Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs Garmin fēnix 8 Pro AMOLED
The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the better choice for smartwatch features, apps and everyday convenience, while the Fenix 8 Pro 51mm AMOLED is much stronger for battery life, navigation and serious training. Pick Samsung for the smarter watch, Garmin for the better sports watch.
At a glance
What's different?
The strongest database-backed differences, without pretending every different number is an advantage.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
- Phone compatibility Android with Google Mobile Services
- Blood pressure measurement Yes (Samsung Health Monitor; availability varies by market, calibration required)
- Body composition Not available on the other model
- 32% lighter 61.5 g vs 90 g
- Emergency Sharing Not available on the other model
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
- Phone compatibility Android and iOS
- Much longer battery life 27 days vs 80 hours
- More advanced training tools Body Battery, Training Readiness, Training Status +13 more
- LED flashlight Not available on the other model
- Satellite SOS Not available on the other model
Both include ECG, blood oxygen tracking, skin temperature tracking, HRV tracking, on-board music, Bluetooth calling, a microphone.
Full comparison
The full record
77 specifications across 6 areas, with 34 genuine differences.
1. Design & display Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Fact
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Release date
2026-07
September 2025
Physical size
47.4 x 47.1 x 10.7 mm
51 x 51 x 16.5 mm
Weight
61.5 g
90 g
Material
Titanium case; sapphire crystal
Fiber-reinforced polymer case; titanium bezel and rear cover
Water resistance
10 ATM; IP69K; MIL-STD-810H; EN13319
10 ATM
Color options
Titanium Gray, Titanium Silver
Multiple color and material combinations
Display type
Super AMOLED, full-colour Always On Display
AMOLED touchscreen
Display size
1.5 inch (38.5 mm)
1.4 inch diameter
Display resolution
498 x 498 pixels
454 x 454 pixels
Display protection
Sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal
2. Battery & charging Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Fact
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Battery
Rechargeable battery; 800 mAh
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Battery life
Up to 80 hours with AOD off; up to 60 hours with AOD on
Up to 27 days in smartwatch mode (15 days always-on); up to 78 hours GPS-only
Charging
Fast wireless charging
Garmin proprietary charging cable
3. Sensors & positioning Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Fact
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
GNSS type
Built-in dual-band GNSS
Multi-band GNSS with SatIQ
GPS
Yes
Yes
GALILEO
Yes
Yes
GLONASS
Yes
Yes
QZSS
Yes
Yes
Beidou
Yes
Yes
Accelerometer
Yes
Yes
Gyroscope
Yes
Yes
Barometric altimeter
Yes
Yes
Compass
Yes
Yes
Geomagnetic
Yes
No
Ambient light sensor
Yes
Yes
Optical heart rate
Yes
Yes
Electrical heart rate
Yes
Yes
SpO2
Yes
Yes
Temperature
Yes
Yes
Galvanic skin response
Yes
No
Microphone
Yes
Yes
Speakers
Yes
Yes
Vibration motor
Yes
Yes
4. Health & activity Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Fact
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Steps
Yes
Yes
Distance
Yes
Yes
Calories burned
Yes
Yes
Floors
Yes
Yes
Sports tracking
Yes
Yes
Sleep
Yes
Yes
Heart rate
Yes
Yes
HRV
Yes
Yes
Stress
Yes
Yes
Blood oxygen
Yes
Yes
Respiration rate
Yes
Yes
Skin temperature
Yes
Yes
ECG
Yes
Yes
Blood pressure
Yes (Samsung Health Monitor; availability varies by market, calibration required)
No
Body composition
Yes
No
Glucose
No
No
Hydration level
No
No
UV exposure
No
No
Calorie intake
No
No
Hyperglycemia risk assessment
No
No
Arterial stiffness detection
No
No
Pulse wave arrhythmia analysis
Yes
No
5. Smart features No clear edge
Fact
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Smartphone compatibility
Android with Google Mobile Services
Android and iOS
Operating system at launch
Wear OS 7 Powered by Samsung; One UI 9 Watch
Garmin proprietary
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite / SDW6100 (3 nm, penta-core)
NXP i.MX RT595
Storage
64 GB
32 GB
Bluetooth
Yes (6.0)
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes (802.11 a/b/g/n, 2.4/5 GHz)
Yes
NFC / connected pay
Yes
Yes
UWB
No
No
Cellular
Yes (LTE/eSIM)
Yes (LTE)
Smartphone notifications
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth calling
Yes
Yes (paired smartphone)
Smartphone music control
Yes
Yes
On-board music storage
Yes
Yes
Voice assistant
Google Gemini / Bixby
Yes (paired smartphone)
6. Navigation & safety Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Fact
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Garmin fēnix 8 Pro 51 mm AMOLED
Maps
Yes (Google Maps)
Yes
Offline maps
Yes (Google Maps)
Yes
Navigation
Yes (turn-by-turn navigation)
Yes
Emergency SOS
Yes
Yes (inReach; active plan required)
Satellite SOS
No
Yes (active inReach plan required)
Fall detection
Yes
Yes
LED flashlight
No
Yes (built-in LED flashlight)
Diving
Yes (EN13319; depth and dive metrics to 40 m)
Yes (scuba and apnea to 40 m)