The Galaxy Watch Ultra is spotted again as Samsung hints at 'premium' smartwatches
Is Samsung looking to take on the Apple Watch Ultra?
If the rumors are to be believed, the grand unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 series is going to be happening next month – and it looks very much as though we're going to get at least one premium-level smartwatch in the collection.
Let's start with what Samsung has said officially, in a press release announcing financial results: the company says it's looking to launch "new premium models" in the smartwatch category in the second half of the year.
That's all Samsung says on the matter, but it could certainly be read as something the company is saying in the context of looking to build sales momentum with the introduction of new products – and SamMobile sees it as a hint that the previously rumored Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra is indeed in the offing.
You could reasonably claim that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is going to count as premium, as there are certainly cheaper smartwatches out there, but a third model for 2024 has been talked about. Last year we got two watches: see our Galaxy Watch 6 review and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review for our verdicts on those.
Firmware spotted
Even more evidence for a new, higher-end Galaxy Watch comes from the tipsters over at Android Headlines, who have spotted a firmware build for a smartwatch model believed to be the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra. It's not the first time we've seen that name mentioned, though there have also been mentions of a Galaxy Watch 7 Pro.
According to Android Headlines, the three models unveiled in the coming weeks will be the Watch 7, the Watch 7 Classic, and the Watch Ultra (but without a '7'). It seems as though the Pro variant may have fallen by the wayside – or was actually the Ultra edition all along.
At this stage it seems probable that we'll get an Ultra model, perhaps with a larger battery to help distinguish it. Samsung uses the Ultra labeling for its phones and its tablets already, and of course Apple has its own Ultra smartwatch model.
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The leaks have been pointing to July 10 as the date when Samsung is going to hold its next Unpacked hardware launch, and as well as three new Galaxy Watch models, we're also expecting to see the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Galaxy Ring, and more.
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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.