I put the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra back on when I started reviewing the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it has mostly stayed on my wrist since then. I did so as a way to test Galaxy AI’s Now Brief feature, but have come out the other side head-over-heels in love with Samsung’s biggest, maddest smartwatch. Here’s what happened.
I missed the other Ultra
Upon accepting my newfound love of the Galaxy Watch Ultra, I tried to understand where my infatuation came from, and remembered a pivotal moment. When I bought my titanium Apple Watch Series 10, I used the original Apple Watch Ultra as a trade-in to offset the eye-watering cost. I knew I’d miss the Apple Watch Ultra when I traded it in, but the brilliant Apple Watch Series 10 made me forget any angst quite quickly.
Although I wore the Galaxy Watch Ultra for a period in mid-2024, I was mostly taken with the wonderful Ultra Analog watch face, and didn’t really think that deeply about the watch itself. Looking back, I wonder if the reason was I still had the Apple Watch Ultra to hand if I wanted a big, bold, slightly crazy smartwatch to wear. Today, it’s simply not the case.
There’s another contributing factor. At the end of last year I purchased a new strap for my Oris Aquis GMT watch, and the one I chose happened to be orange. It transformed the watch, and I adore the bright orange strap. My Galaxy Watch Ultra is equipped with Samsung’s orange Marine Band, and I’ve taken every opportunity to show it off. My affinity for the Galaxy Watch Ultra was definitely helped by the Oris. It all means several things aligned to make sure this time when I put the Galaxy Watch Ultra on, it would be hard to resist.
Such a statement
I like watches that make a statement. It’s why I love Casio G-Shock watches, in particular brightly colored Frogman dive watches, and was so enamored with the Apple Watch Ultra in the first place. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a statement maker. You probably already know it’s a big smartwatch, but the numbers — 47mm wide and 12.1mm thick — don’t tell the whole story.
Last time I wore the Galaxy Watch Ultra it was summer, but now I’m wearing it in winter and thus equipped with hoodies and jackets. Any watch I wear needs to fit under the cuffs without being a pain. The Watch Ultra wants to make a statement, and isn’t happy being hidden away like this, and you’ll see and feel its presence all the time. It’s not always very comfortable as the rubber strap holds on to your clothing, twisting everything around as you move.
But the thing is, I haven’t cared. I’ve worn it proudly with my cuff pushed back behind the substantial case, and reveled in its size and color. When I first wore the Galaxy Watch Ultra I likened the circle-in-a-square shape to some of watchmaker Bell & Ross’s designs, and this is as close as I’ve got to one of its pilot’s watches, so I’m absolutely going to make the most of its bold looks.
What about functionality?
It’s all very well being so taken with the design, but what about how it works? The One UI Watch 6.0 software has a logical, easy to learn format that’s unique to Samsung’s smartwatches, but it’s very complex and requires plenty of attention for the first few days of use, whether that’s making sure it’s tracking all your health stats, installing different apps on your phone, or setting up apps like WhatsApp on the watch itself.
Even when you do spend time setting everything up, it’s not always guaranteed to work. Sleep tracking worked for a start, but then simply stopped and I’ve no idea why. I still haven’t been able to get it working again. It’s not a big problem as although the Galaxy Watch Ultra can be worn overnight, the size makes it quite noticeable. Notifications are also unreliable, but this is a problem with Google’s Wear OS software in general, rather than something wrong with the Galaxy Watch Ultra specifically.
The Ultra is made for sports enthusiasts and while I don’t stretch its ability, I appreciate features like the very effective automatic workout tracking. It connects to Samsung Health on your phone, and although the app is nicely designed it doesn’t feel like it caters for hardcore sports people, who may be looking at it over a Garmin smartwatch. For me as a casual (at best) exerciser, it does the job well.
One to buy in 2025?
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s top smartwatch at the moment, and we don’t expect it to be replaced until later in 2025. Exactly what Samsung will replace it with is another matter, as the brand hasn’t stuck to a plan for its more expensive smartwatch line, giving us a Pro, Classic, and Ultra model over the last few years. What it will do this year is anyone’s guess, and shouldn’t put you off buying the Ultra for fear of an Ultra 2 coming soon.
The $650 price is steep though. I have fallen for the Galaxy Watch Ultra and really enjoy wearing it, but in terms of functionality and general daily wearability, the excellent Galaxy Watch 7 — in either size — is far better value. But if someone handed me the Titanium White Galaxy Watch Ultra with the orange Marine Band and said, “here Andy, wear this instead,” I’d swoon and it’d be on my wrist in the blink of an eye.
I want to feel that way about every watch I own, and although I didn’t pick up on that feeling with the Galaxy Watch Ultra before, I absolutely have now.