Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra ZDNET's key takeaways The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is on sale for $650 in four color options.
Its display is vibrant and large, the battery lasts through a couple of days, and LTE is provided at no extra cost.
It comes in a single 47mm size, gesture support is limited, and external sensor connections are not supported. $649.99 at Amazon
Last year's Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra was my favorite Google WearOS smartwatch, so when I saw the 2025 Watch Ultra with its new blue and orange color scheme that matches my USCG military service colors, I had to buy it.
It turns out that the new color scheme (and twice the internal storage amount) are the only hardware differences between the 2024 and 2025 Watch Ultra models, so if you don't have a burning desire for the color then look for the 2024 model that may be available at a discounted price.
Also: Why I recommend this Samsung Galaxy Watch over competing Androids
That being said, there are a handful of new software features with Samsung's new One UI 8 update, including Running Coach, Google Gemini (available with a press and hold of a button), antioxidant measurements from the heart rate sensor, and vascular load support.
Just note that none of these software features are limited to the 2025 Galaxy Watch Ultra, so there are not many compelling reasons to purchase the latest model.
Still, if you're looking for more storage, expanding from 32GB to the new model's 64GB may be important enough for some people to spring for the new watch.
One reason I like the Watch Ultra is the integrated LTE service so I can run safely without my phone and I also use the watch to store downloaded Spotify music to enjoy with bone conduction headsets. With the 2025 Watch Ultra I can now load it up with a massive collection of media content to motivate me to move.
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