Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 vs Watch9: key upgrades

It’s that time of the year again, when Samsung doesn’t just show off its newest Galaxy Fold and Flip smartphones, but their new smart watches as well at their Samsung Unpacked event.

Enter the new Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9.

The upgrades, however. are not evenly spread across these two new smartwatches. The Ultra2 gets most of the interesting hardware changes, including a much larger battery, a thinner body and a brighter display, while the Watch9 feels more like a refinement of last year’s Watch8 – even if both watches do share the new Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and Samsung’s latest health features. Whether these are enough reasons to upgrade will depend very much on which Galaxy Watch you are already wearing.

Meet the Galaxy Watch Ultra2

Of the two, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 clearly got the bigger upgrade. It now comes with an 800mAh battery (up from 590mAh on its predecessor) and while Samsung has not provided an official battery-life estimate, it remains to be seen how much longer it will actually last between charges. Even so, battery life was one of the areas where I thought the original Ultra could have a wee bit better, especially for a watch targeted at endurance athletes and outdoor users, and the larger battery should at least give the Ultra2 more room to work with.

What is perhaps more interesting is that the larger battery has not made the watch thicker. Samsung has managed to retain the same 47mm case size and shock-resistant titanium construction. Lighter and softer straps have also been introduced this year, which should make the watch more comfortable to wear overnight – key for those of you who wear the watch almost continuously to track your sleep and recovery.

Display has also gotten a big upgrade. It is now capable of reaching 5,000 nits, compared to 3,000 nits on the previous Ultra. As mentioned earlier, the Ultra2 also moves from Samsung’s Exynos W1000 processor to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform, which should see improvements in performance, power efficiency and GPS accuracy.

Samsung is also giving the Ultra2 more specialised sports-tracking tools. Its updated Trail Run mode will records elevation, climbing progress and how different terrain affects a run, while a new Nutrition Alert builds on the existing Sweat Loss feature by estimating fluid loss relative to body weight and providing hydration reminders.

Last but not least is the additional support for professional diving. The Ultra2 carries IP69K, 10 ATM and EN13319 certifications, and can automatically record depth, dive duration and water temperature once the wearer enters the water. Samsung is also developing an Ultra2 Diving app with diving equipment company Mares, which will add ascent and descent speed tracking as well as guidance on safe dive limits when it becomes available later this year.

The Galaxy Watch9

The regular Galaxy Watch9 continues to be offered in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with an aluminium casing and the cushion-style silhouette that we saw on the Watch8.

The biggest upgrade is the same Snapdragon Wear Elite platform used by the Ultra2, which also replaces the Exynos processor in the Watch8. Samsung has also increased the battery capacity here, with the 40mm’s battery rated at 390mAh and the 44mm sporting one at 445mAh. Display brightness, however, hasn’t been improved – sporting the same 3,000-nit display as the Watch8’s.

Taken as a whole, Watch8 owners might want to hang on to their watch but for Watch7 owners or those using an older model, the accumulated improvements could still be worthwhile.

Expanded health features

Both the Ultra2 and Watch9 will receive Samsung’s expanded health features, including Vitals, which establishes a personal baseline from information collected during sleep and alerts users to significant changes. Heart Health Score turns cardiovascular data into a simpler score accompanied by lifestyle recommendations, while Daily Cardio Load compares workout volume with estimated recovery requirements. Fitness Index provides a broader assessment of physical performance, while the updated Sleep Apnea feature offers more information about breathing disruptions. A Hearing feature can also warn users when surrounding noise reaches potentially unsafe levels.

Availability and pre-order details

The 47mm Galaxy Watch Ultra2 will be available in Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray. The Galaxy Watch9 will come in Graphite and Cream for the 40mm model, and Graphite and Silver for the 44mm version.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2 open on 22 July, 9pm through Samsung’s own channels and selected retailers, while telco pre-orders (M1, Singtel, StarHub) start later, from 4 August.

Buyers who pre-order can take 10% off each Galaxy Watch9 or Watch Ultra2 when it is bought with any Galaxy smartphone or Galaxy tablet in a single transaction, while stocks last. M1 will carry only the Watch Ultra2 and the Watch9 (LTE 40mm). Both watches go on general sale from 14 August.

Watch pricing, including GST:

• Galaxy Watch Ultra2 47mm (Titanium Grey, Titanium Silver), LTE: $988
• Galaxy Watch9 44mm (Graphite, Silver): LTE S$668, Bluetooth $568
• Galaxy Watch9 40mm (Graphite, Cream): LTE S$618, Bluetooth $518

Watch bands, sold separately:

• Peakform Band (Watch Ultra2), Camel, Black, Olive: $128
• Marine Band (Watch Ultra2), Black, Mocha, Olive, Orange: $128
• Sports Band S/M and M/L (Watch9), Black, Olive, Cream, Yellow:S$58
• Misty Band S/M and M/L (Watch9), Blue, Cream: $58
• Fabric Band M/L (Watch9), Olive: $58

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