The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is looking increasingly likely to arrive on the scene this month as a would-be Apple Watch Ultra rival. But before you can make any comparisons to Apple's rugged smartwatch, a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Galaxy Watch 7 face-off seems more apt. After all, we need to find out what sets apart the two possible additions to Samsung's watch lineup.
Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 7 should appear at the Galaxy Unpacked event slated for July 10. And based on rumors that have emerged up until now, the watches sound impressive and could wind up among the best smartwatches for Android users after we have a chance to put them to the test.
We've gathered the latest Galaxy Watch rumors and leaks for both upcoming models. We're here to take a deep dive into what improvements are rumored for the Watch 7 and how the Watch Ultra may or may not be a step up.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Price and availability
If this was any other year, both watches would probably get announced in August, which is when Samsung typically releases new products ahead of the holiday shopping season.
However, we fully expect to see the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Watch 7 during the Samsung Unpacked event happening July 10 in Paris. The location and timing isn't coincidental — that's also the site of the Summer Olympics later this month, and Samsung is a sponsor of that event. We should see both watches debut at that event alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Ring.
As for prices, the Galaxy Watch Ultra should be a premium wearable and we expect Samsung to price it accordingly. The Ultra has been tipped to cost around $700, $100 less than the Apple Watch Ultra's starting price, but far more than what you'd pay for a standard Galaxy Watch.
The original Galaxy Watch cost $329 but last year's Galaxy Watch 6 dropped the starting price to $229 for the smaller, Bluetooth-only version. 91mobiles predicts that price will remain for the Galaxy Watch 7 lineup.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Design
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra looks like it will feature a square case (with rounded corners) around a circular display protected by sapphire glass. The Ultra case is supposed to have a titanium front. It's been close to a decade since Samsung last produced a square-cased smartwatch in the Galaxy Gear 2 in 2014.
There were rumors that the Galaxy Watch 7 also would feature a square case, but that appears to be only slated for the Ultra. Instead, the standard Galaxy Watch should stick close to the design ethos of previous versions. Leaked images have shown a familiar circular aesthetic. Unlike the Ultra, the Watch 7 will have an aluminum armor front.
The other difference between the two watches is sizes. The Watch 7 should come in the traditional 40mm and 44mm diameter sizes. Rumors claim the Watch Ultra will only have one 47mm version with some colorway variants. Those colors appear to be titanium gray, titanium silver or titanium white. We've also seen an orange banded version that may be released on a limited basis.
As for Watch 7 colors, rumors claim that device will come in green in both the 40 and 44mm sizes. The 40mm could have a Cream version while the 44mm model would have a silver variant.
Both watches appear to sport right side controls with two buttons sandwiching a crown.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Display and battery life
Both watches are expected to feature Super AMOLED screens, despite rumors that Samsung is switching to microLED screens.
In terms of screen size, the Ultra Watch's rumored 1.5-inch display would match the 44mm Watch 7's, while the 40mm version is said to have a 1.3-inch screen. Interestingly, the 40mm variant is tipped to have a slightly higher ppi of 330 compared to 327 ppi for the Watch 7 and the Watch Ultra.
Powering those displays should be the recently announced Exynos W1000 chipset, which will hopefully lead to faster processing and longer battery life. Initial reports claimed the watches would get a new Exynos W940 chipset, but Samsung appears to have skipped that iterative chip entirely for the W1000.
Leaked specs show the 40mm Watch 7 with a 300 mAh battery compared to a 425 mAh cell for the 44mm version. The Watch Ultra should get an even larger 590 mAh battery. Details on how many hours of life the new processor and batteries will give the Watch 7 models has not yet been revealed, though we have seen claims that the Ultra will offer up to 100 hours of battery life on a charge.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Features
Every Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch 7 should ship out of the box with Wear OS 5 and featuring Samsung's new One UI Watch 6, which recently went into beta on the Galaxy Watch 6, 5 and 4. Based on Android 14, both watches would be the first wearables to sport the new operating system.
There has been no news on new sensors. However, we do know that sleep apnea detection will be available on all next-gen Galaxy Watches. They might tote a blood sugar monitoring feature, though that rumor's not nearly as solid.
That said, with new OS and the OneUI beta, these watches should get a new pinch gesture, faster horizontal scrolling, and improved health tracking across the board. You should also see custom workout routines and a new mode control for ways to wake up the screen.
Reportedly, these OS features are for all of the next-gen watches. We haven't heard anything specifically about features for the Watch Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Samsung Galaxy Ring compatibility
With the Galaxy Ring expected to appear at the same time as the Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Watch 7 watches, we fully expect the devices to play well together — especially when it comes to supplementing health and fitness tracking.
Alongside heart rate and sleep quality tracking, the Galaxy Ring allegedly can monitor blood flow and blood oxygen saturation while performing ECGs. Combined with the wellness features on the smartwatches, the Galaxy Ring could give users a bevy of insights into their well-being and more precise alerts for health issues.
Supposedly, the Ring will also be able to control other Samsung devices, including smartwatches. How this works has not yet been revealed.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Outlook
A premium Samsung smartwatch has the potential to shake up the smartwatch market, particularly if it can give the current Apple Watch Ultra a run for its money — not to mention the Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumored to be arriving this fall.
With rumored features like a bigger and brighter screen, improved battery life, new health tech and a classy finish, the Samsung Watch Ultra sounds like an intriguing entry into Samsung's watch lineup. But with a much lower price and an existing familiarity to fall back on, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 should hold its own, too.
We'll have to wait another week to see if any of the claimed updates are happening. But the Galaxy Watch news figures to be some of the most exciting announcements coming out of Unpacked on July 10.
