Faster, heavier, pricier
The Galaxy Watch Ultra has two generations of upgrades that make it an objectively better smartwatch than the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, but boosts to the CPU, display, health sensors, GPS, and other areas burn through the same 590mAh capacity faster, as well as make it thicker and weightier on your wrist. If you can accept these tradeoffs and the higher price, it's one of the best watches of the year.
For
- Larger, ultra-bright display
- Faster performance and doubled storage
- Useful third button
- More accurate GPS and HR data
- Better battery life than Watch 7
- Three strap options, all better than Pro's D-Buckle Sport
Against
- Painfully pricey (without a trade-in deal)
- Heavy and thick
- Extra perks burn more battery
Still chugging along
The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro was one of the rare smartwatches to last for days between charges. Since 2022, more smartwatches hit this benchmark and have added perks like dual-band GPS and brighter displays that make the Pro a bit outdated. Still, this is a reliable device with years of software support left, and is more comfortable than the Ultra (aside from the wonky band).
For
- Comparable (if not better) battery life
- Lighter and thinner
- Same health data, software, digital bezel
- Significantly cheaper, frequently discounted
- Still due for several Wear OS updates
Against
- Smaller, dimmer display
- Slower performance
- Polarizing default band
- Missing dual-band GPS / extra HR LEDs
Why weigh the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Watch 5 Pro, watches released two years apart? Because the Ultra and Pro are Samsung's only two watches built with extra battery life, many Watch 5 Pro owners are weighing whether or not to upgrade to the expensive Ultra.
As the person who reviewed both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, I'm ready to compare every perk the Ultra offers, but also the drawbacks that might make Pro owners decide to stick with their current watch for now. Samsung has told us that it has no current plans for new "Pro" watches, but that might change in the future, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra is an expensive option.
Below, I break down every key similarity and difference between the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, to help make your decision easier!
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Watch 5 Pro: Design and display
Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Watch 5 Pro come in one size, instead of the dual options you get with mainline Galaxy Watches. Of the two, the Pro has a more comfortable design, though not without its drawbacks.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra weighs 14g more and measures about 1.5mm thicker than the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which is already a fairly large and heavy watch. Both use lightweight and durable titanium, but the Pro has a rounded case that matches its display bezel, while the Ultra has a square-shaped case jutting outside of the circular display at each corner — giving it a squircle look.
All recent Galaxy Watches have an IP68 rating against dust and water damage and an MIL-STD-810H rating against shock damage. The Galaxy Watch Ultra's protections go further: Samsung promises it can withstand altitudes as high as Mount Everest, temperatures from -4°F to 131°F (-20ºC to 55ºC), and deeper depths (10ATM) than the Watch 5 Pro (5ATM).
Both watches have an elevated bezel that helps prevent scratches if you bonk your watch against a wall. The Ultra bezel has lines matching a clock's hourly graduations, with different colors based on the case color. I prefer my Titanium Gray Ultra with orange lines, which match the orange Quick Button and my orange band. Compared to that, the Watch 5 Pro's appearance is a bit plainer.
Speaking of bands, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has three default options: the thick elastomer Marine, rubber Peakform, and thin nylon Trail. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro defaulted to the D-Buckle Sport, a magnetized band that was comfortable for normal use but impossible to secure well during workouts. I disliked it and would have preferred any of the Watch Ultra's bands.
On the topic of buttons, both watches have a Home and Back button along the right edge, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra has a third Quick Button for another shortcut like starting or pausing an exercise, as well as triggering a loud siren with a long press. Neither has the physical rotating bezel of the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, instead using a digital touch bezel along the display edge.
If you're looking for justification to upgrade your Watch 5 Pro, the outdated display is where I'd start. A 1.4-inch AMOLED with 1,000 nits of brightness, the Watch 5 Pro display is perfectly readable indoors and has the same 320 ppi resolution as the Ultra. But it's on the dim side in direct sunlight, and you have a lot of wasted black border space along the edge.
By contrast, the Galaxy Watch Ultra's 1.5-inch AMOLED hits a blazing 3,000 nits and looks fantastic every time I go running in sunny weather. There's virtually no wasted border space, which does have one tiny drawback: while using the digital bezel, your finger is more likely to block the bottom portion of the screen.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Watch 5 Pro: Hardware and sensors
The Galaxy Watch Ultra has 33% more RAM, double the storage, and an Exynos CPU clocked significantly higher. Samsung claims the Exynos W1000 can load apps 2.7x faster and perform multi-core tasks 3.7x faster than the Exynos W930 in the Galaxy Watch 6. The Watch 5 Pro's Exynos W920 isn't that far off from the W930 for clock speed, but less RAM does have a noticeable impact in daily use.
