Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra is the company’s answer to the Apple Watch Ultra. It’s the new rugged smartwatch offering from Samsung, designed for those who want a little bit more from their everyday smartwatch.
But this is not the first time that Samsung has released a rugged watch. Before the Galaxy Watch Ultra, there was the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which launched in 2022. While it was a good smartwatch, it was never really seen as a true competitor to the Apple Watch Ultra.
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Although the Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s latest and greatest rugged smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is still available. So, if you’re shopping for a durable Samsung smartwatch, which should you buy? Let’s break it down.
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: specs
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro | |
Size | 47mm | 45mm |
Display | Super AMOLED Sapphire Crystal | Super AMOLED Sapphire Crystal |
Thickness | 12.1mm | 10.5mm |
Weight | 60.5 grams | 46 grams |
Colors | Titanium Gray Titanium Silver Titanium White | Black Titanium Gray Titanium |
Durability | 10ATM IP68 | 5ATM IP68 |
Material | Titanium | Titanium |
Buttons | Quick Button, Home Button, Back Button | Home Button and Back Button |
Sensors | New BioActive Sensor Heart rate ECG Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis SpO2 Temperature Accelerometer Gyroscope Alti-Barometer Ambient Light Compass | BioActive Sensor Heart rate ECG Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis SpO2 Temperature Accelerometer Gyroscope Alti-Barometer Ambient Light Compass |
Health features | Energy Score with Galaxy AI Wellness Tips with Galaxy AI Heart monitoring Sleep Coaching with Apnea Detection Irregular heart rate notifications Personalized heart rate zones Automatic workout detection Body composition Cycle tracking | Heart monitoring Advanced sleep coaching Automatic workout detection Personalized heart rate zones Body composition Cycle tracking |
Chipset | Exynos W1000 | Exynos W920 |
RAM and storage | 2GB 32GB storage | 1.5GB 16GB storage |
OS | Wear OS 5 with One UI 6 | Wear OS 4 with One UI 5 |
Battery | 590mAh | 590mAh |
Band type | Proprietary | Standard 22mm straps |
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro : design and display
The Galaxy Watch Ultra has an interesting and controversial design. It definitely is “inspired” by its biggest competitor, the
With the Galaxy Watch Ultra, you have a mostly square case that envelops a round display. It’s rather chunky with a 47mm case size, which is the only size it comes in, and it’s 12.1mm thick. On the right side of the case is the watch’s Quick Button, flanked by the back and home buttons. Oh, and don’t forget the bright orange accents like the other Ultra watch on the market.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is made with aerospace-grade titanium and comes in three colors: Titanium White, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Gray. It has a proprietary “cushion design” that will protect the display in certain extreme conditions and is marketed as the “toughest Galaxy Watch yet.” The lug system has also changed and works similarly to the Apple Watch band system.
The 1.5-inch Super AMOLED always-on display is protected with sapphire crystal glass. It has a resolution of 480 x 480 pixels and can reach a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is also water-resistant up to 100m and has an IP68 rating, which means it is completely dust-tight and is meant to be submerged in water for extended periods of time.
Meanwhile, the
The always-on Super AMOLED display on the
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: health tracking features
When it comes to health tracking features, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a bit more comprehensive than the
Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and
The Galaxy Watch Ultra also introduces special AI-powered features like Energy Score and Wellness Tips. Energy Score gives you a 1 to 100 score to rate your energy for a given day, while Wellness Tips looks at your health data to provide recommended tips.
With the
Even after software updates, though, the Galaxy 5 Pro will still lack sleep apnea detection and the AGEs index feature. That’s because it lacks the new BioActive Sensor that is found on the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: performance and charging
The Galaxy Watch Ultra comes with Samsung’s most powerful chip yet, the Exynos W1000, which is also found in theGalaxy Watch 7. This is the first 3nm processor from Samsung. In layman’s terms, this meansa smooth and efficient user experience.
The Exynos W1000 is 3x faster than the previous-generation Exynos W930 chip in the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The Galaxy Watch Ultra also has 2GB
On the other hand, the
With this in mind, while you can still pick up a
The Galaxy Watch Ultra and
From what we understand, the Galaxy Watch Ultra should last at least 48 hours in “exercise power-saving mode.” But in “standard power-saving” mode, it can last up to 100 hours before you need to charge it up again. The Galaxy Watch Ultra supports fast charging.
Our review of the
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: software and updates
Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and
The
The Galaxy Watch Ultra will be among the first
Like the
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: price and availability
Since the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a true
The
But considering that the
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro: verdict
We still have to put the Galaxy Watch Ultra through its paces in our upcoming review, but from what we’ve seen so far during our brief hands-on time with it, the Galaxy Watch Ultra seems like a big potential hit.
It’s basically the Samsung version of the
Meanwhile, the
The
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