Apple Watch Ultra 4 Ties Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in 13.1-Mile Half Marathon Test
Updated
Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 17
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Ties Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 in 13.1-Mile Half Marathon Test
3 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 17
Summary
A side-by-side half marathon test found Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 delivered near-identical race tracking, with no clear winner on core fitness accuracy.
GPS results were almost even: Apple logged 13.23 miles and Samsung 13.21 miles on the 13.1-mile course, with both hitting auto-lap markers closely and slight overages attributed to normal race-line drift.
Heart-rate tracking was similarly close against an Oura Ring 5 baseline of 163 bpm, with Apple averaging 159 bpm and Samsung 160 bpm during a run spent mostly in zones 4 and 5.
Samsung's elevation reading also held up better than some earlier testing suggested, recording 342 feet versus the course's official 311 feet, while both watches remained usable in-race thanks to physical buttons and bright screens.
The practical choice comes down more to ecosystem and price than performance: Apple costs $799 and requires an iPhone, while Samsung costs $699 and works only with Android or Galaxy phones.