{"id":271234,"date":"2025-11-09T02:58:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T02:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/271234\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T02:58:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T02:58:10","slug":"dont-skip-the-one-ui-8-update-on-your-galaxy-watch-ultra-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/271234\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t skip the One UI 8 update on your Galaxy Watch Ultra \u2014 here’s why"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have a complicated relationship with smartwatches. I always wanted one on my wrist as a kid, and I promise you I was the only 14-year-old with a Seiko MessageWatch on his wrist in 1998.<\/p>\n

The early information watches served a different purpose. You weren\u2019t connected to the internet 24 hours a day, so you appreciated the small bits of information that came through.<\/p>\n

I got stock quotes and sports scores, but none of them felt intrusive.<\/p>\n

Modern smartwatches are different. I\u2019m constantly bombarded by information and notifications, and I\u2019ve never felt at home with the software on any of them.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m going to give up my beloved analog watches, I need to see the benefits of a smartwatch beyond just being pinged every time a friend sends me a WhatsApp message.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Samsung has started to do that with One UI 8 on my Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a>. <\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t considered a smartwatch in a while, here\u2019s why the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra feels renewed on One UI 8.<\/p>\n

One UI 8 offers a smoother experience<\/p>\n

Better battery life, too<\/p>\n

\"Workouts<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t have a problem with performance on my Galaxy Watch Ultra, and I certainly wouldn\u2019t expect to, given the price I paid.<\/p>\n

Still, I\u2019ve noticed that One UI 8 is more responsive overall. It\u2019s snappier since I updated, and I love how quickly I can glide through my tiles.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t speak personally about how it will feel on older watches, but I\u2019m assuming the performance optimizations will trickle down.<\/p>\n

Samsung did an excellent job of bringing Wear OS 6 to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.<\/p>\n

I appreciate the visual overhaul and customization options that come with Wear OS 6 and One UI 8, but I\u2019m more excited about the better use of space on the watch face.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also noticed an improvement in battery life after the upgrade. Battery life figures are so personalized that it\u2019s challenging to compare one person\u2019s experience with another\u2019s.<\/p>\n

However, I can comfortably get two days of use on a single charge, and that\u2019s using the device for sleep tracking.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re working out constantly and really taxing the sensors, expect different results.<\/p>\n

Still, the Galaxy Watch Ultra\u2019s battery does the job, and I\u2019ve enjoyed the improved performance since upgrading to One UI 8.<\/p>\n

More comprehensive health tracking on One UI 8<\/p>\n

Some useful, some not<\/p>\n

\"Antioxidant<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but I don\u2019t need my Galaxy Watch Ultra to tell me I don\u2019t eat enough vegetables \u2014 I have a mirror for that.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure the antioxidant monitoring feature on the Galaxy Watch Ultra will be useful to some, but it\u2019s not something I\u2019m rushing to address with my doctor.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s part of a revamped set of Samsung Health features. I\u2019ve never put much stock in various energy scores on any smartwatch, but I do like that Samsung has beefed up sleep tracking.<\/p>\n

It may seem like a small item, but I appreciate Samsung\u2019s addition of snore detection. Constant snoring can lead to poor sleep and may be a sign of a more serious health issue.<\/p>\n

Yes, you can\u2019t detect snoring with just your watch; you\u2019ll need it to work in tandem with your Galaxy phone, but it\u2019s worth it once set up.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like me with poor sleep hygiene, One UI 8<\/a> is an excellent way to improve the rest you get at night. <\/p>\n

Apparently, workout tracking is also improved, but there\u2019s no threat of that when the watch is on my wrist, so I\u2019ll take Samsung\u2019s word for it.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t reap many of the fitness benefits of a smartwatch, as that\u2019s just not part of my daily routine.<\/p>\n

However, I do appreciate it when other features are included that can help improve my overall health, even if I\u2019m not training for a marathon.<\/p>\n

One UI 8 makes better use of space<\/p>\n

Tiles needed an overhaul<\/p>\n

\"Multiple<\/p>\n

I appreciate the visual overhaul and customization options that come with Wear OS 6 and One UI 8, but I\u2019m more excited about the better use of space on the watch face.<\/p>\n

I can now view multiple tiles simultaneously, providing me with more information at a glance. I can stack tiles and rearrange as needed, and the new user experience feels more tailored to a device with a round display.<\/p>\n

Out of all the new features that debuted on the Galaxy S25 series, the one that grew on me the most is the Now Bar. It\u2019s also a solid addition to my Galaxy Watch Ultra, and I find it useful for media controls or if I have a timer active.<\/p>\n

If you have multiple apps open, the Now Bar keeps you up to date without leaving your watch face.<\/p>\n

Update to One UI 8 if you haven\u2019t already<\/p>\n

I never pay much attention to smartwatch software updates. I always just hold my breath and hope that the update doesn\u2019t tank my battery life or cause slowdowns that weren\u2019t there before.<\/p>\n

Samsung has done an excellent job of locking in its smartphone software over the last several years, and I\u2019m glad to see that this extends to smartwatch software<\/a> with One UI 8 on my Galaxy Watch Ultra.<\/p>\n

\"Samsung
\n Source: Samsung<\/p>\n

\"Android<\/p>\n

8\/10<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tCase Material \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTitanium<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tCase size \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t47mm<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tColors \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTitanium Silver; Titanium Gray; Titanium White<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tDisplay \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1.5″ AMOLED<\/p>\n

At a starting price of $650, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s most premium wearable to date. It’s made for outdoor athletes, offering a huge battery, durable materials, and quick access to exercise tracking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I have a complicated relationship with smartwatches. I always wanted one on my wrist as a kid, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271235,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[49,48,195,61],"class_list":{"0":"post-271234","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-gadgets","11":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}