{"id":480771,"date":"2026-06-03T10:44:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/480771\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T10:44:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:44:13","slug":"i-wont-buy-the-galaxy-watch-ultra-2-without-these-5-upgrades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/480771\/","title":{"rendered":"I won’t buy the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 without these 5 upgrades"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Rumors are heating up around Samsung\u2019s next Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a>, with the rugged flagship expected to return this summer. I\u2019ve tested the Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a> since its launch and compared it against just about every major smartwatch<\/a> competitor along the way. There\u2019s a lot to like about Samsung\u2019s first rugged flagship, and overall, the watch made a strong debut. It also revealed a few opportunities for improvement, especially as competitors like Google continue to push ahead in areas like health tracking and overall refinement.<\/p>\n

With the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 expected soon, these are the upgrades I\u2019d most like to see Samsung bring to the table. Some, like the overall design, are fairly subjective. Others feel like dealbreakers if Samsung wants to get me to upgrade.<\/p>\n

What improvements do you need to see to upgrade to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2?<\/p>\n

10 votes<\/p>\n

Better battery life<\/p>\n

70%<\/p>\n

A redesigned case<\/p>\n

20%<\/p>\n

Improved heart rate accuracy<\/p>\n

0%<\/p>\n

Broader compatibility for advanced health features<\/p>\n

0%<\/p>\n

A more affordable price<\/p>\n

0%<\/p>\n

Other (let us know in the comments!)<\/p>\n

10%<\/p>\n

1. A major battery upgrade<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

If Samsung only fixes one thing on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, it needs to be battery life. Recent rumors point to both a larger battery and a more efficient chipset, and that combination should be Samsung\u2019s biggest priority this year.<\/p>\n

To be clear, the current Galaxy Watch Ultra doesn\u2019t have bad battery life; it regularly lasts just under three days. But Google\u2019s 45mm Pixel Watch 4<\/a> can also stretch to roughly three days in the right conditions, and that\u2019s not even marketed as an adventure-focused device. If Samsung wants the Ultra moniker to mean something, the next generation needs to comfortably clear the three-day mark without battery-saving tricks or constant settings management.<\/p>\n

Garmin is still a leading brand when it comes to adventure wearables, and the brand\u2019s watches can last a week or more between charges. I don\u2019t expect Samsung to close that gap overnight, but moving closer would help justify the Ultra\u2019s branding (and pricing). I genuinely don\u2019t see myself upgrading if the new generation doesn\u2019t make meaningful strides.<\/p>\n

2. A redesign<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

This is definitely more wishful thinking than realistic expectation, but I\u2019d love to see Samsung rethink the Galaxy Watch Ultra\u2019s design. I\u2019d probably still upgrade, but begrudgingly. The current squircle shape helps the watch stand out, but I\u2019ve never liked it. Personally, I\u2019d much rather see Samsung bring back the classic circular aesthetic that defined so many of its earlier smartwatches and simply make it more rugged, like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.<\/p>\n

Beyond my subjective dislike, the current design also doesn\u2019t seem to make the most of its size, and with my small wrists, I want bulk to be worthwhile. The squircle case leaves rounded corners of unused space around the display, constantly making me wonder whether Samsung could have fit a larger screen into the same footprint.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m pipe dreaming, I\u2019d also like to see Samsung\u2019s rotating bezel land on the Ultra lineup. The raised bezel on the current model already looks like it should rotate, making its absence feel even more noticeable. A ruggedized version could add both functionality and personality while helping the Ultra feel more distinctly Samsung.<\/p>\n

3. More reliable heart rate tracking<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

For casual workouts and everyday tracking, the current Galaxy Watch Ultra performs well enough, but the watch can still struggle during certain activities. During my original review, I found the most discrepancies when my heart rate <\/a>changed rapidly, like during interval workouts.<\/p>\n

Then Google\u2019s Pixel Watch 4 landed and showed just how much room Samsung had to improve. Meanwhile, Apple continues to deliver consistency on the Apple Watch Ultra lineup. For the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 to be attractive to me and for it to be taken seriously as a premium fitness tracker<\/a>, it needs to close that gap.<\/p>\n

More reliable heart rate data doesn\u2019t just improve workout summaries, it also feeds most of the wellness tools that make smartwatches so useful. Samsung already offers a robust suite of health features, but those tools are only as valuable to me as the data powering them.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n

\"google\"google<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Please, God, drop the Samsung exclusivity<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

This makes my wishlist every year, about every Galaxy Watch, and yet here we are. Samsung, please let this be the launch where key health features are available to everyone, not just Galaxy phone owners.<\/p>\n

Some of the brand\u2019s most compelling tools still require a Samsung phone, including blood pressure monitoring, ECG recordings, and sleep apnea detection in certain regions. More importantly, the restriction feels increasingly difficult to justify. Google\u2019s health features aren\u2019t locked to Pixel phones, so clearly advanced health tools don\u2019t have to be tied to a specific smartphone brand. Samsung touts the Galaxy Watch Ultra as a premium Android smartwatch while reserving some of its top tools for Galaxy users.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t expect Samsung to open every feature overnight, but unless the company offers broader compatibility, I can\u2019t see myself investing in another pricey wearable. If I\u2019m paying flagship prices, I don\u2019t want to find out half the headline features only work with a specific phone.<\/p>\n

5. A lower price tag, or at least a cheaper model<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n

Speaking of price, recent rumors suggest the upcoming launch may finally introduce a Bluetooth-only version of the watch, and I genuinely hope that\u2019s true, but it also needs to come with a price reduction. At $649, the current Galaxy Watch Ultra is competing with some of the most expensive smartwatches on the market. That puts a lot of pressure on the device to deliver premium features and also asks a lot of buyers who don\u2019t need LTE connectivity.<\/p>\n

A Bluetooth-only Galaxy Watch Ultra would give Samsung something Apple still doesn\u2019t offer and give shoppers access to the experience at a more approachable price. I\u2019d love for the company to slash the cost of its flagship, but that\u2019s fairly unlikely. A cheaper, secondary option would at least make the Ultra lineup easier to recommend to a wider audience, and a more compelling value proposition for my own watch box.<\/p>\n

Thank you for being part of our community. Read our\u00a0Comment Policy<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority Rumors are heating up around Samsung\u2019s next Galaxy Watch Ultra, with the rugged…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":480772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[203,61,60,573,95914,5065,80,3926],"class_list":["post-480771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-gadgets","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-samsung","tag-samsung-galaxy-watch-ultra-2","tag-smartwatches","tag-technology","tag-wearables"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=480771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/480772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=480771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=480771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=480771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}