When the Apple Watch Ultra came out in 2022, the tech community heralded this as the ultimate fitness and activity-oriented smartwatch that money can buy. A second-generation upgrade made it a more efficient and tempting option for the well-heeled. Obviously, Samsung wasn’t going to let Apple have all the fun (read: profits) to itself. After the half-baked Galaxy Watch 5 Pro from a few years ago, Samsung has now come up with its take on an ‘Ultra’ smartwatch.
It’s called the Galaxy Watch Ultra and it replaces the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic as the big-bad smartwatch you can buy in the Android universe. Unlike its ‘Pro’ predecessor, the Galaxy Watch Ultra goes after the Apple Watch Ultra not just by name but also by its design and features.
In fact, this might be the closest experience to an Apple Watch while sticking to the Android universe!
For two products that seem almost identical, a comparison basis of what they offer on paper is a must. Our Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen comparison aims to give you a comprehensive guide on these athlete-friendly rugged smartwatches.
Without letting the clock tick any further, let’s begin.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: Comparing specifications, design and more
Before we begin, we’d like to point out that the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra are tied to their respective ecosystems. Hence, your choice is largely limited by the smartphone ecosystem you are tied to. With this comparison, we solely aim to find out which of these watches is technically the better choice.
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Design
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is – there’s no other word for it – highly inspired. It doesn’t take a genius to point out the vast number of similarities with the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen. The orange accents, the concept of a Quick button, the new strap mechanism and even the strap seem to have been copied from Apple’s homework.
But is it an Apple Watch clone? We hardly think so. Despite the copious amount of inspiration, Samsung remains faithful to the circular dial design, adapting a trendy rounded rectangular frame. The Apple Watch Ultra has a slightly larger 1.9-inch OLED panel display whereas the Galaxy Watch Ultra resorts to a slightly compact 1.5-inch AMOLED display.
Both watches are made of Titanium, which not only reduces the weight but enhances the durability against harsh elements. The Galaxy Watch Ultra misses out on a rotating bezel and the crown doesn’t help with UI navigation. However, compared to the IPX8 rating of the Apple Watch Ultra, the Galaxy Watch Ultra flaunts its IP68 certification, thereby promising more durability.
A product’s design is always a matter of personal preference – more so in the case of a wristwatch. However, for the sake of this comparison, we tend to gravitate towards the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra for its unique aesthetics.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Performance and smartness
Any comparison between an Apple and Samsung watch is largely based on the watchOS vs Wear OS platform comparison. Both of these OS platforms are equally capable and deliver on the promises made by the manufacturers. Apple’s watchOS, however, tends to have a slight advantage in terms of fluidity and general UI performance over Samsung’s One UI for Watch interface.
While the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen is relying on last year’s 4nm Apple S9 chip with 1GB of RAM, the Galaxy Watch Ultra gets Samsung’s latest 3nm Exynos W1000 chip with 2GB RAM. Although the technicalities tend to gravitate towards the Samsung watch, keep in mind that Apple is an expert in fine-tuning and optimising its hardware. Moreover, the natural competitor to the Galaxy Watch Ultra is expected to hit the shelves by September 2024, probably under the guise of Apple Watch Ultra 3rd Gen.
As far as smart features are concerned, both these watches provide the segment’s standard perks such as interacting with notifications, responding to texts, checking email, customising the watch faces, making calls via the onboard Cellular connectivity and getting a lot of basic utilitarian tasks done.
Since we haven’t got our hands-on for either of these, this round comes to a draw.
Winner: Tie
Health and fitness
Since both of them are carrying the ‘Ultra’ moniker, you can expect them to carry the latest fitness and health tracking gizmos available for smartwatches. Whether you choose the Galaxy Watch Ultra or the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen, you get a wristwatch that can turn into a dive computer, hiking computer and a generic workout monitoring device. Whether you want to keep a tab on your sleep and heart rate or get a better insight into your daily workout routine, either of these watches will do the job.
Of the two, however, it is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra that extends a slight lead with its BioActive sensor that can calculate the body mass index and blood pressure other than ECG and blood oxygen saturation. Samsung’s watches also have a tendency to excel at sleep tracking and wellness suggestions, something where the Apple Watch, as a series, lags behind.
Hence, our vote goes to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra
Battery life
The Galaxy Watch Ultra features a slightly larger 590mAh battery than the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s 542mAh cell, the former remaining unchanged from the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. While Apple claims a realistic stamina of 36 hours on a full charge, Samsung promises up to 48 hours of usage on a full battery under normal use cases.
Hence, if battery life is one of your primary concerns, the Galaxy Watch Ultra appears to be a better choice.
Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra
Price
Despite offering a highly durable and cutting-edge fitness smartwatch, Samsung has managed to put a price tag of SGD 988 on the Galaxy Watch Ultra. This makes the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen seem overpriced – the Watch Ultra in its basic configuration costs SGD 1,210.
Hence, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra nails the price and value-for-money aspect as well.
Winner: Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Apple Watch Ultra 2nd: Our verdict
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
The Galaxy Watch Ultra emerges victorious in our extensive comparison with the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen. Despite an inspired design, the Galaxy Watch Ultra manages to offer a comparable professional rugged fitness gear experience to the Apple Watch Ultra 2nd Gen. In terms of health and fitness monitoring, we find the Galaxy Watch Ultra more capable and reliable than its competitor. The lower price tag also works in favour of the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
However, Apple is likely to release the third generation of the Apple Watch Ultra – the true competitor to the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Hence, this aspect of the Apple vs Samsung debate could change its course once more in the coming months. Keep an eye on this space for the rivalry heating up further.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Apple and Samsung)
