Samsung turned the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 into a fully-fledged dive computer — but there’s a catch
Samsung just dropped the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, a larger-than-life, tough-built smartwatch with an ultra-bright display, plenty of battery life, health and fitness tech galore, and legit dive-ready features.
Unlike the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, which isn’t meant for diving or high-impact water sports despite its 100-meter water resistance rating, the new model is not only rated for 100 meters but is also EN13319-certified for scuba diving, not to mention IP69K-certified against dust and moisture.
That’s not all; Samsung has partnered with Mares, a popular and trusted dive app, to turn the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 into a fully-fledged dive computer to track your dives. It also provides real-time nitrogen level monitoring, depth and water temperature, dive time, and more. However, there is a catch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is built for diving... for a price
To access all of these cool dive-ready features, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 users will need to subscribe to the Mares app, which is $8.99 a month or $69.99 for the year. For the early birds, it's worth mentioning that support for Mares won't be available right when the smartwatch ships, but a little later this year.
Samsung has a two-year deal with Mares that makes the app exclusive to only the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and no other Android smartwatches. Of course, Apple already has a partnership in place with Mares, which similarly turns the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 into wrist-based dive computers.
One other important note: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is meant for recreational dives only, specifically, those less than 40 meters in depth. Sorry, no deep-sea diving.
What are your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and its water-based features? Would you trust it on your next dive? More importantly, are you willing to pony up the extra cash for the Mares app? Let me know in the comments below.
More from Tom's Guide
This is a preview from the original publisher. Continue reading at the source:
Read Full Article on tomsguide.com →