How Four Athletes Put The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 And Galaxy Watch9 To The Test

Ask any athlete what separates a good day from a great one and the answer rarely begins with talent. It begins with knowing your body: how hard you pushed yesterday, how well you slept last night and how much you have left today.

That is the idea behind Recommended by the Pros, a series that hands the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 to four people who test their limits for a living. A mountaineer on high, rocky terrain. A runner chasing pace across trails. A judoka who trains as hard off the mat as on it. A diver at home beneath the surface of the sea.

Four very different arenas, with one thing in common. Each needed a watch that could keep up with the activity and make sense of what it recorded. And once the session was done, each could open the Samsung Health App on the Galaxy Z Fold8 and see every insight laid out on the big screen.

Every Insight, One Screen: Samsung Health App On Galaxy Z Fold8

A watch is only half the story. What turns a climb, a run, a bout or a dive into progress is what happens next, when the data is reviewed and acted on.

That is where the Samsung Health App comes in. Every metric the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 and Galaxy Watch9 capture, from Trail Run Elevation and Dive Depth to Vitals, Heart Health Score and Daily Cardio Load, syncs to the app automatically, with no cables or manual uploads.

Paired with the Galaxy Z Fold8, it becomes far more useful. Unfold the phone and those insights spread across a large screen, with room to compare sessions, read trends over weeks and plan the next one.

Here is how the pros put the Galaxy Watch to work.

Cherry Sin: Built For The Climb

Cherry Sin is an adventure and lifestyle creator who's best described as a "Hybrid Monk", moving between high-energy physical pursuits and a quieter, reflective life. Based in Jammu, India, and travelling often, he shares fitness, travel and outdoor content with a community of more than a million followers across platforms.

In the mountains, conditions change by the hour, and a gadget either earns its place or gets left behind. For Cherry's climb, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 was tested to the core and came out with flying colours.

Cherry's climb starts long before the mountain, at home and in the gym, with bodyweight and strength sessions that build the stamina and core strength a long ascent demands. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 stays on his wrist through every set. Its bright display makes it easy to check his heart rate and workout time between reps, while its tough titanium build gives him confidence during floor work and grip-heavy moves.

On the mountain, that confidence carried over. Under harsh, high-altitude sun, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2's display, which reaches up to 5,000 nits, kept his metrics readable at a glance. Its titanium case and MIL-STD-810H rating meant scrapes against rock were part of the day, not a worry. Samsung rates its 800mAh battery for up to 60 hours with the always-on display enabled, but actual battery life varies with settings and use. GPS workouts, display choices and overnight health tracking can all affect endurance, so charging needs depend on how the watch is used. For Cherry, it tracked the climb from base to summit and back without a mid-adventure charge.

Back at base, Cherry opens the Samsung Health App on his smartphone to check his Vascular Load. It shows how much strain the climb put on his body and how much recovery he may need before the next ascent, so he knows when he is ready to go again.

"The higher you go, the more you realise every climb has its own challenges. You find your pace, adapt to the terrain and enjoy the process. Up there, I don't want to think about my gear, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is the one thing on me I never have to worry about," says Cherry.

Gary Lu: Running The Trails Of Dehradun

Gary Lu is a Dehradun-born fitness trainer, sports nutritionist and YouTuber, who first reached a national audience on MTV Splitsvilla 13. He has been creating fitness and lifestyle content since 2015.

Running on a track is one thing. Running a hilly trail, where the ground rises, falls and shifts underfoot, is another. For his run, Gary went back to where he grew up: the hill trails around Dehradun, with the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 on his wrist.

Gary's trail run was built in the gym, where he mixes leg-strength work with long cardio sessions, all tracked on his Galaxy Watch Ultra2. During those cardio blocks, the watch's Hydration Alarm uses estimated sweat loss and body weight to prompt him to drink. It is a habit that shaped his final run on the trail.

In the hills of Dehradun, the work paid off. Trail Run tracking logged his elevation, climbing progress and the impact of the terrain, so Gary could see where the effort went. Climb Guidance helped him pace the steep stretches instead of burning out on them, and Route Navigation kept him on course when the trail split. As the climbs got longer, the Hydration Alarm reminded him to keep drinking.

Once he is back down, the Samsung Health App on his Galaxy Z Fold8 is the first thing he opens. "The view from the top was worth every step. And my next step after every run? Checking all my health insights in the Samsung Health App on my Galaxy Z Fold8, with everything my Galaxy Watch Ultra2 tracked in one place," says Gary.

Priya: Strength On The Mat, Recovery Off It

Priya is an international-level judoka who splits her week between judo practice and strength work in the gym. Her content centres on discipline, training and the less glamorous half of performance: recovery.

Judo is short bursts of maximum effort, repeated until the body says stop. The real skill, Priya says, is knowing when to listen. The Galaxy Watch9 helps her do that.

