Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: What We Know About Samsung’s Next Smartwatches
Samsung’s unboxing summer event is coming, and the wearable image is getting clearer by the week. Leaked entries and the GSMA website confirm what many observers have already assumed: The Galaxy Watch 9 and the original Ultra successor are both on the way, possibly arriving in late July or early August alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8.
But more interesting than their expected arrival is the rumored gap between them: a standard watch designed for daily wear and biometric reliability on the one hand, and a flagship chasing 5G, possible glucose monitoring and four-day battery life on the other.
Last year, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 debuted a controversial redesign, making the return of the Galaxy Watch Classic and its visible rotating bezel even more satisfying. This year, a new Classic model seems unlikely (although another redesign is completely off the table). But there may be another title ready to steal the attention from the flagship as well.
A report from GalaxyClub cited by Android Authority suggests that Samsung may launch the new Galaxy Watch Ultra alongside the Galaxy Watch 9, around the summer of 2026. And based on recent leaks, that timeline is looking increasingly credible. Firmware for the Galaxy Watch 9 has reportedly been spotted on a US test server by Mohammed Khatri (as reported on Phone Arena), suggesting that Samsung has moved from development into active testing and indicating that the rumored July launch window is on the way.
The rugged smartwatch, which debuted in the summer of 2024, received a few updates in the last cycle, such as larger storage (up to 64GB) and a new color, but otherwise remained the same.
This year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is expected to stick to the same design and focus on performance improvements. At 47mm, it already exceeds the limits of real estate on the wrist, although a rotating bezel (like the one on the Galaxy Watch Classic) could be played for a rugged smartwatch.
The next Galaxy Watch Ultra may use the rotating bezel from the old one.
It opens up new health metrics
In fact, the Ultra 2 could bring a new processor and improved sensors focused on deep health tracking. Last year’s most notable addition was Samsung’s antioxidant indicator, which can detect nutrient-related symptoms through the skin’s surface area. This year, Samsung may delve into skin-based discovery, with extensive nutritional information and potentially invasive glucose monitoring — one of the long-term “holy grails” of wearable health technology that may finally show progress.
Improved communication
Samsung may also be taking a page from the Apple Watch Ultra playbook by adding 5G connectivity to its Ultra lineup this year. A new report from the Dutch Galaxy Club site (via SamMobile) suggests that Samsung servers have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi versions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra. In this case, 5G models will be launched in the US and Korea, while other markets will only get 4G and Wi-Fi options.
The original Galaxy Watch Ultra will be released in 2026.
Battery and processor
One of the biggest advantages of the original Ultra was the battery life, which lasted about 2.5 days on a charge, compared to 30 to 40 hours for the flagship Galaxy Watch 8.
This year, the Ultra 2 is expected to receive a significant processor upgrade in the form of the Snapdragon Wear Elite, a new chip focused on wearables Qualcomm officially announced at MWC 2026 in Barcelona. An inside report cited by SamMobile suggests that at least one of Samsung’s new watches could include a new processor. Built specifically to handle AI tasks on the device, it can mean fast, intelligent health coaching that doesn’t need to install a server to do the thinking. Although the standard Galaxy Watch 9 still uses the same Exynos chipset as its predecessor, that would mean significant performance and performance differences between the two models.
The Ultra 2 is also rumored to add 5G connectivity, which would make it the first of Samsung’s smartwatches with this capability. If it follows industry trends, the 5G model may come at a higher price than the standard LTE and Wi-Fi versions. According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and seen by SamMobile), Samsung servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi enabled versions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Rumors also point to a dual-chip architecture in the Ultra 2, which separates high-performance functions from low-power background processes, similar to what we saw in the OnePlus Watch 3. If Samsung pulls that off, it could bring the Ultra 2 closer to the multi-day endurance of competitors like the Huawei Watch 5 and OnePlus Watch 3.
AI health coaches are coming to wearables and could feature prominently in the next Galaxy Watch.
More AI and less dependence on the phone
Improved processing power could also unlock more on-device AI features, especially as health coaching and AI-enabled insights continue to emerge in wearables. Satellite connectivity is another possibility, following similar additions to the Apple Watch Ultra and Pixel Watch.
Where is Galaxy Ring 2?
One notable absence from Samsung’s 2026 wearable discussion: the Galaxy Ring. The original was launched in the summer of 2024 at the height of the smart ring hype, but Samsung has yet to reveal a successor. At this stage of the game, nothing has come out (via leaks or rumors) to point to the Galaxy Ring 2 in this round. Whether this reflects widespread smart ring skepticism or a temporary prioritization of smartwatches remains to be seen. At the moment, Samsung seems to have only two watch launches for its 2026 wearable line: the Watch 9 and the Ultra 2.
All of this is still based on leaks and early factory displays and nothing has been confirmed by Samsung. But the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Watch this: Galaxy Watch 8 vs. Classic vs. Ultra: Which Should You Buy?
