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Best Smartwatch for Men: Discover Samsung Galaxy Watch9 & Watch Ultra2

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Best Smartwatch for Men: Discover Samsung Galaxy Watch9 & Watch Ultra2

By Sponsored Content | Updated: 9 October 2026 19:42 IST

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Samsung's smartwatch lineup for men just got two significant updates in the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2, and the changes seem highly impressive. For anyone looking for the ideal smartwatch for men this year, these two releases are definitely worth considering. One watch pushes further into rugged, adventure-ready territory. The other doubles down on being the wellness partner you actually wear every day. Between them, Samsung is covering most of what a man buying a smartwatch in 2026 is looking for, whether that means a serious outdoor companion, a dependable running or cycling watch, or something comfortable enough for the office, the gym, and sleep.

Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Built for the Outdoors

The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is Samsung's answer to men who want a watch that can survive actual outdoor use, not just look the part. The case is titanium, which keeps the watch light without giving up the durability that trail runners, cyclists, and hikers need day to day. It carries an IP69K dust resistance rating, meaning it is dust-tight and holds up against close-range, high-pressure water jets and temperature extremes. It also meets the EN13319 diving equipment standard, and the case itself is rated to 10ATM, which means it can withstand pressure equivalent to a depth of 100 meters.

Samsung also gave the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 the brightest display ever on any smartwatch, at 5,000 nits, a brightness level in the same range as outdoor digital signage. That matters more than it sounds on paper. If you've ever squinted at your smartwatch trying to read your pace or elevation in direct sunlight, you know exactly how frustrating that gets.

Despite carrying all of that hardware, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is more comfortable to wear than its predecessor. The case is 7 percent slimmer, down from 16.4mm on the Ultra to 15.2mm on the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, and the band is a millimeter thinner and noticeably softer. For a watch built around toughness, that detail matters. A watch you cannot wear comfortably through a full workday is not one you will keep reaching for on the trail either. It comes in Titanium Silver and Titanium Gray, both finishes that read as premium rather than purely sport-focused.

Battery Life Built to Outlast the Workout

None of the toughness matters if the watch dies halfway through a hike. Samsung addressed that directly with an 800mAh battery in the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, a 35 percent jump from the previous Galaxy Watch Ultra's 590mAh. It runs on a new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, the first of its kind on a Galaxy Watch, which brings a 15 percent gain in power efficiency and a 17 percent gain in CPU performance through expanded processor utilization.

Samsung rates the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 for up to 20 hours of continuous GPS workout tracking on a single charge — enough, in theory, to cover four marathons back to back. That makes it a strong option for ultramarathon training, long cycling events, and extended hikes when you need GPS data without stopping to recharge.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 advantage is that it brings serious outdoor battery life to a more complete smartwatch, without requiring a charge mid-route for most long training sessions.

On the Trail, Guided by Your Wrist

This is where the "built for extreme" positioning shows up in daily use rather than on a spec sheet. Samsung built three features specifically for trail running and other unpredictable outdoor routes, all surfaced through the Samsung Health app.

Route Navigation solves the problem of losing your bearings on an irregular course. Instead of pulling out a phone every few minutes, the watch shows your position, direction, and the distance to your next turn directly on the dial.

Climb Guidance is aimed at anyone tackling serious elevation gain. It tracks elevation gain in real time alongside ascent remaining, so a runner or hiker gets a specific read on how much climbing is left rather than a vague sense of it.

Water Intake Alarm addresses the part of endurance sport that gets ignored until it becomes a problem. Samsung says it is the first real-time hydration alarm of its kind, and it works by estimating sweat loss and prompting a specific amount of water to drink, down to the milliliter, before dehydration starts affecting performance. For anyone who has run out of steam late in a long run because they forgot to drink until it was too late, this is a genuinely practical addition rather than a gimmick.

Keeping route data, elevation stats, and hydration prompts in one app, rather than scattered across separate screens, is part of what Samsung means when it talks about a holistic outdoor experience on this watch.

Galaxy Watch9, the Everyday Half of the Story

If the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is about pushing limits outdoors, the Galaxy Watch9 is about the watch men actually wear day to day, at the office, at the gym, and to bed. Samsung kept the design identity that worked on the Watch8, the same cushion-shaped case and the same slim, comfortable fit, while improving what is inside.

Battery capacity is up 20 percent across both sizes, from 325mAh to 390mAh on the smaller case and from 435mAh to 445mAh on the larger one. The watch runs on the same new chip found in the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, carrying the same 15 percent gain in power efficiency. The band is softer silicone, and the body stays as slim as it was on the Galaxy Watch8. The 40mm size comes in Cream and Graphite, while the 44mm size comes in Silver and Graphite, giving buyers a choice between a lighter, everyday look and a more understated one.

To choose a smartwatch size that feels right, measure your wrist circumference and compare it with the manufacturer's band-fit range. Then try the 40mm and 44mm Galaxy Watch9 cases — or the 47mm Galaxy Watch Ultra2 — if you are considering the larger model. The case should sit securely without pinching or sliding, and the display should be easy to read at a glance. Comfort matters especially if you plan to wear the watch through workouts and overnight sleep tracking.

