In the high-end smartwatch market, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are locked in a flagship showdown. These two top-tier devices not only showcase the latest technological advancements from their respective brands but also raise the bar for what smart wearables can offer. Today, smartwatches have evolved far beyond being mere accessories - they’ve become intelligent companions for health tracking, fitness support, and outdoor exploration. You can also explore the article of Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra review and Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch Ultra has quickly captured attention with its rugged design and powerful performance, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 continues to dominate as the industry benchmark, earning strong user loyalty. So, which one deserves the crown as the ultimate smartwatch? This article dives into a comprehensive comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2, evaluating their design, performance, outdoor capabilities, and everyday usability to help you make an informed decision.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Specifications

Complete Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Mobile OS Compatibility

Android

iOS

Watch OS

Wear OS

watchOS

Processor

Samsung Exynos W1000

Apple S9

Display Size

1.5 inches

1.9 inches

Display Type

Super AMOLED

OLED

Fitness Features

Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Temperature Sensor, Pedometer, Gyroscope, Barometer

Accelerometer, GPS, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Oxygen Monitor, Temperature Sensor

Display

47mm, 1.5 inches, 480 x 480 Super AMOLED Always-On Display, Sapphire Crystal, Max brightness 3000 nits

49mm, 1.94 inches, 502 x 410 Retina LTPO OLED Always-On Display, Sapphire Crystal, Max brightness 3000 nits

Processor

Exynos W1000 (5-core, 3nm)

64-bit dual-core Apple S9 SiP

Battery

590mAh

542mAh

Storage

32GB

32GB

Required Mobile Device

Android 11 or higher, 1.5GB+ RAM

iPhone running iOS 17 or higher

Dimensions & Weight

47.4 x 47.4 x 12.1mm, 60.5g

49 x 44 x 14.4mm, 61.4g

Software

Wear OS supported by Samsung (Wear OS 5), One UI 6 Watch UI

watchOS 10

Sensors

Samsung BioActive sensor (Optical BioSignal Sensor + Electric Heart Rate Signal + Bioimpedance Analysis), Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor

Optical Heart Rate Sensor, ECG app, 3rd gen Optical HR Sensor, High/Low HR Alerts, Irregular HR Alerts, Sleep Stages, Temperature Sensor, Depth Sensor (±1m accuracy), Water Temperature Sensor, Compass with Waypoints & Backtrack, Always-On Altimeter, High G Accelerometer, High Dynamic Range Gyroscope, Ambient Light Sensor

Connectivity

LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, GPS (L1+L5)

LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), NFC, GPS (L1+L5)

Materials & Colors

Titanium (Silver, Grey, White)

Titanium

Durability

10ATM, IP68, MIL-STD-180H

10ATM, IP6X, EN13319, MIL-STD-810H

Price

$650

$799

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Design, Size, and Water Resistance

In the premium smartwatch arena, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 represent two distinct design philosophies. The Galaxy Watch Ultra breaks away from Samsung’s traditional styling by combining a square case with a circular display, giving it a sophisticated and unique appearance. In contrast, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 stays true to Apple’s signature minimalist and rugged rectangular form, delivering a clean and modern aesthetic.

When it comes to size, the Galaxy Watch Ultra features a 47mm case that fits more snugly on the wrist, making it ideal for everyday wear and extended use. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s larger 49mm case offers a bolder presence and is better suited for users who prefer a bigger display - especially in outdoor settings where visibility matters.

Both watches are rated at 10ATM for water resistance, making them suitable for most aquatic activities. However, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 goes a step further with certified diving capabilities, allowing safe use at depths of up to 40 meters. This gives it a clear edge for users involved in serious underwater sports. While the Galaxy Watch Ultra is also highly water-resistant, it falls slightly short in professional diving scenarios.

Winner: Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 edges ahead with its superior water resistance and outdoor-optimized size, offering a more versatile and professionally capable smartwatch overall.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Design, Size, and Water Resistance

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 – Bands

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 take different approaches to band design. Samsung's "dynamic lug" design is innovative but also limits band compatibility, as it only works with bands specifically designed for this model, making it less suitable for users who frequently change bands.

In contrast, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 maintains compatibility with all 42/44/45mm Apple Watch bands released since 2015, offering greater flexibility for users who want to swap bands based on mood or activity.

This is where Bandletic comes in, offering more options for your choice. As a brand born from the spirit of outdoor adventure, Bandletic understands that outdoor watch bands need to be durable, functional, and reflect the spirit of exploration. We provide a wide range of bands including Apple Watch Ultra 2 bands and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra bands, designed to meet the needs of various activities and styles.

Whether you're an Apple, Samsung, Garmin, or Fitbit user, Bandeltic offers the ideal Apple watch straps, Samsung watch straps, Garmin watch straps, and Fitbit watch straps to handle everything from extreme sports to everyday wear with ease.

Visit Bandletic now to find the perfect band for your watch and start your adventure today.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 – Bands

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 – Display

When it comes to display technology, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 each have their strengths. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a 1.94-inch display, slightly larger than the 1.5-inch screen of the Galaxy Watch Ultra. However, the Galaxy Watch Ultra compensates for its smaller size with a higher resolution (480 x 480), and in the end, the pixel density between the two is nearly identical. Specifically, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 has a resolution of 410 x 502, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra comes in at 480 x 480, offering similar visual results despite the different sizes.

