{"id":550041,"date":"2026-04-25T13:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/550041\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T13:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:36:10","slug":"galaxy-watch-9-and-galaxy-watch-ultra-2-what-we-know-about-samsungs-next-smartwatches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/550041\/","title":{"rendered":"Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: What We Know About Samsung’s Next Smartwatches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summer is approaching, and so is a new batch of Samsung Galaxy products. Leaks point to a double smartwatch<\/a> debut: the Galaxy Watch 9 and what looks like a true successor to the Ultra. But if you were hoping for a Galaxy Ring 2, don’t hold your breath.<\/p>\n

Last year, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8<\/a> debuted a slightly controversial redesign, making the return of the Galaxy Watch Classic and its physical rotating bezel all the more satisfying. This year, a new\u00a0Classic model<\/a>\u00a0doesn’t seem likely (though another redesign isn’t completely off the table). But there may be another headliner ready to steal attention from the flagship once again.<\/p>\n

A report from GalaxyClub<\/a> cited by Android Authority<\/a> suggests Samsung may launch a new Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a> alongside the Galaxy Watch 9, likely in the summer of 2026. And based on recent leaks, that timeline is looking increasingly credible. Firmware for the Galaxy Watch 9 has reportedly been spotted<\/a>\u00a0on a US test server by Mohammed Khatri (as mentioned in Phone Arena<\/a>), suggesting Samsung has moved from development into active testing and signaling that the rumored July launch window is on track.<\/p>\n

The rugged smartwatch, which debuted in summer 2024, received a few updates in the last cycle, such as larger storage (up to 64GB) and a new color, but otherwise remained the same.<\/p>\n

This year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is expected to stick with a similar design and focus on performance upgrades. At 47mm, it already pushes the limits of wrist real estate, though a rotating bezel (like the one on the Galaxy Watch Classic) could be in play for the rugged smartwatch.<\/p>\n

\"Samsung <\/p>\n

The next Galaxy Watch Ultra could adopt the rotating bezel from the Classic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vanessa Hand Orellana\/CNETUnlocking new health metrics\u00a0<\/p>\n

More realistically, the Ultra 2 could bring a new processor and upgraded sensors focused on deeper health tracking. Last year’s most notable addition was Samsung’s antioxidant index, which can detect nutrition-related signals through the skin’s surface. This year, Samsung could go deeper into skin-based detection, with broader nutrition insights and potentially even noninvasive glucose monitoring — one of the long-standing “holy grails” of wearable health tech that may finally be showing progress.<\/p>\n

Improved connectivity<\/p>\n

Samsung could also take a page from the Apple Watch Ultra playbook by adding 5G connectivity to its Ultra lineup this year. A new report from\u00a0Dutch site Galaxy Club<\/a>\u00a0(via\u00a0SamMobile<\/a>) suggests Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers pointing to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi versions of the next\u00a0Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a>. In this scenario, the 5G models would launch in the US and Korea, while other markets would get 4G and Wi-Fi options only.<\/p>\n

\"Samsung <\/p>\n

The original Galaxy Watch Ultra is due for an upgrade in 2026. \u00a0<\/p>\n

James Martin\/CNETBattery and processor<\/p>\n

One of the original Ultra’s biggest advantages was battery life, which lasted roughly 2.5 days on a charge, compared to the 30 to 40 hours of the flagship Galaxy Watch 8.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year, the Ultra 2 is expected to get a significant processor upgrade in the form of the Snapdragon Wear Elite<\/a>, a new wearables-focused chip Qualcomm officially announced at MWC 2026 in Barcelona. An insider report cited in SamMobile<\/a> suggests at least one of Samsung’s new smartwatches could include the new processor. Built specifically to handle AI tasks on-device, it could mean faster, smarter health coaching that doesn’t need to ping a server to think. Though the standard Galaxy Watch 9 may still use an Exynos chipset like its predecessor, which could mean significant performance and efficiency differences between the two models.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Ultra 2 is also rumored to be adding 5G<\/a> connectivity, which would make it the first of Samsung’s smartwatches with this capability. If it follows industry norms, a 5G model would likely come at a higher price than the standard LTE and Wi-Fi versions. According to the\u00a0Dutch website Galaxy Club<\/a>\u00a0(and spotted by\u00a0SamMobile<\/a>), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next\u00a0Galaxy Watch Ultra<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rumors also point to a possible dual-chip architecture on the Ultra 2, separating high-performance tasks from low-power background processes, similar to what we’ve seen on the OnePlus Watch 3. If Samsung pulls that off, it could bring the Ultra 2 closer to the multi-day endurance of competitors such as the\u00a0Huawei Watch 5<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0OnePlus Watch 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

AI health coaches are popping up in wearables and could become more prominent on the next Galaxy Watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Celso Bulgatti\/Cole Kan\/Fitbit\/CNETMore AI and less reliance on the phone<\/p>\n

Improved processing power could also unlock more on-device AI features, especially as health coaching and AI-powered insights continue to evolve in wearables. Satellite connectivity is another possibility, following similar additions on the Apple Watch Ultra and Pixel Watch.<\/p>\n

Where’s the Galaxy Ring 2?<\/p>\n

One notable absence from the 2026 Samsung wearable conversation: the Galaxy Ring. The original launched in summer 2024 at the height of smart ring hype, but Samsung has yet to hint at a successor. At this stage in the game, nothing has surfaced (in terms of leaks or rumors) pointing to a Galaxy Ring 2 this cycle. Whether this signals a broader smart ring hesitation or just a temporary prioritization of smartwatches remains to be seen. For now, Samsung appears to have just the two-tier watch launch for its 2026 wearable line-up: the Watch 9 and Ultra 2.<\/p>\n

All of this is still based on leaks and early industry signals and none of it has been confirmed by Samsung. But the pieces are starting to fall into place.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Watch this: Galaxy Watch 8 vs. Classic vs. Ultra: Which Should You Buy?\n <\/p>\n

05:24 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Summer is approaching, and so is a new batch of Samsung Galaxy products. Leaks point to a double…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":550042,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[786,86,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-550041","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-gadgets","9":"tag-technology","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}