Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Fenix 7: Who's the Winner?
By Naila Syifa
Updated July 2024
The recent release of Galaxy Watch Ultra seems to reflect Samsung's ambition to compete with Garmin's high-end adventure smartwatches, which have been popular for years. The Galaxy Watch Ultra features not only a rugged design but also advanced health and fitness tracking and even an innovative Galaxy AI that sets it apart from the competition.
However, can it beat the popular Garmin Fenix 7 Series in terms of performance and overall features? To find out, let's dive into a detailed comparison of the Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Garmin Fenix 7 Series to see which one comes out on top.
Key Takeaways
Garmin Fenix 7 is more well-equipped in terms of activity tracking, outdoor navigation, and battery life. However, Galaxy Watch Ultra is feature-richer in terms of daily smartwatch functionality and also offers unique Sleep Apnea and body composition measurement features that the Fenix 7 lacks.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra
Smart Outdoor Smartwatch
✓ Multisport Workout
✓ ECG, BIA, Sleep Apnea
✓ On-Wrist Calling, Texting, and Music
✓ Galaxy AI
Garmin Fenix 7
Dedicated Fitness and Outdoor Watch
✓ Advanced Training, Health, Fitness
✓ MultiSport Auto Transition
✓ Optional TopoActive Maps
✓ Multi-band GNSS
#1 Price
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is a premium smartwatch, coming in at a high-end price of US$649.99.
Garmin Fenix 7 Series also starts expensively at US$649.99 for its standard model, but other models (Pro, Sapphire Solar, and Pro Sapphire Solar) are available at more expensive price points up to US$999.99.
The Galaxy Watch Ultra's same price point as the base Garmin Fenix 7 model puts it in direct competition with the Fenix 7. This makes it important to carefully evaluate the features and capabilities of each watch to determine the better value.
This article will primarily compare the Galaxy Watch Ultra against the standard model of Garmin Fenix 7 to see which one offers the better overall package for the same price. However, we'll also touch on the higher-end Fenix 7 models so you can get an idea of the added features you can get with more investment.
#2 Design & Display
Garmin Fenix 7 Series
Galaxy Watch Ultra only comes in 47mm size, featuring a 1.5" Super AMOLED display with 480 x 480 resolution. It boasts a premium titanium material and Sapphire Crystal glass, providing a durable and premium look and feel. There are 3 band options available (Marine, Trail, and PeakForm), each catering to different lifestyles and activities.
Garmin Fenix 7 is available in 3 size options: 42mm, 47mm, and 51mm. The small variant is known as Fenix 7S while the large one is labeled as Fenix 7X. The standard edition of Fenix 7 features stainless steel while the Sapphire Solar editions have a titanium build.
In terms of display quality, Garmin Fenix 7 is losing. Its transflective MIP display offers a lower resolution and less vibrant visuals compared to the Super AMOLED panel on the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Galaxy Watch Ultra even offers Night Mode for better visibility in low light conditions, a feature not found on the Garmin Fenix 7 models.
In terms of controls, both watches integrate physical buttons and digital touch inputs. Garmin Fenix 7 offers five buttons, with a Hot Keys feature enabling customization of the button functions. Meanwhile, Galaxy Watch Ultra offers two buttons and an extra Quick Button, which is also customizable for easy access to favorite functions.
In terms of durability, both watches are on par. They have a 10 ATM water rating and have been tested to US military standards, making both options equally rugged and suitable for outdoor activities.
#3 Health & Fitness Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix 7 offer some common health-tracking features, including heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and sleep tracking. While the Galaxy Watch Ultra offers ECG for heart rhythm monitoring and AFib signs detection, the Garmin Fenix 7 series only offers ECG in the Pro models.
Galaxy Watch Ultra also offers a Sleep Apnea and BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) sensor, two advanced wellness features not available on the Garmin Fenix 7 series. Sleep Apnea helps to detect moderate to severe sleep apnea, while BIA measures body composition like body fat percentage, muscle mass, and body water levels.
Galaxy Watch Ultra takes pride in its Galaxy AI, which offers a range of AI-enhanced wellness insights. One of the boasted features is Energy Score, which takes yesterday's sleep, steps, and heart rate data to measure the user's overall energy levels and physical readiness for the day.
Samsung's Energy Score is comparable to the Body Battery Energy Monitoring feature in the Garmin Fenix 7 Series, but Garmin displays the data more comprehensively in an hour-by-hour breakdown throughout the day, while Samsung's Energy Score provides a single daily score every day.
ClimbPro and PacePro in Garmin Fenix 7 Series
Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix 7 Series support a range of activities and workouts, from running, cycling, hiking, skiing, and even triathlon. Galaxy Watch Ultra now also supports FTP for cycling, which Garmin Fenix 7 Series has also long offered as a feature, when paired with a compatible accessory.
When it comes to specific outdoor activities, Garmin Fenix 7 Series is more feature-rich. For example, for mountain biking, Fenix 7 offers Garmin's unique Grit and Flow dynamics to measure the trail difficulty and riding smoothness. For golf, Garmin AutoShot automatically records your golf shots and uploads the stats to the Garmin Golf app. For running, PacePro Pacing Strategies provides grade-adjusted pace guidance to help runners reach their goals. For hiking, ClimbPro provides real-time information on current and upcoming climbs to help monitor progress. For surfing, the Fenix 7 works with Surfline Sessions.
