Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 Bet on a Borrowed Chip

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 now have a nearly complete spec sheet, leaked eight days before Samsung shows them off at Galaxy Unpacked on July 22. Android Authority, citing a report from the German outlet WinFuture, filled in the batteries, displays, storage and European prices Samsung itself still hasn’t confirmed.

The case designs barely changed from last year’s models, based on renders several outlets already published. Samsung is swapping its own Exynos chip for a Qualcomm processor just as Google is reportedly leaving Qualcomm behind for its own next Pixel Watch chip.

Screens, Storage and Batteries by the Numbers

The 40mm Galaxy Watch 9 is expected to carry a 438 by 438 pixel display, while the 44mm model and the Watch Ultra 2 step up to 480 by 480 pixels, Android Authority reported. Both watches top out at 2GB of RAM.

Storage splits by tier. The standard Watch 9 gets 32GB, and the Watch Ultra 2 doubles that to 64GB, according to a separate report from Samsung-focused outlet SamMobile on the same leak.

Battery is where the Ultra 2 pulls ahead. The 40mm Watch 9 holds at 325mAh, unchanged from its predecessor, while the 44mm version gets a modest bump to 445mAh, matching last year’s Watch 8 Classic. The Watch Ultra 2 jumps from its 590mAh original launch battery to roughly 800mAh, a gain of about 35%.

Connectivity gets a uniform refresh across the lineup: Bluetooth 6.0, NFC (near field communication, used for tap to pay) and dual band Wi-Fi, plus the usual LTE variants for buyers who want cellular. Material and water resistance still separate the two lines. The standard Watch 9 keeps aluminum and a 5 ATM rating, roughly 50 meters of water resistance, while the Ultra 2 moves to titanium and 100 meters.

What Samsung Has Actually Confirmed

Samsung has confirmed exactly one part of this story: the date. The company’s official invite locks in a July 22 keynote in London, streaming live on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom and YouTube at 9 a.m. ET.

Everything about the watches themselves, the chip, the batteries, the prices, comes from leakers and outlets reporting on leaks. Samsung hasn’t named a single device yet.

What we know:

• Samsung’s invite, themed “A New Shape Unfolds,” confirms July 22 in London and promises “new form factors” and “more personal, adaptive experiences” without naming a device.
• The keynote streams live on Samsung.com, Samsung Newsroom and YouTube at 9 a.m. ET, 2 p.m. BST.
• Samsung Reserve is already open, offering credit and sweepstakes entries toward a future preorder.

What’s unconfirmed:

• Every spec tied to the Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2, including the chip swap, batteries and pricing, traces back to leak focused outlets, not Samsung.
• Whether a Galaxy Watch 9 Classic launches alongside the standard model.
• Whether US or UK pricing will mirror the leaked European figures.

That gap between a confirmed date and unconfirmed hardware is standard practice for Samsung, which rarely comments on its own leaks before Unpacked.

Exynos Steps Aside for Qualcomm’s Wear Elite

The single biggest change under the hood is a chip Samsung didn’t design. Both the Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 are expected to drop Samsung’s Exynos W1000 for the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite SW6100, a chip Qualcomm confirmed earlier this year.

The new chip runs on a 3 nanometer process with five cores, one performance core at 2.1GHz paired with four efficiency cores at 1.95GHz, according to a report from Uzbek tech outlet Zamin.uz. Qualcomm has said the design adds a dedicated neural processing unit for on device AI, which matters more for battery life than it sounds. Health calculations the Watch 8 hands off to a paired phone can now run locally, without waking the Bluetooth radio as often.

It’s a switch stark enough that a familiar design paired with a chip reset was how one earlier breakdown of the leaked renders summed up this generation.

Google Is Betting the Opposite Way

Google is reportedly stripping Qualcomm out of its next Pixel Watch, swapping in an in house Tensor chip it designs itself, according to Tom’s Guide. Samsung is moving toward Qualcomm at the same time Google is moving away from it.

Tom’s Guide has pegged a Pixel Watch 5 for late August, though neither company has confirmed a date. Whichever bet pays off will shape how quickly these watches can run AI health features without leaning on a paired phone.

