Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra: Battle of the Flagship Smartwatches
Apple and Samsung have once again raised the bar in the premium smartwatch space, each with a bold, rugged flagship designed for adventure and endurance. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the newly introduced Galaxy Watch Ultra go head-to-head not just in specs, but in philosophy. Here's how the two compare — and which might be the right fit for you.
🛠 Design & Build
Apple Watch Ultra 2 continues the bold square-cased design introduced in the first Ultra, built from aerospace-grade titanium. The 49mm casing houses a bright 1.92-inch LTPO OLED Retina display, now reaching up to 3,000 nits — ideal for sunlight readability.
Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung’s answer to the Ultra lineup, adopts a unique hybrid approach: a circular AMOLED display (1.5 inches) set into a slightly squarish titanium case, also reaching 3,000 nits. It’s slimmer than the Apple Watch but still robust, echoing a more traditional sports watch aesthetic.
Verdict: Apple favors function-first ruggedness; Samsung merges classic design with modern performance.
⚙️ Performance & Battery Life
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is powered by the new S9 SiP (System in Package), enabling on-device Siri and faster interactions. It features 64GB of storage and offers up to 36 hours of regular use or 72 hours in low-power mode.
Galaxy Watch Ultra runs on Samsung’s 3nm Exynos W1000 chipset with 32GB of storage. It boasts superior endurance: up to 60 hours in regular mode, and 100 hours with power saving turned on.
Verdict: Samsung takes the lead in battery life, but Apple delivers tighter software optimization and snappier performance in the iOS ecosystem.
🏃♂️ Health & Fitness Features
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is tailored for explorers and athletes. It features:
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ECG
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Blood Oxygen
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Advanced sleep tracking
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Depth gauge and water temperature sensor
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Oceanic+ app for diving with EN13319 certification
Galaxy Watch Ultra matches much of this and adds:
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ECG and blood pressure monitoring (with calibration)
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Body composition analysis (BIA)
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Sleep apnea detection (pending regulatory approval in some regions)
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Personalized energy score in Samsung Health
Verdict: Apple wins in outdoor and diving features, while Samsung excels in holistic health data and advanced fitness metrics.
🔗 Ecosystem & Compatibility
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is, unsurprisingly, deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. It’s best used with an iPhone and supports seamless features like Handoff, FaceTime Audio, iMessage, and Apple Fitness+.
Galaxy Watch Ultra is based on Wear OS 5 with Samsung’s One UI Watch overlay. It works with any Android phone (with reduced functionality) but is best paired with a Samsung Galaxy device to unlock all features — including blood pressure monitoring and Samsung Health integration.
Verdict: Stick to your ecosystem. The Ultra 2 is unbeatable for iPhone users, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra shines when paired with Samsung phones.
💵 Price & Availability
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Apple Watch Ultra 2: Starts at $799
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Galaxy Watch Ultra: Launches at $649
Verdict: Samsung offers a more aggressive price point for similar — and in some cases, better — hardware specs.
🧠 Bottom Line
Category | Apple Watch Ultra 2 | Galaxy Watch Ultra |
---|---|---|
Display | 1.92" OLED, 3000 nits | 1.5" AMOLED, 3000 nits |
Chipset | S9 SiP | Exynos W1000 |
Battery Life | 36–72 hours | 60–100 hours |
Health Tracking | Strong on diving & ECG | Strong on sleep & BIA |
Ecosystem | iOS only | Android (best with Galaxy) |
Price | $799 | $649 |
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