The peak of the smartwatch mountain just got a little more crowded and a lot more interesting. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is now available for preorder at $699.99 for the LTE model, with units shipping August 7. The preorder comes with more than just the watch, as Samsung is offering up to $250 in instant trade-in credit, and a $100 instant credit without a trade-in.
The mission: Knock the Apple Watch Ultra from the premium smartwatch throne, and Samsung’s coming out swinging with a bigger battery, a slimmer case, and a full diving computer built in collaboration with Mares, one of the more respected names in scuba equipment.
The Ultra 2 carries an 800mAh cell, which is 35% larger than the 590mAh battery in the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. You’ll need that boost, because the Ultra 2’s feature set – GPS, health sensors, LTE connectivity, and now real-time dive tracking – puts genuine demand on a wearable battery in ways that a fitness tracker can’t.
See Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 at Samsung
See Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 at Amazon
Built for the Depths
The IP69K water resistance rating is a step above the IP68 on the original Ultra, meaning the watch can take high-pressure, high-temperature water jets in addition to standard submersion. That higher rating pairs with the new dive computer functionality. The Ultra 2 tracks depth to 40 meters, dive time, and water temperature in real time. This feature signals Samsung is serious about positioning this watch for the active, gear-oriented buyer who actually uses their watch as more than a notification mirror or lap timer.
On land, the Ultra 2 gets trail run tracking with route and elevation data, and what Samsung calls the world’s first real-time hydration guidance. It monitors your output and prompts you to hydrate during workouts. The Vitals suite, which tracks heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and respiratory rate, is another feature that will become a habit. The Ultra 2 and its fellow Samsung Unpacked star, the Galaxy Watch 9, both add a Heart Health Score, a Daily Cardio Load metric for runners, and a Fitness Index that consolidates strength, body composition, cardio, flexibility, and endurance into a single overview. Both watches also bring raise-to-talk with Google Gemini on board.
Enter the Snapdragon
The Snapdragon Wear Elite chip inside the Ultra 2 is a significant brainpower upgrade. Samsung clocks the Wear Elite chip as 32% faster CPU performance and 19% faster GPU performance compared to the previous generation, with a 15% efficiency improvement. That means less lag when sensors are polling and tracking in parallel, which matters when you’re running with GPS, heart rate, and elevation active at the same time.
Physically, the Ultra 2 is 12% slimmer than the OG Ultra, and the titanium case comes in Titanium Gray and Titanium Silver. Samsung also redesigned the bands on the Ultra 2 with built-in air pockets for breathability, and the Ultra 2’s new silicone band is lighter than what shipped with the original. The numbered-hour marks on the bezel are a small but genuine design improvement for quick time checks.
The $699 preorder window for the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is now open, with the units starting to ship on August 7. Eligible preorders can still take advantage of Samsung’s launch offers, including up to $250 in instant trade-in credit and others savings. That’s less than 3 weeks from now, and that’s when the head-to-head battle for premium smartwatch supremacy enters a whole new phase.