Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra bags another killer free software upgrade

Samsung announced the Galaxy Watch Ultra in July, offering a rival to the Apple Watch Ultra and looking to boost the experience of the Galaxy Watch 7. As the Galaxy Watch Ultra becomes more widely available, it's landed a software update too.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is Samsung's top device, pushing into a new market segment and wanting to offer a little variety to those looking for a WearOS device. While the core experience of the Watch Ultra is basically the same as the Watch 7, its tougher design makes more of a statement and will no doubt attract those wanting to assert their own rugged credentials.

The latest software update (highlighted by SamMobile) to land on the Galaxy Watch Ultra isn't huge - it's only 175MB - but it will make a difference to your watch, improving battery charging and stability. That should improve the day-to-day experience of the device.

These sorts of updates aren't uncommon on new devices, bringing optimisation as the device starts to roll out in larger numbers. It's a positive sign that Samsung hasn't just released the watch and moved on, it continues to tweak the performance to make it better.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra worth it?

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra is now widely available, but if you're considering it you're probably wondering if it's worth the premium over the regular Galaxy Watch 7. T3's Active Editor Matt Kollat has reviewed the Galaxy Watch Ultra and found that while it offered a range of fitness and health-tracking options, there are some features missing when it comes to adventure use.

In particular, the lack of navigation or mapping features is something of a drawback, so the best advice would be to approach the Galaxy Watch Ultra as a smartwatch that looks a little more unique, rather than buying it because you have some sort of adventure demands.

For most people, that will be just fine. How many people buy a Range Rover and never go off-road? The same applies here: the Galaxy Watch Ultra looks tough and that's the image it will portray.

Thankfully, now that there has been an update, the performance from the battery should be better too.