Samsung Galaxy Watches: Features, Comparison, and Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra offers accurate sensor readings and a durable design, but the Galaxy Watch 7 is more practical and cost-effective.

### Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 7: A Comprehensive Comparison
* ⌚️  The Galaxy Watch Ultra boasts a **rugged new design**, a **big bright screen**, and lots of **sports modes**, making it a **worthy contender** in the smartwatch market.
* 🔬  Both the Ultra and the Galaxy Watch 7 feature a redesigned bioactive sensor, which has proven to be **more accurate for high-intensity workouts**.
* 🚴‍♂️  The Ultra includes a new FTP test for cycling, but it currently only works for **outdoor bike workouts**, not indoor ones.
* 🔋  Battery performance is a key aspect of both watches, with the Ultra offering **up to 60 hours with the always-on display on** for general use, and the 7 providing **around 35 hours of runtime**.
* 💤  Both watches are the first in the US to receive FDA authorization for **sleep apnea detection**, tracking blood oxygen levels to detect signs of **obstructive sleep apnea**.
* 🏋️‍♂️  The Ultra lacks some **advanced recovery metrics** found in other high-end sports watches, making it potentially **less appealing to serious athletes**.
* 💰  The Galaxy Watch 7 is likely to be the **more popular choice for most consumers**, as it offers similar features to the Ultra at a **lower price point**.
* 📱  The watches run **Wear OS 5** with Samsung's **One UI 6** on top, providing a familiar interface with some new features like the **always-on display app launch capability**.

Samsung finally has a Galaxy watch worthy of the Ultra name, with a rugged new design, a big bright screen, and lots of sports modes. So let's put it to the test. This and the Galaxy Watch 7 both have a redesigned bioactive sensor, which is supposed to be more accurate for higher intensity workouts. I'm here at Crewfit to do a spin class, and I'm not going to lie, kind of scared about how intense this is going to be. 3, 2, 1. Woo, that was a tough workout. I'm going to get cleaned up, but then afterwards check the results against the chest strap that I was wearing, the heart rate sensor on the Ultra, and see if those claims hold true. Okay, I've plotted the results from the heart rate readings from the Ultra against the chest strap. By the way, it is not easy to get that data out of Samsung Health, but I managed to do it. And what I've done is I've plotted them against each other on this graph, and I'm actually pretty surprised with the results, that they're pretty pretty close.

much more close than earlier Galaxy watches. Actually, there are a few moments when the ultra line, which is blue, and the straps line is purple when they're kind of like not as close in terms of the spikes and heart rate, and the average heart rate readings are really close too. 138 on the ultra and 137 on the chest strap, so I think that sensor is definitely doing its job. Both the ultra and the7 have a new FTP test or functional threshold power test for cycling. However, it only currently works on the outdoor bike workout type, not the indoor bike type. So, I'm really hoping that Samsung changes this because it could be really helpful. It's a 4-minute FTP test as opposed to a 20-minute test or an hour test that you would normally do, which potentially could put a lot less strain on your body during a workout. And also, in everyday wear, I definitely do notice the size and the weight of the ultra more than similarly sized watches from other brands. And my wrist is 152 mm for reference, so it will hopefully give you

an idea of what it might look like on you. I'm also not a huge fan of the new Dynamic lug mechanism on the ultra, simply because it's not backwards compatible with earlier watch bands. And until more manufacturers start making bands that work with this mechanism, you're really limited to the choices that are on offer. Those three watch bands that were launched alongside the ultra. This screen on the ultra though is amazing. I love that bright 3000 nit display, super easy to see in all situations, and night mode is available on a selection of the ultra-specific watch faces. So it's not on every single watch face that you can put on this, but it is a nice touch. And the quick button is truly helpful. I love that you can now long press it to stop a workout and bring up that end workout page panel really quickly. It can also change function depending on the context that you're in, say like in multisport sport mode. You can long press to switch between activities. And if you're in the flashlight or the stopwatch, for example.

