Samsung has expanded its wearable lineup with the launch of the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 at its Galaxy Unpacked event in London. The new smartwatches are built on Samsung’s growing focus on AI-powered health tracking, while also bringing improvements to performance, battery life and display brightness.
Both models are powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and introduce a suite of health features designed to offer deeper wellness insights.
Galaxy Watch Ultra2
Leading the lineup is the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Samsung’s most advanced smartwatch to date. Built for outdoor enthusiasts and endurance athletes, the wearable comes with a rugged titanium design, an 800mAh battery, and what Samsung claims is the brightest display on any smartwatch at 5,000 nits, making it easier to view workout data even under harsh sunlight.
The smartwatch is powered by the Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform, which promises improved performance, power efficiency and more accurate GPS tracking.
The smartwatch adds new tools for runners, including Trail Run, which measures elevation, climbing progress and terrain impact to provide more detailed workout data. It also introduces Nutrition Alert, a feature that estimates sweat loss and reminds users when it is time to hydrate during longer workouts.
Users who dive can take advantage of automatic tracking for metrics such as depth, dive duration and water temperature. The watch is also rated IP69K, 10ATM and EN13319 for durability and water resistance. Samsung says additional diving features, including ascent and descent monitoring and safe dive limits, will become available later this year through an app developed with diving equipment maker Mares.
Samsung has also redesigned the watch to improve comfort. Despite carrying a larger battery, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is 12% thinner than its predecessor and comes with lighter, softer straps designed to make extended wear more comfortable during both workouts and everyday use.
Health remains a key focus of the new smartwatch. It includes AI-backed features such as Vitals, Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load, Fitness Index, Sleep Apnea detection and hearing protection alerts. Together, these features analyse biometric information collected by the watch and provide personalised insights to help users better understand their overall health.
Galaxy Watch9
The Galaxy Watch9, meanwhile, is positioned as Samsung’s everyday wellness smartwatch, designed for users who want continuous fitness and sleep tracking in a lightweight form factor. Available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, it features a lightweight aluminium case, redesigned bands and a slimmer profile for improved comfort during continuous wear.
The smartwatch is powered by the same Snapdragon Wear Elite Platform and features a 3,000-nit Super AMOLED display, along with a 390mAh battery on the 40mm model and 445mAh battery on the 44mm version. Samsung says the hardware improvements enable seamless all-day health and sleep tracking.
Both smartwatches introduce Samsung’s latest AI-powered health features, powered by the company’s BioActive Sensor. New additions include Vitals, which monitors changes in a user’s health baseline during sleep, Heart Health Score for assessing cardiovascular wellness, Daily Cardio Load for workout recovery guidance, Fitness Index for personalised fitness goals, and an upgraded Sleep Apnea feature that uses AI algorithms to provide deeper breathing insights. Samsung has also added hearing protection features that alert users when they are exposed to unsafe noise levels.
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