So, you’re in the market for a premium smartwatch—fancy! And naturally, you’ve narrowed it down to the heavyweights: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra versus the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Both of these are essentially the smartwatches on steroids, meant for those who want their tech to do everything short of walking the dog.
Design: Style and Substance
Let’s start with looks because, let’s face it, a smartwatch is as much about flexing style as it is about functionality.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Sleek, squared-off design. It’s like the James Bond of watches—classy but rugged enough to rappel down a mountain (if you’re into that sort of thing). Apple kept the titanium body, added some color options, and refined the display to be brighter than your future on a Monday morning.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: More of a traditional round face, appealing to those who like their watches to still look like, well, watches. It’s a little bulkier, but the larger face makes it feel like a wrist-mounted command center.
Both are water-resistant to depths that would make Jacques Cousteau jealous, and they’ve been drop-tested, scratched, scuffed, and still come out looking like they’ve just stepped off a magazine cover.
Display: Retina vs. AMOLED
Apple’s Ultra 2 sports a gorgeous Retina display that’s brighter than a lighthouse in the fog (peaking at a whopping 3,000 nits). Perfect for the outdoorsy types who find themselves in direct sunlight more often than in front of their Netflix queue.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, however, counters with its Super AMOLED display. It’s sharp, vivid, and could probably blind you if it tried. While both displays are stunning, AMOLED tends to offer punchier blacks and contrasts, making Samsung’s watch a feast for the eyes when you’re checking your heart rate at 3 a.m.
Fitness Features: Who’s the Better Personal Trainer?
Now, if you’re the kind of person who climbs mountains for fun or competes in ultra-marathons just to feel something, this section is for you.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Apple leans heavily into fitness with detailed health tracking, precise GPS, and an impressive range of workouts. You get heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen, ECG, and a new feature—Double Tap. With this, you can control the watch by tapping your fingers together, making you feel like a low-key superhero.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: Samsung comes out swinging with similar health features, including the ability to measure body composition—something Apple’s still catching up on. You’ve got heart rate, ECG, blood oxygen, and detailed sleep tracking. The added bonus? Samsung’s watch also works seamlessly with Android phones, whereas Apple prefers to stay within its own cozy ecosystem.
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive health snapshot, Samsung might have the edge, but Apple’s workout tracking is hard to beat, especially if you’re deep in the Apple Fitness+ ecosystem.
Battery Life: The Achilles’ Heel of Smartwatches
Apple’s battery life on the Ultra 2 gives you a solid 36 hours on a single charge, or up to 72 hours with low-power mode. That’s impressive for a smartwatch, especially considering the power-hungry features it’s packing. But it’s still not mind-blowing.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra steps in with up to 72 hours on a single charge, making it the better option if you’re constantly forgetting to charge your gadgets. In a nutshell, Samsung’s battery performance is the more “chill” option—you can squeeze more life out of it between charges.
Ecosystem: Pick Your Poison
This is where the road forks. If you’re an Apple loyalist, you’ll appreciate how effortlessly the Apple Watch Ultra 2 integrates with the rest of your Apple gear. Messages, calls, calendar events—your watch becomes an extension of your iPhone. Plus, Apple’s “Find My” feature can locate your watch faster than you can say, “I forgot where I put it.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is best buds with Android, especially Samsung Galaxy devices. Samsung’s ecosystem is more open and offers more customization options. Plus, it plays nicely with Google apps like Maps, Gmail, and Assistant.
Price: A Premium for Premium
You didn’t expect these to be cheap, did you? The Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts around $799. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra? Right around that price range as well. This is like comparing filet mignon to lobster; both are a splurge.
The Verdict: Apple or Samsung?
If you’re deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem and you crave the best fitness features, slick UI, and brag-worthy brightness, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is calling your name.
But, if you’re an Android user, appreciate longer battery life, and love a more traditional, customizable watch experience, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is the way to go.
At the end of the day, it boils down to which team you’re on: Team Apple or Team Android. Either way, you’ll be getting a wrist gadget that could probably send you to the moon if you asked it nicely.
