Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Watch9: Bigger Batteries, Diving Mode, and AI Health Tracking

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9, positioning both as health-first devices built around continuous, all-day wear. The lineup arrives alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the company's first intelligent eyewear, rounding out Samsung's biggest Unpacked lineup in years.

What is new in the Galaxy Watch Ultra2?

The Ultra2 is built for outdoor and endurance use. A new Trail Run mode tracks elevation, climbing progress, and terrain impact, while Nutrition Alert estimates sweat loss and offers hydration guidance during workouts.

The bigger story is diving support. Rated 10 ATM and EN13319 certified, the watch automatically tracks depth, dive time, and water temperature once it detects the user has entered water. Advanced diving features, including ascent and descent speed tracking, were developed with Mares, a diving equipment brand, and are expected later this year through a dedicated app.

Hardware gets a meaningful jump too. The 800mAh battery is a 35 percent increase over the previous Ultra model, and the display now hits 5,000 nits of peak brightness, which Samsung calls the brightest on any smartwatch to date. Despite the larger battery, the case is 12 percent thinner than the previous generation.

What does the Galaxy Watch9 offer for everyday users?

The Watch9 is built for comfort over specialized sport tracking. It keeps Galaxy Watch's signature cushion silhouette in a lightweight aluminum casing, available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with a 3,000-nit display and batteries rated at 390mAh and 445mAh respectively.

Samsung is positioning the Watch9 as the entry point into its health ecosystem for people who want continuous tracking without the Ultra's outdoor feature set.

What AI health features do both watches share?

Samsung's Chief Executive Officer TM Roh said the company wants to help shift from reactive treatment to proactive care. Both watches run the same core health stack through the BioActive sensor, including a Sleep Apnea detection feature backed by new FDA clearance, a Heart Health Score, and Daily Cardio Load tracking that adjusts training guidance based on recovery needs.

A new Vitals feature monitors a user's personal health baseline overnight and flags significant deviations. It requires wearing a Galaxy Watch or a Galaxy Ring while sleeping, extending the same logic Samsung applied when it built out its ring-based tracking, a category we compared directly in our Galaxy Ring vs Oura Ring breakdown.

How does this compare to other health wearables on the market?

Samsung's push toward continuous, AI-interpreted biometric data mirrors a broader shift across the wearable category, one we tracked closely in our Fitbit vs Garmin comparison. The difference this year is how directly Samsung is tying the watch's sensor data to actionable next steps rather than raw numbers alone.

When can buyers get the new watches?

Pre-orders opened July 22 alongside the Unpacked announcement. General availability begins August 7, 2026, matching the rollout window for the rest of Samsung's new Galaxy Z lineup. Samsung has not yet detailed regional pricing.

For full specifications and band options, see Samsung's official announcement.