Samsung has given its rugged smartwatch a substantial upgrade with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. The update adds a bigger battery, a faster processor and what the company says is the brightest display ever fitted to a smartwatch.
Officially unveiled at today’s Galaxy Unpacked, the new wearable is designed to build on the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. It adds meaningful hardware improvements aimed at outdoor enthusiasts and athletes.
The standout upgrade is the display, which now reaches a claimed 5,000 nits of peak brightness, a significant jump over the current model. If Samsung’s figures hold up, this would make the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 the brightest smartwatch available.
Battery life also gets a welcome boost. Samsung has increased capacity to 800mAh, around 35% larger than the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. Meanwhile, the watch is powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset, which the company says delivers faster performance while also improving GPS accuracy.
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Despite the larger battery, Samsung has slimmed the design down. The titanium case is 12% thinner, while the redesigned strap is 25% lighter. As a result, the watch should be more comfortable to wear during longer workouts or outdoor adventures.
The Ultra 2 also gains several new fitness tools aimed at more serious athletes. Trail runners can import custom GPX routes complete with turn-by-turn navigation and elevation tracking. In addition, a new Nutrition Alert estimates sweat loss to provide real-time hydration guidance during exercise.
Divers haven’t been forgotten either. Samsung has partnered with diving equipment specialist Mares on a dedicated diving app that will track depth, dive time and water temperature, though the feature isn’t expected to arrive until later this year.
Many of Samsung’s new health features will also be shared with the regular Galaxy Watch 9. These include Vitals, which establishes a seven-night baseline across five health metrics before alerting users to unusual changes. There is also a new Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load and Fitness Index designed to provide a broader picture of long-term wellbeing.
The new processor also enables Raise to Talk, allowing users to launch Google Gemini simply by raising their wrist, without needing to say a wake phrase.
Pre-orders are live right now, with general availability beginning August 7. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will be offered in Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray, with pricing starting at £649/$699.
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