Samsung announces Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2, with new AI features

Samsung didn't bring back all of its Galaxy Watch models for 2026, but it did just reveal two new ones.

At its Galaxy Unpacked showcase on Wednesday, Samsung announced the new Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. And it turns out pre-show rumors of no new Galaxy Watch Classic this year were correct.

The Galaxy Watch 9 starts at $379.99 for Bluetooth and $429.99 for the LTE model. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 starts at a substantially more expensive $699.99.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 specs

Watch out. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group

The Galaxy Watch 9, Samsung's successor to the Galaxy Watch 8, will come in 40mm and 44mm models, while the Ultra 2 is sized at 47mm.

Samsung upgraded the battery in the larger Watch 9 this year, giving it a 445mAh cell, but the 40mm variant only has a 390mAh cell in it. The biggest battery improvement comes on the Watch Ultra 2, which will come with a whopping 800mAh cell.

Other specs include:

• Watch 9: 2GB memory

• Watch Ultra 2: 2GB memory

• Watch 9: 32GB storage

• Watch Ultra 2: 64GB storage

• Both watches: Snapdragon Wear Elite chip

The Ultra 2 also comes with a very bright 5,000 nits of peak brightness in its display, making it ideal for outdoor usage. On the Watch 9, you get just 3,000 nits, which should still be good enough for most occasions.

Opens in a new window Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 $379.99 at Samsung
  Get Deal

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 key features

The key to all the tracking. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group

On the software side, Samsung has packed in a bunch of outdoor sports tracking features in the Ultra 2. Trail Run will track stats like terrain impact and elevation for hiking, while Nutrition Alert adds onto the old Sweat Loss tracker to tell you when to hydrate, and by how much.

The Ultra 2 is also water-resistant enough to be worn while diving, and Samsung says detailed dive tracking will arrive with a Diving app later this year.

Another selling point for the watches: a slew of new AI health features, available on both devices. They will use on-board trackers to deliver personalized insights — such as breathing disruptions during sleep, deviations in your vitals, daily recommended cardio load, and alerts for dangerously loud noise levels to protect your hearing.

Neither of these watches are exactly reinventing the wheel (or the Squircle). Still, the hardware upgrades, along with AI upgrades, should make them effective health trackers for the target audience.

Opens in a new window Credit: Joseph Maldonado / CNET Group Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 $699.99 at Samsung
  Get Deal