After years of waiting, Android users finally have a rugged and smart watch full of features in the Samsung Galaxy Watch’s latest editions. There are two latest watches in its latest release, the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Watch 7. With built-in LTE, wear OS 5, and advanced health and fitness tools, it’s a powerhouse on the wrist. However, following an in-depth two-week test, many of the researchers have found that the regular Galaxy Watch 7 is the better choice for most users.
While the Ultra impresses people with its durability and premium features, it’s priced at $650 and has a bulkier design. Both of the watches, the $650 Galaxy Watch Ultra and $300 Galaxy Watch 7, share a similar foundation, mirroring the approach of their predecessors, the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.
Despite differing price points, both watches have identical sensors, dual-frequency GPS, and health features. The Ultra’s key differentiators lie in its rugged titanium construction and the extra workout tools. Samsung’s use of the “Ultra” moniker, is also seen in flagship devices like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which represents the premium offering.
While the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s influence is evident in features like the quick button, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has a non-imitative design. At first glance, the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s design might polarise the users. The cushion case and circular screen within a square-ish case take time to get used to, and the watch’s bulkiness may overwhelm smaller wrists.
One of the reviewers said, “I was initially skeptical, but the design grew on me after two weeks.” It also has the new dynamic lug mechanism, which restricts the users to just three compatible Samsung bands: marine, trail, and PeakForm. In contrast, the Galaxy Watch 7 retains the one-click band mechanism and supports third-party spring pin bands. But the ultra’s exceptional screen brightness, reaching 3,000 nits, makes up for the limitation.
The quick button is also another standout feature, mirroring the functionality of the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s action button. Both watches have a completely redesigned bioactive sensor, driving heart rate monitoring, electrical heart rate signals, and bioimpedance sensors for body composition analysis.
There were many tests done on these bioactive sensors, and the test results proved that the heart rate reading is much better than the previous Galaxy Watch models, with minor lag at workout start but accurate tracking as the exercise progressed and average heart rate calculation within one beat per minute of the chest strap. The disadvantage of this redesign is that the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 7 no longer support reverse wireless charging from Samsung Galaxy phones or Qi wireless charging pads. Users will need to depend on the magnetic puck charger.
These watches, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Watch 7 have become the first wearable devices to receive FDA (Food and Drug Administration) authorization for Sleep apnea detection in the US. To use this feature, you must enable sleep apnoea detection in the Samsung Health Monitor app and wear the watch to bed for two consecutive nights, which allows the watch to track a relative decrease in blood oxygen level and receive analysis results indicating signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea just by using these watches.
The sleep apnoea detection is exclusive to the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch 7 owners with a Galaxy phone only, as the Samsung Health Monitor app is only accessible through the Galaxy tore. This app is also powersECG reading. The Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra can be paired with any Android phone running Android 11 or higher.
Yet, features like irregular heart rhythm notifications, ECG and sleep apnoea detection, Galaxy AI features, double pinch geyser, and suggested replies remain exclusive to Galaxy phone users. In terms of workout tracking, the watch has a multisport workout tile for tracking three activities without manual stops and a race mode for competing against previous times on the same route. FTP (functional threshold power) test for cycling.
