Samsung launches Watch 9 and Ultra 2 with larger battery

Samsung unveiled its latest generation of smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 9 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, at its Galaxy Unpacked event in London on July 22, 2026. The new models focus on iterative hardware improvements and expanded health and fitness software features, with preorders beginning immediately and a full market launch scheduled for August 7.

The Galaxy Watch 9 retains the "squircle" design introduced with its predecessor, featuring a circular watch face atop a square frame. Samsung states the chassis has been refined for a closer, more comfortable fit. It is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, which the company says improves speed and efficiency. The watch comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with battery capacities of 390mAh and 445mAh, respectively. The larger 44mm model's battery represents an increase over the previous generation.

For health tracking, the Watch 9 builds on existing features with new software metrics. These include Vitals, which monitors overnight health baselines; a Heart Health Score for cardiovascular wellness; a Daily Cardio Load metric; and a Fitness Index that assesses strength, flexibility, and endurance relative to age. The...