Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: is it worth it in daily life over the Watch 9?

Samsung sent me the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and it is certainly one of the best smartwatches on the market. The only question is: for whom? I am not a triathlete, not a deep-sea diver, I do not run trails and I do not climb three-thousand-meter peaks. So I am not interested in whether this is a good sports watch, but in whether the Ultra 2 is also worth it for people like me, or whether I am better off, and spending less, with the new Galaxy Watch 9.

Design: thinner, but not lighter

The Ultra 2 has gotten thinner, from 12.1 mm to 10.7 mm, around 12% less height. That changes hardly anything about the weight; it is even slightly heavier than the first generation. On the wrist it still feels lighter and less clunky thanks to the flatter build. Display, bezel and case now blend into each other more smoothly, and the three buttons on the side have been adjusted visually. That looks more modern and tidier without leaving the rugged Ultra look.

Display, battery and battery life

• Display: 498 x 498 pixels instead of 480 x 480. You hardly notice that in daily use. Much more relevant is the peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits instead of 3,000 nits. You notice that in bright sun.
• Battery: from 590 to 800 mAh, an increase of 35%. Even so, the watch has gotten thinner. For me that was the biggest update and, according to Samsung, the answer to the biggest criticism of the first generation.
• Battery life: Anyone who thinks they only have to charge the watch once a week is wrong. For me it lasts two and a half days at most if I do not track anything, and two days with one of my extremely slow runs or a workout at the gym. I have switched off nearly all notifications and the always-on display. Only WhatsApp and phone are on.
• Charging: still inductive at 10 watts.

Chip, Gemini and storage

Under the hood is now the Snapdragon Wear Elite instead of the Exynos W1000. That means more performance, especially for on-device AI features, and the watch runs really snappy in use.

One feature of the new watches is that you can activate Gemini just by raising the watch. For me that works about five times out of ten. Often the blue bar appears at the bottom, so Gemini is listening, but when I start talking, not always anything happens. That is frustrating, and I end up activating Gemini with a button press anyway.

The storage has been doubled, to 64 GB instead of 32 GB, of which around 49 GB are usable. Bluetooth now runs on version 6.0.

Durability

New is the certification to IP69K and EN 13319, the certification for real dive computers. Anyone who actually dives gets a serious upgrade. For everyone else it is nice to have, but not a dealbreaker.

Ultra 2 or Galaxy Watch 9?

Samsung introduced the Ultra 2 together with the Galaxy Watch 9, and the two share more than you would think: the same chip, the same operating system Wear OS with One UI 9 Watch and the same core sensors. Both have Samsung’s BioActive Sensor with heart rate, blood oxygen, ECG and body fat measurement. Features like energy score, heart health score or fitness index are identical on both as well. All data flows into the same Galaxy Health app, and the analysis is exactly the same.

In addition, the Ultra 2 brings features that I do not use myself and therefore could not test:

• Dive computer: certified, developed with the diving equipment maker Mares. The watch automatically records depth, dive time, water temperature and ascent and descent speed down to 40 m. The extended safety features of the Mares app are probably coming later this year via an update and will then be reserved exclusively for the Ultra 2 for two years.
• Trail running mode: with offline navigation, real-time elevation data, ascent progress and terrain conditions. The first Watch Ultra did not have that.
• Sweat loss: The Ultra 2 estimates the expected sweat loss and reminds you individually to drink instead of at a rigid time interval.
• GPS: more precise positioning, especially in difficult terrain or between urban canyons.

The Galaxy Watch 9 is cheaper, has a noticeably lighter case and offers the same software experience in daily life, meaning messages, training and sleep analysis.

Verdict

My honest assessment as someone without triathlon ambitions: if you do not dive regularly, do trail running or need rough outdoor conditions, you are probably better off with the Watch 9. The Ultra 2 is worth it if the longer battery life, the brighter display in the sun or the special sports features appeal to you. Or simply the design: it is a massive but high-quality statement on the wrist and makes you look sportier than you may be. That is then more a lifestyle and comfort decision than an athletic necessity.

The Ultra 2 is a real upgrade over the first generation: thinner, brighter, longer-lasting and, with the dive computer certification, even with a new use case. For everyday life without professional sports ambitions, look at the Galaxy Watch 9 first before you pay the Ultra premium.