Did Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Wear Elite chip nuke the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2's battery gains? - Android Authority

What the report says

Android Authority reports that Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 pairs a much larger 800mAh battery with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, but Samsung’s own battery-life estimate has not changed from the previous Galaxy Watch Ultra. According to the publication, Samsung still lists up to 60 hours of use with Always-On Display, despite the original Ultra using a 590mAh cell and an Exynos W1000 processor.

The article says the apparent mismatch was noted after Samsung’s latest Unpacked event and was first raised publicly by Phonefuturist on X. Android Authority points out that a 35% increase in battery capacity would normally raise expectations for longer runtime, especially because the new watches ship with Wear OS 7, which has been promoted as more efficient than Wear OS 6.

The report also notes possible reasons the larger battery may not translate into a higher official estimate. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has a brighter Super AMOLED display rated at 5,000 nits, compared with 3,000 nits on the prior model, and a slightly higher 498 x 498 resolution. Android Authority cautions, however, that peak brightness applies only briefly and to limited screen areas, so it may not fully explain the unchanged figure.

Android Authority observed a similar pattern in Samsung’s broader watch lineup: the Galaxy Watch 9 models received battery increases and moved from Exynos to Snapdragon Wear Elite, yet Samsung continues to advertise up to 40 hours without Always-On Display, matching the Watch 8 series. The publication said it contacted Samsung for clarification and is awaiting further information.