A Bigger Battery Chasing an Old Complaint

The Watch Ultra 2’s battery jump is chasing a real complaint. Android Central’s review of the original Galaxy Watch Ultra flagged misaligned displays and a detached Quick Button among early buyer complaints. Battery life notoriously lasted only one to two days for heavier users, according to a breakdown of the leak from tech outlet Gagadget.

The jump to roughly 800mAh, paired with a more efficient chip, is Samsung’s answer to that complaint. Whether it’s enough depends on how much of that extra capacity gets eaten by a brighter, 5,000 nit display, an upgrade Samsung leaker Ice Universe has pointed to for the Ultra 2.

What Buyers Will Actually Pay

Whatever chip ends up inside, buyers are paying more for it. Leaked European pricing lines up closely across Android Authority, SamMobile and PC Guide’s reporting on the same leak, with only the exact size of the Watch 9’s markup still up for debate.

SamMobile pegs the Ultra 2’s increase at €100 over the original Watch Ultra’s launch price. Watch 9 estimates are messier: Gagadget puts the base increase at €30 a model, while tech outlet Ytechb’s figures run closer to €40, though both agree every size costs more than last year.

The pricing lands as Samsung navigates a rough patch in wearables. Tech Advisor reported this month that Samsung’s watch shipments have fallen 28% year over year, a number that raises the stakes for whatever the company shows on July 22.

Will Samsung Even Sell a Galaxy Watch Classic This Year?

Probably not. Current leaks point to just two models this year, the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, with no Classic variant showing up in any render, color list or spec sheet that has surfaced so far, breaking with earlier speculation that a rotating bezel Classic might return.

Colors have leaked for both remaining models.

• Watch 9 (40mm): Cream and Graphite
• Watch 9 (44mm): Silver and Graphite, with a Green option that surfaced separately and remains unconfirmed
• Watch Ultra 2 (47mm): Titanium Gray and Titanium Silver

The Ultra 2’s case gets a slightly boxier shape with thinner bezels and an orange accent reduced to a thin outline, based on renders shared by Android Headlines and 9to5Google, while keeping its rotating bezel intact.

In India, the Watch Ultra 2 has already cleared its Bureau of Indian Standards certification alongside the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8, a step that typically lands weeks ahead of a regional launch.

Software brings its own changes. Samsung is preparing new watch faces, including an Ultra Performance face exclusive to the Ultra 2 with a low light mode, plus health features like Vitals, Heart Health Score, Daily Cardio Load and Fitness Index.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 go on sale?

Samsung hasn’t confirmed a retail date, but leaker Billbil-kun, cited by PC Guide, points to August 6, 2026, with preorders opening July 22 around 3 p.m. French time, shortly after Unpacked wraps.

How much will the Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 cost in the UK?

Samsung hasn’t published UK pricing yet. Based on typical euro to pound conversions, Gagadget estimates roughly £350 to £420 for the Watch 9 and around £650 for the Watch Ultra 2, though official Samsung UK figures should replace these once Unpacked happens.

Does the Galaxy Watch 9 still use a Samsung Exynos chip?

Most recent leaks, including Android Authority’s report on the WinFuture leak, say both watches move fully to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite. A handful of earlier reports floated a regional split with Exynos surviving in some markets, but the newest leaks don’t repeat that claim.

Is Samsung launching a Galaxy Watch 9 Classic?

No Classic model has appeared in any leaked render, color list or spec sheet so far. Samsung has historically released the rotating bezel Classic every other year, and last year’s Galaxy Watch 8 Classic would make this an off year under that pattern.

Will the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 support 5G?

It doesn’t look like it. Earlier rumors floated 5G for the Ultra 2, but the newest WinFuture sourced leaks describe Bluetooth 6.0, dual band Wi-Fi, NFC and standard LTE only, with no mention of 5G hardware.

What is the Vitals feature on the new Galaxy Watch?

Vitals is Samsung’s overnight readiness score, combining heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature and blood oxygen into one summary that flags changes from a wearer’s normal baseline, according to Gadgets and Wearables.