Compared to its predecessors, Samsung’s new wearables have improvements and higher prices.
At this week’s Galaxy Unpacked presentation, Samsung unveiled two new smart watches in addition to new foldables: the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Though in distinct ways, both watches enhance the company’s wearables portfolio.
The Watch 9 is intended to be a daily health companion, much like its predecessors. It has a circular aluminium body and is available in 40mm ($380) and 44mm ($410) sizes. Activity and sleep monitoring are just two of the many fitness and health functions available on the Watch 9.
On the other hand, the $700 Watch Ultra 2 is designed to be more of a sports performance watch. It is designed for outdoor use and contains additional features like real-time hydration guidance and trail-running support to help the ambitious athlete.
The two new Galaxy Watches are contrasted below.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 pricing
The smaller 40mm and bigger 44mm versions of the Galaxy Watch 9 are available for $380 and $410, respectively. You will have to pay an additional $50 for cellular service. The 44mm LTE variant costs $460, while the 40mm LTE version costs $430.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 costs $699 and is available in a single 47mm size.
Similar to other gadgets released this year, Samsung’s smartwatches were more expensive than their predecessors. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 costs $50 more than the Galaxy Watch 9, which costs $30 more.
The 44mm Watch 9 comes in silver and graphite, while the 40mm Watch 9 ships in cream and graphite. The Watch Ultra 2 is available in appropriately functional hues including titanium silver and titanium grey.
Design and presentation
The appearance and feel of the Galaxy Watch 9 are very identical to those of the Galaxy Watch 8. Its aluminium construction is the same as that of the 40mm and 44mm models, and its round display is set on a somewhat square base. Conversely, the Ultra 2 is made of a far more robust titanium grade 4 and is only available in 47mm. It also features a squircle-like shape, with a rounded square base enclosing a round display.
The Watch Ultra 2 can withstand water up to 100 meters, while the Galaxy Watch 9 can withstand water up to 50 meters.
The 40mm version of the Watch 9 features a 1.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 438 x 438 pixels, while the 44mm model has a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 480 x 480 pixels. The slightly bigger 1.52-inch Super AMOLED display of the Watch Ultra 2 features a resolution of 498 x 498 pixels. The Watch Ultra 2 boasts a peak brightness of 5,000 nits, 2,000 more than the Watch 9, which has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
The Watch Ultra 2 is heavier and thicker than the Watch 9 because it is made of titanium grade 4 rather than aluminium. The Watch Ultra 2 is 10.7mm thick, but the Watch 9 is only 8.6mm thick. The 40mm Watch 9 weighs 31.5 grams, the 44mm Watch 9 weighs 34 grams, and the Watch Ultra 2 is significantly heavier at 61.5 grams.
However, if you’re wanting to upgrade from the original Watch Ultra, the Watch Ultra 2 is a better option because it is 12% thinner and 25% lighter than the Watch 8.
Features related to health and safety
The features of the Watch 9 are the same as those of the Watch 8, although this isn’t always a negative thing. A bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor, an electrical heart sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an infrared temperature sensor, an optical heart rate sensor, and a light sensor are just a few of its many sensors. Additionally, it contains a skin analysis capability that uses various coloured LEDs to track carotenoids, or antioxidants, in the skin.
The Watch Ultra 2 has a few extra adventure-specific modes in addition to the same functions. It offers hydration recommendations that can forecast perspiration loss and recommend water consumption to avoid dehydration. You may download maps and track topography and elevation using its trail-running function. The Watch Ultra 2 contains a diving app that allows you to monitor temperature and depth if you enjoy diving. We’re not sure how useful the diving software is just yet, though, because it wasn’t preinstalled at launch.
Fall detection and emergency SOS are capabilities shared by the Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2. Additionally, the Watch Ultra 2 has a siren.
Specifications and battery
The battery of the Galaxy Watch 9 is 20% bigger than that of its predecessor. The 44mm model now has a 445-mAh battery, while the 40mm model now has a 390-mAh battery. Samsung claims that when its always-on display option is used, they should last up to 30 hours on a single charge.
However, the Watch Ultra 2 is superior if all you need is a bigger battery. Its 800-mAh battery is a significant 35% increase over its predecessor’s 590-mAh battery. Samsung claims that it should last up to 100 hours in a power-saving mode, up to 48 hours in a low-power workout mode, and up to 60 hours with normal use.
The Exynos W1000 CPU seen in the Watch 8 has been replaced by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite processor in both watches. Whereas the Watch Ultra 2 has 2GB of memory and 64GB of storage, the Watch 9 has 2GB of memory and 32GB of storage.
