In the ongoing human effort to make technology an extension of the body's own vigilance, Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra — a $650 wearable that carries, for the first time in the United States, FDA-authorized detection of sleep apnea. Announced in July 2024, the device arrives as a direct challenge to Apple's dominance in premium smartwatches, wrapping serious health ambition in a titanium case whose unconventional shape will itself become part of the story. It is a reminder that the most consequential features of our tools are often invisible — buried beneath surfaces we argue a
Samsung's $650 Galaxy Watch Ultra Brings Apple Watch Features to Android with Sleep Apnea Detection
Samsung killed the bezel, brought it back, then killed it again.
Mark
Why remove the rotating bezel if Galaxy Watch users loved it so much?
Mimi
Samsung hasn't said explicitly, but the most likely reason is durability. A rotating bezel is a moving part, and on a watch built to military standards and deep-water submersion, fewer moving parts means fewer failure points. It's a trade-off between a beloved feature and ruggedness.
Mark
Is the sleep apnea detection actually useful, or is it marketing?
Mimi
It's FDA-authorized, which means it went through real validation. The watch needs two nights of data to establish a baseline, then it monitors for the breathing interruptions that define obstructive sleep apnea. If it detects moderate to severe cases, it alerts you. That's genuinely useful for people who suspect they have the condition but haven't been diagnosed.
Mark
How does this watch compare to what Apple is doing?
Mimi
Samsung is essentially matching Apple's premium smartwatch strategy. The Ultra is priced the same as Apple's high-end model, has similar ruggedness and battery life, and now has a health feature—sleep apnea detection—that Apple is rumored to be adding next. The main difference is design philosophy. Apple keeps its watch design consistent and refined. Samsung is taking risks with the squircle.
Mark
Who is actually going to buy a $650 smartwatch?
Mimi
People who want serious outdoor capabilities and health monitoring. Cyclists doing FTP tests, runners tracking aerobic zones, people concerned about sleep apnea. Also people who are already deep in the Samsung ecosystem and want their watch to talk seamlessly with their phone and earbuds.
Mark
Does the touch bezel really work as well as a physical one?
Mimi
No. A physical rotating bezel works when your hands are wet, sweaty, or cold. A touch bezel doesn't. That's a real loss for people who use their watches during workouts or in the water. Samsung knows this, which is why they kept the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic in the lineup for people who want the bezel back.
The Pulse
- Samsung is staking its premium wearable reputation on a single bold gamble: a $650 watch shaped like a squircle that either looks like the future or a design committee's compromise.
- The removal of the beloved rotating bezel — killed, resurrected, and killed again — risks alienating the loyal Galaxy Watch community who built habits around that tactile signature.
- Beneath the divisive exterior lies a genuine medical breakthrough: the first FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection available in the US, capable of flagging a condition that quietly disrupts millions of lives each night.
- Samsung is fighting a two-front war — against Apple at the premium tier and against Garmin in the rugged fitness space — loading the Ultra with dual-frequency GPS, military-grade durability, and advanced cycling metrics to hold both lines.
- The broader Galaxy lineup, stretching from a $200 Watch FE to the $650 Ultra, signals Samsung's intent to own every Android wrist, leaving no price point uncontested as the July 24 launch approaches.
In the ongoing human effort to make technology an extension of the body's own vigilance, Samsung has introduced the Galaxy Watch Ultra — a $650 wearable that carries, for the first time in the United States, FDA-authorized detection of sleep apnea. Announced in July 2024, the device arrives as a direct challenge to Apple's dominance in premium smartwatches, wrapping serious health ambition in a titanium case whose unconventional shape will itself become part of the story. It is a reminder that the most consequential features of our tools are often invisible — buried beneath surfaces we argue about for reasons of taste.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra arrives as the company's most deliberate push into premium wearables — a $650 device built to challenge Apple on its own terms. Announced alongside a new Galaxy Ring and foldable phones, it is designed to signal that Android has a serious answer at the top of the market.
The watch's most immediately striking quality is also its most contentious: a round AMOLED display housed inside a roughly square titanium case — what Samsung calls a 'squircle.' The form factor is light and wearable, but bulkier than comparable rugged watches, and it will divide opinion sharply. More controversial still is the removal of the rotating bezel, a feature Galaxy Watch loyalists have long relied on. In its place is a touch-sensitive rim that falters when hands are wet. Samsung still sells the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic for those who want the bezel back, though it lacks the Ultra's processor and rugged credentials.