you can also use that quick button. So just discovered you can play music back through the watch or speaker, even in third-party apps like Spotify. Yes, so we've talked a lot about the Ultra so far, but what about the regular Galaxy Watch 7? It's actually super similar to the Ultra, and honestly, this is the watch that most people probably will get and should get. Let's talk about some of the things that it does have in common with the Ultra. So both of them have that new bioactive sensor, so sensor accuracy should be the same on both. They both have dual-frequency GPS using L1 and L5 bands. They both have sleep apnea detection, as well as the new Exynos 3 nanometer processor onboard. There's 32 GB of storage inside both, and you can also use the double pinch action. It works exactly the same on both of these watches. The main differences: size, price, battery capacity, and construction. So the Galaxy Watch 7 comes in two different sizes, either a 40 or a 44 mm.

option: the Ultra is only 14.7 mm in size. The 7 has a slightly smaller battery capacity on both of those sizes compared to the Ultra, which is at 590 mAh. The Ultra is also made of titanium, whereas the 7s are made from aluminum or aluminium. The Ultra is rated 10 ATM, whereas the 7 is 5 ATM. But really, when it comes to things like sleep tracking and everyday wear, if you have a smaller wrist and you don't have as big of a budget for the Ultra, the 7 is probably going to be the best one to get. Both of these Galaxy watches are the first watches in the US to receive FDA authorization for sleep apnea detection. This is tracking your relative decreases in blood oxygen levels overnight over a two-night period in order to detect signs of obstructive sleep apnea. If it does detect any signs, you'll get a notification on your phone. Now, to activate this, you have to use the Samsung Health Monitor app. This is one of those features that is exclusive to when you tie the Galaxy watches to a

Galaxy phone. Of course, you can use Android with both of these watches, but you'll miss out on things like that Samsung Health Monitor app, ECG, and the sleep apnea features, just to name a few. Blood pressure monitoring is not on the Galaxy watches in the US, at least, although it might be available in other countries. These watches have lots of different sleep tracking and energy tracking modes on board, including a sleep score, as well as tracking all of your overnight metrics such as sleep stages and blood oxygen levels, and so on overnight, as well as an energy score, which is kind of a nice way to see if you're balancing your body in terms of overall activity and rest and recovery. However, what the Galaxy Watch Ultra specifically lacks when it comes to comparisons against other high-end sports watches, for example, is recovery metrics overall. Because if you're a more serious athlete, the energy score and those tools probably aren't enough for you. I'm thinking that that's something more like Jin's training load features or even the training load feature that's

now coming to watch OS 11 with the Apple watch and the ages index or Advanced glycation end products index is just confusing. It's supposedly an indicator of metabolic health, and it's going to give you kind of this measure on a graph of either high or low. You will see where you fall somewhere in that, and you as long as you wear your watch to sleep, but I honestly have no idea how to interpret this level. Like is low good? Is high good? Like it's supposed to tell you like how old you are internally. Am I 85? Am I 25? Who knows? I hope in future additions of the software we'll get some more insight into this because I am confused. Okay, let's talk battery because that's one of my favorite things to talk about and to test. So the Galaxy watch Ultra has the same battery capacity as the Galaxy watch 5 Pro, which was Samsung's previous rugged watch, 590 Mah hour, but has extra software tweaks improved battery performance. Yes and and kind of no. So Samsung quot some pretty big numbers.

when it comes to battery performance, up to 60 hours with the always-on display on for just kind of regular general everyday use, up to 100 hours with power-saving mode on, and up to 48 hours with the exercise power-saving mode on. So did I get to those numbers? Not quite. So in my kind of everyday use, but doing a few more GPS workouts, maybe one or two per day, I managed to get with the always-on display on about 47 hours of run time before the battery went completely flat. So not quite at 60. I think I could have got there though if I scale back on those outdoor workouts. And for the exercise power-saving mode, I found that it used about 3% battery per hour. So that was on track to give me about 33 hours of total run time with the regular Galaxy Watch 7. This is the smaller 40 mm size with a smaller capacity battery. I actually ended up getting between about 34-35 hours of runtime with probably a little less use and outdoor workouts.

