In This Article
Follow BestForAndroid
I watched Samsung’s Unpacked stream expecting another quiet refresh year for its watches. Then the words “5,000 nits” appeared on screen, and I had to rewind the video to make sure I heard that right. I have been mind-blown since then. 🤯
Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 today, both running a new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. The Ultra2 comes with an 800 mAh battery, a 5,000-nit display, and new dive tracking built with Mares. The Watch9 gets a modest battery increase and a 3,000-nit screen in the same 40mm and 44mm sizes as before. Both are open for pre-order now, with stores getting stock on August 7.
Galaxy Watch Ultra2: the battery and brightness it really needed
The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is built for people who actually take their watch into the ocean or up a mountain, not just to the gym.
Let’s quickly look into the specs. Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, IP69K and 10 ATM water resistance, and an 800 mAh battery, a 35 percent jump over the original Ultra, packed into a case Samsung says is 12 percent thinner despite the bigger cell.
That brightness claim isn’t just a number on a spec sheet. 9to5Google’s hands-on review described the display as nearly eye-searing at full brightness even in a dim room, which means reading your heart rate on a sunny trail at noon should finally stop being a squinting contest.
The Ultra2 also adds real dive tracking, depth, time, and water temperature the moment it senses you’re underwater, with more advanced metrics like descent speed arriving later this year through Samsung’s partnership with dive brand and scuba equipment maker Mares that will help turn the Galaxy Watch into a functional recreational dive computer.
Trail Run mode now tracks elevation and terrain impact in more detail, and a new Nutrition Alert feature estimates sweat loss to tell you when to actually drink water, instead of buzzing you every hour like a nagging reminder. My one hesitation is color. You only get Titanium Silver or Titanium Gray this year, nothing bolder, which feels like an odd choice for a watch built around extreme conditions.
Galaxy Watch9: the same design, but it finally lasts longer
If you liked last year’s Watch8, the Watch9 is not going to surprise you much, and that’s the point.
Here are the specs. It features a Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, a 3,000-nit display, and batteries bumped to 390 mAh on the 40mm model and 445 mAh on the 44mm. That’s close to a 20 percent gain on the smaller size, which matters if your watch has ever died before your Tuesday workout even ends.
The aluminum case and cushion shape carry over untouched, and a new woven Air Pocket strap is lighter on the wrist. However, the airier strap could seemingly turn into a sweat trap during a hard workout, which is fair for anyone who trains in humid conditions.
Should you upgrade from a Galaxy Watch 8? Probably not just for this. But if you’re still on a Watch6 or older, the battery gains alone start to matter in daily use.
What the Watch Ultra2 and Watch9 cost, and when you can actually buy one
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 starts at $699. Galaxy Watch9 starts at $379 for the 40mm Bluetooth model and climbs to $459 for the 44mm LTE version. Both watches are already up for pre-order, with general availability from August 7.
Samsung is also throwing in free trials of Strava and iFIT, a small extra if you’re already paying for either app.
Samsung didn’t reinvent the smartwatch this year. It just made the one thing that’s always bothered wearable owners, the battery, noticeably less annoying. Sometimes that’s the upgrade that honestly matters the most. And oh, not to forget a brighter screen.
