Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 release date, price, specs, and must-know features
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Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. | Image by PhoneArena
What's changed vs Galaxy Watch Ultra:
- Snapdragon Wear Elite chip on a 3nm process with performance improvements and betterpower efficiency
- Same 47mm squircle form factor, no major design overhaul
- Battery up to 800mAh, which is roughly 35% more capacity than the first-generation model
- 5,000 nit peak brightness, making it the brightest smartwatch display currently available
- Case trimmed 12% thinner despite the larger battery
- IP rating stepping up from IP68 to IP69K
Release timeline:
- The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 was announced on July 22, 2026 at Samsung's summer Unpacked event. The smartwatch was accompanied by the Galaxy Watch 9, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8.
Price:
- The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 costs $699.99 and is available only in a 47mm LTE configuration.
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Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 release date
Samsung officially announced the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 on July 22, 2026 at its summer Unpacked event in London, together with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Flip 8, and Galaxy Watch 9.
| Device | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 | July 22, 2026 | July or early August 2026* |
| Galaxy Watch Ultra (new color and more storage version) | July 9, 2025 | July 25, 2025 |
| Galaxy Watch Ultra | July 10, 2024 | July 24, 2024 |
* - probable dates
Units went on sale August 7, 2026 – two weeks after the announcement, consistent with Samsung's typical Unpacked-to-retail window.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 price and deals
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 costs $699.99, which is $50 more than the original Ultra's $649 launch price. There's only one configuration available.
| Galaxy Watch model | 47 mm, LTE connectivity |
|---|---|
| Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 | $699.99 |
| Galaxy Watch Ultra | $649 |
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 deals:
- Samsung: trade-in credit through Samsung.com can cut the retail price by as much as 50%, with additional promotions typically running around major shopping events.
- Verizon: typically sells smartwatches at full retail, but pairing the purchase with a flagship phone on a qualifying plan can open up meaningful savings.
- AT&T: AT&T has run BOGO promotions on wearables in the past, and bundling with a premium smartphone purchase can bring the price down further.
- T-Mobile: T-Mobile frequently discounts smartwatches when customers add an eligible wearable plan line.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 storage
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available with 64 GB of storage. That's the same with the 2025 refresh on the original Ultra.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 storage capacity:
- 64 GB
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 design
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. | Image by PhoneArena
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 keeps the recognizable 47 mm squircle case of its predecessor. It's, however, now 12% slimmer thanks to internal engineering improvements. The same titanium chassis is there, as well as a larger battery.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the thinnest Ultra smartwatch Samsung has made so far.
For durability, the Ultra 2 features an IP69K protection (up from the IP68 rating on its predecessor), which adds protection against high-pressure water jets. The display is covered by sapphite crystal.
There are small refinements here and there in the smartwatch's design as well, with the numbers around the bezel. being more prominent and the side button's orange accent being scaled back.
The Quick Button on the right side of the case stays in place and remains fully customizable.
The band design moves away from the Apple Watch Ultra-adjacent look of the first generation, with the strap now carrying an "Ultra" wordmark.
Three bands ship with the watch: the Marine Band, a lightweight breathable silicone option for all-day and demanding conditions; the Trail Band, a fabric construction built for runners and outdoor athletes; and the PeakForm Band, a hybrid material that works equally well at the gym and in a professional setting.
Color options for the smartwatch's case are Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 display
The display is the Ultra 2's most striking upgrade. Peak brightness jumps from 3,000 nits on its predecessor to a stunning 5,000 nits. According to Samsung, that's the brightest smartwatch display ever made.
| Smartwatch model | Screen size | Brightness |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 | 1.52-inch | 5,000 |
| Galaxy Watch Ultra | 1.5-inch | 3,000 |
The panel is a 1.52-inch AMOLED, gaining 0.02 inches of additional screen real estate over the original.
The practical impact of the brightness increase is most obvious outdoors in direct sunlight, where many smartwatches become difficult or impossible to read. At 5,000 nits, that's would not be a concern for Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 users.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 battery
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 ships with a 784 mAh rated cell, marketed as 800 mAh "typical" (the average you can expect under normal everyday conditions). That's roughly 35% more capacity than the 590mAh battery in the original Ultra.
For reference, Samsung rated the first-generation Ultra for up to 100 hours in power-saving mode and 48 hours in exercise power-saving mode.
For reference, Samsung rated the first-generation Ultra for up to 100 hours in power-saving mode and 48 hours in exercise power-saving mode.
In our own testing, the original Ultra held up comfortably past two full days with all features active. The Ultra 2, with the even bigger battery, should perform exceptionally for a Galaxy Watch.
As for charging, there's no upgrade here, and the Ultra 2 supports 10W wireless charging just like the original Ultra.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 features and software
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 comes with One UI 9.0 Watch on top of Wear OS 7 out of the box.
The new OS brings a focus to outdoor and athletic use. Trail Run gets detailed elevation data, real-time climbing progress, and terrain impact metrics. Nutrition Alert gives you on-the-go hydration guidance during activity.
There's a dedicated Diving app for professional divers (arriving as a software update later in the year).
Meanwhile, health tracking takes advantage of the watch's BioActive sensor, which collects continuous biometric data and presents it as actionable guidance rather than a stream of numbers to interpret on your own.
Health features on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2:
- Vitals monitors your personal health baseline during sleep and alerts you if any readings deviate noticeably from your established normal.
- Heart Health Score distills cardiovascular health into a single number with lifestyle suggestions attached.
- Daily Cardio Load adjusts training recommendations in real time based on workout intensity and how much recovery your body still needs.
- Fitness Index gives you a broader read on overall physical fitness and tracks personal benchmarks over time.
- Hearing monitors ambient noise levels and warns you when sustained exposure reaches levels that could cause damage, with detailed reports available afterward.
Returning features include dual-band GPS, continuous heart rate monitoring, blood pressure tracking, a built-in safety siren, fall detection, emergency SOS, a full workout library, achievement tracking, and the Antioxidant Index.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 hardware and specs
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 specs:
- CPU: Snapdragon Wear Elite
- Battery: 800mAh
- Charging: 10 W wireless charging
- Storage: 64 GB
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is powered by the Snapdragon Wear Elite processor, built on a 3nm process and designed with AI-first wearables in mind. The chip can run a 2-billion-parameter AI model entirely on-device.
A faster GPU and meaningful power efficiency gains contribute directly to battery endurance alongside the larger cell.
Connectivity covers Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0, ultra-wideband, and NB-NTN – a satellite standard that enables direct calls and text messaging when cellular coverage isn't available, which is particularly relevant for the outdoor athletes the Ultra is aimed at.
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 comparisons to competitors
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs Galaxy Watch 9: If you want Samsung's best watch experience but aren't sure the Ultra 2's rugged focus and higher price are worth it over the standard flagship, here's how the two stack up.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs Galaxy Watch 8 Classic: Two generations apart and aimed at different buyers – here's what's actually changed and whether the Ultra 2 justifies the premium over Samsung's classic-style flagship.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs Galaxy Watch Ultra: The most relevant comparison for anyone already on the original Ultra – we break down whether the improvements are substantial enough to warrant the upgrade.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3: The two premium rugged smartwatches from the biggest names in the industry, compared across fitness features, battery life, ecosystem fit, and value.
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