Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 hands-on review: Giving us what the Apple Watch Ultra 3 didn’t
The smartwatch upgrade the Apple Watch Ultra 2 should have been
🤏 12% thinner titanium build with enhanced rugged durability
🔆 5,000 nits peak brightness outshines Apple Watch Ultra 3’s 3,000 nits
⚙️ Snapdragon Wear Elite processor — faster app switching, NPU for AI, satellite messaging
🏃♂️ Trail Running mode tracks elevation/climbing, detects terrain impact, warns of overexertion
🚰 Real-time hydration tracking that prompts water/snack breaks with Nutrition Alerts
🤿 Dive-ready with an IP69 rating + EN13319 certification for depths up to 130 ft (40m)
🔋 35% larger 800mAh battery rated for 60 hours with Always-On Display
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is proving to be the high-end smartwatch the Apple Watch Ultra 3 should have been. On the surface, it features a slimmer design and a brighter display that peaks at 5,000 nits. Internally, Samsung has also upgraded the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with a faster Snapdragon Wear Elite processor and a 35% larger battery. Compared to the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s crummy list of upgrades, it’s easy to see Samsung is winning here.
🤏 Slimmer titanium design. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is 12% thinner than its predecessor while retaining the rugged titanium construction as its predecessor. This new model is only 10mm thick compared to the predecessor at 12mm thick. That’s only a 2mm difference, but it’s instantly noticeable when you’re wearing the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. It feels less like you have a poker chip strapped to your wrist, and it’s easier to slip under a long-sleeved shirt or jacket.
Check out the rest of our Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 coverage:
Galaxy Z Fold 8 colors: hands-on with all 4 snazzy new finishes
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra colors: hands-on with all 4 premium finishes
Galaxy Z Flip 8 colors: hands-on with all 4 fun new finishes
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Z Fold 8: which foldable is the right fit for you?
Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Z Fold 7: should you upgrade to the latest version?
🔆 Brightest display. The other big notable change is the new brighter, 5000-nit display. The new screen makes an immediate impression with its vivid watchfaces and menus. 5,000 nits of brightness is far brighter than the 3,000-nit Apple Watch Ultra 3, and it’s likely to be brighter than even your smartphone and even your TV – unless you have one of TCL’s new SQD-Mini LED TVs at home. Simply taking pictures of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2’s brighter display was easier, as the screen pops more with stronger contrast.
🪻Snapdragon Wear Elite. There’s also a brand new Snapdragon Wear Elite processor powering the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. This is the biggest wearable chip upgrade we’ve seen in three years, and it adds an NPU for AI performance, satellite messaging, and serious battery life improvements. Immediately I can tell that apps open faster and stay running in the background while you switch between them on this new smartwatch. No more having to relaunch maps or a workout app when your notifications bring you to a different screen on this smartwatch.
🥾 Trail Running & Nutrition Alert. As ever, Samsung is pushing the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 as the world’s best workout companion and has added Trail Running as an activity. This new activity will monitor your elevation and climbing progress. It’ll even detect terrain impact using the gyroscope and let you know when you’re hiking too hard to avoid injury. Samsung has also added a new Nutrition Alert that’ll trigger when its real-time hydration guidance notices you’ve sweat too much and it’s time to replenish with a water and snack break.
🤿 Dive-ready. On the opposite of climbing, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is promising to be dive-ready with a heartier IP69 dust and waterproof rating. It can also handle deeper depths with an added EN13319 rating (basically the EU version of 10ATM), which will allow you to take this watch to depths of 130 feet (40 meters). Samsung also says it’s developing a diving app with Mares, a world-leading diving equipment brand, that will be available later this year.
🔋 35% increased battery life. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 comes with a larger 800mAh battery, a 35% increase in capacity compared to the previous Ultra model that came with 590mAh. Samsung rates its new smartwatch as lasting for 60 hours straight with Always-On Display turned on, but that was already roughly what you could get with the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. However this shakes out, we’ll test if the bigger battery has improved battery life with our stringent review testing.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam