Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
In creating its first smartwatch designed specifically for athletes and adventurers, Samsung combined everything it had, pushing its capabilities to the maximum. The result is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, which, though not a first-of-its-kind, introduces several segment-first features. Launched alongside the mainstream Galaxy Watch 7, the Ultra model is niche, suited to a few who understand and appreciate its utility.
Design and Display
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The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra features a circular display housed within a boxy case, resulting in thick borders around the screen. While not intended as a style statement, the bulk around the display is purposeful, providing cushioning to protect the display and enhance its durability. The watch is built to endure rugged environments, a key factor for athletes and adventurers.
The display is a standout feature, boasting a brightness level of up to 3,000 nits, ensuring legibility even under direct sunlight in harsh outdoor conditions. This makes it one of the brightest smartwatch displays available, surpassing many in terms of visibility during outdoor activities. However, the display can be unreliable when wet, sometimes struggling to function properly if there is water on it or when operated with wet fingers—a surprising limitation given the watch’s rugged design.
A notable addition is the third button, called the “Quick Button”, which features a rotating crown-like design. Unfortunately, the rotating bit does not function, not even within the app drawer. However, the button itself is customisable, allowing users to assign it to specific functions or create multi-sport workouts by combining various exercises. The watch also features two additional buttons for confirmation and back functions.
Software and User Interface
The Galaxy Watch Ultra runs on Google WearOS but is layered with Samsung’s One UI, creating a user experience that feels distinctly Samsung. This blend offers the familiarity of Samsung’s ecosystem with the advantages of WearOS, including access to third-party apps and Google services. The user interface is consistent with previous Samsung smartwatches—swipe down for quick settings, swipe up for apps, swipe right for notifications, and swipe left for tiles. This system is intuitive, though some software features are only fully functional on Samsung phones, limiting the experience for users with non-Samsung Android devices.
Health and Fitness
Samsung has taken extra steps to ensure the Galaxy Watch Ultra lives up to its name in health and fitness tracking. A significant new feature is the “Energy Score,” which tracks sleep, heart rate, activity levels, and other metrics to generate a score reflecting energy levels. While the accuracy of this score is questionable, it serves as a motivational tool, encouraging users to improve their daily habits, such as getting better sleep and taking periodic breaks for breathing exercises.
Heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking are accurate on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, with the data being displayed in an easy-to-understand format via the Samsung Health app. This health app is comprehensive, offering insights that go beyond basic fitness metrics to help users achieve better health outcomes. However, wearing the Galaxy Watch Ultra to bed can be uncomfortable due to its thick and heavy form factor, even though its battery life can easily last through the night. Other notable health features include ECG, irregular heart rhythm notifications, and blood pressure monitoring, ensuring the watch covers a wide spectrum of health metrics.
Battery Life
Even with all the features and high brightness levels, the Galaxy Watch Ultra delivers an impressive three-day battery life on a single charge. This is a notable achievement for a smartwatch with such a feature-rich offering. Charging is fast, but it uses a proprietary cradle, limiting compatibility with third-party chargers.
Compared to other smartwatches in the same segment, Samsung has managed to balance performance and battery life, a challenge for many manufacturers with feature-packed wearables.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is arguably the best WearOS smartwatch available, but it is not designed for everyone. Its strengths lie in its rugged and durable design, excellent battery life, and the versatility of the WearOS platform, which provides access to a wide range of third-party apps. However, it is not without its flaws—the display struggles with wet conditions, and the accuracy of the Energy Score is debatable.
For athletes, adventurers, and those who need a durable, long-lasting wearable, the Galaxy Watch Ultra delivers on most fronts. Priced at Rs 59,999, it justifies its cost with premium features, but its niche appeal means it will resonate only with a select group of users.
First Published: Oct 02 2024 | 1:01 PM IST
