The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) didn’t have an especially tempting deal price over the holidays, with the Galaxy Watch 8 easily found for hundreds less. But its price has slowly zig-zagged down from $599 in November to $530 for Cyber Monday, and now $499 on Amazon ($150 off) for the new year, an all-time low.

I reviewed and appreciated the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2024) for its three-day battery life, rugged titanium design, and fast performance. The 2025 model is unchanged in performance and specs, except for its doubled storage space (64GB vs. 32GB). And while the base Galaxy Watch 8 is a better purchase for most people, only the Ultra lets you avoid daily charging.

Watch 8 Classic‘s steel rotating bezel and more “traditional” style, or to the Watch 8’s lightweight squircle imitation. You prefer having battery leeway for intensive activities like streaming music over Wi-Fi or frequent dual-band GPS activities.

❌Skip this deal if: You’re concerned about your smartwatch being too heavy; you’re okay to wait until August for a fully new version; or you can accept daily charging for the Watch 8’s much-lower price.

Currently, the Galaxy Watch 8 is $279 ($70 off) on Amazon, meaning you can save another $220 by choosing it over the Ultra (2025). You’d lose out on the third button, titanium frame, doubled storage, and extra capacity, but you can still get a 1.5-inch, 3,000-nit display and the same performance and four years of software support.

Another alternative is the OnePlus Watch 3, which beats the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s battery life by several days, while offering similar premium perks like a large, bright display and titanium case — though you’ll get fewer, slower updates and no LTE connectivity. At $298 ($51 off) on Amazon, it’s much more affordable.