than I normally would, but I was doing sleep tracking as well, so that was a little bit of an improvement over the Galaxy Watch 6 series. You probably know by now that you can't use reverse wireless charging from a Samsung phone on either of these new watches, thanks to the redesigned bioactive sensor. But, as someone thoughtfully pointed out on my last video, you could easily just take the charger with you, plug it into your phone, and it will charge up on that USB-C Puck really easily. It's not quite the same, but I guess I'll take it. Both watches are running Wear OS 5 with Samsung's One UI 6 watch on top, and it looks pretty similar to last year's watches and earlier Wear OS watches from Samsung. What I do like though, is now that the always-on display lets you just quickly launch an app or whatever from the complication just by touching the screen. You no longer have to wake up the screen and then tap on it to get that app to launch. These watches both

have double pinch gestures so you're able to tap your fingers together to do things like control music playback, as well as answer and hang up calls, and also dismiss alarms. That's not on by default, make sure to turn it on within the settings. I also love the knock knock gesture, just as the name describes. You do the double knock knock gesture like this. I'm got to do it properly like this, and it will launch an app or whatever you want of your choosing. I've set mine to launch the flashlight. It's super handy. I don't need to use the other hand to do that, but yeah, you've got to do it in just the right configuration to get it to work. I still love it, and the new exos processor definitely does feel faster, at least anecdotally, than previous watches. However, sometimes there are still a few apps that kind of a little bit laggy when it comes to launching, and things like the touch bezel sometimes still is not as responsive as I would like. Yeah, I'm still missing that physical rotating

bezel. I can come to terms with the fact that we have a touch bezel. I just want it to be even more precise than it is now. So does the Galaxy Watch Ultra truly live up to its name? Well, yes and no. I love that we now have a really robust choice in the world of Android SmartWatches, so we don't have to sacrifice things like connectivity for a rugged case in design and accuracy. But it is the Galaxy Watch 7 that I think most people will be buying, and probably should buy. Because unless you need the biggest, baddest watch, this one can do pretty much everything, and it's cheaper. Thanks so much for watching. I have the full text review. It's linked in the description, and you can let me know any comments or questions that you have. I will see you later.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and 7 Review: So Close to Being Truly Ultra

CNET is the premier destination for explaining and navigating the changing world around us. Through news, product reviews, price comparisons, and more, we’ll tell you what’s new in the parts of modern life that increasingly matter more — from health, home, and money to tech, culture, and climate — and how to get the most out of them.

CNET

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: A Comprehensive Review

The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a new design, a bright screen, and an improved bioactive sensor for accurate heart rate monitoring during intense workouts.

It also introduces a new FTP test for cycling, but currently only works for outdoor bike workouts.

The watch's size and weight are noticeable for everyday wear, and the new Dynamic lug mechanism is not compatible with earlier watch bands, limiting choices for users.

A Comparison of the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Ultra

The Galaxy Watch 7 is very similar to the Ultra in terms of features like the bioactive sensor, dual-frequency GPS, sleep apnea detection, and the Exynos 3 nanometer processor.

However, they differ in size, price, battery capacity, and construction material.

The Galaxy Watch 7 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with a smaller battery capacity and aluminum construction, while the Ultra is larger with a titanium construction and higher water resistance.

The 7 is a more budget-friendly option, especially for those with smaller wrists, offering similar features to the Ultra.

Both watches are FDA-authorized for sleep apnea detection, providing notifications through the Samsung Health Monitor app.

Limitations and Features of the Galaxy Watch Ultra

The Galaxy Watch Ultra offers various tracking modes, including sleep, blood oxygen levels, and energy, but lacks recovery metrics for serious athletes.

It also introduces the Advanced glycation end products index for metabolic health, although its interpretation is unclear.

The battery capacity of the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the same as its predecessor, but with some software improvements for enhanced performance.

Galaxy Watch 7 Battery Performance and New Features

The Galaxy Watch 7 offers up to 60 hours of battery life with the always-on display, but real-life usage may result in around 47 hours.

The exercise power-saving mode provides approximately 33-35 hours of runtime, with the redesigned bioactive sensor preventing reverse wireless charging from Samsung phones.

The new feature of quickly launching an app from the always-on display adds convenience to the user experience.

Customizable Gestures and Performance of the Galaxy Watch Ultra

The Galaxy Watch Ultra offers double pinch gestures for music control and knock knock gesture for launching apps, which need to be enabled in the settings.

The new Exynos processor provides faster performance, but some apps still lag, and the touch bezel is not always responsive.

While the Galaxy Watch Ultra provides a robust choice for Android smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 7 may be a more practical and cost-effective option for most users.