A range of other features like Race Predictor, Garmin Coach, Daily Suggested Workouts, On-Screen Workout Animations, and more provide advanced training and performance insights that give the Garmin Fenix 7 Series a clear advantage over the Galaxy Watch Ultra when it comes to dedicated outdoor and fitness activities.
#4 Maps & Navigational Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Garmin Fenix 7 Series offers multi-GNSS support using GPS, Glonass, and Galileo, while Galaxy Watch Ultra relies on GPS, Glonass, Galileo, and Beidou for its location technology. The Sapphire Edition and Pro models of the Fenix 7 also feature SatIQ, a GPS technology that automatically determines the optimal GPS mode to provide the best balance between accuracy and battery life.
When it comes to navigation capabilities, the Garmin Fenix 7 Series offers more advanced mapping and navigation features compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
The standard model of the Fenix 7 supports multicontinent TopoActive maps which you can purchase and download to the watch, while some more expensive Fenix 7 models come with the TopoActive maps preloaded. TopoActive maps provide detailed topographical information for outdoor navigation, providing turn-by-turn directions, elevation profiles, and points of interest for various outdoor activities.
Garmin Fenix 7 Series
Other than TopoActive maps, every Fenix 7 model is preloaded with golf course and ski resort maps, providing comprehensive navigation support for outdoor enthusiasts.
Galaxy Watch Ultra, meanwhile, offers Google Maps for navigation and turn-by-turn directions. The watch also offers Trace Back, similar to Garmin's TracBack, which allows users to retrace their steps back to the starting point.
However, besides TracBack, Garmin Fenix 7 Series also offers more advanced navigational features like round-trip routing, TrendLine popularity routing, waypoint projection, the ability to create and follow courses, Up Ahead, and NextFork, which make it a more capable outdoor navigation tool compared to the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
#5 Smartwatch Features
Galaxy Watch Ultra
When it comes to smartwatch features useful for day-to-day life, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is more well-equipped. The watch is LTE-enabled, allowing you to make and receive calls and texts phone-free.
With the Galaxy AI, Galaxy Watch Ultra also offers Suggested Replies for texts, which can help save time by providing pre-written responses relevant to the conversation.
Meanwhile, Garmin Fenix 7 doesn't support LTE, so it requires a paired smartphone for connectivity and communication features. In addition, the watch comes with no built-in speaker or microphone, so on-wrist calling is not supported. Text response is also only supported in Android.
Galaxy Watch Ultra also offers camera control for compatible smartphones, a flashlight, and even an 86dB siren. Garmin Fenix 7 also offers a flashlight, but only in some higher-end models and not the standard variant.
#6 Battery & Charging
Garmin Fenix 7 Series
Samsung claims the Galaxy Watch Ultra lasts for up to 60 hours in normal usage, up to 48 hours in exercise power-saving mode, and up to 100 hours in power-saving mode.
Meanwhile, Garmin Fenix 7 claims a battery life of up to 57 hours in GPS mode, up to 18 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 57 days in battery-saver smartwatch mode.
While actual battery life will vary depending on use, it's clear that the Galaxy Watch Ultra still fails to catch up with Garmin Fenix 7 when it comes to overall battery life, especially for outdoor activities and extended use.
Garmin Fenix 7 also offers solar models, which come with solar charging capability to extend the battery life even further in the outdoors. For example, the 47mm Fenix 7 Pro Solar can last for up to 73 hours in GPS mode, 22 days in smartwatch mode, and 173 days in battery-saver smartwatch mode.
However, one thing that stands out from Galaxy Watch Ultra is its wireless charging capability, which allows for a more convenient charging method compared to the standard charging cables used by the Garmin Fenix 7 series.
#7 Compatibility
Galaxy Watch Ultra
While Garmin Fenix 7 is compatible with iOS and Android phones, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is only compatible with Android, limiting its appeal to iPhone users.
In addition, some features of the Galaxy Watch Ultra require certain high-end Samsung Galaxy phones, further limiting its compatibility compared to the more universally compatible Garmin Fenix 7 series.
For example, the Energy Score feature is only available for users who have Samsung Galaxy phones that support Galaxy AI, such as the high-end Galaxy S and Z series. That means, users with lower-end Samsung phones or non-Samsung Android phones may not be able to fully utilize this feature on their Galaxy Watch Ultra.
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Fenix 7
Final Thoughts
Garmin Fenix 7 Series
While the Galaxy Watch Ultra excels in daily smartwatch functionality and offers unique wellness features like Sleep Apnea and body composition analysis, the Garmin Fenix 7 Series stands out for its robust outdoor and fitness-focused features.
Garmin Fenix 7 Series provides more specialized activity tracking, advanced navigational tools, and impressive battery life, making them the go-to choice for avid outdoor enthusiasts and athletes.
Meanwhile, Galaxy Watch Ultra is more suitable for outdoor enthusiasts who also value comprehensive smartwatch features and advanced wellness tracking in their daily lives.
If you like to read more on smartwatches, check out our other relevant guides here:
Galaxy Watch Ultra vs Garmin Epix 2
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Garmin Venu 3
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Garmin Vivoactive 5
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Garmin Fenix 7
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Garmin Forerunner 265
Galaxy Watch 7 vs Fitbit Sense 2
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