Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 takes the original Ultra's titanium adventure-watch idea and changes the parts that matter far from a charger. Its 800mAh cell is 35% larger, the screen reaches a localized peak brightness of 5,000 nits, and a redesigned interior makes the body 12% thinner even with the larger battery. Samsung has also moved beyond general outdoor tracking with a dedicated Trail Run mode and dive-ready hardware. None of that creates a native iPhone pairing route, so Merge is the companion layer that brings iPhone data to the watch.
Prepare Ultra 2 before an outdoor trip
Do the first activation, firmware update, app installation, and permission checks somewhere with dependable Wi-Fi. Samsung's supported activation path calls for an Android 13-or-newer phone with Google Mobile Services. Galaxy Wearable provisions the watch, signs it into Samsung and Google services, and opens access to Play Store. Owners without an Android device can instead start with the wireless installer inside Merge for iPhone, which provides a phone-free route to an initialized Galaxy Watch.
Ultra 2 uses Wear OS 7 with One UI 9 Watch. Let pending system updates finish before installing Merge; beginning a long update after you have already left home can interrupt both app installation and Bluetooth setup.
Pair Ultra 2 with the iPhone
- Download Merge Watch on the iPhone and grant the requested Bluetooth permission.
- From Play Store on Ultra 2, install the watch edition of Merge Watch.
- Place the watch and iPhone close together and open Merge on both.
- Allow nearby-device access on the watch, then wait for the iPhone to be discovered.
- Tap the iPhone's name on Ultra 2 and approve the Bluetooth code shown by the operating systems.
- Return to Merge and wait for the connected status before moving either device away.
- Finish any subscription prompt, followed by the notification and Apple Health permissions you intend to use.
To protect the connection, inspect Settings - Battery - More battery settings - Sleeping apps. Remove Merge if Samsung has added it. Ultra 2 has ample battery capacity; allowing the bridge to stay alive is generally more useful than saving a small amount of power by silently stopping it.
What Merge contributes in the field
The iPhone can forward selected app notifications to Ultra 2, ring incoming calls on the wrist, and share its contacts for recognizable caller names. The watch can control iPhone music playback and serve as a remote shutter when the phone's camera is open. Supported activity data—including steps, heart rate, calories, distance, floors, pace, and GPS workout routes—can flow into Apple Health rather than remaining isolated in a separate watch ecosystem.
These are proximity features. Bluetooth must remain enabled, and live forwarding depends on the iPhone and watch staying within useful radio range. Ultra 2's LTE radio does not turn Merge into an unlimited-distance iPhone relay.
The features that do not need Merge
Ultra 2's most distinctive tools are native watch functions. Trail Run measures elevation, climbing progress, cumulative ascent and descent, and terrain impact. Nutrition Alert builds on Sweat Loss to offer real-time hydration guidance for supported activities. Dual-frequency GPS, the compass, route tools, workout sensors, and the 5,000-nit display remain valuable even when the iPhone is not close enough to forward a notification.
The watch is rated to 10 ATM and IP69K and is certified to EN13319, the standard used for depth- and dive-time instruments. It can automatically surface depth, elapsed time, and water temperature after its dive auto-launch setting is enabled. Samsung says a separate Ultra 2 Diving app developed with Mares will add ascent and descent speed plus safe dive limits later in 2026. Treat that software as upcoming until it is actually available in your region and installed; a smartwatch is also not a substitute for appropriate dive training and backup instruments.
Ultra 2 compared with the first Galaxy Watch Ultra
- Battery: 800mAh instead of 590mAh, a 35% capacity increase.
- Display: up to 5,000 nits rather than 3,000 nits, with a slightly larger 1.52-inch panel.
- Wearability: a 12% thinner 10.7mm body, plus lighter and softer new band designs.
- Platform: Snapdragon Wear Elite, Wear OS 7, One UI 9 Watch, and Bluetooth 6.0.
- Sports: dedicated Trail Run analysis, hydration guidance, and a much deeper diving toolset.
- Storage: 64GB, double the capacity of the first Ultra.
The shock-resistant titanium shell and 47mm format remain, but Ultra 2 is not merely a new color or software refresh. Its larger power reserve, brighter screen, slimmer construction, and specialized sports modes change how the watch can be used. Merge leaves those native advantages intact and adds the everyday iPhone connection around them.
