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. However, boosts to the CPU, display, health sensors, GPS, and other areas burn through the same 590mAh capacity faster, as well as making it thicker and weightier on your wrist. If you can accept these tradeoffs and the higher price, it's one of the year's best watches.
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 that lasted days between charges. Since 2022, more smartwatches have hit this benchmark and added perks like dual-band GPS and brighter displays that make the Pro a bit outdated. Still, this trustworthy device has four 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
