The new Apple Watch Ultra 4 is hailed as the “ultimate sports and adventure watch”, but how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2?
Considering we concluded the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to be a “refined, rugged Android smartwatch”, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 has a lot to live up to.
Although we’re yet to review the Apple Watch Ultra 4, we’ve compared its specs to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 below. Read on to see how the two devices compare, and whether you think the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will take the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2’s spot on our best smartwatch list.
For more on Apple’s latest launch, visit our Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 12 vs Series 11 comparison guides.
Price and Availability
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 will set you back $799/£749, and is available to pre-order now ahead of its launch on September 18.
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In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available to buy now and has a slightly cheaper starting price of £649/$699.
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Apple Watch Ultra 4 only works with iPhone, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 works best with Samsung
One of the biggest deciding factors between the two will depend on your smartphone, as the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is only compatible with iOS while the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 can only be paired with Android phones.
However, although the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is technically compatible with most phones running Android 10 or later, the device works best when paired with a Samsung Galaxy phone. That means pairing the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with a Samsung handset will unlock features like ECG, sleep apnea notifications and blood pressure monitoring.
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With that in mind, if you’re sporting another one of the best Android phones, then you should take a look at our best smartwatch and best fitness tracker round-up instead.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 promises to offer the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable
Apple makes big claims when it comes to the Watch Ultra 4 and Watch Series 12. Thanks to the new Health Sensing System that includes new heart sensors, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 promises to conduct the “most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable”. The Health Sensing System is fitted with larger LEDs that now measure heart rate every five seconds.
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Apple has backed this claim by sharing a study conducted on over 1000 participants, which compared the Apple Watch’s new heart rate sensing accuracy against leading wearables. The result saw Apple Watch provide the highest accuracy across devices.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 also monitors your heart rate, regardless of whether it’s paired with a Samsung or other Android phone. In addition, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 also offers a Heart Health Score that combines information like your activity time, sleep, weight and vascular load to provide you with an easy-to-understand result.
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S11 vs Snapdragon Wear Elite
Behind the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is the S11 chip, which is hailed as “Apple’s most powerful wearable chip”. This processor not only ensures the watch runs smoothly, but it also powers the upcoming Audio Intelligence features that are said to arrive later this year.
Audio Intelligence has three distinct features. Firstly, it can detect loud noises such as sirens, doorbells and even a baby crying and alert users who might not have heard them. Then there’s “Live Rewind” where you can go back 15 seconds in a conversation to catch what someone said and, finally, Siri Recap that gives you an overview of all your conversations you’ve had during the day.
How useful these tools really are remains to be seen. While the loud noise detection undoubtedly will help those with hearing loss, the thought of being able to scroll through all my conversations at the end of the day feels strange.
Otherwise, powering the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is Snapdragon Wear Elite. Samsung promises that the processor enables the device to launch apps faster and offer smoother interaction than ever. Plus, the processor allows access to Gemini, Google’s voice assistant that’s on board the Ultra 2 – a welcome addition, as we’ve found Gemini to be one of the most useful AI assistants.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 introduces readiness scores and a health age
A frequently requested Apple Watch feature is a readiness score and a health age, and fortunately Apple has listened to our pleas. When the revamped Apple Health app rolls out later this year (exact date is still TBC), Apple Watch users will receive a personalised health age, that’s based on their VO2 Max levels.
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In addition, Apple will also introduce a readiness score which will analyse recent metrics, including activities, vitals and sleep score, and provides you with a score between 0-10 along with an actionable recommendation: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It. Essentially, the higher your score, the more you’re encouraged to push your body.
Otherwise, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2’s accompanying Samsung Health app has recently seen a revamp, and now includes a new Vitals section that tracks metrics like your heart and respiratory rates, HRV, skin temperature and blood oxygen level too. However, although the app’s upgrade claims to be AI-focused, we found the insights weren’t as personalised as we’d have liked.
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Apple Watch Ultra 4 promises longer battery life in Low Power Mode
Although neither offer as long a battery life as the likes of Whoop or the best Garmin watches, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 does promise up to a hefty 50 hours in normal use. You can also eke out up to 84 hours when you put the watch in Low Power Mode too.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 isn’t too far behind either, with a promise of up to 60 hours.
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Either way, both devices offer around two days of use which although is an improvement from older models, still falls way behind many of the best smartwatches.
Early Verdict
The most obvious reason to choose one smartwatch over the other boils down to what phone you have, as the Apple Watch is only compatible with iPhones and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is only compatible with Androids. And remember, although the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 does support Android phones, it works best specifically with a Samsung Galaxy phone.
Either way, both the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are rugged smartwatches that are designed to provide accurate health and fitness tracking.
We’ll update this versus once we’ve reviewed the Apple Watch Ultra 4.