Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review: Smarter, tougher and built to last

It turns out that there was indeed enough for Samsung to pack in as upgrades. Let’s go quickly through some of the headlining features –

– A humongous battery

– A slimmer body despite that humongous battery

– A brand new chipset

– It can take more punishment too

The upgraded Galaxy Watch commands a premium of approximately Rs 5,000 over the original – it now retails at Rs 64,999. That’s no good news for its target audience, but it still remains a lot cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra 3, being retailed at Rs 89,990. And, unlike Apple’s version, this Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 works with all Android phones, although it prefers a Samsung phone as a better companion. It’s also gotten better at all the adventure tracking stuff, and smart features as well.

Interesting. So, how does it stack up in the real world? I spent two weeks wearing the Watch Ultra 2 and here’s my experience with it.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is weirdly bulky yet comfy

A bulkier chassis is always a blessing for a smartwatch, as it allows the manufacturer to stuff a bigger battery inside. Samsung, however, trimmed the chassis by approximately 12 per cent while increasing the battery capacity – all hail the engineers! This drastically reduces movement during vigorous exercise and makes the watch comfortable enough to wear to bed for sleep tracking, which is incredible for an adventure smartwatch.

Samsung also opted not to reinvent the wheel, keeping the distinctive combination of a circular display inside a cushion-shaped titanium case, which is instantly recognisable and is undeniably premium.  Though the watch itself weighs slightly more at 61.5 grams, the redesigned strap is 26 per cent lighter, more flexible, and features improved ventilation to prevent sweat buildup, which makes it a lot nicer on the skin. I faced less skin irritation than with the previous generation Samsung watches.

The signature orange Quick Button returns on the side of the housing. I like how it can be customized to launch workouts instantly, jump between exercise segments, toggle a flashlight, or hold down to trigger a high-decibel emergency siren.

Build quality remains top-tier with sapphire crystal protection, a MIL-STD-810H durability rating, and upgraded IP69K water and dust protection. The Ultra 2 also adds EN13319 certification, officially enabling it to act as a diving instrument for dives down to 40 meters. This simply means the Watch Ultra 2 is almost indestructible to general elements around us. If you swim or trek, the Watch Ultra 2 will survive most of the abuse you throw at it.

A much brighter display

Samsung also upgraded the display panel, and the headline feature here is the 5,000 nits of peak brightness – the most I have seen on a smartwatch. This means that the round 1.52-inch Super AMOLED screen is always legible regardless of the sunlight outside – I was able to clearly read notifications, maps, and health metrics under harsh, direct sunlight without needing to shade the screen with my hand. As someone who commutes on a motorcycle in Delhi’s harsh summer Sun, this feature has been a blessing.

And since it’s a Samsung display, it looks vibrant and sharp. It shows a wealth of data, including weather, heart rate, and activity tracking, without feeling overly cluttered.

Is it smart?

One of the major talking points for this year’s Samsung watches is the new Qualcomm chip. Powered by Qualcomm’s 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite, which is paired with 2GB RAM and 64GB storage, the Watch Ultra 2 removes all lags and delays in app launches and screen transitions. Multi-tasking is fluid, and navigating the UI feels smooth. The wrist gestures work better too, thanks to the improvements under the hood. Samsung finally fixes one of the biggest flaws plaguing the Galaxy Watch since the Watch 4 generation!

On the software front, the Ultra 2 runs Wear OS natively with Samsung’s One UI Watch overlay, placing Google Gemini at the centre of wrist-based interactions. The marquee addition is the “Raise to Talk” feature, i.e., raising your wrist and speaking instantly triggers Gemini without pressing buttons or saying a wake-word. I was able to dictate complex WhatsApp messages, adjust smart home controls, create reminders, or check directions completely hands-free. Certain additions to Wear OS, like a dedicated WhatsApp app, is a lifesaver during commutes. 

Is this the ultimate fitness assistant?

