Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra - It Really Is Pretty Ultra

As far as I'm concerned, Samsung is king when it comes to smartwatches. There were Samsung watches on sale years ahead of most other companies even considering bringing something to market.

However, with the change to WearOS a couple of generations back, the door was open for other Android-based ecosystems to take their bites of the wearable pie; in terms of design, Samsung was still head of the pack. In terms of useability though, things began to tighten up a bit.

Meanwhile, over in i-land, they launched a completely new kind of watch; with a longer-lasting battery and virtually indestructible.

Suddenly Samsung was having gauntlets thrown down from all directions, so a response was inevitable.

I thought the Galaxy Watch Ultra was going to be ugly. I'd seen leaked images online, hinting at the round face on top of a squircle (square with rounded corners) case. Strictly speaking, those images were accurate - although once I saw the Galaxy Watch Ultra in real life and put it on my wrist, it actually seemed quite styley - albeit in a rugged, sporty sort of way. That's fine; the whole idea of this watch is to be rugged and sporty.

I still don't understand why you would put a round face on what is essentially a square watch. My only theory (and this is just a theory) is that maybe next year's version will have a square screen to match and Samsung is just trying to get its fans used to the idea, step by step.

Samsung's software team and any WearOS app developers would also have to get used to the idea of a square face too.

Whatever the reason, the result is, I don't hate it. In fact, since I've been wearing it I've received an unusually high number of compliments, so it's possible this is actually a really good-looking watch. (I have the Titanium Grey version with orange Marine Band - but you can also opt for Titanium Silver or Titanium White)

The other slightly controversial thing Samsung has done here is forgone the infamous rotating bezel control. Samsung's design team keeps giving us this feature and taking it away, depending on which model or year it is. In 2024 we're not allowed it - even the cheaper, more traditional Galaxy Watch 7 only offers virtual, on-screen bezel controls. Who knows, maybe there'll be such an outcry Samsung will come up with a Galaxy Watch Ultra Classic next year?

Anyway, for most people, this won't be a dealbreaker and it probably helps the Galaxy Watch Ultra maintain its rather impressive durability standards; it's IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, it'll withstand 10ATM of water pressure, extreme cold, extreme heat and up to 9,000 metres altitude. 

The battery life is very good - although as with most devices that'll depend on how you use it. Obviously, if you run it with AOD mode on, connected to Bluetooth earbuds and use GPS location for hours on end, you're still going to need a top-up by the end of the day. But there's a power-saving mode that can eke things out to 100 hours - it all depends. One thing you won't be doing with this Galaxy watch is charging it on the back of your phone.

Like the rotating bezel, I wonder if Samsung has discovered "Wireless Powershare" is a feature not many people were using. It's a moot point because the new band system on the Galaxy Watch Ultra would make it virtually impossible anyway. Samsung calls this the Dynamic Lug System - it means you can remove the band with a single press of a button and put a replacement one on just by pushing it into place. This works well and is perhaps the most user-friendly watchband arrangement I've come across yet. Pity all those old bands won't fit this watch though. Oh well.

Of course, Samsung has a range of different bands suited to different conditions; Marine, Trail and PeakForm - and don't worry, it looks like there are already plenty of 3rd-party options popping up online.

But back to just how tough this particular Ultra is... the titanium casing is packed with specially designed cushioning to protect the inner workings from major impacts and the Sapphire Crystal glass is basically impervious to scratches and cracks. Belive me, I'm pretty hard on my wearables (not because I'm particularly extreme, just because I'm extremely clumsy) and I've been wearing this watch for a week or two now and it still looks absolutely brand new.

There's a very powerful processor running Samsung's latest version of WearOS and the large display is extremely bright and clear. This makes it a great way to sort through messages and emails without having to take your phone out of your pocket. In fact, if you're on the right phone plan, you don't even need your phone with you at all, which is pretty handy if you're hiking, cycling, running etc.

There are all the usual sensors to monitor all the usual metrics, from heart rate to blood pressure. Every time a new Galaxy Watch comes out, there's another way they've come up with to show me how unfit I am. For instance, do you know what Functional Threshold Power is? If you're a serious cyclist you probably do, and yes, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has you covered.

The Dual-Frequency GPS means your navigation and route tracing are as accurate as possible, no matter how remote - or built up - your location. And not only does this device have fall detection but it also comes with a surprisingly loud siren, if your extreme adventures end up being more extreme and adventurous than you'd bargained on.

Which brings us to the final upgrade to this new form factor for Samsung - the Quick Button, a fully customisable shortcut button which can be used for your favourite function. For me, that's an Outdoor Walk workout. This is the button you push for 5 seconds to activate the siren. Great button. Except... it's in the wrong place. The Quick button has been wedged in between the other two more traditional controls on the right-hand side of the watch. I don't know why all three buttons had to be so close together on such a large watch. In fact, I don't know why the Quick Button couldn't have been located on the left side instead. Unfortunately, this has caused me to fire off my favourite workout several times by mistake... in the middle of the night... when I'm in bed and was just trying to check the time.

This is a shame because the sleep tracking is next level - especially combined with Samsung's new AI-powered insights. The Galaxy Watch Ultra now alerts you if anything is seriously out of balance with your "Energy Score" - this is an aggregation of just about everything the watch is monitoring and guess what? Mine is always out of whack because of a lack of sleep. The joys of working in breakfast radio, I guess.

Overall, I'm more impressed than I thought I would be with The Galaxy Watch Ultra. From leaked photos and early reviews, I was expecting this device to be an overhyped, cosmetically different version of the existing Galaxy Watch line but that's not the case. This is a genuinely tough, go anywhere, do anything wearable and my only real quibble is the position of a very useful button which I'm sure I'll get used to over time.

What's more, everyone keeps telling me how cool it looks, so there's no way I'm taking it off now.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.