Priya's power on the mat is built in the gym, through heavy strength-lifting sessions that develop the grip and drive judo demands. Sessions like these take a toll, and her Galaxy Watch9 helps her follow recovery-related trends. While she sleeps, it tracks measures including heart rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature to build a personal Vitals baseline and flag notable changes. Vascular Load offers another view of cardiovascular strain over time. These features provide wellness insights, not a medical assessment or diagnosis.

That data helps inform what happens on the mat. Heart Health Score brings cardiovascular data together in a single score, giving Priya another point of reference as she considers whether to train at full intensity or take a lighter day. It is one input alongside how she feels and her training plan - not a substitute for professional medical advice. On days she feels ready, she pushes. When she needs recovery, she gives her body time to prepare for the next throw.

"Performance isn't built only on the hours you spend on the mat. It's built on how well you recover. My Galaxy Watch9 gives me insights into what my body may not always say out loud, so I can think about when to challenge myself and when to rest," says Priya. 

Prathamesh Maulingkar: Going Deeper

Prathamesh Maulingkar is a former India U-23 footballer from Goa, who played as a centre back for Pailan Arrows and Dempo. After his football career, he reinvented himself in fitness and won Mister Supranational 2018 in Poland, the first Asian to take the title. Today he is a fitness trainer and gym owner in Goa.

For someone who grew up by the Goan coast, the sea is home ground. Underwater, though, the margin for error is small, and a watch has to be more than water-resistant. It has to be a dive instrument.

Prathamesh prepares for the water on the sand. His routine pairs beach runs for endurance with breathwork drills that train calm and control, both vital before a dive. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 handles it all. Its IP69K rating means sand, salt spray and high-pressure water are nothing to worry about, and the screen stays clear under the bright Goan sun.

Underwater, it delivers exactly that. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is certified to EN13319, the European standard for equipment that measures dive depth and time, and it automatically records depth, dive time and water temperature. Back on the boat, up to 5,000 nits of display brightness cuts through the sea glare, so Prathamesh can read his dive data the moment he surfaces.

"Football taught me discipline. The sea taught me patience. Underwater you can't rush anything, so you need gear you can trust completely. Thankfully, the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is exactly that with its dependable military-grade build quality and precise underwater performance," says Prathamesh.

The pros have made their pick. The next arena is yours.

Choosing A Smartwatch: Start With Your Phone

Before comparing features, check that a watch works with your phone and that the health tools you want are supported by your model and in your region. The Samsung Health App experience described here pairs with a Galaxy Z Fold8; check Samsung's current compatibility details before assuming the same features work with every Android phone or an iPhone. Apple Watch is designed for iPhone users. The rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3 may suit demanding outdoor activities, but its premium price and larger design can be more than everyday users need. For Android, compare Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and Google Pixel Watch 4: both use Wear OS, but differ in ecosystem integration, design, health features and charging needs. Compatibility and feature availability vary, so confirm details before buying.

Match The Watch To Your Training

A general-purpose smartwatch combines phone-connected apps and everyday features with fitness tracking. A fitness-focused watch may put more emphasis on training insights, GPS and battery life. If health and sleep tracking matter to you, check which measures the watch records - such as heart rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature - and whether it offers useful sleep or recovery trends. Availability can vary by watch, phone and region, and these insights are not a medical assessment. The best smartwatch depends on your phone, intended use, budget and tolerance for charging. Compare battery-life claims under similar conditions, including always-on display, GPS, cellular use and overnight tracking; real-world results vary with settings and habits. The athlete experiences in this article are personal testimonials, not independent expert reviews, so they do not establish an overall winner. For a review-based comparison, look for current, attributed testing of the specific models you are considering.

What To Check Before Buying In India

Compare the features you will actually use, such as GPS, health and sleep tracking, and workout modes. Consider how often you are willing to charge the watch, and check phone compatibility, battery-life claims, local availability, warranty and service terms. Before choosing an EMI offer, confirm the tenure, eligibility, cashback or upgrade conditions, and total amount payable with the retailer. Prices and offers can change, so verify the current terms before purchase. 

Before choosing a smartwatch, check that it is compatible with your phone and supports the features you plan to use, such as GPS, health tracking and workout modes. Compare battery life under conditions that reflect your use, along with warranty and service terms. EMI eligibility and offer conditions can vary, so confirm the tenure, cashback or upgrade requirements, and total amount payable with the retailer before you buy.

For expert reviews, compare current tests of the exact smartwatch models you are considering, including the reviewers' criteria and testing conditions. There is no single best smartwatch for everyone: an expert pick may depend on phone compatibility, fitness features, battery life and charging needs. Use reviews to find the right fit for your priorities, rather than treating one model as the overall winner.

This festive season, there is no better time to train like the pros. 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. Check current terms with the retailer.

To own now, visit: 
Samsung Galaxy Watch9 on the official Samsung website. 
Galaxy Watch Ultra2 on the official Samsung website.