Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Galaxy Watch 6 Classic: Which one is better for you?

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  Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

  Samsung’s most powerful smartwatch

  Part of Samsung’s 2024 smartwatch lineup, the Watch Ultra is the most feature-rich smartwatch to date. It also has a new Exynos W1000 chip, a titanium casing, and LTE connectivity.

  Benefits

  • The plan is tough
  • Excellent work
  • Latest software

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  The old Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

  A classic design

  $310 $400 Save $90

  Launched in 2023, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is powered by the Exynos W930 processor. It has a stainless steel casing, optional LTE support, and a traditional watch-like design.

  Benefits

  • Standard design
  • Good work
  • Rotating physical bezel

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s answer to the Apple Watch Ultra. It has an impressive feature set in the most durable casing of any Galaxy Watch, has a large battery for a smartwatch, and has a beautiful AMOLED display.

But how does it stack up against the company’s 2023 model, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic? As the name suggests, the Watch 6 Classic has a classic design and comes with a rotating bezel, a much-loved feature missing from the Ultra.

Price, availability, and specifications

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung’s most expensive smartwatch to date, priced at $650 for a single 47mm model with Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity. It can be purchased at all major online and physical retailers, including the three major carriers.

The Watch 6 Classic, which has been around for over a year, has a list price of $400 for the 43mm variant with Wi-Fi, and $430 for the larger 47mm variant with Wi-Fi ; the LTE model, in both sizes, is $50 more. However, the Watch 6 Classic is currently heavily discounted, and can be purchased starting at just $330. It’s also available from Samsung and major retailers and carriers, at least for now.

Before we dive in, here’s a closer look at the raw specs of the two smartwatches.

• 	Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra	The old Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
  The size of the case	47 mm	43mm and 47mm
  Case Study	Titanium	Stainless steel
  Show	1.5″ 480 x 480 AMOLED	43mm: 1.3-inch 432 x 432 Super AMOLED, Always On; 47mm 1.5-inch 480 x 480 Super AMOLED Always On Display
  CPU	Samsung Exynos W1000	Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz
  RAM	2 GB	2GB
  Security	32 GB	16 GB
  Battery	590 mAh	43mm: 300mAh 47mm: 425mAh
  Telephone connection	LTE (optional)	5G (optional)
  Wi-Fi connection	2.4 GHz; 5 GHz	Wi-Fi 5
  bluetooth	5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
  Software	One view UI 6; Wear OS 5	Wear OS 4 / OneUi 5 Watch
  Health sensors	Optical bio-signal; electrocardiogram; bioelectric supply; temperature	Samsung BioActive Sensor, Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor, 3D Hall Sensor
  Measurements	47.4 x 47.4 x 12.1 mm	46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9 mm
  Body weight	60.5 g	43mm: 52g 47mm: 59g
  IP status	IP68	IP68
  Colors	Titanium Silver; Titanium Gray; Titanium White	Black and Silver
  Price	From $650	43mm: $400 47mm: $430

Design & display

Design is one of the key differentiating factors between the two smartwatches. While the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, as mentioned earlier, has a classic watch design, the Watch Ultra sports a square with a rounded face. However, while the Classic has a stainless steel casing, the Ultra has a more durable titanium casing.

Another long-term advantage that the Ultra has over the Classic is better water resistance. While the Classic can be held at a depth of 50 meters, the Ultra can survive up to 100 meters.

Due to the availability of the Galaxy Watch 6 in two sizes, there is a reasonable option in the 43mm variant that people with thin hands can consider. However, as the Ultra only comes in the 47mm variant with extra padding on the sides, it feels more robust in everyday use. As a result, the size of a smartwatch can be an Achilles heel for many people.

In addition, the Watch 6 Classic has a popular rotating bezel, which makes it easier to use the smartwatch. On the other hand, the Ultra has a digital bezel that you can use by sliding around the edge. Neither of the two smartwatches has a rotating crown; instead, you get the standard buttons you can choose from the Samsung Wearables app.

As you’d expect from a Samsung smartwatch, the Watch 6 Classic and Ultra have nice bezels, with the 43mm Watch 6 Classic having a 1.3-inch screen, while the 47mm Classic and Ultra have displays of 1.5-inch each. Both watches are also equipped with Sapphire Crystal protection, a durable material that provides high optical resistance for the displays.

Finally, while the Classic can reach a brightness of 2,000 nits, the Ultra has a bright screen of 3,000 nits. However, both are bright enough to be easily seen in most situations.

Performance and battery life

The Watch Ultra carries Samsung’s latest innovations Exynos W1000 chip, which is also present in the Galaxy Watch 7. It is based on the 3nm production process and provides fast performance, so you will not notice lags or sluggishness. And while the Classic has an older Exynos W930 chip, it’s also a capable performer that keeps the smartwatch responsive. However, the new chip in the Ultra certainly makes the smartwatch obsolete.

Battery life is also a strong point of the Ultra, as it packs one of the largest batteries in any Samsung smartwatch, at 590mAh. Samsung claims 60 hours of battery life without power saving mode, which is pretty accurate. The Classic has a smaller 300mAh battery in the 43mm model and a 425mAh battery in the 47mm model. The battery life of the 47mm model is about two days, while the 43mm lasts just over a day.

Among other features, the Ultra has always-on cellular connectivity, double GPS, double the old storage, and an 85db emergency alarm. The dual-frequency GPS definitely improves the accuracy of the smartwatch GPS, and is better than the single-frequency GPS offered by the Classic.

So, in terms of performance and battery life, the Ultra has an edge over the Classic.

Software, health tracking, and more

The Watch Ultra is one of the first smartwatches to ship with Wear OS 5, complemented by the One UI 6 Watch. The new version of Wear OS improves performance and battery life, and supports advanced performance standards. Although the changes in Wear OS 5 are under the hood, One UI 6 Watch brings Galaxy AI, which enables features such as Energy Score, Wellness Tips, and the way to run a partner race.

While you get Wear OS 4 with One UI Watch 5 on the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, it will get a Wear OS 5 update in the future, although it’s unclear when the update will arrive. Otherwise, as both smartwatches are from Samsung, the software experience is very similar.

In terms of health and fitness tracking, the company has introduced a new one BioActive Sensor with an improved heart rate sensor on the Watch Ultra, which promises more accurate heart rate monitoring. It’s also the first smartwatch to include FDA-approved sleep detection.

In addition, the Ultra offers sleep monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, heart rate monitoring, body composition measurements, cycle monitoring, and fall detection, all of which are available on the Watch 6 Classic . Both devices can automatically find and track workouts. However, some features like triathlon/multisport Workout mode are limited to Ultra for now.

Which one should you buy?

It’s a tricky decision between Ultra and Classic. Indeed, the Watch Ultra is Samsung’s most feature-rich smartwatch and arguably the best Wear OS smartwatch with the best battery life; it is also somewhat niche and expensive.

If you’re the outdoorsy type or just want the best and aren’t intimidated by the big design, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a great choice. It has a great display, the latest software, and new features like sleep detection and triathlon mode that you won’t find in the Classic.

However, if you’re looking for an affordable smartwatch with a traditional and classy watch design and a rotating physical bezel, the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is a great choice. Although it has an older processor, it offers faster performance and offers the same software experience as the Ultra.

If you already own a Classic and are considering upgrading to an Ultra, the gap between smartwatches isn’t that big right now. You get new features, a faster chip, and more durability in the Ultra, but nothing that screams for an immediate upgrade. You might be better off waiting for the next-generation Watch Ultra.