into a corner. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is no doubt the best Samsung can offer. Besides overhauling hardware with new chipset, sensors, and GPS, it's ultimately the software improvements that really shine. Samsung Health is such a comprehensive health and fitness app now with addition of Energy Score and custom workout routines, plus everything is still free to use.

The problem is not external competition, but internal. Samsung made the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch7 so similar in specs, features, and performance that it’s hard to justify the cost just for that additional one day of battery life. Plus, the extreme environments that the Watch Ultra is designed for, such as 10ATM water resistance, has no application for it. 

I look at the S$988 Galaxy Watch Ultra like luxury athleisure clothing. It’s a statement piece that I want for its looks, knowing that in the off chance I'm headlining the next X Games, I can do so in style. Then my rational mind takes over with the fact that the S$498 Galaxy Watch7 (44mm) low-key does almost everything the Galaxy Watch Ultra can for half the price. 

You can buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra on Samsung Official Store, Lazada, Shopee, KrisShop, or the Galaxy Watch7 from the same stores: Samsung Official Store, Lazada, Shopee, KrisShop. We also have more information about other local retailers, telco offerings and accessories here.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.