While 16GB of storage sounds like a lot for a smartwatch, Samsung uses about 11GB of that on default Wear OS software. So if you plan to stream music or podcasts on your watch while leaving your phone at home, the Watch Ultra has much more room for downloaded playlists — or built-in LTE to stream things instead. With the Watch 5 Pro, you may or may not have paid the extra $50 for it.
Both the Watch Ultra and Watch 5 Pro continuously measure heart rate and stress, then track blood oxygen, skin temperature, breathing, sleep stages, and other stats at night. They also actively and passively check for AFib issues. The Watch Ultra has newer Wear OS 5 health metrics like Energy Score, but we expect the Watch 5 Pro should receive that update later this summer.
One key difference is that Samsung redesigned the Galaxy Watch Ultra to have triple the number of LEDs along its bottom compared to older Galaxy Watches; this reportedly makes it more accurate for workout tracking, and that proved noticeably true during my Galaxy Watch Ultra fitness test.
Another important difference is that Samsung gave the Galaxy Watch Ultra dual-band GPS tracking, which significantly improved the accuracy of my workout results compared to the GPS-only Watch 5 Pro or Watch 6. If you run, hike, cycle, or do any outdoor workouts in areas where tree foliage, buildings, or mountains can interfere with satellite signals, you'll appreciate this upgrade.
Still, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is more comfortable while working out because of the weight, which may matter more if you chose the Pro as a fitness watch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Watch 5 Pro: Battery life, charging, and software
Samsung says the Galaxy Watch Ultra lasts 60 hours in normal conditions with AOD active, 16 hours during workouts with dual-band GPS, or 100 hours in power-saving mode. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro had an original estimate of 80 hours without AOD or 20 hours with GPS.
In truth, the Galaxy Watch Ultra has lasted closer to two days with AOD and maybe 12 hours while tracking workouts. Because of its much-brighter screen, faster processor with more RAM, and extra sensor LEDs, it burns more battery for everyday tasks. It's not far off from the Pro if you disable AOD, but it's not quite at the battery level you might hope for at this price point!
On the other hand, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is two years old, and my colleague Andrew Myrick — who continued to use the Watch 5 Pro for years — has told me its battery life has been cut in half since then. Thankfully, it has the same 10W charging speed as the Ultra, so both refill in the same amount of time (about 2wo hours).
The other "longevity" point to consider is that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro has just two years of software support left through summer 2026, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra gets Samsung's usual four years of Wear OS upgrades and security patches through mid-2028.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Watch 5 Pro: Should you upgrade?
A new Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is hard to find these days. When it's available, it's typically on sale, widening the $200 gap between it and the Ultra; but I'd argue that it's not worth buying new unless you can find one for really cheap, due to all its last-gen downgrades.
That said, whether you should upgrade from the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to Galaxy Watch Ultra depends on what you think of your Pro. Can you accept adding extra weight onto your wrist, or is the slimmer Pro a perk worth holding onto? Do you need better health data, more storage, and faster app loading, or can you hold out for another year to save yourself some money?
You can downgrade to the shorter-lived Galaxy Watch 7 for something lighter, but for comparable battery life in a newer device, you'll need the Galaxy Watch Ultra. It's very expensive, especially once Samsung's limited-time $350 credit for the Watch 5 Pro ends, so if you are considering an upgrade, now would be the time!
We've included the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro on our list of best Android smartwatches since it launched, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra is ready to claim that spot.
More of everything (the good and bad)
Choose the Galaxy Watch Ultra if you want all of Samsung's upgrades across the last two generations of wearables and can get a good trade-in deal for your Pro. Don't choose the Ultra if you can't stand heavy watches or prefer the Classic's physical bezel.
Built to last in more ways than one
Stick with your Galaxy Watch 5 Pro if an Ultra upgrade is too expensive for your budget or too cumbersome for your wrist, or buy one if you find it at a bargain price. Don't keep your Pro if you're dissatisfied with its performance, display quality, or health accuracy.