Sleep and Heart Tracking That Explains Itself

The bigger changes on the Galaxy Watch9 are on the health side. A new Vitals feature tracks five metrics overnight, heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, blood oxygen, and respiratory rate, and flags early warning signs your body might be sending while you sleep. Rather than looking at these numbers in isolation, it compares each night against your own baseline and flags meaningful deviations, so you get a clearer picture of how your body's signals are changing rather than a list of raw numbers to interpret yourself. If your heart rate is slightly elevated and your HRV is low, the watch says so directly and suggests it might be linked to stress, poor sleep, caffeine, or alcohol, along with a practical nudge like taking it easy and focusing on recovery that night.

Heart Health Score on the Samsung Health app rounds out the wellness upgrades by combining factors like sleep time, BMI, moderate to vigorous activity, and vascular load, as well as stress levels and body composition, along with heart rhythm irregularities and BP and ECG readings, into a single score that reflects how daily habits are affecting heart health over time. It comes with a trend line so you can see whether the score is improving or slipping, plus personalized guidance tied to whatever is dragging the number down that day.

Samsung Health also introduces a Fitness Index, which gives a broader read on overall fitness by looking at heart rate, steps, and activity data together, rather than just counting workouts. It helps identify where you are already strong and where there is room to improve, turning general activity data into a clearer sense of actual fitness level.

A Daily Cardio Load feature tracks the cardiovascular strain built up through daily activity and workouts, and tells you whether you are under target, in an optimal range, over target, or in need of rest. That takes some of the guesswork out of deciding whether today is a day to push harder in training or ease off and recover.

Sleep tracking itself has been reframed as part of that same recovery picture rather than a separate stat. The Galaxy watch keeps collecting data while you wear it overnight, and Samsung Health brings it together with the rest of your health information instead of treating sleep as something that happens after tracking stops for the day.

Samsung Health closes the loop each morning with a personalised energy score, combining health and activity data to give a sense of how ready you are for the day ahead. It is surfaced prominently in the redesigned app alongside the rest of the daily wellness guidance.

All of this comes together in the rebuilt Samsung Health v7.0, now extended further with Fitness Index, Daily Cardio Load, and Energy Score, which makes the Galaxy Watch9 feel like a strong mid-range smartwatch rather than just a basic fitness tracker and the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 the ultimate smartwatch. The bright display, sleep tools, heart monitoring, and clear daily guidance give these smartwatches many of the health features buyers may look for in a smartwatch, while keeping the experience more complete than a simple wellness band. Samsung also redesigned the app to surface relevant advice faster, with direct access to sleep, heart, and recovery data instead of burying those insights behind extra taps.

AI That Is Actually Built Into the Watch

Raise to Talk removes the need to say "Hey Google" and wait for Gemini to wake up. Raising your wrist and asking a question, like whether it is going to rain tonight, is enough to get an answer.

Price and Availability in India

The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is priced at Rs. 64,999 for its 47mm LTE model, placing it in the premium smartwatch category. It is the better fit for Samsung Galaxy phone users who want deep Samsung Health integration, LTE connectivity, and serious outdoor features.

The Galaxy Watch9 starts at Rs. 37,999. This makes the Galaxy Watch9 a practical Smartwatch for everyday health tracking, sleep monitoring, and fitness. When choosing an everyday smartwatch, prioritize a comfortable fit, a display you can read at a glance, useful sleep and heart tracking, reliable notifications, and battery life that suits your routine. Bluetooth is a good fit if you usually carry your phone; the more expensive LTE, or Cellular, option can handle calls and connectivity more independently when you leave it behind.

Both watches are also available on EMI. The Galaxy Watch9 is available for Rs. 1,417 a month, and the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 for Rs. 2,438 a month, both on a 24-month tenure and inclusive of cashback or upgrade offers.

To own now, visit

Galaxy Watch9
Galaxy Watch Ultra2:

The Bigger Picture

Between the two watches, Samsung covers a wide range of what men want from a smartwatch this year. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is for men who need genuine outdoor performance, including trail running, hiking, cycling, and diving, without giving up comfort or a premium build. Its long GPS battery life makes it a stronger choice. The Garmin Venu 4 is less of a complete smartwatch than the Samsung Galaxy Watch9, so the best option depends on whether fitness performance or everyday smart features matter more. The Galaxy Watch9 is for men who want a slimmer, comfortable everyday watch that tracks sleep, heart health, and daily habits without demanding constant attention, while explaining its findings in plain language instead of showing only raw numbers.

For men in India choosing the best smartwatch in 2026, match your budget and daily routine to the features you will use most. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is the stronger choice for rugged outdoor activities, long GPS workouts, hiking, cycling, and diving, while the slimmer Galaxy Watch9 suits everyday wear, sleep and heart tracking, and gym sessions. Before buying, check that the watch fits your wrist comfortably, works with your phone, and offers the connectivity you need: Bluetooth is usually enough if you carry your phone, while LTE adds more independence at a higher price.

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