TL;DR
- Samsung is formally launching its latest smartwatches, the 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch 9, and 47mm Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
- This generation, Samsung moves to a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite chip for up to 32% better performance.
- The Watch Ultra 2 sets some new bests for Samsung’s wearables, including an 800mAh battery and 5,000 nits max screen brightness.
Samsung’s latest hardware is finally official, and alongside the new foldables led by the extra-wide Galaxy Z Fold 8, we’re also meeting the very latest entries in Samsung’s growing smartwatch lineup with the launch of the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2.
While last year brought us the Galaxy Watch 8 alongside the Watch 8 Classic and only a slightly refreshed Watch Ultra, this year Samsung’s skipping the Classic entirely and actually giving us a proper Ultra sequel. Let’s take a look at all this new hardware, and exactly what you should expect from it!
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
With the Galaxy Watch 8, Samsung embraced a new design, adopting the Watch Ultra’s “squircle” build across its lineup. This year with the Galaxy Watch 9, Samsung’s continuing in this same direction, while delivering a whole lot of refinement in the process. And while there’s absolutely a big software component to this generation’s upgrades, including the Wear OS 7-based One UI 9 Watch, as well as a whole bunch of new AI-powered health features, it all starts with the hardware.
Compared to last time around, the new Galaxy Watch 9 sticks with an aluminum body, but now one that’s 25% lighter than the Watch 8’s. That gives Samsung a little more breathing room for other hardware upgrades, like moving to larger batteries — for the 40mm model in particular, the gains are pronounced, growing 20% from 325mAh to 390mAh.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Samsung plans to put all that juice to good use, equipping its wearables with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite processor instead of one of its own Exynos chips. That’s a five-core component built on a 3nm process, and Samsung’s once again pairing it with 2GB of RAM.
We’re not seeing any major changes in the screen department, with Samsung sticking with the same 1.34-inch and 1.47-inch panels for the 40mm and 44mm models, respectively. Either way, you’ll enjoy 3,000 nits peak brightness for comfortable outdoor visibility.
Samsung’s offering a whole lot of strap options for shoppers interested in customizing their new wearable, including the premium Misty Band and breathable Fabric Band. Out of the box, the Watch 9 comes with the soft new silicone Sports Band.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
While the Galaxy Watch 9 may be a relatively constrained upgrade, at least from its outward-facing hardware, the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has no such reservations, and is boldly pushing Samsung’s smartwatch efforts to new limits. That starts right up front, and not only is Samsung giving us a slightly larger 1.52-inch display, but it’s cranking visibility into the stratosphere, offering 5,000 nits peak brightness.
That beefy titanium frame is back, but Samsung managed to slim things down to 10.7mm this time around — quite a bit thinner than last year’s 12.1mm. And despite that, Samsung is equipping the Watch Ultra 2 with an utterly giant battery, somehow finding room for a massive 800mAh component offering 35% additional capacity. Samsung says that could result in operational times as high as 60 hours even when using the always-on display, or 20 hours with the GPS constantly active.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Of course, the Watch Ultra 2 also gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite, readying it to handle the most demanding apps you can load on your wrist. According to Samsung, that affords this model 32% faster CPU performance compared to last generation. Samsung’s sticking with 2GB of RAM, but the Ultra 2 does get 64GB storage, compared to the Watch 9’s 32GB.
While the Watch 9 is IP68 rated, the Ultra 2 pushes that up to IP69K, which is good enough for professional diving — there’s even an exclusive Diving app arriving in a few months, thanks to a partnership with Mares. The Watch Ultra 2 should handle up to 10 atmospheres of pressure — that’s over 300 feet down.
Once again, Samsung’s hyping up its first-party band options. There’s the PeakForm Band, offering a hybrid leather-like material, or the fabric Trail Band for a little more breathability. The Watch Ultra 2 ships with Samsung’s silicone Marine Band.
Software and features
Paul Jones / Android Authority
As you probably know, Samsung’s new wearables are its first to ship with One UI 9 Watch, itself built on the just-released Wear OS 7. And while that’s reason enough to be excited, there’s a whole lot more going on with software and features here that’s worth pointing out.
We have just got to start with what was maybe one of our favorite Pixel Watch 4 tricks, as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 become the company’s first smartwatches to support raise-to-talk. When you’re out on the go and quickly want to ping Gemini with a question or request, that’s going to be as easy as raising your wrist and starting to speak. Just make sure you’ve got your phone with you if you’re wearing the non-LTE Watch 9, as data connectivity is a must.
Of course, we’ve also got all those health features Samsung’s been teasing. Those include FDA-approved sleep apnea detection, now with AI insights into your patterns. There’s a daily report on cardio load, designed to help you understand how hard you’re pushing yourself through exercise. But even couch potatoes can benefit from the easy-to-understand heart health score, tapping into metrics like blood pressure and sleep quality.
Paul Jones / Android Authority
An overall fitness index can help summarize where your body’s at and offer recommendations on new personal goals. All this taps into the myriad sensors on Samsung’s wearable hardware, which also let you view vital stats whenever you want.
