ZDNET's key takeaways The 47mm Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra normally retails for $650 on Amazon, although it occasionally goes on sale.
It's a stylish-looking smartwatch with a slew of safety features and a long-lasting battery.
However, it's only available in a single size (47mm, to be exact), meaning it may not be a good fit for folks with smaller wrists. $419.99 at Amazon
Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra is the company's top-of-the-line wearable, sporting a tough exterior, an eye-catching design, and a metric ton of features.
A few years ago, I purchased the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro for its longer-than-average battery life and rugged design features. While I passed on the Watch 6 series due to the lack of similar capabilities, this year Samsung finally made a watch fit for my needs, active lifestyle, and next upgrade.
Also: 6 new Android ecosystem treats that have this gadget geek grinning
After testing the Galaxy Watch Ultra for the past few months, it has become my favorite Android smartwatch this year. Here's why.
To start, I paired my orange Galaxy Watch Ultra with my Galaxy S24 Ultra, a duo that Samsung probably wants everyone to be sporting. Since it had been a while since I used a Galaxy Watch, I didn't particularly miss having to install and sync several apps, such as Samsung Health, Health Monitor, and Galaxy Wearables, for things to function adequately.
Also: The best Android smartwatches in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed
To be clear, Apple requires a similar multi-app sync for its phone-watch combo to work best, so both ecosystems can be a bit burdensome compared to traditional sports watches that only require one dedicated app to function.
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