Upgrading to the Galaxy Watch Ultra was smoother than I expected, but not perfect

[Jenith]

A few months ago, I explained why I bought the Galaxy Watch Ultra in 2025, a year after its launch. When I finally received my new watch, I was curious to see how the whole switching process would be. And my experience of switching from my old Galaxy Watch 4 was mostly polished, showcasing how far Samsung’s software has evolved, but also how a few rough edges still remain.

Switching from one Galaxy Watch to another is fast and noticeably smooth​

The Galaxy Watch Ultra is three generations newer than the Galaxy Watch 4, and the leap in overall refinement is immediately noticeable. As soon as I powered on the Watch Ultra, my Galaxy S23 Ultra displayed a pop-up menu to start the setup process, guiding me with ease.

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The entire pairing process was faster and more fluid than I remember from previous Galaxy Watches.

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After the setup, the watch prompted me to install a day-one software update to One UI 8 Watch, which is based on Wear OS 6. I bought the Galaxy Watch Ultra in late July at roughly half its original price, so getting the newest software out of the box felt like excellent timing.

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That said, the process wasn’t entirely perfect. Having to sign in separately into my Google and Samsung accounts still feels like an unnecessary extra step. Considering both companies co-develop the OS, it is time they make this integration smoother for users.

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Transferring data from my Galaxy Watch 4 to the Galaxy Watch Ultra using Smart Switch was impressively smooth. It restored almost everything—apps, call logs, images, home screen layouts, permissions, and watch faces—in about 8 to 10 minutes.

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New health features were neatly explained​

During the setup process, Samsung explained important health features like Energy Score and newer features like Running Coach. This will help users understand how to make the most of Samsung's health and fitness features.

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The Samsung Health Monitor also had an app update waiting, ensuring the smartwatch was running the latest health-tracking tools. This kind of polish makes the setup feel both easy to understand and reassuring.

Some minor issues still remain​

However, my watch face customizations weren’t restored from the Galaxy Watch 4. I had to set my preferred color themes and recreate complications and layouts once again after the setup procedure was done. It could be a small issue for some, but for someone like me who cares a lot about personalization, it stands out as the biggest annoyance in the whole process.

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Moreover, the eSIM activation also hit a snag, so I had to revisit it later. Gemini, Google’s AI-powered assistant that powers Wear OS, also took a few extra minutes to configure. It is not a major issue, but less seamless than some would expect.

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These few hiccups reminded me that Samsung still hasn't designed a truly flawless upgrade process.

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When I opened the Galaxy Wearable app after the setup, Samsung highlighted all the new watch faces introduced with One UI 8 Watch. Each watch face was accompanied by a short explanation and an install button. While it is nice, it would’ve been better if all those watch faces were included as part of the system update instead of requiring me to manually download them.

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Overall, switching from the Galaxy Watch 4 to the Galaxy Watch Ultra was largely painless but not entirely seamless. Samsung has clearly refined the migration process over the years, but a few quality-of-life improvements could be made. If it can solve those issues, Samsung's ecosystem could deliver a perfect experience for loyal users and switchers alike.

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