For the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, beyond that Diving app we just told you about, there’s also dedicated tracking modes for your favorite outdoor activities. In specific, Samsung highlights Trail Run’s ability to keep track of elevation as you hike a route, letting you keep an eye on your exertion level. And because we all know how critical hydration is, Nutrition Alert is making some improvements on estimating your water loss through sweat, so it can better let you know when to reach for your water bottle.
Samsung says that it would like to bring many of these software features to older Galaxy Watch models, but there are no guarantees yet on which may trickle down, nor when.
Specs
We’ve already touched on a number of the major specs for both of these modes, but if you’ve got additional questions about either, or just want to drill down into more detail, check out the table below.
| | Galaxy Watch 9 | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dimensions and weight | Galaxy Watch 9 40mm: 42.7 x 40.4x 8.6mm 31.5 g 44mm: 46.0 x 43.7x 8.6mm 34 g | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 47mm: 47.4 x 47.1 x 10.7mm 61.5g |
| Materials | Galaxy Watch 9 Case: Aluminum | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Case: Titanium |
| Display | Galaxy Watch 9 40mm: 1.34-inch Super AMOLED, Full color, Always On Display 438 x 438 resolution 44mm: 1.47-inch Super AMOLED, Full color, Always On Display 480×480 resolution 3,000 nits peak | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 1.52-inch Super AMOLED, Full color, Always On Display 498×498 resolution 5,000 nits peak |
| Processor | Galaxy Watch 9 Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite 5 cores 3nm process | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite 5 cores 3nm process |
| RAM | Galaxy Watch 9 2GB | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 2GB |
| Storage | Galaxy Watch 9 32GB | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 64GB |
| Battery | Galaxy Watch 9 40mm: 390mAh 44mm: 445mAh WPC-based wireless charging | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 800mAh WPC-based wireless charging |
| Connectivity | Galaxy Watch 9 Bluetooth LTE Wi-Fi (2.4 \& 5GHz) NFC GPS dual frequency (L1+L5) | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Bluetooth LTE Wi-Fi NFC GPS dual frequency (L1+L5) |
| OS | Galaxy Watch 9 Wear OS 7 One UI 9 Watch | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Wear OS 7 One UI 9 Watch |
| Sensors | Galaxy Watch 9 Samsung BioActive sensor (Optical Bio-signal sensor, Electrical Heart Signal, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) Temperature sensor Accelerometer Barometer Gyro sensor Geomagnetic sensor Light sensor | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Samsung BioActive sensor (Optical Bio-signal sensor, Electrical Heart Signal, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) Temperature sensor Accelerometer Barometer Gyro sensor Geomagnetic sensor Light sensor |
| Durability | Galaxy Watch 9 5ATM IP68 MID-STD-810H | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 10ATM IP69K MID-STD-810H |
| Compatibility | Galaxy Watch 9 Compatible with Android 13.0 or later with more than 1.5GB of memory No iOS support | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Compatible with Android 13.0 or later with more than 1.5GB of memory No iOS support |
| Colors | Galaxy Watch 9 40mm: Graphite, Cream 44mm: Graphite, Silver | Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Titanium Silver, Titanium Gray |
Pricing and availability
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
- Galaxy Watch 9 40mm (Bluetooth): $379.99
- Galaxy Watch 9 44mm (Bluetooth): $409.99
- Galaxy Watch 9 40mm (LTE): $429.99
- Galaxy Watch 9 44mm (LTE): $459.99
- Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: $699.99
Compared to last year, Samsung’s prices are higher across the board — this is 2026, after all. And while that’s just a lame fact of life we’re all still getting used to, Samsung has a few bonus to at least lessen that blow a little bit.
New Galaxy Watch owners can score themselves a free 60-day Strava trial membership, letting them put these wearables’ fitness features to full use. And if you’re looking to connect with a trainer for a little personal guidance, there’s also a free two-month trial of iFIT available in Samsung Health.
Pre-orders open today, with normal retail sales set to commence next month, on August 7. Depending on which model you’ve got your eye on, Samsung is offering a different set of color options. For the 40mm Watch 9, you can choose between Cream and Graphite, while the 44mm model arrives in Graphite and Silver. And then with the Watch Ultra 2, there’s either Titanium Silver or Titanium Gray.
No matter which Galaxy Watch you go with, you’ve got the option to protect your purchase with Samsung Care Plus.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9Samsung Galaxy Watch 9
Lightweight • Gemini • Bigger battery • Snapdragon Wear Elite
Samsung's lightest smartwatch gets even smarter
The Galaxy Watch 9 makes Samsung's smartwatch more comfortable than ever with a lighter aluminum design, a bigger battery, and the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. New AI-powered health insights and Gemini's Raise to Talk feature make it a smarter everyday companion.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Rugged design • Big battery • Bright display • WearOS • Snapdragon Wear Elite
Built for adventure with a bigger battery and brighter display
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is built for demanding adventures with a larger 5,000-nit display, an 800mAh battery, titanium construction, and the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. From diving to trail running, it's Samsung's most capable smartwatch yet.
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