Samsung Electronics has introduced two new smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9, at its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, marking a shift towards embedding artificial intelligence directly into wrist-worn health tracking. The Ultra2 is built for high-intensity outdoor use, featuring a titanium case, a 5,000-nit display, and an 800 mAh battery that offers a 35 per cent capacity increase over its predecessor. The Watch9, by contrast, is positioned as a daily wellness companion, with a lighter aluminium body, a 3,000-nit screen, and a 390 mAh battery. Both models run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and ship with Wear OS 7 and Samsung’s One UI 9 Watch interface.

The core differentiator is a suite of AI-powered health features that process data from the Samsung BioActive sensor, which combines optical heart rate, electrical cardiac, and bioelectrical impedance analysis. A new Vitals function monitors key indicators during sleep and alerts users to deviations from their personal baselines. Heart Health Score aggregates cardiovascular metrics into a single index with lifestyle recommendations, while Daily Cardio Load estimates exercise strain and recovery needs. The watches also include an FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection tool, a feature that analysts in Latin America note could broaden the devices’ appeal in markets where sleep-disordered breathing is underdiagnosed.

For outdoor athletes, the Ultra2 adds specialised modes: Trail Run tracks elevation gain and terrain impact, and a Nutrition Alert estimates fluid loss to guide hydration. Its diving capabilities, developed with equipment maker Mares, allow the watch to automatically record depth, water temperature, and dive time upon submersion, with an app offering ascent rate monitoring and no-decompression limit guidance expected by the end of the year. The device carries IP69K and EN13319 certifications, rated for depths of up to 40 metres. Taiwanese tech press reports highlight that the Ultra2’s case is 12 per cent thinner than the previous generation, while the new Air Pocket strap design aims to improve comfort and sensor accuracy during sleep.

Pre-orders opened on 22 July in select markets, with general availability from 7 August. In Mexico, the Ultra2 is priced at 12,999 pesos and the Watch9 starts at 6,999 pesos; Samsung Argentina has indicated a late-August launch. The staggered rollout and the emphasis on AI-driven health insights reflect a broader industry push, observed from Seoul to Shenzhen, to turn smartwatches from notification relays into proactive health management tools. The next milestone to watch is the release of the dedicated Diving app for the Ultra2, which Samsung says will arrive before the end of 2026, and the real-world validation of the AI health scores once the devices reach consumers.