The Galaxy Watch Ultra isn’t living up to its name: Here’s how Samsung can fix that

I really wanted to love the Galaxy Watch Ultra. When the leaks started coming in that Samsung was working on one, it got everyone excited that it would be something special. When it actually arrived, however, it was arguably one of the more underwhelming launches we’ve seen from Samsung.

The watch was too big and clunky, it was occasionally unreliable, and oddly cautious for something called “Ultra.” Most of all, it was a blatant copy of the Apple Watch Ultra.

The 2025 version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra didn’t improve much, offering only double the storage and new features that later came to the OG version anyway.

But Samsung could do so much more with this series if it didn’t stay in the “safe zone,” so here’s what I think it should change with the next-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra — likely called the Galaxy Watch 9 Ultra — in 2026.

1. Make it smaller — without weakening it

At 47mm and nearly 100 grams with certain bands, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is simply too big for most wrists. It crosses the line from “rugged” to “impractical” far too easily.

With all the thinning Samsung has been doing lately with its tablets and phones, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the same treatment being applied to the next Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Just because a product is meant to be rugged, it doesn’t mean it has to be bulky. It makes a lot more sense to make it less intrusive and annoying to use, especially when it meant to be worn.

Apple only sells one Ultra size, but Samsung doesn’t need to repeat that mistake. Even if Samsung keeps the large size, it wouldn’t hurt to have a smaller option around 44–45mm. This would instantly make the Ultra line accessible to way more people.

This is one easy way for Samsung to differentiate itself from Apple.

2. Fix heart rate accuracy before adding new metrics

Samsung keeps adding health features like Vascular Load, Antioxidant Index, Energy Score, and the list keeps on growing.

But I want Samsung to fix the one core metric of a fitness watch — the heart rate. It is simply not consistent enough to be reliable. This issue has been plaguing not only the Galaxy Watch Ultra series, but also other Samsung smartwatches.



During steady activities, the Galaxy Watch Ultra performs fine; that’s the easiest scenario for a sports wearable to track your heart rate. But during more dynamic activities such as interval training, cycling, or weightlifting, it still produces spikes and drops that simply do not reflect reality. I’ve seen this myself, and it’s something multiple reviewers have flagged across Samsung’s recent watches.

Before Samsung adds another experimental metric, it needs to make this fundamental one bulletproof. Garmin and Apple both prove this is possible on the wrist. Apple is especially known for having one of the most reliable heart rate sensors on the market, so it is perfectly doable.

An Ultra watch should never make you doubt your own pulse readings.

3. Bring back a physical navigation element

Samsung’s decision to ditch the rotating bezel on the Ultra is understandable from a water-resistance standpoint — but it’s also a mistake.

Touchscreens are fine. Buttons help. But nothing beats physical navigation when your hands are wet, sweaty, or gloved. Apple solves this with a digital crown. On the Galaxy Watch Ultra, there’s no equivalent.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 needs a physical navigation element — whether that’s a rotating crown, a reimagined bezel, or something else. This isn’t a luxury feature: it’s essential for a rugged watch meant to be used outdoors and during intense activities.

4. Give us truly great battery life

Two days of battery life is fine. It’s just not “Ultra” fine.

Samsung advertises impressive numbers using power-saving modes, but when it comes to actually using the watch, you learn just how different things can be.

With GPS, health tracking, and notifications enabled, the Galaxy Watch Ultra settles into a predictable two-day rhythm. That’s acceptable for a smartwatch, but we have rivals from Huawei or OnePlus that show us it could be much better.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 doesn’t need a week-long battery life (we have to be realistic here). That said, it can easily aim for at least three full days of normal use without compromises, or preferably five. For example, the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 lasts almost three days with regular use, while the OnePlus Watch 3 lasts around 4 days.

5. The Galaxy Watch Ultra needs its own identity

The squircle design with a circular display was shocking, some might say even jarring. The good news is that it can be fixed! And instead of getting rid of it, Samsung can double down, but make it less weird and awkward.

For the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung needs to refine this design further with a slimmer mid-frame, thinner bezels, and better transitions between the case, glass, and lugs. That would immediately reduce bulk without compromising the watch’s durability.

Tightening the proportions would make the squircle design feel intentional rather than experimental. An “Ultra” watch with a premium price should project confidence and purpose, which I can’t say the current Galaxy Watch Ultra has.

There’s still a solid foundation here

While it has some faults, the Galaxy Watch Ultra already does a few things very well.

The display is excellent, GPS performance is top-notch, and Wear OS with One UI continues to improve. Not to mention that Samsung Health remains one of the most informative fitness platforms available at the moment.

If Samsung wants the Galaxy Watch Ultra to matter, the next version needs to feel deliberate, confident, and uncompromising — not like a cautious experiment.

Samsung knows how to build great hardware. It just needs to remember how to be bold again.