The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has been launched in July 2024 and its look is very similar to the Apple Watch Ultra. But how does it compare to other Wear OS smart watches like the TicWatch PRO 5? Has the heart rate accuracy improved? Is it good enough for cycling?
Watch the video tutorial here below!
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a bit on the bulky side, measuring 47mm. However, the size means a bigger battery... Despite its bulk, it’s surprisingly comfortable. Weighing 93 grams, it is not so heavy given its size because it is made of titanium. The strap is flexible and stays in place even when you're sweating.
It comes with the new 3 nanometer Exynos W1000 processor with 5 cores compared to only 2 on the previous generation. It also has better specs than the 4 nanometer Snapdragon W5+ Gen1 used on many other Wear OS smartwatches like the TicWatch PRO 5 or Xiaomi Watch 2 PRO. The watch has 32 GB of storage and runs under Wear OS 5.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a super bright display. Even in glaring sunlight, you can still read your stats without squinting. The watch boasts 3000 nits compared to the TicWatch PRO 5’s 600 nits. The Galaxy Watch Ultra features Sapphire Crystal Glass, which can survive the wildest adventures. It is also military certified with grade 810H, making it durable for sports and mountain biking.
The watch is waterproof, certified up to 10 atmospheres, which means it can go down to 100 meters underwater. This is double the 50 meters of the TicWatch PRO 5.
When it comes to pairing with Strava, you can do it in Samsung Health on your phone. Click on the three dots, then Settings. In Settings, select Services, turn on the connection with Strava, enter your credentials, and grant permission to share all your rides and activities with Strava.
However, you can’t connect external heart rate monitors natively. If you’re really into your data and want to connect power meters or cadence sensors, you can use the HR2VP Watch Bike Computer app.
Download HR2VP watch for Wear OS
The watch is great for multi-sports activities, especially for triathlon. You can change sports just by pressing the orange button in the middle of the watch.
Samsung claims FTP estimation based on a 4-minute test. You can add a power meter in Samsung Health on your phone. However, not all power meters worked during testing. For example, it didn't work with my bike trainer but did with another power meter. After a 5-minute high-intensity uphill ride, the watch estimated my FTP at 229 watts, which isn't too bad but a little bit too low compared to my Strava estimation of 255 watts (which is based on many more workouts).
Previous Galaxy watches were not accurate in terms of heart rate when riding on a road bike, but the Galaxy Watch Ultra shows significant improvement. Compared to the Polar H10, it is already much better, with only minor delays and discrepancies. With an accuracy of 7.3%, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is the most accurate Wear OS watch on the market as of today, but it stays behind the Apple Watch with 2.4% accuracy.
Here are the results on a road bike:
Battery life is crucial for long rides. The Galaxy Watch Ultra boasts a hefty 590 mAh battery, lasting through multiple rides, nearly the same as the TicWatch PRO 5’s 624 mAh. In testing, the watch used 38% in one day with always-on display activated, offering around 2.5 days of battery life. The TicWatch PRO 5 can last up to 4 days.
While riding, you can expect between 8 and 10 hours of battery life with the Galaxy Watch Ultra with GPS tracking and always on display activated, which good. It is nearly the same as what I get with my Karoo 3 GPS.
The built-in GPS is reliable for exploring new routes or getting back home. The dual-band GPS is better than previous generations and, while not the best in the world, it is good enough for most use cases. It is not as precise as top-notch bike computers such as the Garmin Edge 540, 840, or 1050, or the Hammerhead Karoo 3, but it is not significantly off, making it completely usable for bike rides.