The best Android smartwatches in 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Apple took a shot across the bow of serious GPS sports watch brands with the Apple Watch Ultra series, and now Samsung joins the party with the large Galaxy Watch Ultra. Samsung branded it the same way as Apple, along with a familiar orange button and waterproof silicone band. A few other advanced features found in Apple’s model are present in the Samsung model, which is a great thing for Android phone owners, especially Samsung Galaxy phone owners.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has a unique square design with a round watch face, an interesting magnetic lug system, three buttons on one side, gesture support, advanced running dynamics, and more. Samsung’s Galaxy AI is present in the form of wellness insights that combine into a daily score to help guide you to optimal performance, including healthy sleep levels.

First look: The Galaxy Watch Ultra convinced me to replace my Apple Watch in less than a week. Here’s why

The Watch Ultra runs the Samsung-powered Google Wear OS 5.0 with One UI Watch 6.0, meaning it still looks like a Samsung smartwatch but also supports Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Wallet, Google Play Store, and more Google apps.

It has an operating system optimized for the round watch design with a virtual rotating bezel. Fall detection, messaging, phone calls, and more are available on the watch, with advanced fitness data such as VO2 Max and advanced running dynamics data also supported.

At $649, it is the most expensive Samsung Galaxy watch, but it is still $150 less than Apple’s competing Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Galaxy Watch Ultra tech specs: Display: 1.5 inch, 480 x 480 pixels Super AMOLED | Battery life: Two to three days | Dimensions: 47.4 x 47.1 x 12.1mm | Weight: 60.5 grams | Water resistance: 10 ATM+IP68 | LTE cellular option: Yes