I won’t buy the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 without these 5 upgrades

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Rumors are heating up around Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch Ultra , with the rugged flagship expected to return this summer. I’ve tested the Galaxy Watch Ultra since its launch and compared it against just about every major smartwatch competitor along the way. There’s a lot to like about Samsung’s first rugged flagship, and overall, the watch made a strong debut. It also revealed a few opportunities for improvement, especially as competitors like Google continue to push ahead in areas like health tracking and overall refinement.

With the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 expected soon, these are the upgrades I’d most like to see Samsung bring to the table. Some, like the overall design, are fairly subjective. Others feel like dealbreakers if Samsung wants to get me to upgrade.

If Samsung only fixes one thing on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, it needs to be battery life. Recent rumors point to both a larger battery and a more efficient chipset, and that combination should be Samsung’s biggest priority this year.

To be clear, the current Galaxy Watch Ultra doesn’t have bad battery life; it regularly lasts just under three days. But Google’s 45mm Pixel Watch 4 can also stretch to roughly three days in the right conditions, and that’s not even marketed as an adventure-focused device. If Samsung wants the Ultra moniker to mean something, the next generation needs to comfortably clear the three-day mark without battery-saving tricks or constant settings management.

Garmin is still a leading brand when it comes to adventure wearables, and the brand’s watches can last a week or more between charges. I don’t expect Samsung to close that gap overnight, but moving closer would help justify the Ultra’s branding (and pricing). I genuinely don’t see myself upgrading if the new generation doesn’t make meaningful strides.

This is definitely more wishful thinking than realistic expectation, but I’d love to see Samsung rethink the Galaxy Watch Ultra’s design. I’d probably still upgrade, but begrudgingly. The current squircle shape helps the watch stand out, but I’ve never liked it. Personally, I’d much rather see Samsung bring back the classic circular aesthetic that defined so many of its earlier smartwatches and simply make it more rugged, like the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Beyond my subjective dislike, the current design also doesn’t seem to make the most of its size, and with my small wrists, I want bulk to be worthwhile. The squircle case leaves rounded corners of unused space around the display, constantly making me wonder whether Samsung could have fit a larger screen into the same footprint.