What justifies the price is what the hardware does quietly, in the dark. The Ultra carries FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection — the first of its kind available in the United States — monitoring for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and alerting users after at least two nights of data. A redesigned bioactive sensor improves heart rate and blood oxygen accuracy, and introduces a new metabolic health metric tied to biological aging. Samsung claims the algorithms are specifically tuned for high-intensity activities like cycling and strength training.
The Ultra is built for the outdoors in earnest: dual-frequency GPS, IP68 water resistance with submersion to 330 feet, US military standard 810H certification, and operation across a temperature range from minus 4 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Battery life extends to 60 hours with always-on display, or 100 hours in power-saving mode. Fitness tools rival Garmin's offerings, including a four-minute functional threshold power test for cyclists, aerobic threshold zones, a race-against-yourself feature, and a Quick button that can trigger an 85-decibel emergency siren.
The $300 Galaxy Watch 7 inherits many of the same health features, including sleep apnea detection, while a $200 Galaxy Watch FE anchors the entry level. Together, the three models position Samsung as an Android alternative at every price point where Apple competes. Whether the Ultra's squircle becomes iconic or infamous will depend on the market — but its health ambitions are real, and they may matter far more than its shape.
Samsung just released a smartwatch that costs $650 and looks like nothing else on the market. The Galaxy Watch Ultra, announced Wednesday alongside a new Galaxy Ring and foldable phones, represents the company's most ambitious push yet into premium wearables—and it's designed to compete directly with Apple's high-end smartwatch offerings.
The Ultra's design is its most divisive feature. Samsung has wrapped a round AMOLED screen inside a roughly square titanium case, creating what the company calls a "squircle." It's a throwback to the Gear Sport from 2017, and after handling it for an hour, the verdict remains unclear. The watch feels light thanks to its titanium construction and doesn't overwhelm a smaller wrist, but it's bulkier than other rugged smartwatches in its class. The design will appeal to some and alienate others—there's no middle ground here. Samsung has also made a controversial choice by removing the rotating bezel, a signature feature that Galaxy Watch loyalists have relied on for years. The company killed it, brought it back, then killed it again. In its place is a touch bezel that lets you swipe around the inside rim of the screen, but it won't work as well when your hands are wet or sweaty. If you want the bezel back, Samsung still sells the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, though it lacks the rugged design and faster processor of the new model.
What makes the Ultra worth its premium price is what's underneath. The watch has FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection—the first of its kind available in the United States. It monitors for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops momentarily during sleep, and alerts you on your phone if it detects a problem. It needs at least two nights of data to work. Samsung has also redesigned the bioactive sensor that powers heart rate tracking, blood oxygen readings, and a new metric called the Advanced Glycation End Products Index, which measures metabolic health and biological aging. The company claims these sensors are more accurate than previous generations, with tweaked algorithms specifically for high-intensity workouts like cycling and strength training.
The hardware is built for serious outdoor use. The Ultra has dual-frequency GPS that uses both L1 and L5 bands for better accuracy in cities and open terrain. It's rated IP68 for dust and water resistance and can be submerged to 330 feet. Samsung says it meets US military standard 810H and operates in temperatures from minus 4 degrees to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. Battery life reaches 60 hours with the always-on display under regular use, or up to 100 hours in power-saving mode. For extended workouts, exercise power-saving mode delivers 48 hours.
Samsung has also loaded the Ultra with workout tools that rival what Garmin and Apple offer. There's a functional threshold power test for cyclists that calculates your maximum sustainable intensity in just four minutes instead of the typical 20 minutes to an hour. There are aerobic threshold zones for endurance athletes, a race feature to compete against your own previous efforts on the same route, and integration with Galaxy AI for personalized energy scores and wellness tips. The watch has three physical buttons, including a new Quick button that can start or pause workouts, log intervals, or trigger an 85-decibel siren when held for five seconds.
The regular Galaxy Watch 7, priced at $300, gets many of the same health features as the Ultra, including sleep apnea detection and the improved bioactive sensor. It comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes and doubles the storage to 32GB, useful if you want to load music or apps. Samsung is also selling a $200 Galaxy Watch FE for those who want basic smartwatch features at a lower price. Together, these three models position Samsung as offering an Android alternative at every price point where Apple sells an Apple Watch.
The Ultra launches July 24, and early impressions suggest Samsung has built something genuinely different—whether that's a strength or weakness depends entirely on your wrist and your tolerance for bold design choices. The sleep apnea detection is a genuine health innovation, and the rugged build quality is real. But the squircle design and missing bezel will haunt Samsung's marketing for months to come.
Notable Quotes
The Galaxy Watch Ultra is the biggest shake-up of Samsung's smartwatch line we've seen in years.— CNET reviewer
The Ultra marries Samsung's classic round screen inside a square-ish 47mm case.— CNET reviewer
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