Both watches perform excellently in brightness, achieving peak outdoor brightness of 3000 nits, ensuring that screen content remains visible even under intense sunlight. Additionally, the Galaxy Watch Ultra supports a red night mode that helps reduce eye strain in low-light conditions, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s LTPO2 OLED screen offers smoother animations and a wider viewing angle, enhancing the overall visual experience.

Overall, both watches feature impressive display technology, each with its advantages. The Galaxy Watch Ultra stands out for its vivid color and contrast, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers a better resolution and smoother display, making it more suitable for daily use.

Winner: Apple Watch Ultra 2, The Apple Watch Ultra 2 wins, offering better resolution and smoother display performance, providing a superior visual experience for everyday use.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 – Display

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 — Who Wins in Performance?

This year, Samsung made a significant leap in performance with the new Galaxy Watch Ultra, powered by its five-core Exynos W1000 chip. Compared to the previous generation, it's about three times faster and 30% more power-efficient. Coupled with the introduction of Wear OS 5, the user experience is now smoother and more responsive, especially during intensive activities like triathlon tracking.

On the other hand, Apple Watch Ultra 2 continues to set the bar high with its custom-designed S9 chip and the optimized watchOS 10 system. It delivers consistently fast, stable performance and brings added benefits like ultra-wideband precision tracking, enhancing connectivity with other Apple devices. You can also check watchOS 10 vs 11 to know more information.

Both smartwatches support key standalone features such as cellular calling, NFC payments, message replies on WeChat, and offline music playback. Samsung shines in detailed sports monitoring, while Apple still leads in system optimization, UI fluidity, and energy efficiency.

Winner: Apple Watch Ultra 2, despite Samsung’s impressive improvements, Apple maintains an edge with its seamless performance, refined software integration, and proven reliability, offering a more polished overall experience.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Health and Fitness Tracking

Health Monitoring

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra pushes boundaries with its health tracking. Its enhanced BioActive Sensor, paired with improved AI sleep analysis, offers more precise data on sleep quality and breathing patterns. Impressively, it's the first smartwatch FDA-cleared for sleep apnea detection. In addition to heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep tracking, it also monitors body fat, hydration levels, basal metabolic rate, and supports blood pressure and AGE (Advanced Glycation End-product) analysis—making it a well-rounded health companion.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2, while dependable, introduces fewer updates in health tracking. It retains core features like heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, and sleep monitoring. The new addition of sleep apnea detection is a welcome upgrade, but the lack of body composition analysis and metabolic tracking puts it slightly behind Samsung in this category.

Fitness and Sports Features

For fitness enthusiasts, Galaxy Watch Ultra brings tools like Race Mode - ideal for runners and cyclists to compete against their past records on identical routes. Cyclists also benefit from AI-based Functional Threshold Power (FTP) metrics, which help optimize performance with accurate power output evaluations.

Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 leans into outdoor adventures. Its dual-frequency GPS is highly accurate, and features like topographic maps, elevation tracking, and route retracing are especially useful for hikers. It’s also dive-ready, certified to EN13319 standards, with a built-in depth sensor and water temperature tracking - elevating its functionality through the Oceanic+ dive app.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra emphasizes internal health precision and proactive risk detection, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 excels in rugged, outdoor environments.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, Apple delivers a solid outdoor toolkit, but Samsung takes the lead in health innovation, offering more comprehensive and detailed wellness tracking - especially with its advanced sleep apnea detection and full-body metrics.

Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Health and Fitness Tracking

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Battery Life and Charging

In terms of battery life, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 delivers solid performance. In normal mode, it offers up to 36 hours of battery life, and in low power mode, it can last up to 72 hours. Additionally, with the screen brightness set to maximum, it can last around 55 hours. Its fast charging feature is also impressive, with just an hour of charging providing up to 80% battery, making it convenient for everyday use and quick emergency charging.

On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has not disclosed specific battery life for its standard mode but excels in power-saving mode, offering up to 100 hours of usage. In sports power-saving mode, it lasts around 48 hours. While its fast charging details are not as specific as Apple’s, Samsung’s previous models indicate reliable quick charging capabilities.

Overall, both watches shine in different areas of battery performance: Apple focuses on fast charging and clear battery performance, while Samsung excels in long-lasting standby times, making it ideal for extended outdoor use or energy-saving preferences.

Winner: Tie, Reason: The Apple Watch Ultra 2 excels in fast charging efficiency and clear battery performance, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra stands out in long-lasting battery life in power-saving scenarios, depending on the user’s preferences and usage needs.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Battery Life and Charging

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Apple Watch Ultra 2 - Which One Should You Choose?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are both top-tier smartwatches in the market, offering exceptional design, performance, and features. The choice between the two largely depends on your personal needs and the ecosystem you use.

For iPhone users, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the obvious choice as it integrates seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem, providing a smooth user experience. On the other hand, if you're an Android user, particularly a Samsung phone owner, the Galaxy Watch Ultra stands out, especially with its superior health monitoring features.

If you're passionate about outdoor activities, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is better suited for extreme sports, with features tailored for diving, hiking, and more. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra, however, excels in health functions, offering comprehensive features like blood pressure monitoring.

No matter which one you choose, both Samsung and Apple provide an outstanding smartwatch experience. The decision ultimately depends on whether you prioritize outdoor fitness and sports or comprehensive health monitoring and overall performance.