Let’s quickly go through some of the headlining fitness tracking features the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has to offer:

– The updated BioActive Sensor promises accurate ECG readings, continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, skin temperature measurements, and full Body Composition analysis for body fat and muscle breakdown.

– Through the Samsung Health Monitor app, you can measure systolic and diastolic blood pressure directly from their wrist following an initial calibration with a traditional digital cuff.

– The watch continuously tracks heart-rate variability, resting heart rate, and respiratory trends to establish personalised baselines, detecting early signs of illness or overtraining.

– By combining VO2 max metrics, sleep patterns, and vascular load into a unified Fitness Index and Heart Health Score, the system provides actionable guidance to help you improve cardiovascular endurance.

So, how much does all of this help with fitness upkeep? 

This is where I’d like to disclose something – I am not particularly a fitness-obsessed person – no gym subscriptions, or daily goals of running around half the world to burn any calories. I don’t dive deep into the pollution-infested waters of the Yamuna River, or march up the treks around Dehradun on the weekends. I stay away from any exhausting ‘manual workout’ as far as possible. Hence, the Watch Ultra 2 is an overkill for my use cases, and frankly, unnecessary.

However, I gave the Watch Ultra 2 the duty of keeping an eye on my stress and heart conditions, owing to the stressful nature of the job I do. Unlike the previous Galaxy Watches, which collected individual data and left it on you to figure out their meaning, the Watch Ultra 2 and Samsung’s updated Health app now utilise Galaxy AI to present it as insights that I could understand.

For example, in my late-night hour-long walking sessions, the Watch Ultra 2 would actively recommend slowing down if it found the heart rate spiking – at a point when I felt exhausted. It kept an eye on my sleep, suggesting increasing my sleep hours to raise my daily energy scores – a feat which, when achieved, made me feel energetic and active. On my weekends, it actively persuaded me to rest and recharge, and pushed me to go on a walk on Sunday to keep the body’s energy levels in the right zone. 

This is the sort of health guidance that I’d rather have on a daily basis, not the guilt-laden trip that the Apple Watch throws at us for skipping a day’s walking session. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is always encouraging in its messages, urging you to improve your health regime at your convenience.

The Blood Pressure monitoring is one feature that I found inconsistent at times, even after calibration. Every time I calibrate the readings with a digital cuff, the watch’s data is reliable for up to 4 days before it starts losing its accuracy. As Samsung says, this is a cautionary feature and not something you should believe blindly – always visit the doctor for accurate data on your blood pressure.

Is the battery life unkillable?

With a 35 per cent larger battery inside, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is finally one of the very few “proper smartwatches” that can offer up to three days of endurance. Note that this 3-day endurance only works when you meet the following conditions:

– No LTE eSIM connection activated

– No Always-On Display activated

– No serious multi-hour workout tracked.

Enable any one of those and you will be hunting the charger by Day 2. That’s not bad considering the hardware’s capabilities, but I was expecting better endurance from a smartwatch with a mammoth 800mAh battery. Efficiency is one area with a room for improvement. 

Charging the Watch Ultra 2 takes close to 1.5 hours from dead, which means you’d be leaving it on the dock overnight, or just after waking up while getting ready for the day. 

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a technological masterpiece considering all the things it can do while sitting on your wrist. Along with a Samsung phone, this ends up being the ultimate health and fitness guide you could ask for. It’s incredibly durable, offers good battery life, is loaded to the teeth with actually smart features (including Gemini, which is actually useful now), and has a well-versed wellness monitoring system. It is comfortable to wear, and its display can now keep up with whatever Mother Nature has to throw at it.

If you lead an active lifestyle and are seeking a reliable wrist buddy keeping an eye on your vitals proactively while you explore, there’s nothing better than the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 – especially considering its price.

For everyone beyond this target group, the Watch Ultra 2 is overkill, just like any ‘adventure-focused’ watch. The extra battery life is always welcome, and the bulky adventure design may exert presence, but you can have the essential experience on the more sensible Galaxy Watch 9.