To test the Galaxy Watch Ultra, I had to take off the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) with just two days left to complete my preliminary 28-day Training Load analysis. Training Load is a new feature in WatchOS 11 that takes cumulative calorimetric data like heart rate, pace, effort, and age to measure whether or not your efforts are improving your fitness performance. It was annoying to get so close and not finish. However, it wasn’t as annoying as it could have been, as I’ve tried this feature before. Garmin has had a training load feature for years.
In the race to create the most feature-rich outdoor smartwatch that works well with your phone, Apple is clearly winning. The Apple Watch Ultra’s design is more visually distinctive. The software is better, with more sports like diving, better algorithms like Training Load, and a better user interface. It’s also fun how closely the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s design mimics Apple’s, with a safety orange strap that looks exactly like Apple’s. Ocean Band ($99) and a quick button on the side where you can assign a function, like Apple’s action button. There’s even a gesture-based feature very similar to double-tap, called (I’m still laughing) Double Pinch.
That said, Samsung has the resources to catch up quickly, and I didn’t find any major flaws. If you’re a fairly happy Android user and would like the experience of using an Apple Watch Ultra, this is a good start. It can only get better.
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The Galaxy Watch Ultra is very nice. It’s not as visually distinctive as the Apple Watch Ultra, but its design resembles that of a high-end Garmin or Coros watch. It’s a 47mm smartwatch, making it a bit smaller than the Watch Ultra’s 49mm case, but feel Bigger because it is square instead of rectangular.
It has a titanium case with a sapphire crystal dial that is rated at 10 ATM (meaning it can withstand the pressure exerted by 100 meters of water) and IP68, and can withstand elevations of up to 9,000 meters and temperatures of up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn’t get a chance to get a Colorado 14er During testing, I stupidly biked to run errands in temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during a heat wave, and the watch performed just fine (it didn’t).
Photography: Adrienne So
Battery life is my main issue with these smartwatches-turned-extreme fitness trackers. The Watch Ultra can last a little over two days, which is great for a smartwatch, but well below what you’d need for a normal weekend camping trip. Every morning, it took three hours to charge the watch back up to 10 to 15 percent. With power-saving mode on, the watch could last anywhere from three to five days. I like being able to play around with the settings to figure out what to turn off or keep on to extend battery life.
Samsung notes that the watch has a new, improved BioActive sensor, which increases the accuracy of the heart rate sensor and other new health metrics. It’s remarkably consistent with what I track on my Oura ring — for example, if the Oura said my heart rate was 69, the live reading on the Galaxy Watch Ultra was 70.
The other new feature is the AGEs index. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra can measure advanced glycation end products (AGEs). (Diagnostics is the company behind the tool, which take readings (via a light source that excites specific fluorescent groups, or parts of molecules, in your skin). Your AGE score is important because it can help predict your risk for diabetes and stroke; the way most people do this now is through a test called an A1C, which is a more invasive blood test.
