Samsung is renewing its range of smartwatches with a new model that looks like an adventurer and replaces the Galaxy Watch Pro but is reminiscent of Apple’s most robust watches.
In addition to the Galaxy Ring smart rings, the first product of this type from Samsung, the Unpacked event on July 10, 2024 was also the occasion to officially announce the new smart watches from the Korean manufacturer. The mystery surrounding the Galaxy Watch 7 and the newcomer to the family, the Galaxy Watch Ultra, was however revealed a week earlier on X during a leak that was quite accurate from the specialist in the genre Evan Blast. Design, specifications, price, everything was already known or almost. All that was left was to slip them on the wrist to appreciate the details. Which we were able to do during a hands-on organized by Samsung.
Galaxy Watch Ultra: the new opponent of the Apple Watch Ultra
Last fall, Apple celebrated the release of the second edition of its Apple Watch Ultra. Not much new under the sun compared to the previous version except an even brighter screen and a lower price. The most adventurous of Apple watches is now trading at 899 euros. Meanwhile, Samsung still had nothing to offer to come and tread on Apple’s toes. The wait has just ended with the Unpacked event on July 10 and the answer is called Galaxy Watch… Ultra, a name that has definitely been very trendy for two years in the world of tech. On the program, a watch also made for adventure and some aspects of which, both visual and technical, are reminiscent of Apple’s approach. Starting with the bracelets. The colors, styles and choice of materials leave no doubt as to the source of inspiration.
Then, the size of the watch augurs its ambitions. It has an imposing 47 mm square titanium case in which a 1.5 inch round screen is arranged. On the side, three buttons are aligned including, in the center, a large Action button (hey, that reminds you of something) allowing you to easily launch a function or an activity even when wearing gloves. It is of course water resistant (up to 10 AM or 100 m deep) and supports a rather wide temperature range from -20 to + 55 ° C.
According to Samsung, its screen is brighter than that of a smartphone, without however indicating the level. To carry out its various measurements, the watch has a new Bioactive sensor equipped not with 5 but with 13 LEDs for greater precision. The GPS also benefits from a small improvement by adopting a dual frequency (L1 + L5) to be more precise, particularly in urban areas. Finally, the autonomy seems to beat Apple. Samsung announces up to 100 hours of battery life thanks to a generous 590 mAh battery and the presence of a new in-house Exynos W1000 processor engraved in 3 nm.
The good surprise comes from the price. Samsung is not aligning itself with its rival for this Ultra model. This unique configuration will be available from July 26 at a price of 699 euros, which is 200 euros less than the Apple Watch Ultra.
Galaxy Watch 7: a technical update without revolution
Samsung’s other smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch, continues the manufacturer’s tradition. Those who dreamed of the return of the rotating bezel will be disappointed, but it won’t be this time. The Watch Ultra 7 includes many of the innovations introduced in the Watch Ultra adventurer (new BioActive sensor, GPS, Exynos W1000 processor, etc.). However, its format is intended to be less imposing.
It comes in two sizes (40 and 44 mm) and benefits from an aluminum case with a choice of Bluetooth connection only or Bluetooth + 4G for those who want to use it while being away from their smartphone. It is also waterproof but only up to 5 ATM. In terms of price, Samsung remains under the 400 euro mark with a starting price of 319 euros for the Bluetooth model in a 40 mm case and 399 euros for the Bluetooth + 4G model in a 44 mm case.
Note that the two new Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra are technically able to analyze sleep apnea as was mentioned during the first previews last year. However, if the function is active in the United States and Korea, this is not yet the case for Europe. Samsung is still waiting for validation by the health authorities. In addition, these devices run on WearOS, Google’s mobile OS, they are only compatible with Android smartphones. iPhones are excluded from the game.