I Bought Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025, But I'd Recommend This Model Instead

15 hours ago

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is connected waste for $650 successful 4 colour options.
Its show is vibrant and large, nan artillery lasts done a mates of days, and LTE is provided astatine nary other cost.
It comes successful a azygous 47mm size, motion support is limited, and outer sensor connections are not supported.

Last year's Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra was my favourite Google WearOS smartwatch, truthful erstwhile I saw nan 2025 Watch Ultra pinch its caller bluish and orangish colour strategy that matches my USCG subject work colors, I had to bargain it.

It turns retired that nan caller colour strategy (and doubly nan soul retention amount) are nan only hardware differences betwixt nan 2024 and 2025 Watch Ultra models, truthful if you don't person a burning desire for nan colour past look for nan 2024 exemplary that whitethorn beryllium disposable astatine a discounted price.

Also: Why I urge this Samsung Galaxy Watch complete competing Androids

That being said, location are a fistful of caller package features pinch Samsung's new One UI 8 update, including Running Coach, Google Gemini (available pinch a property and clasp of a button), antioxidant measurements from nan bosom complaint sensor, and vascular load support.

The bluish 2025 exemplary (left) adjacent to nan achromatic 2024 exemplary (right)

Just statement that nary of these package features are constricted to nan 2025 Galaxy Watch Ultra, truthful location are not galore compelling reasons to acquisition nan latest model.

Still, if you're looking for much storage, expanding from 32GB to nan caller model's 64GB whitethorn beryllium important capable for immoderate group to outpouring for nan caller watch.

One logic I for illustration nan Watch Ultra is nan integrated LTE work truthful I tin tally safely without my telephone and I besides usage nan watch to shop downloaded Spotify euphony to bask pinch bony conduction headsets. With nan 2025 Watch Ultra I tin now load it up pinch a monolithic postulation of media contented to motivate maine to move.

When I saw nan watch successful bluish and orange, I conscionable had to person it

With nan summation of truthful galore caller apps for nan Watch Ultra, that other retention abstraction mightiness beryllium much valuable than you'd first think. For example, media playback apps for illustration Spotify are a must for many, while fittingness search apps for illustration Strava, Map My Run, aliases Hole19 are immoderate of nan astir downloaded.

All of these return up space, and nan use of that other retention yet intends much choices. This is particularly useful pinch my caller Z Fold 7 that serves arsenic a mini tablet while nan Watch Ultra serves arsenic my connection triage device.

I bask moving and aft a mates of weeks, I recovered nan Samsung Running Coach to meet my humble needs. I americium not going to triumph immoderate races, but I for illustration nan audible guidance and personalized coaching that this characteristic provides, particularly erstwhile it takes maine 2 weeks to complete a week of a training plan. The Running Coach doesn't unit maine to tally much often, but is location to fresh successful pinch my schedule and support my efforts to amended my capacity and train pinch immoderate adaptable routines.

Also: The champion Android smartwatches successful 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

While it is bully that some years of nan Galaxy Watch Ultra support nan antioxidant index, I person yet to spot immoderate consequence different than "Low", which leaves maine to mobility nan inferior of this metric. Even erstwhile I walk a time eating salads and fruit, my scale worth doesn't change, and I americium not getting immoderate worth retired of this test.

The correct broadside of nan watch helps you motorboat things quickly

Vascular load is absorbing to maine since I americium now 56 and bosom wellness is much important now than successful nan past. Samsung does a amended occupation than others astatine providing you pinch accusation connected what each metric intends and ways successful which you tin amended for amended health.

Also: My caller favourite Android smartwatch rivals Google and Garmin models successful features and design

When comparing this watch to others, I tried retired nan Galaxy Watch 8 Classic for a mates of weeks and while I emotion nan fluid rotating bezel, nan mini show and constricted artillery life did not fulfill maine capable to springiness up nan Galaxy Watch Ultra. Samsung made this large watch for group for illustration maine and nan $650 value is still $150 little than nan Apple Watch Ultra 2.

ZDNET's buying advice

Thanks to nan Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, I americium backmost to utilizing an Android arsenic my superior smartphone and pinch that move, nan 2025 Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is nan cleanable companion.

The agelong artillery life, meticulous GPS search and bosom complaint measurements while running, and large watch that fits my wrist good intends that I person a operation to screen each of my adventures. I cognize that nan colour of thing whitethorn not beryllium a large woody to galore people, but nan truth that I tin show disconnected my assemblage and subject work colors leads to conversations astir nan USCG and wearable technology.