A rugged new perspective for Android Wear fans The Irish Times

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Purchased from: Harvey Norman

The Galaxy Ultra has a very specific demographic in mind: Like the previous Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix ​​series devices, the latest Galaxy Watch is aimed more at sports enthusiasts than everyday users.

It can withstand temperatures of up to 55 degrees and is water resistant to 10 ATM water pressure, so it can be used in extreme conditions within reason. It can also work at altitudes of up to 9,000 meters, and has a claimed battery life of up to 100 hours, although this wasn't tested in this review. Add in multi-sport tracking, health monitoring like activity and sleep, Galaxy AI insights, and you've got quite a lot going for one watch.

Inevitably, there will be comparisons with the Apple Watch Ultra, as the two products are not only aimed at the same market but also share a similar name, although Samsung has previously used the Ultra tag for its mobile devices.

The new Ultra really stands out in the Galaxy lineup. It's tougher than the standard Galaxy Watch, and rather than the round face we've come to expect, it has a round dial set into a square cushion of titanium that should help it withstand a few knocks. The glass is sapphire crystal, which is said to be more durable, and in addition to the usual touchscreen controls, it has easy-to-grip action buttons.

With new 3nm processors across the board, the new watch delivers a faster experience than before.

[ Apple Watch Ultra 2: Evolution not revolutionOpens in new window ]

Samsung has done a bit of thinking here, redesigning the Bioactive Sensor to improve the accuracy of body composition and heart rate measurements. Heart rate works well, staying within two beats of the Apple Watch and chest-worn heart rate monitor even during more intense exercise. The body composition bit raises some eyebrows, but the less said about it the better.

The range of sports you can track on the watch is pretty extensive too, allowing you to distinguish between track running and treadmill, and add everything from canoeing and horse riding to jump rope and martial arts. You can also create your own workouts on the watch or on your smartphone.

The new watch also comes with Galaxy AI, but with a caveat: While the Galaxy Watch Ultra is compatible with any Android phone with Android 11 or later installed, more advanced features require a Galaxy device.

This includes AI to power features like energy score and suggested replies to messages, a double-pinch gesture (similar to the double-tap gesture on the Apple Watch) for hands-free control of certain functions, and more advanced health monitoring features like ECG and sleep apnea monitoring, although sleep apnea monitoring was not available at the time of writing.

This isn't unusual: The Apple Watch, for example, only works with the tech giant's own smartphones, and it's been a while since Samsung's watches have been compatible with iOS.

There are other notable sacrifices: The redesigned biosensor does away with reverse charging from Samsung Galaxy devices, so you'll have to use the included charger or suffer the consequences, and straps with what Samsung calls its new Dynamic Lug System aren't compatible with older Galaxy Watch devices, limiting your options for now.

good

The design is chunky but not too bulky on the wrist, it feels sturdy and durable, and the circle within the square face is a nice touch. For example, there's not a huge difference in size when you line it up next to last year's Classic.

At night, the Samsung Watch face changes to a night-time red font with numbers on the background for easier viewing. You can also put the watch into sleep mode, so you can still get all the information about your sleep while using more power at night.

bad

There is only one size option, 47mm, and while it doesn't feel too chunky, this watch will still be too large for those with smaller wrists.

The Ultra is water resistant to 10ATM, but not suitable for high-pressure water sports like diving. Samsung says the watch can be submerged up to 100m deep for 10 minutes, but is suitable for shallow water activities like swimming and snorkeling. Compare this to the Apple Watch Ultra, which can be used for recreational diving up to 40m deep, but Apple's device is 200% more expensive.

Everything else

Battery life is better than last year's Watch 6 model, but if you use all the extra features like always-on display, exercise tracking, and blood oxygen monitoring, your battery life will be shorter. You can use power-saving mode to conserve battery life, and the Ultra does better than previous Galaxy wearables, but it's nice not to have to worry about charging on the weekend, for example.

It is available in three colors: dark grey, silver and white.

verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Ultra offers a more rugged option for Android Wear fans, and it's the perfect companion to a Galaxy device.

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