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I’ve been an Android user since 2009 when I purchased the Motorola Droid from Verizon. I started working here at AndroidHeadlines in 2012, and since then, I’ve reviewed almost every smartphone and most smartwatches ever since. In 2020, I got bored of the same old and bought an iPhone 12 Pro. Shortly after that, I traded in my Fitbit for an Apple Watch Series 5. I quickly fell in love. The main reason why I ditched my Fitbit was because it decided it was “too far” away from my phone to sync, even though it was literally touching it.
After a couple of years, I upgraded to the Apple Watch Ultra and never looked back. Since switching to the iPhone and Apple Watch, I’ve reviewed a fair number of Wear OS watches, including the first Google Pixel Watch, the OnePlus Watch 2, and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, and I even bought the Galaxy Watch 5 only to return it. But the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the watch that is making me ditch the Apple Watch for good.
When the leaks of the Galaxy Watch Ultra started to come out, I was intrigued. Not so much because it would look a lot like Apple’s option, but because it’s a big watch. I never used to like big watches, but the Apple Watch Ultra changed that for me. When I saw the Galaxy Watch Ultra in person last week ahead of Unpacked, I was sold.
After Unpacked, I picked up my review devices, and if it weren’t for the fact I needed a phone to connect my Galaxy Watch Ultra too, it would have been the first thing I unboxed. And so far, I’m loving this watch.
What Samsung did right
With the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Samsung did a lot right, but there are still some complaints here. It’s a big watch, with “cushions” on the corners to help keep it from getting destroyed. That’s because this watch is made for hikers, bikers, and more. However, I wish that Samsung had added more battery inside this watch since it is larger. Instead, it has the same battery size as the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic 47mm. It’s okay since the watch lasts multiple days on a charge, but a bigger battery would definitely be welcome.
Speaking of battery life, it’s pretty decent. So far, I’ve found that with AOD on, I’d get right around 48 hours or two full days. With it off, it’s a little over three days. That’s still more than the Apple Watch Ultra.
The new processor inside the Galaxy Watch Ultra is also very snappy, the Exynos W1000. While some thought it was laggy from the hands-on demos, that’s not entirely true. It was laggy due to the demo software being loaded onto the device. Without that software, it’s as smooth as butter.
What Samsung’s missing
The biggest thing missing from the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the rotating bezel. It’s a feature that Samsung introduced quite some time ago with the Samsung Gear S2 back in 2015. It’s a fan favorite and an incredible way to navigate through Wear OS on your wrist. It’s a bit strange that it was not included on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, even on the Quick Button, which actually rotates but does nothing.
There are some things that Apple has in its watchOS that are still missing from Wear OS. Like a super easy way to open up Google Wallet. You can open Apple Pay by double-tapping the second button on the watch; that doesn’t work on the Galaxy Watch Ultra. And besides tracking my activity, that’s the second thing I do with my watch most often. I will say that the Tiles are better than Apple’s widgets on the watch, but things like the Google Home Tile are still a bit cumbersome compared to using Apple’s Homekit on its watches.
The last thing that Samsung is missing is a more robust health app. Samsung Health is pretty good, and does have better challenges than Apple has. But Apple’s Health app has so many different things that it can track for you, it really leaves Samsung in the dust. I’m someone who has a Vitamin D deficiency, so I try to spend more time outside in the sun. The Apple Watch can track that for me, I found that at Google I/O I spent about 10 hours outside which was crazy. But the Galaxy Watch Ultra does not do that. That’s just one example of what the Apple Health app can record, but I really hope Samsung does add more of those features to its health app.
Why Samsung got me to ditch the Apple Watch?
Most of this year, I’ve been wanting to ditch my Apple Watch. But there are a few things that really kept me on the Apple Watch. One, was how easy Apple Pay is to use on it. Another specific app that is not available on Android is Flighty. It’s a really good app to use for someone that travels a lot like me. It gives me updates on my flight, oftentimes before the Airline does. And having that on my wrist is really useful.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra has gotten me to stick around, even though I have not written the review yet, I do plan to stick with it until at least the Pixel Watch 3 launches next month. The more and more I look at the Galaxy Watch Ultra, the more I like this polarizing design.